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The Ghost of Thomas Kempe

Penelope Lively

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Feb 07, 2020 Werner rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens, supernatural-fiction

Strictly speaking, my rating for this light and enjoyable read would be three and a half stars, if Goodreads allowed fractional stars. But I rounded up, in tribute to Lively's skillful writing and the unexpected depth of thought in the ending.

The fact that this book was picked (on my suggestion) as a "Terror Tribe Buddy Read" in the Reading for Pleasure group on Goodreads is misleading. Yes, the supernatural element here is quite real. And the premise could allow for a horrific use of the supern Strictly speaking, my rating for this light and enjoyable read would be three and a half stars, if Goodreads allowed fractional stars. But I rounded up, in tribute to Lively's skillful writing and the unexpected depth of thought in the ending.

The fact that this book was picked (on my suggestion) as a "Terror Tribe Buddy Read" in the Reading for Pleasure group on Goodreads is misleading. Yes, the supernatural element here is quite real. And the premise could allow for a horrific use of the supernatural, if that had been Lively's intention: newly arrived in a large village/small town in the Thames Valley, ca. 1973 (the author's present) young protagonist James Harrison and his parents and sister are newly settled into a centuries-old cottage --in which workmen, preparing the dwelling for occupancy, accidentally broke an old bottle in the room that would be James.' That released the titular ghost of one Thomas Kempe, a long-dead, self-described sorcerer; he has an agenda, and it doesn't entail much respect for the agendas of the living. But while Kempe can command traditional poltergeist phenomena (moving and breaking objects, slamming doors, generating drafts, etc.) and can also write messages in archaic script, his activities aren't --usually-- life-threatening, and Lively's tone is humorous, in a wonderfully dry, understated fashion that's typically British. That didn't bother me (though I'd expected more of a scare factor when I suggested the read); I enjoy well-written fiction of the supernatural whether it's scary or not. But if it has to be genuinely scary to please your taste, you'll not find that here.

What Lively does offer, instead, is an engaging story, well told; a palpable sense of place; and a realistic, likeable protagonist who's very fully realized, as are the supporting characters. James reminds me, allowing for differences in nationality and century, of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer; they both have that type of rambunctious, mischievous and willful personality that's typical of a lot of boys --though James has more intelligence and genuine intellectual curiosity than Tom, which makes him easier for me to relate to. (His age isn't actually stated, but from internal indications, I'd say it's 10-11.) His sibling rivalry with his sister is actually pitch perfect for that age (yes, I've raised kids and have grandkids!). Not all of his attitudes and behaviors are ones I'd encourage (though he's actually a pretty good kid) --but he's real enough to walk off the page. Lively also subtly critiques the narrow-minded, ingrained materialism of many moderns, who discount any possibility of the paranormal, not because they're particularly "enlightened," but because they're too intellectually lazy to think on their own. What really elevated my rating, though, was the insights James achieves near the end --you'll have to read the book yourself to understand.

This is "children's" fiction, in that it's suitable for kids to read, without objectionable content, is pitched to their reading level (though the prose style isn't pablum, either --the vocabulary and diction are actually quite comfortable, IMO, for most serious readers of all ages, except the very youngest), and has a child protagonist. But, as I've often said before, if fiction can be recognized by young readers as good fiction, it can be appreciated by older readers on the same basis; we respond to the same literary qualities, which are universal in their appeal. (I enjoyed it, and I'm 67.)

British author Dame Penelope Lively (b. 1933) is an acclaimed and prolific writer of fiction for both adults and children. This is one of her earlier works, and earned her the Carnegie Medal from the British Library Assn. (the UK equivalent of the Newbery Award in the U.S. --she's also won the Booker Prize, the British equivalent of the Pulitzer). But so far, this is the only work by her that I've read. ...more

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