Mister Monday by Garth Nix
Since reading his most famous work, Sabriel, as a child, I have been enamoured with the work of Garth Nix. The way he combines plot development and characters to drive a narrative feels intelligent and is rewarding to finish a long piece of work. At least, long when you are twelve.
I remember loving The Keys to the Kingdom as a child, a shared recollection amongst my friends, and this year I decided to revisit the books and see if they are as charming as they are in my memory. Much to my delight, they are even better. The feeling of being desperate to turn the page and start the next book is as strong as ever, and my lunch breaks were spent fervently reading along with the adventures of Arthur Penhaligon and the miserable sense of responsibility that never leaves him alone.
Mister Monday starts the series strong with a cast of characters that come back and sets up a world that is about to be turned upside down by our protagonist. Drowned Wednesday takes a decidedly darker turn for the series, which gives credit to Nix’s intended younger audience and is still impactful for an adult reader. Lady Friday is almost comical in its subversion, and Lord Sunday is perhaps the first real tragedy I read and one I never forgot about, even after over a decade.
The books themselves are a bit formulaic, in that, at the beginning of each book you know that our hero Arthur is about to be abducted again and eventually save the day. However, it is the unexpected ways he is afflicted and ultimately achieves success, where it should be impossible, that makes it so entertaining to see what happens next. Young readers can enjoy the action and lovable characters, while mature readers can linger and reflect on the deeper themes of what it means to be human, which are richly layered in religion, politics, hierarchy, and family.
I have praised this book thoroughly, so now all that’s left to do is borrow it. If you like fantasy, if you are a child wanting something interesting and fun to read, if you are an adult wanting to revisit books from your youth like me, or just love fantasy, I think you will like this series’ characters, writing, and epic conclusion.
Blake
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