THE BOY AND THE WHALE

by Jose Maria Sanchez-Silva ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 1964

First among problem pets are the imaginary ones. Here, the Boy (he is always referred to this way) created his own constant companion, a whale who slept in his water glass at night, spoke to him when nobody else could hear, and assumed various sizes depending on the water supply at hand, or stayed in his breast pocket. Josefina was an aid and comfort in every crisis, in schoolyard fights and through the death of his grandmother. As he grew older, she left him to go on long cruises to the Arctic Circle. When he was nine or ten, and ready for his examinations in Madrid's schools, they parted forever by mutual agreement. Imaginary pets cannot accompany a boy into manhood. The most affecting and memorable part of the book deals not with the whale, but with the perfect understanding between the Boy and his aging grandmother; her increasingly uncertain mental condition, his constant devotion and grief at her death. His whale that never was fails to become real as a problem in this story, while the obvious message assumes her proportions. A real storyteller of power can be sensed in this less than satisfactory theme. Excellent translation.

Pub Date: May 15, 1964

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: McGraw-Hill-Whittlesey

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1964

Categories: FICTION