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Title: The Gypsy Game
ISBN: 0440412587
Author:
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Publicate Date: 1998-09-08
Publish: 1998-09-08
List Price: $6.99
Average Customer Rating: 3.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $1.95
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
Amazon Merchant Price: $6.99
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1: two thumbs way up
One of the best plots i have ever read Snyder clearly has some talent
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2: Oh well.
I just read this book to my little bro. Wow. It's downright depressing when an author rejects her own instincts, and I really get a sense that Snyder rejected a part of herself to write this book. She wrote something the felt she OUGHT to write, not something that she genuinely wanted to write, and as a consequence, this book is about what kids ought to do, rather then what they actually do, or what is truely important to them. I can really tell that the Egypt Game was inspired. But Snyder has since decided that her first book was too frivolous. Or at least it seems like she has. In The Gypsy Game, Snyder tries to capture the essence of growing up. The kids move away from imaginative play and assume responsibility in the real world. But this is a ham-handed, teen-lit sort of way to finish things, and it truly devalues the original Egypt Game. It's as if the author believes that the children's game, and by extension the children's lives, were mere precursors to real life, and adult life. She says that imagination should give way to obligation. This is a great way to describe the story, but it is also applies to the series itself. The imaginative Egypt Game gives way to the Gypsy Game, which is a book Snyder thought she ought to write, just to educate the nippers. Edifying fiction is rarely good fiction.
I think imaginative play does lead to adult responsibility, but it's effects are subtle. In fact, extended, consistent imaginative play usually produces a lot of artists, and...writers. Snyder condemns herself with her own book. She forgets that things don't have to have a moral to be enriching. A children's game can slowly help kids become responsible adults. A book for the sake of itself can help kids grow. In most cases, it's imagination that makes kids responsible and compassionate. They can't reject one to find the other. Imagination and responsibility must both occur simultaneously. GRRR.
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3: Fell Far Short of The Egypt Game
The Gypsy Game continues the adventures of April, Melanie, Elizabeth, Marshall, Toby and Ken first introduced by Snyder in The Egypt Game, which in my opinion was the better of the two books.
The kids feel that they've explored everything in Egypt so April suggests that they now play The Gypsy Game. As the kids begin their research, Melanie is reluctant to play because of all the negative things she discovers, but the others are very keen especially Toby. Toby is half gypsy on his father's side and shows his friends his grandmother's jewelry etc.
Toby's mother is deceased but her rich family, who never approved of her marriage, decides that they want to adopt Toby to continue the family name meaning they'd also change his full name. He thinks that his father is in danger from them so he runs away.
His friends get involved and repair everything. In the end, instead of playing The Gypsy Game they take up a neighborhood cause.
I wanted a story like The Egypt Game, where I could relive the wonder of childhood make believe; but this story was very different. I hope Snyder writes more books about these kids on the same level as The Egypt Game. This book just wasn't as good!
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4: Yeah, what was THIS supposed to be?
'The Egypt Game' is one of the best books I've ever read. So naturally, I was anxious to see what was next for the kids. If anyone knows their pop music history, this is like 'Bad' following 'Thriller'. It just isn't in the same class as its predecessor. It took the author about 30 years to release this "book", and the time span is painfully obvious. It's like looking at different people. And this whole deal with Toby running away? And when do they ever play the game? My edition of 'The Egypt Game' gives two sample chapters from the Gypsy game, and it looked good to me. I was sorely disappointed. This book places with 'Gigli', 'Star Wars Attack of the Clones', and 'Bad' as one of the most pointless pieces of garbage on the face of this Earth!!! But judge for yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you.
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5: This is such a great book! Why don't people like it?????????
This is such a great book!!!!! I really liked The Egypt Game so I read this book as soon as my school library got it in when I was in 6th grade. This book was even better then The Egypt Game! It was so exciting! The book is a lot about Toby, who IS a really cool character. The characters don't play The Gypsy Game really, but what is going on is probably much more interesting. This book starts exactly after where the Egypt Game ends. I could not put down this book. It is suspenseful and awesome! Plus, if everyone just pretended to be gypsies the book would be like the Egypt Game, just with gypsies instead of egyptians. The Toby plot makes this book a different book from the Egypt Game. If you want to read a book like the Egypt Game, just READ THE EGYPT GAME AGAIN! If you want to read a great and unique book, read The Gypsy Game! It's really awesome!
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