''Awful End'' (published in the US as ''A House Called Awful End'') a 2000
children's
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by
Philip Ardagh
Philip Ardagh is an English children's author, primarily known for the Eddie Dickens series of books. He has written more than 100 books including adult fiction and children's non-fiction.
During 2004 and 2005 Ardagh collaborated with Sir Pau ...
and the first book of the
Eddie Dickens Eddie Dickens is a character from a series of books written by the children's author Philip Ardagh. Eddie first appeared in Awful End (known as A House Called Awful End in the USA) and has appeared in a total of six books. Ardagh originally create ...
trilogy, which was followed by Dreadful Acts.
It was shortlisted for the 2002 Stockton Children's Book of the Year Award. The German translation by
Harry Rowohlt won the
Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis
The (German Youth Literature Award) is an annual award established in 1956 by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to recognise outstanding works of children's and young adult literature. It is Germany's only ...
in 2003.
The book is essentially a comical adventure about Eddie Dickens who has to go live with his Great Uncle and Great Aunt at Awful End as his parents have the yellow fever. Philip Ardagh uses clever puns and uses ambiguity of sentences to create a situation comedy. For example:
'Eddie took a seat next to Aunt. "Put that seat right back into its place!", screamed Aunt. So Eddie put the seat back in its place and sat down.'
Philip Ardagh
Philip Ardagh
Philip Ardagh is an English children's author, primarily known for the Eddie Dickens series of books. He has written more than 100 books including adult fiction and children's non-fiction.
During 2004 and 2005 Ardagh collaborated with Sir Pau ...
is a children's author whose other titles include The Grunts, Grubtown Tales and Stick and Fetch. Many consider The Eddie Dickens Series one of his best works.
Even Madder Aunt Maud
Even Madder Aunt Maud (full name: Maud MacMuckle; also known as EMAM) is one of the principal characters in
Philip Ardagh
Philip Ardagh is an English children's author, primarily known for the Eddie Dickens series of books. He has written more than 100 books including adult fiction and children's non-fiction.
During 2004 and 2005 Ardagh collaborated with Sir Pau ...
's best-selling books 'The
Eddie Dickens Eddie Dickens is a character from a series of books written by the children's author Philip Ardagh. Eddie first appeared in Awful End (known as A House Called Awful End in the USA) and has appeared in a total of six books. Ardagh originally create ...
Trilogy'. Even Madder Aunt Maud is Mad Uncle Jack’s wife, making her Eddie’s Even Madder Great-Aunt Maud. She is to be seen anywhere and everywhere accompanied by her pet stoat, Malcolm. Although she is a bit mad, she always has perfectly reasonable explanations for things, or at least they are reasonable in her mind.
Mad Uncle Jack
Mad Uncle Jack is the husband of Even Madder Aunt Maud. He is less mad than his wife hence his wife's name "Even Madder Aunt Maud". He is
Eddie's Mad Great Uncle Jack.
20 years of Eddie Dickens
2020 sees the 20th anniversary of
Eddie Dickens Eddie Dickens is a character from a series of books written by the children's author Philip Ardagh. Eddie first appeared in Awful End (known as A House Called Awful End in the USA) and has appeared in a total of six books. Ardagh originally create ...
in print. The book (Awful End) was the first of six books beginning with Awful End and ending with Final Curtain.
Other Books in The Eddie Dickens Series
The following Books in the series are:
* Dreadful Acts
* Terrible Times
* Dubious Deeds
* Horrendous Habits
* Final Curtain
References
External links
American Edition
2000 British novels
British children's novels
Faber and Faber books
2000 children's books
British children's books
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