I discovered Paul Gallico when I was young, and when I read this, I was enthralled. I remember my Mom being uncomfortable with me reading this book, and it might have been because the main character, who is a young woman, is abused. But I was swept away by the story, with the puppets and how they interacted with people, the depth in which the main character would fall into conversing with them and they became real. Many years later, well into adulthood, I read it again. I was afraid that the abuse would offend me, but surprisingly, it didn't. I was still swept away, but now I understand psychology and play therapy. I had a very different perspective, and I enjoyed it all over again. ( )

maakte veel indruk toen ik dit als 19?-jarige las ( )

1955. This is basically a sentimental tale about a Brettonaise girl who goes to Paris to try to make it on the Stage. When she finally ends up as a stripper and gets fired from that for not being sexy enough, she intends to throw herself into the Seine. A mad puppeteer captures her interest with his puppets and invites her to travel with his show as a sort of front person. She talks to the puppets. He is verbally abusive to her and then one night he rapes her. Naturally they fall in love, after some more rough patches and she stays with him and the puppets she has come to love. The puppets are amazing, but there is no logical reason to think the man is going to become less abusive, so it's really kind of sad. I think you were supposed to accept his behaviour as within some range of okayness, which I just couldn't. But that's the fifties for you, I guess. ( )

Een geweldig goed boek over wanhoop en hoop, mensen en poppenkastpoppen. Soms is het makkelijker om in de goedheid van de poppen dan van de mensen te geloven. ( )

Musical "Carnival" and movie "Lili" were based on this. ( )