I Had Seen Castles

By Cynthia Rylant

Book Overview

John Dante is seventeen when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, and he wants to fight for his country. But then he falls head over heels for Ginny Burton, who is against all war, and his beliefs are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152380035
• ISBN13: 9780152380038
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books
• Length: 97 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 0.5" x 4.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Short but Deep

One word came to me when I finished this short novel: profound. It switched from the present tense: a 67 year old man in Toronto, writing his memoirs, to the memoirs themselves: the man as a 17 year old boy preparing to fight in WWII. It was written in sparse prose, but the brief words easily conveyed the feelings of the boy as he faced the reality of war. It was a quick read but one that I know will stay with me for a long time. I would strongly suggest this novel to anyone interested in WWII, or anyone in the mood for a profound read.

Don't let this book be forgotten!

I discovered this book last summer and was instantly thrown under its spell. Rylant has, to my knowledge, never written such a truly literary YA novel before, or since. Some of the most lush, touching, haunting and beautiful wordings and phrases appear here, from the very title alone to the final punch ending.A true masterpiece...depicitng maleness in all its contradictory slendor, with compassion and tenderness. Simply unforgettable.

97-page Wonder

Although the picture on the cover is of a soldier, this is far from a "traditional" war novel. While World War II is the turning point of the main character, John's, life, comparitively little of the book deals with John's life as a soldier. Instead, the book focuses on the period between Pearl Harbor (when John is 17), and when John turns 18 and can enlist. The author paints an excellent picure of John as a young man doing normal, ordinary things. He meets a girl (who is against the war), falls in love with her and makes plans of the future, when he is discharged. THe war, however, changes John forever; he is not changed because of a physical wound or anything similar, but in ways I think it's best to let Cynthia Rylant explain. Have I given away too much of the story? I don't think so. Like "Romeo and Juliet," the joy in this book is not the suspense that comes with the unfolding of the plot, but rather the prose and feelings evoked by the author. Highly recomended!

Stunning

This is one of thoes books that profoundly changes the reader. Told with a striking simplicity, "I Had Seen Castles" has a wonderfully stong anti-war message. I have read "The Greatest Generation," but this book taught me more about the emotions behind WWII than any other book I have read. I recommend this book very highly. I think it should be made part of high school curiculum.

Exciting Easy Reader

I just finished reading this book and I loved it! It told historical facts and what was going through soldier's minds, yet it was also a light love story. It is easy to read and not too complicated, I think everyone should read this book!