The Phantom Tollbooth

 

The Phantom Tollbooth

This story, published in 1961, is about a young boy for whom the term ‘ennui’ might have been coined.

The first chapter begins: ‘There was once a boy named Milo who didn’t know what to do with himself – not just sometimes, but always.

When he was in school he longed to be out, and when he was out he longed to be in. On the way he thought about coming home, and coming home he thought about going. Wherever he was he wished he was somewhere else, and when he got there he wondered why he’d bothered. Nothing really interested him – least of all the things that should have.’

On returning from school one day he discovers that a mysterious exceptionally large parcel has been delivered to his bedroom. Unwrapping it he finds a magical tollbooth which he must assemble. 

There are signs and rules and coins for paying tolls and a beautifully detailed map, showing places Milo has never heard of. Deciding he has nothing better to do with his time he gets into his toy car and begins his journey through the Kingdom of Wisdom.

Tock the Watchdog

There is much wordplay and  many puns. For example, Tock the Watchdog literally has a clock in his body and can fly, because, of course, time flies. The Island of Conclusions is reached by jumping. There is a vehicle that goes without saying and the two princesses, Rhyme and Reason, have been banished from the kingdom so that confusion reigns.

Half a child, or .58

'Oh, we're just the average family, . . . mother  ,father and 2.58 children - and, as I explained, I'm the .58.'

Although this is a book primarily written for children, there is much in it to amuse adults.

Norton Juster (1929-2021) was an American architect and writer, His friend Jules Feiffer (1929-2025), drew the illustrations for The Phantom Tollbooth.