The Phantom Tollbooth

Charming and sweet and fun. A little dated in places, cringey even, and that got me wondering if Juster saw those as cop-outs at the time, or if he did later in his life, and lots more tangents on the shortcuts we take in life and regret later. But I digress.

This is my first reading, and I enjoyed it. Very smart: sparkling wordplay, whimsy, randomness, and Dodgsonian absurdity. Unfortunately, it's hard to sustain freshness with that type of witty banter, so the last two thirds dragged a little. That's okay, there were other redeeming qualities. Thank you, K., for the recommendation.