Book Reviews: The Figure In The Shadows

The Figure In The Shadows
by John Bellairs

This is a sequel to Bellairs YA novel The House With A Clock In Its Walls, reviewed earlier here. As with the earlier book this is written for children's benefit while still having hints of issues and challenges that will resonate more with adults. 

Because this was a short book at about 150 pages I thought it would be fun to do a quick reread over the winter break and see if it still held up to my childhood impression of it. It did. 

Bellairs anticipated some of the current controversies over gender roles and how nature and nurture shape people.

And just for good measure there's something of a subtle shoutout to Tolkien and even Lovecraft. 

The story's protagonist is once again Lewis Barnavelt, who as in the first story, is an overweight shy boy with a very strong sense of cowardice (polite people would call it self-preservation). An orphan, Lewis lives with his uncle Jonathan Barnavelt. Jonathan's next door neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman, with whom Jonathan may or may not have a thang going on, also looks after Lewis. Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman are each powerful magicians, though Mrs. Zimmerman is more skilled.

Lewis has a new friend, Rose Rita Pottinger. 

Rose Rita and Lewis share interests. Rose Rita is in the same grade as Lewis despite being a year older. Rose Rita is a tomboy who never willingly wears skirts and blouses. Rose Rita enjoys rough and tumble sports and doing other activities that are socially unacceptable for girls. Rose Rita even considers getting a crew cut so she can fight without anyone pulling her hair.

Unlike Lewis, Rose Rita believes in standing up for herself, whether to child bullies or adult ones. Rose Rita likes Lewis though she's occasionally exasperated with Lewis' excessive fears. Lewis likes Rose Rita because she's rarely judgmental of him, though (reading between the lines) there are probably also some nascent other reasons why Lewis likes Rose Rita.

When Woody Mingo, a dangerous school bully, steals the Sherlock Holmes hat that Jonathan gave Lewis, Lewis is further humiliated when Rose Rita says that she should have stayed with Lewis to protect him. 

Hoping to cheer up his nephew, Jonathan opens up his grandfather's civil war trunk. One item within is an old three cent piece which Grandpa Barnavelt won in a card game. A fight broke out during which Grandpa Barnavelt was shot in the leg, thereby preventing his  participation in (and early death in) an upcoming bloody battle that wiped out his Michigan unit. 

Thereafter Grandpa Barnavelt considered this piece his lucky coin and always kept it near.  Jonathan gives this coin to Lewis, once Mrs. Zimmerman declares it mundane and completely non-magical.

However one night Lewis wakes up because he heard the mail slot. Lewis goes downstairs to find a blank postcard addressed to him. But when Lewis looks at it again there is Latin writing reading "I come!" The postcard disappears. Other strange events occur, particularly after Lewis does some digging around in Jonathan's library and messes with rituals not meant for children. 

This was a quick moving book that captures some real dread, both in the supernatural and the everyday challenges of childhood. It also is vividly descriptive of Michigan winters and old homes. Fun.