Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset

Written by Tom Angleberger

Narrated by Ron Keith

Best-selling author Tom Angleberger received widespread accolades for The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, which Publishers Weekly called a "delightful first novel." With Horton Halfpott, Angleberger offers a zany tale of dizzying hilarity. What be this? The unthinkable has happened-Lady Luggertuck has loosened her corset! Oh, this can't be good. In the wake of the Loosening, it seems anything is possible!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781461804284

Tom Angleberger

Tom Angleberger ("Rise of the RoboShoes™") began writing his first novel in eighth grade, but never completed it. Since then, he’s been a newspaper reporter and columnist, a juggler, a weed boy, a lawn-mower-part assembler, and a biology research assistant. This bestselling author insists he’s not really all that creative—"I’m more of a puzzle-putter-together."

Reviews for Horton Halfpott

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Children's fiction; boy-friendly humor. I didn't have time to finish this but I wholeheartedly recommend anything from Tom Angleberger, especially where reluctant male readers are concerned. The protagonist here is Horton Halfpott, a lowly kitchen servant; most of the rest of the characters in the grand house where he works are treated irreverently and with great humor. Unlike "Origami Yoda" this book doesn't have the "easy reading" appeal of the "Wimpy Kid" books, but with any luck kids will get hooked and keep reading anyway. Stretch vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout: this gets a thumbs up from me.

[deepikasd_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"There are so many exciting things in this book - a Stolen Diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, the disappearance of a Valuable Wig, love, pickle eclairs, unbridled Evil, and the Black Deeds of the Shipless Pirates - that it really does seem a shame to begin with ladies' underwear."But it was because of ladies' underwear - the corset of M'Lady Luggertuck - that the whole story begins.This is the story of Horton Halfpott, the good and kind kitchen boy, who doesn't deserve the treatment that befalls him, but still manages to remain the kind person he is, while rescuing a damsel in distress, showing that kind manners pays off in the end, and thwarting an evil plan, while helping to solve a puzzling mystery of strange thefts with the help of his three friends.Not only is this book funny and entertaining, it also paints a satirical picture of the social classes, especially between servants and owners/lords & ladies, while showing that not all is what it seems.One of the things I will note however, just for future readers, is that the author is writing the tale as if to readers of the M'Lady Luggertuck series of adventures. This is a fictional series of books or accounts of M'Lady Luggertuck, hence the part of the title of "The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset". There are many events in which the author will refer to such as "M'Lady Lugertuck and the Yule Log" or "M'Lady Luggertuck and the Unlucky Cobbler". These are not real books, but refer to fictional books or stories, just to warn those who are curious and question where they might find these interesting "books".On the whole, I would totally recommend this for any adult or child. The writing style is easy to understand without "dumbing" it down for younger children. It also has a nice flow to it, which makes reading it aloud quite pleasant, especially if done in a faux-British accent, though it does seem like a tongue-twister if you are not a pro with a faux-British accent.

[juniperjungle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't get to read many books aimed at the 8-12 market (I wish we had a cool term for this age band like the Americans who use Middle Grade) but when I do I tend to find myself thinking that I ought to read more. Most of the titles I've read are fun and fast-paced, Horton Halfpott is certainly no exception.

The opening pages are devoted to a map of the area around Smugwick Manor and drawings of the cast of characters. Each chapter also starts with a drawing of one or more characters, I found these entertaining and endearing. The book has 48 short chapters, I was glad there were so many as it meant I got to see so many illustrations.

The book is narrated by an unnamed narrator who breaks the fourth wall time and time again, often with a witty aside. This works well for the plot, it keeps it moving and adds humour to an already entertaining story. I can imagine that this book would work very well if it was read aloud, the way it's written certainly feels like it would lend itself to this.

The plot is a bit like a child friendly version of an Agatha Christie story. Something mysterious happens, a famous detective is brought in to investigate, more mysterious things happen and then the mystery is solved. The addition of a potential love interest for Horton acts as an entertaining subplot, the two are woven together very well.

The cast of characters are brilliant, there are quite a few but I found I could keep track of who was who pretty easily. A lot of them are caricature-like, but this works well within the style of the book - they're often outlandish without becoming over written or silly. I couldn't begin to pick a favourite character, there were just too many that I loved.

Horton Halfpott is a thoroughly entertaining read, I enjoyed every minute of it. Throughout the book other stories about M'Lady Luggertuck are referenced, I do hope that Angleberger goes on to write them.

[alidevnz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this! Can't wait to share it with students. Tom Angleberger is a recent discovery for us, I bought the Origami Yoda Series at the end of last year after reading about them via Colby Sharp and Mr Schu - they were an instant hit and I think students will love this too.

[68papyrus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This satirical look at the English Aristocracy was fun and creative. It has all the elements of a good story: a loveable hero, a comical supporting cast, good pacing and a witty narrator. Although, the target audience is middle graders the cleverness of the story allows it to be enjoyed by older adolescents and adults as well. I would recommend this book to fans of The Series of Unfortunate Events books as well as the Eddie Dickens Trilogy.

[sebastianhagelstein · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

All of the characters in this humorous mystery have something that makes them weird. With a plot that involves several surprises and drawings at the beginning of each chapter, and a cool glow-in-the-dark cover, this book is very entertaining and funny.

[aakauff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A humorous cast of characters will endear readers to this story of Horton Halfpott, a lowly dishwasher in Smugwick Manor who is caught up in the mystery of the theft of the family jewel. After M’Lady Luggertuck has her corset loosened, a series of peculiar events unfold within the manor. Tongue-in-cheek descriptions of 19th century British customs lend an air of comedy to the plot. Young readers will root for Horton, the downtrodden-yet-personable main character, as he and his companions, Bump, Blight & Blemish, try to solve the crime without getting caught by the foul Luther Luggertuck. Horton’s unlikely love interest and constant obstacles will seem familiar, while the swift pace of the book and the trail of clues will encourage reluctant readers. For ages 9-12. Recommended.

[shazzerwise_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightful, Dickensian and other such D-words. Full of fun with a great hero, an admirable heroine, a terrible villain, shipless pirates and ladies underwear. What more could you want?