The Trumpeter of Krakow: Evaluation
The Trumpeter of Krakow was one of the first winners of the Newbery Medal, the most prestigious award for children’s literature. This indicates that, at least initially, the book was very well thought of; indeed, the medal committee obviously considered it the best children’s book written that year. Yet its later history reveals only moderate success, especially among children themselves. Some have loved it; others have remained ignorant of or uninterested in it. The highly praised 1966 edition with new illustrations, and the various other editions in the 1990s (paperback, Braille, German, Chinese, audiobook — see Page 3 for more details) do not seem to have greatly altered the book’s reception among young readers. Looking back, two things are clear: Trumpeter has neither faded into total obscurity, nor become a beloved classic.
To today’s readers, Trumpeter comes across not so much as unpleasant, but as unimpressive. Set in a far distant time and place, the book is free from the racial prejudices and stereotypes that trouble other children’s books written around the same time. It even has as a supporting character a spunky, proactive young girl whom one recent reviewer described as “just a wee bit of a feminist” (GoodReads review by user Aimee Conner, March 14, 2012). Perhaps Trumpeter’s most foreign aspect to a modern audience is its strong language of patriotism and heroism; but that is not in itself objectionable, only unusual by today’s standards.
Yet despite its good qualities and lack of problematic elements, the book remains less than memorable. Why is this? The most likely reason is the book’s style; Kelly writes in a somewhat stiff prose that may have been unexceptional when Trumpeter was first published, but is indisputably old-fashioned today. Multiple recent online reviews comment on the style:
Nevertheless, modern readers have continued to return to Trumpeter and engage with it in new ways, in spite of its old-fashioned style and setting. In particular, I find it interesting that multiple online reviews draw the connection between the treatment of alchemy in Trumpeter and in Harry Potter. This is unsurprising in the review from MuggleNet (a Harry Potter fansite), which states, “With a good deal of dabbling in alchemy and hypnotism it may delight fans of Nicholas Flamel [an alchemist in Harry Potter] and the philosopher’s stone (sound familiar to anyone?).” But The Literate Mother review also notes the similarity: “One particular element in the book is the alchemy discussed throughout and character discussions about the sorcerer’s stone and the Great Tarnov Crystal that allows whoever is holding it to see what they want most. Harry Potter buffs will recognize these story elements.” And one GoodReads review even calls the book “Quest for the Sorcerer’s Stone — way before Harry Potter” (review by user Gale, August 14, 2013). (Note that this description is actually inaccurate; the Great Tarnov Crystal that features prominently in Trumpeter is in no way connected to the mythical philosopher’s/sorcerer’s stone. And there is no actual magic in Trumpeter — only an alchemist who is in fact a proto-scientist. Even so, the fact that new readers are able to make new connections with this book demonstrates that its story’s relevance has endured despite its style’s archaicness.)
The lesson that I conclude from examining The Trumpeter of Krakow is that standards and expectations for children’s books have improved immensely since 1928. Most likely, Kelly’s writing was one step upward in this process. Yet it has also become a victim of what it helped to create: as children (and adults) came to look for higher and higher quality children’s literature, books written at an earlier stage left less and less of an impression.
To today’s readers, Trumpeter comes across not so much as unpleasant, but as unimpressive. Set in a far distant time and place, the book is free from the racial prejudices and stereotypes that trouble other children’s books written around the same time. It even has as a supporting character a spunky, proactive young girl whom one recent reviewer described as “just a wee bit of a feminist” (GoodReads review by user Aimee Conner, March 14, 2012). Perhaps Trumpeter’s most foreign aspect to a modern audience is its strong language of patriotism and heroism; but that is not in itself objectionable, only unusual by today’s standards.
Yet despite its good qualities and lack of problematic elements, the book remains less than memorable. Why is this? The most likely reason is the book’s style; Kelly writes in a somewhat stiff prose that may have been unexceptional when Trumpeter was first published, but is indisputably old-fashioned today. Multiple recent online reviews comment on the style:
- “It is written in a rather formal style compared to recently published Young Adult Literature but the formality only adds to the nobility of the characters.” (The Literate Mother)
- “Told in a very individual writing style that may strike today’s young readers as just a little wordy and old-fashioned…” (MuggleNet)
- “…written in a clear but highly literate style…” (GoodReads review by user Ensiform, May 11, 2012)
- “…a certain style and pace that is a little slower and a tad more ‘literary’.” (GoodReads review by user Benjamin Thomas, June 18, 2014)
Nevertheless, modern readers have continued to return to Trumpeter and engage with it in new ways, in spite of its old-fashioned style and setting. In particular, I find it interesting that multiple online reviews draw the connection between the treatment of alchemy in Trumpeter and in Harry Potter. This is unsurprising in the review from MuggleNet (a Harry Potter fansite), which states, “With a good deal of dabbling in alchemy and hypnotism it may delight fans of Nicholas Flamel [an alchemist in Harry Potter] and the philosopher’s stone (sound familiar to anyone?).” But The Literate Mother review also notes the similarity: “One particular element in the book is the alchemy discussed throughout and character discussions about the sorcerer’s stone and the Great Tarnov Crystal that allows whoever is holding it to see what they want most. Harry Potter buffs will recognize these story elements.” And one GoodReads review even calls the book “Quest for the Sorcerer’s Stone — way before Harry Potter” (review by user Gale, August 14, 2013). (Note that this description is actually inaccurate; the Great Tarnov Crystal that features prominently in Trumpeter is in no way connected to the mythical philosopher’s/sorcerer’s stone. And there is no actual magic in Trumpeter — only an alchemist who is in fact a proto-scientist. Even so, the fact that new readers are able to make new connections with this book demonstrates that its story’s relevance has endured despite its style’s archaicness.)
The lesson that I conclude from examining The Trumpeter of Krakow is that standards and expectations for children’s books have improved immensely since 1928. Most likely, Kelly’s writing was one step upward in this process. Yet it has also become a victim of what it helped to create: as children (and adults) came to look for higher and higher quality children’s literature, books written at an earlier stage left less and less of an impression.
Sources
H., Christie. (n.d.) The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly. The Literate Mother. Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.theliteratemother.org/the-trumpeter-of-krakow
Robbie. (2013, January 1) Book Review: The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly. MuggleNet. Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.mugglenet.com/2013/01/book-review-the-trumpeter-of-krakow-by-eric-p-kelly/
Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly, The. (n.d.) Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825546.The_Trumpeter_of_Krakow?from_search=true
H., Christie. (n.d.) The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly. The Literate Mother. Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.theliteratemother.org/the-trumpeter-of-krakow
Robbie. (2013, January 1) Book Review: The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly. MuggleNet. Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.mugglenet.com/2013/01/book-review-the-trumpeter-of-krakow-by-eric-p-kelly/
Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly, The. (n.d.) Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825546.The_Trumpeter_of_Krakow?from_search=true
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