Esio Trot
Roald Dahl (J Fiction)
Mr. Hoppy has two loves in his life: his flowers and the widowed Mrs. Silver. If only Mr. Hoppy was the object of Mrs. Silver’s affection, but that honor goes to Alfie, her pet tortoise. But, as luck would have it, something happens on a certain bright morning in May that would be the answer to Mr. Hoppy’s prayers. He would not only find a way to make Mrs. Silver’s wish come true, but his own wish as well. But to what lengths is Mr. Hoppy willing to go to make dreams come true?
As I’ve said countless times before, the hardest part about reviewing a children’s book as an adult is suppressing my own experiences and expectations and instead looking at the story through the untarnished and innocent eyes of a child—for whom it was written. Normally, I’m able to balance this fairly effectively…until now. No matter how I try to rationalize this story and understand whatever lesson it’s attempting to convey, Esio Trot is a disappointment on a moral, human, psychological, and ethical level. No matter how many ways you analyze this story and the behavior of the main character, dishonesty and betrayal are the underlying drivers in what is meant to be a funny and slapstick children’s story.
A stark contrast to most beloved Dahl protagonists, Mr. Hoppy has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He’s a lying, scheming, manipulative, and totally self-serving individual. At every turn, he puts his own wants and needs above everyone else under the delusion that he’s helping his beloved acquire her one true desire. His intentions are truly devious and there’s nothing charming or humorous about it. In the hands of a child, it might be viewed as Ha, ha! Boy, did he really trick Mrs. Silver! Wasn’t he smart? Hurray, Mr. Hoppy! But to the average reader who possesses the smallest understanding of right and wrong, the moment eventually comes when the hero’s motive is justifiably questioned and it’s decided that a line has not only been crossed, but absolutely eviscerated. I even held out hope that perhaps Mr. Hoppy would have an Ebenezer-Scrooge moment when he realizes the error of his ways and immediately seeks redemption. Sadly, this was not to be and all I took away from this book is that if you lie to the one you love, then all of your dreams will come true AND, if you’re super slick, you’ll manage to convince them that your dream is actually what they wanted for themselves all along, too.
Ironically, Roald Dahl once said, “Having power is not nearly as important as what you choose to do with it.” Too bad that he didn’t have his own Mr. Hoppy choose better for if he had, he would have realized that the greatest gift he could have given Mrs. Silver was simply his company, his friendship, and perhaps a lovely flower or two.
Rating: 1/5
* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com
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