How to Train Your Dragon Book 1 (How to Train Your Dragon (Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III))
by Cressida Cowell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Cressida CowellBrand: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2010-02-01
ISBN: 0316085278
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780316085274
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of How to Train Your Dragon Book 1 (How to Train Your Dragon (Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III))
Book Review: This is one of my favorite books
Summary: 5 Stars
I am one of the lucky generation that got to experience this book as a child, right in the prime 7-12 demographic it is intended for.
I can tell you with all honesty, I have kept it within reach of my bed for about six years now, even as I have grown to love Shakespeare, Huxley, and quite a few other old masters during my literature-loving days of high school.
(And I see you giving me that funny look- a scribbly little book about a crazed pack of Vikings and an ineffectively housebroken dragon? I am dead serious, and not ashamed to admit it.)
This book is a gem, and a keeper. I have only grown to love it more, now that I, thanks to some great Lit classes, have the tools to REALLY appreciate it. The recent Dreamworks movie, alike in the basics down to its snarky little hero, yet differing completely in conception, has only strengthened this love.
It's a very simple story, with a very simple hero.
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is small, skinny, and rather unremarkable. He isn't particularly good at sports, prefers a civil conversation to a fistfight, and can almost spell "motivation" correctly.
In other words, he's a terrible Viking. Being son of the Chief and The Hope and Heir of the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans doesn't help matters much.
Following the ancient traditions of his clan, he and his fellow novices are ordered to capture, raise and train their own dragons in preparation for an all-important initiation ceremony. However, the dragon that Hiccup gets saddled with (and I do not mean that literally, ya movie buffs), though pint-sized and completely toothless, proves to be more than his little trainer can handle using the traditional Viking method (YELL AT IT). Consequently, Hiccup begins to design his own training techniques, talking directly to the beasts rather than relying on intimidation.
When a disaster occurs at the Initiation and a rather ominous Seadragonous Giganticus Maximus (or two) washes up on the shores of Berk, it is up to Hiccup and his crazy new ideas to save his tribe from Certain (Green) Death, and thereby prove himself.
For a book about the crude, violent shenanigans of (author-professed) historically inaccurate Vikings, it is unexpectedly deep. In fact, there's some very genuine, down-to-earth morals and wisdom here that I have only noticed by effectively growing up with this book. (Don't look at me that way! I'm serious!) The movie only scratched the surface of what this book really has to offer when it told the tale of a strange little Viking who ends up succeeding thanks to his strangeness.
"How to Train Your Dragon" is fundamentally a book about problems and how to solve them. It's about putting things in perspective. It explores (a la Hamlet, actually) the equalizing quality of Death. It examines (with incredible humor) the helplessness one can feel under the onslaught of a violent, misguided world, and how eccentricity can be valuable in an environment plagued with stagnant values. It, like the rest of Cowell's Hiccup books, shows a hero who would much rather talk things out with his foe than barge into violence.
The great irony of this book is that the dragon never gets "trained"- at least, not in the way you'd expect it to be. While exuberant, melodramatic and even crude in her execution, Cowell is completely down-to-earth when it comes to the real truths of life.
I will proudly read this, and the other Hiccup books, to my kids.
Aside from being a silent genius, Cowell is a pure delight to read. She plunges into the story unafraid, flinging sea-salt, sarcasm, and excessive capitalization everywhere. The combined effect of her wild, scribbly illustrations and her zany descriptions brings to mind an animated cartoon- it's all very cinematic, and it's not surprising at all that someone felt the itch to make a movie from it. If I made this book sound like a introspective epic, I will tell you now, it's NOT. It's a very light-hearted melodrama with a loose sense of logic, that evokes the bright, brave exuberance of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake.
Fare carefully, though, sailor- Cowell's humor is colorful and varied. You'll find light humor, black humor, sarcasm, irony and slapstick- there are a few intelligent jokes and lot of really stupid ones. (The Vikings- aside from Hiccup- aren't really known for their eloquent communication skills.)
If there is a low point about this book (and the other Hiccup books), it is that Cowell delights in the disgusting, and is unafraid to make you cringe- snot and excrement are not only discussed- they actually mark significant plot points.
Still, if you can stomach a few (thankfully brief) bathroom gags, a few risque plays on words such as "Big Axe Books", and a distinct lack of female characters (Hiccup's mother- very much alive- is the only one of consequence, who shows up for about four sentences total), you're in for a real treat. If nothing else, it is a very entertaining read that will give your kids the giggles, and give you an opportunity to stretch your acting skills: with its gruff Viking yellers, sarcastic heroes, and self-satisfied dragons, the book BEGS to be read out loud.
(By the way, the book is worth reading for its incarnation of the Green Death alone- he's quite the suave, self-satisfied philosopher of sorts, a fabulous villain that wasn't quite given his full dues in the movie version, because the dragons didn't talk. Hiccup's grandfather Old Wrinkly, the old Gobber, the real role of Snotlout as the ultimate bully, and the original, best-friend role of Fishlegs need some love as well. Plus, unlike the movie, there are no amputees! (That's all in the second book. Har har har.))
This has steadily been one of my favorite books for six years, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
And if you like this little book at all, be sure to check out Hiccup's next adventure, How to Train Your Dragon Book 2: How to Be a Pirate. It's a blast!
More How to Train Your Dragon Book 1 (How to Train Your Dragon (Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III)) reviews:
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Summary of How to Train Your Dragon Book 1 (How to Train Your Dragon (Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III))
Chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as he tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan, the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans, by catching and training a dragon. Now available in paperback!Animals Books
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