TOPSY TURVY

by Sidney Offit ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 3, 1965

Topsy Turvy is a fantasy land conceived in full detail and with an internal logic that is often missing. It is structured on the Utopia concept that children should rule and their parents be pampered. The theory is that ""children want to be grown-up and adults would like to have the freedom of youth"" so control rests with everyone under thirteen and grown-ups are given complete freedom to play at whatever intellectual pursuits they desire. Beyond the outskirts are the teenagers; they have been successfully held at bay, but they represent a potential threat to the supposedly well-ordered existence. When Eileen and Jeffrey Sneade wander in on the scene from Mommy and Daddy land they discover a critical situation. The teenagers have the power to destroy the society and have developed a lawlessness in contrast to their former restraint. But the trouble goes deeper-- it is clear to Jeffrey that nobody is really happy, the children have too much liberty, the adults too few responsibilites. The book, which drubs permissive practices, is obviously aimed at parents as well as the young. However it is too long, the satire becomes redundant, and the illustrative details which are initially humorous become tiresome.

Pub Date: May 3, 1965

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1965

Categories: FICTION