A House Called Awful End: Book One in the Eddie Dickens Trilogy

by Philip Ardagh

Book Overview

The first book in a hilarious, action-packed trilogy. Eddie Dickens is sent off to stay with his aunt and uncle and a riotously funny comedy of errors ensues. When both Eddie Dickens's parents catch a disease that makes them turn yellow, go a bit crinkly around the edges, and smell of hot water bottles, it's agreed he should go and stay with relatives at their house, Awful End. Unfortunately for Eddie, those relatives are Mad Uncle Jack and Even-Madder...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805068287
• ISBN13: 9780805068283
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Humor for all ages!

Who doesn't like humor? If you like humor, read Awful End, the first book in the Eddie Dickens Trilogy by Philip Ardagh! When Eddie was only thirteen, his parents got an awful disease that turned his parents yellow, crinkly around the edges, and smell of old hot water bottles. The disease was very catchy, so Eddie had to go with his Great Mad Uncle Jack and his Even-Madder Aunt Maud back to their house, where he would stay until his parents got better. This book has the best characters ever! They are hilarious. One of the funniest characters was the doctors, because his prescriptions were totally ridiculous, such as sucking on ice cubes shaped like famous generals heads, and having their sheets replaced with brown paper bags glued together with the extra pieces of sticky papers you some times get at the post office if you buy more than one stamp. But my favorite character was Eddies Even-Madder Aunt Maud. She had a stuffed stoat named Malcom, and seemed to think he was real, so she was always talking to him, and Eddie thought she was talking to him, so he got in trouble with her a lot. Maud has a very interesting living life style. In the carriage they are traveling in to Awful End (their house) she makes everyone sit on one side of the carriage while the other is empty, and at the end of a story she sees a carnival float cow, and falls in love with it, and decides to live in her. I think if you like humor, you should read this book.

A house called auful end

This book is relly good. The book is about a boy named Eddy Dinkins. His mom and dad have a auful desese that make them smell like old hot watter bottels and make them crickly around the edges.

Offbeat and Crazed

I read this book outloud to my children (boy 8 and girl 10). They loved it. It is just a little on the crazed side. I found that I enjoyed it almost as much as they did. The humour is quirky to say the least. I highly recomend it if you are looking for something to share.

A super book!

Before I go on with this story, I suppose I should explain that I love funny stories with lots of laughs (like this one) that capture the reader's attention with comedy.Awful End is about the unfortunate Eddie Dickens, a little boy with sick parents who goes to live at a place known as Awful End. Eddie is brought to Awful End by his "Mad" Uncle Jack, "Mad" Aunt Maude and a stuffed stoat named Malcolm (or Sally). When little Eddie finds himself in a place called the Coaching Inn, some incredible things happen there. And when the Coaching Inn's actor-manager, Mr. Pumblesnook, "attacks" them on the road, there are even more laughs! But when there's a fire in Mr. and Mrs. Dickens house, and their Gentlemen's Gentlemen doesn't know what to do except to fry eggs, Mr. and Mrs. Dickens make their own escape. They start looking for Eddie, who in the meantime is in Saint Horrid's home for Ungrateful Orphans.There weren't any parts that I didn't like in this hilarious book, but my favorite scene is when the author is describing the fire (which is actually quite funny) and how there is a mix-up between the Gentleman's Gentleman and Mrs. Dickens (the frying eggs one). I liked this book a lot and I hope you will too.

Hilariously captivating

I absolutely loved this book. I picked it up from the bookstore because it reminded me of the Unfortunate Series. It is so funny that I couldn't put it down. One of the best parts in it (I almost peed my pants!) the author writes that Eddie took a seat in the carriage and Eddie's Mad Aunt Maud says, "Put that back!" *LOL* I was rolling. I agree with the other critique on here also, but I think that maybe this one is better than the Lemony Snicket books.