Adrian Tchaikovsky’s And Put Away Childish Things is a fresh new take on the subgenre in which the beloved children’s fantasy novels are real and open to visitors. In this case, middling successful actor Harry Brodie has grown up in the shadow of his grandmother’s wildly successful and much-loved “Underhill” book series. There’s something “off” about the world and its characters—from the saccharine child heroes to the spooky, dangerously contrarian clown to the faun who never learns from his mistakes. Harry shrugs it off as being “children’s literature.” Now, on the cusp of the Covid pandemic, Harry’s life as a failing kids’ TV presenter takes an unexpected turn and he ends up captive to a group of seriously disturbed folks calling themselves the “Underlings.” They’re convinced that Underhill is real, that Harry is the rightful heir, and that he is capable of taking them all to this magical kingdom.

They’re not wrong, though. But when Harry arrives in Underhill, he finds a world in disarray—decaying, abandoned, and failing. At its heart, in the castle that was once its crowning glory, a dangerous secret.

I raced through the book. I loved the layers of theme and emotional resonance. It is as much about Harry’s longing for meaning in his life as it is about an adventure in a childhood magical realm. Tchaikovsky gives voice to characters whose only purpose has been to entertain one specific reader. Created with immutable flaws, they strive for agency as their world deteriorates around them. I couldn’t help thinking that good fantasy, whether for children or adults, succeeds through emotional resonance at a deeper level. Placeholder characters serve the plot but have no inner psychological life; they cannot aspire to anything greater meaning than their superficial roles. Harry’s “hero’s journey” demands that he shift from an “I-It” relationship to Underhill to one of “I-Thou,” extending both compassion and responsibility to the magical realm and its folk. My favorite of these was the former-villain spider, Smackersnack, who has found her way into the real world as a computer programmer and abdicates the role of eternal monster. I rather like her.

Recommended.

For this being a relatively short book, it seemed like it took me forever to get through it; it was a bit of a slog. I couldn't muster any sympathy for the main character and just wanted him to get on with things.

This seems on paper to be my ideal book - a Gaimanesque / portal story with links to classic children's tales, by one of my favourite sci-fi authors? This may have led to me feeling a little disappointed. It is very much grounded in the present day, with a sad, unappealing protagonist who is struggling in his career during the COViD lockdown. He is literally overshadowed by the fact he is the last remaining family of a famous CS Lewis style children's author, and he ends up in the world she wrote about. I very much enjoyed parts of the book but I think the unlikableness of the main character and the way he is just swept along with the strange events put me off. There were a few arresting images but I won't be rereading.

With each new Adrian Tchaikovsky book I read, he worms his way into my heart a little more. The writing is always fantastic, and the experience is always unique. Which, in today's offerings, can be hard to come by.

Initially, with each new portal fantasy on the market, they are compared to Narnia. Here, the wardrobe on the cover doesn't help, and while the comparisons are not entirely wrong, I often thought of Alice in Wonderland while reading. I found this to be quite dark, closer to a Grimm fairytale.

I honestly can't believe how much Tchaikovsky manages to convey in 208 pages. Why I am surprised, I don't know. He constantly amazes me. Childish enraptured me from page one, and I highly recommend it to lovers of the subgenre, darker fairytales, and Tchaikovsky.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A sardonic and amusing narrator tells a melancholy but ultimately hopeful tale that touches upon the power of imagination, family, responsibility, childhood, and fantasy. You never know exactly what you're going to get with Adrian Tchaikovsky. You can get a brilliant, epic, space opera like the "Final Architecture" books, or you might find a short mind-messing novella, or a bit of dark whimsy, ("One Day All This Will Be Yours"). This book seems to fall mostly to the one-off amusement side of the ledger, but there's more going on here than just a silly romp. Our hero is the heir to a literary estate that feels very much like the work of C.S. Lewis. And the fictional characters from the imaginary world that is the foundation of that estate, well, they want him to come back inside. Tchaikovsky could have approached this from one of many angles, but he made things much more interesting by choosing every angle. The book starts out as straight comedy, drifts into fantasy, becomes a mystery, touches a bit on horror, switches occasionally to buddy comedy, then addresses what it is exactly that powers a fantasy world that has taken on a life of its own. (And what, exactly, does happen to strictly scripted fictional characters who have been forgotten and abandoned?) Along the way we get withering and hilariously deadpan take downs of Covid, acting, C.S. Lewis, obsessive fans, the tropes and memes attached to children's fantasy fiction, and even what it means to actually grow up at middle age. So, lots going on here - all of it amusing, interesting, and entertaining.

I loved this novella by Tchaikovsky. He is one of those authors that always surprise you, he can take on so many styles, themes and subjects. „And Put Away Childish Things“ is a fantastical mix of Stephen King and Narnia. I especially loved the horror aspects and the dark fairytale vibe.

The story begins like one of those prompts that creating writing classes provides, one that says a fictional World comes alive. A man struggling with his finances and his life suddenly finds out that his life has held actual secrets. A woman in his family who claimed to have escaped from a magical world was sent to an asylum, and her rants were turned into a bestseller that her descendants were still getting some form of attention about.
I liked the buildup - the initial and final twists fit the theme and the ambience, but there were a lot of twists in between that felt a little like overkill.
It is not a children's book; the other side is meant to be a children's story, which turns out not to be as advertised.
Our protagonist finds himself stuck in his family's history. The writing itself was fun. There was a dry sense of humour in between that made it easy to read the book. I think fans of the genre will like this better than I did. I might not have liked this story, but I appreciated the writing style, and I would definitely pick up another work of the author's if I get the chance.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

An extremely funny take on portal fantasy - his Terrible Worlds series is absolutely amazing and this book is no exception. A reluctant, selfish hero meets the worst possible version of Narnia ever - say no more. I highly recommend this series of novellas and am so looking forward to the next one!

'm a big fan of Tchaikovsky's novellas and how much he is able to do in such a short format; each of his novellas feels complete, but also offers glimpses of a much larger world. And Put Away Childish Things is no exception to this rule.

This book won't be for everyone. Apart from the reader's own personal views about COVID stories (I was personally glad it plays a relatively minor note in this book), Harry is a rather cynical character. He's frankly somewhat unlikeable in the early stages of the story, but I also found him very relatable as a character who is ultimately just kind of tired, and looking for something to believe in. There's also a sense that Underhill and its motley crew of characters will turn him around. (Tchaikovsky does play with genre tropes in this story, but like many portal fantasies it's ultimately still rather predictable).

Because the other thing Tchaikovsky does well here is knowing when to engage with the long history of portal fantasies, and when to make this story its own beast. There are the inevitable jokes about Narnia and other paragons of British literature, which are impossible to avoid if one wants to be meta about portal stories, but they're never overdone, and it's clear that they come from a place of love for the genre.

Ultimately this isn't my favourite Tchaikovsky novella (that mantel still lives with One Day All This Will Be Yours) but I enjoyed it, and it's another solid addition to his ever growing bibliography.

"All roads lead to Underhill, where it's always winter, and never nice."
Felix "Harry" Bodie, a struggling presenter of children's television, is the grandson of the famous Magda "Mary" Bodie - author of the beloved Underhill series of children's books. Harry has been living in Underhill's shadow his entire life and finally takes the time to look into it.

Underhill, it turns out, is not a made up land, but an actual place. His grandmother wasn't inventing something - she was telling about a place she'd actually been to. But Underhill is not a nice place, and the citizens of this land have grown tired of waiting for the promised child to come to them and they've taken things into their own hands.

I haven't read a lot by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but I've been wanting to turn that around, and this looked right up my alley.

Harry is an unusual protagonist - his age (middle age), his accomplishments (none?), his drive (non-existent?) target him as the reluctant hero, but he's never a hero here ... he's just reluctant. But the situation that he's in proves to be an interesting.

For the most part, this is a nod or an homage to some of the classic children's stories of yesteryear. The similarity to C. S. Lewis's Narnia is most obvious with the use of a wardrobe (note the cover), but I also noticed some significant nods to Edith Nesbit and many of her books. There were other moments that felt like it was probably a nod to a book or series that I wasn't familiar with (or at least couldn't make the association).

All in all, a fun, short read that didn't feel 100% original.

Looking for a good book? And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a quick-read novella that nods and skewers the fantasies that many of us grew up reading.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This short novella packs clever tributes to a whole raft of classic childhood tales within its pages, including The Chronicles of Narnia, Enid Blyton, Coraline, Winnie the Pooh among other youthful favourites. And yet the author creates a world, characters and portal-world plot that takes everything familiar and twists it into something memorably new.

Despite said tributes, I would NOT recommend this book for actual children, as there is a large heaping of horror here – from the rotting faun and skeletal dog all the way up to the utterly terrifying and terribly pitiful giant clown.

The story follows a reluctant hero’s journey, as Harry Bodie is initially pretty useless and unlikable but is slowly pulled into the Underhill adventure to become the hero they need, if not the one they actually wanted.

I love the underlying themes about finding purpose and identity, and being able to change one’s prescribed path. The content and tone are funny, touching, self-aware and thoughtful, making me want to read more of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s writing immediately to see what other delightful horrors he might have unearthed from his clearly fertile imagination.

This is perfect for adults who loved the portal fantasies of books like the Narnia series in childhood but now appreciate something far darker and more disturbingly real in adulthood. Personally, this book is still giving me nightmares, but I can honestly say that I loved it and still want more!

Harry is the grandchild of a famous author that wrote children's books about a magical place called Underhill. Harry had had a less than successful career and as a pandemic unfolds he begins to find himself encountering the unbelievable - that maybe the world his granmother created is real and maybe not as delightful as the books depict.

This was a weird book. It takes the portal fantasy a turns it dark and on its head. And it asks the question of what happens when there are no more kids going to and powering that fantasy world. It was sad and frustrating and ultimately good. I would recommend, especially if you loved the journey through the portal.

Thank you to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing and the author for the gifted e-copy.

A twist on the "doors to parallel worlds" stories which, is not as compelling as most of the books from the author. Actually, this could have worked better with half of its wordcount.

3.5 stars - solid novella but a bit less fun than other works by Tchaikowsky

Adrian Tchaikowsky is really good with the format of a novella and while they tend to not be my favourites I have enjoyed two of his novellas a great lot, particularly "One Day All This Will Be Yours".

So I was very much looking forward to reading the next novella in the "Terrible Worlds" series, of which the aforementioned is also a part. And he did deliver, but maybe less than I had hoped for.

This is a pandemic book and different authors have produced very different stories during that crazy and difficult time. Some went a light and fluffy route of pure escapism, others poured all of the dark feelings into their writing. And this one definitely belongs in the latter category.

We follow Harry, a rather less than more successful presenter of children's TV, whose grandmother wrote a series of successful portal fantasy books in the vein of Narnia, taking place in a world called Underhill. Suddenly people appear who claim that Underhill does indeed exist and that he is the heir to it and needed to save it from disappearing. Harry is very much a reluctant (and rather incompetent) hero but after some shenanigans does lean into this role - helped by a private investigator who turns out to be much more suited to the job.

The world of Underhill is a place of horrors: it is falling apart in a deeply profound way. Everything, even the snow, is rotten to the core and barely alive. The characters from the books exist in this world, but as twisted, desperate versions of themselves who have all but forgotten what their purpose used to be. There is also a seriously misguided alchemist involved.

As one can expect from Tchaikowsky, there are some pretty ingenious twists and he manages to give a Sci-Fi-flavouring to this Fantasy story. For some reason it all never comes quite together though. Harry is really a wet blanket of a character - I wouldn't mind him being unlikable, but he is also drowning in self-pity, and kind of useless. The pacing is a bit all over the place with week-long breaks between the events that propel the story forward.

Still, I don't think Tchaikowsky could write an actually bad book if he tried and this one is still brimming with ideas and a twisted kind of humour that I have really come to appreciate. If you like his writing you should definitely give this one a shot but maybe it is not the best book to start with if you haven't read him before.

I have received an advance review copy via NetGalley from the publisher and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!

another masterpiece by Tchaikovsky! Looking forward to his upcoming novels. His writing is great and very unique.

If you're a fan of the Wayward Children's series this will be right up your alley.

It is not a long book and brings in stories and tales from a lot of other known books (Narnia makes its presence known, and it's acknowledged several times). Pocket dimensions made me think of The Magicians and this book echoed some themes (minus the really disturbing one) from that. Its very quickly paced, some things explained and some not, and I wonder if there will be a prequel. Anyway, this is one of my favorite authors and I enjoy this type of story so 3.5 stars rounded up.

Every book I read by Tchaikovsky is so different, and this one is no exception. This book tells the story of a man whose grandmother wrote a series of portal fantasy books. And that's all they are to him, until he finds out that it might be about a real place. A place that needs his help.

Portal fantasy is a genre that's definitely been done, but with this book Tchaikovsky adds to the writers upending the genre for a generation of adults who grew up on the classics. It's beautifully written and all of the characters are very human and flawed.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC I received.

Harry Bodie is a TV presenter who finds out that maybe there is a world of whimsy and magic and rascally fauns that lies just beyond ours. But not *that* whimsical world, that’s the other one. This is Underhill, a world very much like that world…but different. Colder. Darker.

Now, I’ve never read the books about that other world but I did see the 1988 BBC series when I was a kid. It didn’t instil a lifelong sense of whimsy and wonder in me so much as it made me periodically remember the creepy beavers and think maybe it was all a fever dream. Underhill is very much that world. A magical place half remembered where only the creepy bits stand out.

At first, I was a little iffy on this whole thing. I mean I’ve read The Magicians, do I really need another portal fantasy deconstruction? But Tchaikovsky does something else here. It’s as much a deconstruction of familiar children’s literature tropes as it is a comment on *these trying times*. In a time where getting back to normal was very much on everybody’s mind, Tchaikovsky uses the decaying land of Underhill, and by extension, the pandemic, to show that the only way through is forward. Change is necessary and while the past is comfortable and familiar it’s hiding something sinister. You can’t really go home again but maybe you can create something new.

This is one of Tchaikovsky’s patented novellas but I think there is enough material here for a full novel. He makes some leaps in plot during the second half that would have benefited from some fleshing out, I think. The characters of Seitchman and Timon especially. But as it is, it works rather well as a complete story and if you can forgive a little fast forwarding I think it’s a rewarding and fun read, even if, like me, you really only have a passing knowledge of…the other one.

And Put Away the Childish Things tells the story of Harry, a middle-aged TV presenter, and descendant of the author of a series of world-famous children books. But what happens if Underhill isn’t as fictional as Harry thought, and it is in need of an heir?

I really enjoyed Tchaikovsky’s take on the whole magical world where children go to have adventures. His MC isn’t a child, but a middle-aged man in the middle of a midlife crisis, and Underhill isn’t exactly the magical world the books want everyone to believe.

This was my first book by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but I wish I had picked up something by him sooner. His prose is wonderful, the humor was light and actually funny, and his ability to combine whimsical and horror was fascinating.

I just wish the book had been a bit longer - I feel then perhaps the characters would’ve been a bit more fleshed out. I missed depth. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed And Put Away the Childish Things.

Its necessary just to look at the cover to get the vibe of the book. We are going through a portal thing and that is just great. Reminds me of Narnia, I really enjoyed it.

The part about Narnia ends soon since its not a bunch of children but this dude who is a falling actor that can`t really believe what is happening.

The type of fantasy with some horror vibes that makes me so happy. A world that it is CERTAINLY not Narnia, but I had a lot of fun.