Citation:
Raskin, Ellen. (1998). The Westing game (Audio
ed.). New York: Recorded
Books, LLC.
Summary:
I'd label the The Westing Game a
comedic mystery. The story opens when realtor Barney Northrup fills the newly constructed
Sunset Towers condos with a very specific list of 16 individuals. Shortly
thereafter, the tenants are called upon to attend the reading of the will for
well-known businessman Sam Westing, whose mansion is just across the lake from
Sunset Towers. The reading of the will reveals that not only will one of these
16 characters be the heir to Westing's multi-million dollar fortune, but one of
them is also his murderer. The individuals are paired up into teams and given
several clues written on toliet tissue. They then proceed to go on a wild goose
chase to track down the murderer and become the sole heir to the fortune. Each
character's past, or connections to the Westing name is slowly unveiled, and
the audience is left to speculate just what in heaven's name is going to happen
next. There's one thing for sure. The answer to the riddle will surprise
you.
My Impressions:
This was a book I saw quite a few kids
reading when I was in 5th and 6th grade. I'd always wanted to read it myself,
but just never could get around to it. When I took a look at the Newbery list
for module 3, I knew immediately I wanted to finally learn what this story was
all about. As per my usual, I sought out an audio copy of the book, and found a
1998 version in the library. During the first couple of tracks I was
disappointed, as the reader was sounding a bit monotone to me. However, I gave
it a chance, and soon found myself "sinking" into the story. The
reader, Jeff Woodman, did a good job bringing the characters to life with
unique voices. Ellen Raskin did an excellent job developing the quirky
characters, and leaving you scratching your head as to who was responsible for
the murder, who planted bombs that threatened everyone's safety, and just who
would inherit the fortune.
Usage in the Library:
This of course would be a great book to pair
with a mystery themed booktalk. You could also create a scavenger hunt in the
library as an activity to go along with it. This would allow students to use
their library and information seeking skills to locate different titles or
resources throughout the library while trying to solve a riddle. You could also
have a board games event in which clue and monopoly could be paired with the
story.
Review:
A supersharp mystery, more a puzzle than a
novel, but endowed with a vivid and extensive cast. In the Christie tradition,
Raskin isolates a divers group of strangers--the mysteriously hand-picked
tenants of a new apartment building within sight of the old Westing
mansion--and presents them with the information that one of them is the
murderer. Actually, it turns out that there is no corpse, but no one is aware
of that when they are all assembled for a reading of old Westing's fiendish
will, which pairs them all off and allots each pair four one-word clues to the
murderer's identity. As the winning pair is to inherit Westing's fortune, there
is much secret conferring, private investigating, far-out scheming, and
snitching and scrambling of the teasing, enigmatic clues. (For example, those
of black judge Josie Jo Ford, which she takes for a racial insult, read SKIES
AM SHINING BROTHER.) As a result of the pairings, alliances are made and
suspended, and though there is no murderer there is a secret winner--the
pigtailed youngest of the "heirs"--plus extravagant happy endings for
all. As Westing had warned, all are not what they seem, and you the reader end
up liking them better than you expected to. If Raskin's crazy ingenuity has
threatened to run away with her on previous occasions, here the complicated
game is always perfectly meshed with character and story. Confoundingly clever,
and very funny.
N.a.
(1978, May 1). The Westing game. [Book Review of the book The Westing game].
Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-raskin-0/westing-game-raskin/
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