Dorp Dead

Answering my own question here -The book was (possibly) banned for a while and generally disliked because, according to the introduction, the main character is antisocial. Good heavens! It's not like antisocial kids exist in real life or anything! As an adult who was an antisocial kid myself, I found him refreshing and relatable. But having introverted social skills has always been something that was heavily discouraged by parents groups, so I'm not surprised.

Dorp Dead was well known and considered controversial when it was published in the mid 60's. This beautifully written, slim volume is set in a mysterious, surreal world and like many children's stories features a young orphan as the protagonist. This boy, Gilly, is apprenticed to a very strange, solitary man who wants to trap Gilly in his own carefully ordered world. Gilly ultimately escapes the "caged" world of his master and finds his own way but not without some scenes of suspense and horror. The creepy tone of the book is somewhat relieved by the book's "happy ending." The title of the book becomes clear with it's closing words.

This book takes you to a scary place where you feel like Gilly will never get out. I love the characters, how they act, and the bravery from dear Mash...the beloved dog. I started this wonderful book and finished it in the same day, becasue once you get started you have to finish it! ~Enjoy

The appearance of this classic story in a new hardcover edition promises to appeal to new audiences. Gilly is a ten-year-old orphan who plays dumb in order to hide secrets. He's adjusted to his new life in an orphanage when he's placed in a home with an eccentric ladder maker who may just be insane. A riveting, appealing story of a boy's struggle against many odds.

At age 11, this was the very last book I read from the "children's" library. Scary and compelling story. Fantastic illistrations, and not too childish for a someone soon to move on to adult fiction (or I guess now-a-days its called Young Adult Fiction). Dorp Dead is about a boy who is not perfect. For one thing, he can't even spell "drop" and so scribbles "dorp dead" as an insult. A hero who can't spell? That's what facinated me about this book when if first read it in its first printing (about 1966). At the time I read it, I was a very poor reader and speller: Dyslexia hadn't been "invented" yet and I had been simply labeled as "slow". But secretly I loved to read (which I could only do privately by running my finger along the lines of the page... something my teachers forbid). So I related to the lonely boy who was considered stupid and not worth the trouble. I recommend this for what appear to be "slow" children. Perhaps they are not so slow after all and may someday make their livings by writing professionally, as I have been fortunate to do. (So you see, this is not only a review, but also a sincere thank you note to the author.)

I remember this title from the sixth grade, living in Riverside California. Our sixth grad teacher, Mrs. Robb read it to us. I remember be thrilled with the story then. I will re-read it in my adult life, to recall those days and that story. Thanks, Mrs. Robb.