The Maze in the Heart of the Castle

When I first read this at age sixteen it instantly became one of my favorite books of all time. Being young and dumb I didn't realize the incredible depth of the book and even thought the plot was poorly structured, yet I felt there were hidden meanings in it and it facinated me more than any other book I owned. As I age I find greater and deeper meaning in it any read it at least twice a year. I hope it goes back into print someday so other people can enjoy it :)

Like other reviewers, I also read this book for the first time at the age of about ten or eleven, and since then have read it six or seven times. I'm not sure if it's the adventure story aspect of the book or the allegory that keeps me coming back to re-read it year after year. Now 26, I still find something new in the book every time I read it (significance of the color of the fruit?). I doubt that any book that I've read has stayed with me and given me as much insight as this simple children's book. Very, very highly recommended for all ages, especially pre-teens and teens. If the prices being asked here are too high, check public libraries in your area.

I read this book after I had read The Tightrope Walker by Dorothy Gilman, as it was referenced in that book. Even though it is listed as a book for young adults it is quite fabulous. A book with a moral and it makes you think. I loved it!

One of the other reviewers said that she gets something more out of this book each time she reads it. Like her, I've read this book over twenty times (at least), as I've been reading it every few months since I was about ten years old. When you first encounter The Maze, you read an adventure story, full of original action and intriguing characters, all of it taking place in a time and space somewhat similar too but significantly different from "conventional" Western fantasy. The book begs to be read over and over again, as the characters and situations that the hero, Colin, encounters reveal themselves to be something more than what they first appeared to be. In other words, the book is an allegory, where Colin's adventures and his quest actually represent a much deeper spiritual journey. The people that Colin meets, though somewhat fantastical to say the least, represent different kinds of people we all meet in the world around us, and the places he visits represent different feelings and states of being that we all possess. As Colin learns to recognize the different "types" around him and comes to understand how he fits in the among them and how he alone can complete the journey, the readers also learn to see themselves in Gilman's book. I invite anyone who is thinking about reading this book to get it (somehow) and to immerse themselves in the story and take the journey. Then to read it again. And again.

When I first read the book, I thought it was "a cool adventure story" but not much more. Recently I took it out again, read through it, and discovered that it's possible to read this on an entirely new level, and that there is a lot that's only insinuated or hinted at. It's an easy read, of course, being a young adult book, but I think that someone of any age would get something out of it. I must have read it at least twenty times by now (no exaggeration) and it gets more interesting each time. Great book :)