Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...
 Bold, simple storytelling October 6, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I never read this book when I was a boy, and my children missed out on it too. I read it for the first time recently, and this weekend tried it out on my two grandchildren aged five and seven. They've never heard of Ted Hughes, and don't know what a poet laureate is, but they know a good story when they hear one. They came down from the ceiling, sat still and quiet, listened spellbound for the duration, then went happily off to sleep. The next 'night' I only had to mention The Iron Man and they were ready for it. What more could you ask from a children's book? The 'nights' are just long enough for reading to children as bedtime stories, and the language is simple enough for youngish children to be able to read it themselves. Even granddads can enjoy it.
The Iron Man Rules OK - again and again. April 4, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
How exciting to find a book that brings the incisive wit and jewelled colours of Ted Hughes' writing into the realm of children's reading. Poetry by the back door!
With it's themes now brought up to the minute by current stories of global warming and wind-farming, recycling and energy-efficient homes, The Iron Man has even more relevance to a child's world.
Both my sons loved the battle between good/evil and were touched by The Iron Man's hidden vulnerability. I would add the proviso that children who have already had some exposure to poetry or intellectually challenging writing,such as that of Phillip Reeve,Phillip Pullman or Michael Morpurgo might gain greatest enjoyment from this book.
Children (boys?) who are used to the graphic fights in Manga, Anime, Gaming or Graphic Novels may find the Space Monster encounter a bit lame - kids have come a long way in fight sophistication since the protective days of Ted Hughes. Most will love the impactful illustrations though.
This is a regular favourite with us, and is requested often!Ted Hughes non-patronising and imagination-sparking techniques certainly work in bringing poetic prose to life.
Contemporary magic where the mythical collides with the modern. March 22, 2008
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
Beautifully and intensely written, as you'd expect from a former poet laureate, this is a lyrical tale and the words have a flow that captures the ear and mind. There's an iron giant who roams the country eating vehicles and a primitive trap to try and stop him, a dragon-like monster that descends from the heavens and could obliterate the world with a few flicks of his tail, and the clever plan that allows this Goliath to be beaten in a test of endurance.
Timeless, within a modern setting of cars and cities, these ingredients are mixed with mystery and suspense to create a classic tale. The first paragraph of this book, read aloud, cannot fail to stop a playing child in his tracks and draw him in. The story moves at good pace and kept my son (nearly six) entranced right until the end.
There's mystery surrounding the origins of this metal-crunching iron man. There's some magic life force at work within him as his changing eye colour reflecting the emotions he feels. There's excitement: he can rebuild himself from his component bits and then what will he do? Then there's the arrival of the "space-bat-angel-dragon", a huge and dangerous beast made rather less of a worry by the underlying humour of the repetition of this foolishly long phrase when monster or creature would have sufficed.
The language has great depth, it's vividly descriptive within short punchy sentences. There are simple pen and ink illustrations placed every four or five pages throughout which have a good strong impact - they are the perfect accompaniment to the straightforward bold prose.
A masterpiece.
 Triumph over Adversity March 23, 2007
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
The Iron Man is a children's classic written by former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes. It is a memorable tale that was eventually made into a Disney animation which became a box office hit (The Iron Giant). At first, he is reviled by the public but eventually reverses public opinion when he challenges a dragon like creature to an endurance test that he easily wins. This is a tale of triumph over adversity, and is highly recommended reading. I read this back in 1978, and in no way has this story outdated.
 The iron man January 18, 2007
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
The book that's called the iron man has a great selection of adjectives.This book was about a giant robot iron man, that people don't like, But in the end he becomes the world hero.But i think at the end Ted Hughes spoilt it by adding, out of nowhere, the space- bat-angel-dragon. Also in this book it didn't explain why the iron man's eye's change colour.
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