Although I tend to prefer realistic fiction (historical or contemporary), the animal story The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers (Alfred A. Knopf, May 2023) was an amusing read with a unique narrator and clever situations. Johannes, a free dog in a large park, is just a dog, the author reminds us in the introduction. But although the characters are animals in an unnamed park, there still is a coming-of-age theme as Johannes’ experiences new situations and comes to find his own true freedom by discovering who he is. Those are themes I can get behind.
About the Eyes in The Eyes and the Impossible
As I mentioned, in a beginning note, the author reminds us to not think that things in this story are symbols for other things: the dog is just a dog, the park is just an imaginary park, and so forth. But that is pretty hard to do when an animal is the narrator. Johannes is a fast, a really fast dog and that’s his claim to fame. Somehow the author was well able to put this personality into the narration style. Take this firs sentence, for example:
I turn I turn before I lie to sleep and I rise before the Sun.
His sentences are fast. The urgency just perfectly matches Johannes’ personality.
Likewise, the park houses some bison, which live in a sheltered zoo-like area. These slow-moving creatures speak in slower sentences, although with Johannes as the narrator. The bison are the wise ones of the park, and since they live behind a fence, they ask Johannes to be “the eyes” and report to them what is happening in the park. Johannes has helpers in this task of being the eyes, and the gull, pelican, squirrel and raccoon are his friends.
As one of the wisest (and certainly the fastest!), Johannes is surprised when there is something different at the park. A set of rectangles (which the human reader will understand to be artwork) have been set up near construction of a new building. It is this addition to the park that changes the course of Johannes’ story from being the “eyes” on the island to finding out there is more to the world beyond his park, beyond his island.
About the Impossible in The Eyes and the Impossible
“The sun is God. Clouds are her messengers. Rain is only rain.”
This is Johannes’ mantra. It explains the world for him as he goes about his days. In his life, he had always been the eyes, the one who knows, the one who watches overall and explains to others how things work. But, a glimpse into a world that he’s unfamiliar with begins to change his perspective.
The “impossible” in the title refers to Johannes’ decisions to do things to that everybody insists is impossible. (Although I don’t believe there is really such a things as “spoilers” I’ll still try to avoid them.) In some respects, the concept that there is something beyond Johannes’ island is what is impossible to his mind. This mind-blowing concept creates the drama of the book
Is this philosophical? Consider Plato’s cave. NO. The author says not to, so I will restrain myself. That’s just my English major brain working here, and it’s only because I’ve been thinking about this book more closely than I normally would a middle grade novel, and that only since it was the Newbery winner for 2024. I may not have paid it much attention otherwise, despite the narration so well matched to the characters and plot.
Thoughts on the Audiobook
I had already checked out the audiobook from the library, since The Eyes and the Impossible had appeared on possible Newbery lists. As soon as I heard that it was the winner, I realized it was expiring soon (and now there were holds) so I listened to the audiobook on double speed. As I mentioned, the writing has a quick style. But, did I only see that because I listened on double speed? That is the question. I did reread the book this week to get the physical reading opportunity. It still had that urgency to it.
The book has illustrations from the 1700s and 1800s, into which an illustrator has drawn a dog running through the scene. So, we see Johannes on a beach, at the park, in a forest, so forth. These are the different scenes that he is in throughout the book. I had imagined that these would contribute to the book, but I really don’t think they did. They seemed unconnected to the story. Listening to the audiobook was fine.
The Eyes and the Impossible in the Newbery Canon
I liked how the narration matched Johannes’ personality. The action likewise moved quickly. True, it had a bit of “impossibility” in a few of the happenings, but that’s always to be expected. The ending was satisfying.
I rate The Eyes and the Impossible “Really Good” and say “Keep it and read it!”
Newbery rating scale: FANTASTIC | REALLY GOOD | PRETTY GOOD | OKAY | BLAH
What to do with this Newbery: KEEP IT AND READ IT | MAYBE IF YOU HAVE TIME | DON’T BOTHER
It was not my favorite of the 2024 winners, however. On the other hand, there were such different selections, it is rather difficult to compare them.
This animal story was the winner. Then we had . . .
- a fantastical world taking place during COVID quarantine: Elf Dog and Owl Head by M. T. Anderson
- realistic fiction about a survivor of a school shooting: Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
- a graphic novel about Mexican-American identity: Mexikid by Pedro Martin
- a Native American folktale retelling: Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Rainey Hopson
- an amusing historical fiction novel taking place on the Silk Road: The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri
It seems the Newbery Committee had an impossible job, but their ultimate decisions represent a wide variety of fantastic 2023 literature for children.
