![]() ![]() It is for us to find the keys to their cages. We must seek for them the freedom that Andrej, Tomas, Wilma and the creatures of The Midnight Zoo so desperately wanted. This cutting vision of the inhumanity of men, of our potential for grotesque cruelty - to animals, to fellow human beings, and thus, in the end to ourselves - must be a spur to our determination to be more humane. ![]() It can also powerfully lead us in the direction of a better world. It shows how, in the hands of a great writer, the artistry of artifice can, through rich language, powerful images and skilfully constructed narrative, bring us face to face with reality. However, for children with the maturity and sensitivity to take it, it is the most wonderful example of what fine literature, as opposed to mere fictional entertainment, can offer to the mind and spirit. Ultimately this merely adds to the novel’s devastating bleakness, another reason why this is not a book for most younger readers. But, it is quite possible that such freedom is to be found only in their own hearts, in their disparate desire for it. ![]() Its ending swells with a vision of optimism, of freedom for boys and animals, and seems to offer hope and comfort. ![]()
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