Absolutely perfect for anyone who has wished they could walk through a wardrobe, and into a magical land .
I loved the sharpness of the humour, especially in the way the story is set against the backdrop of two worlds, both in times of distress, the parallels are perfectly realised. The characters were brilliantly executed, so much darkness and so much depth. The whole thing made me laugh out loud, and I found myself nodding at the references, it was very clever and very entertaining.

If you're an adult like me who was obsessed with Narnia as a kid - obsessed to the point where you tried to enter Narnia through every single wardrobe you came across - I think you'll find this a fun read.

It's a very funny novella, and I definitely snorted multiple times. We follow Felix, a 40-something year old guy whose grandmother wrote a series of popular children's stories. When he finds out that some people actually believe the magical land these stories take place in is real, he naturally thinks they're mad. Noone believes in magical fairy lands when they're 40 years old!

Sadly he's wrong, and his great displeasure about this is hilarious. He's just such an ordinary guy that's getting dragged on an adventure he doesn't want any part in. An adventure most kids would kill to be able to experience - even if this story does take a pretty dark turn.

If you're into "normal guy gets dragged into an adventure agaisnt his will" type stories, you might wanna check this out.

And Put Away Childish Things
by Adrian Tchaikovsky
This book looks into a dark twist to the traditional English fantasy. The twist comes from the source of historically loved English children's fantasy. Not only that it was what inspired the original tales but the dark twist of the motivation of the main source of inspiration. You follow a young man as he looks into his families dark past. He not only sees his grandmothers story but that her mother was sent to insane asylum in a time where the medical practices were notoriously bad. He finds that though he did not embrace his heritage he does feel a connection to it. It only gets worse from there. The book looks a the stories families tell themselves about their history, sugar coating the bad stuff, making the good outstanding and remarkable. The book has the reader reflect on the motivation of story telling and how it influences how we see ourselves, our world, and the entirety of the universe. I would recommend this for a high school or college literacy course, to compare and contrast historical books, their interpretation and how it changes over time. It would bring into question what is originality, and how much can a dark twist change the story.

Imagine your grandmother was a famous children’s author who invented a beloved magical realm filled with whimsical characters, and you were a has-been CBeebies children’s TV presenter, desperate for defibrillation for your career. Then one day you meet a decrepit looking vagrant faun who tells you the magical world was real all along and you are it’s heir. Except when you visit the land you discover it is charmless and rotting and all the cute side characters you remember from your childhood are desperate, monstrous creatures. You flee and somehow find yourself back in London, but a pandemic has struck in the meantime and the world is in lockdown. Would you stay and try to make sense of the government’s nonsensical social distancing guidelines? Or maybe decide being heir to a rotting fairyland is preferable to COVID-stricken Britain and return. At least there you are important, relevant once more, and the heir to something which will hopefully feed your ego for a while, since all the light entertainment TV and theatre roles have dried up with the pandemic.

This is the premise for Tchaikovsky’s novella And Put Away Childish Things - a social commentary on Britain during the pandemic all wrapped up in a fairytale nightmare centred around Felix “Harry” Bodie, the grandson of the famous author of a series of postwar books based in the fictional realm of Underhill.

The worldbuilding in this short novella is fabulous, as is always the case with Tchaikovsky, with the decrepit fantasy realm
coming to life as Bodie makes his way through decaying forest to the tumbling down castle, and the characters are wonderfully real, despite being broken down fairytale characters. Their sad reflections of beloved Narniaisms such as Mr Tumnus, and the addition of an oversized clown and spider - well known triggers for horror - work really well to build a creepy atmosphere and develop a fear and disgust in our main character which is almost palpable, until he realizes just how non-monstrous and, in the case of the clown, pathetic these “monsters” actually are.

This was a delightful take on contemporary Britain with references to Bagpuss, C. S. Lewis and Dominic Cummings’s flight to Barnard Castle coupled with the desperate desire for escapism from a bleak pandemic-filled world, no matter how dissatisfying and ugly the alternative, and I highly recommend it.

T'hank you to Rebellion Publishing and to NetGalley for granting me a digital advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A dark take on fantasy worlds that collide with the "real" world. I've never read anything by Tchaikovsky, but I was captivated by this story.

Harry Bodie is relatable. A struggling TV personality. Okay, the blurb says "failing" and I have to admit, he's failing. His agent isn't much help in turning things around, and a family connection a beloved children's author should be a help. Only, he doesn't handle it well when family history is revealed on a TV show.

It's a bit of a slow start. I found myself wondering when we'd get to something that felt less like a downward spiral for Harry. And then he has an encounter with a faun.

This isn't the niceties of Narnia or Tolkien, though even Harry tries to fit Underhill into these molds. It does make one think about the what-ifs of a fantasy world. What if those that made it live aren't there?

Little bit of langauge, little bit of reference to things that might take some explaining. I can think of some older teens who would eat it up.

Prolific British science fiction and fantasy author Adrian Tchaikovsky has been writing a series novellas under the group title Terrible Worlds: Destinations. The aspect that combines them is the idea of the portal – a doorway into another world. The first Walking to Aldebaran involves an alien artefact in space and the second One Day All This Will be Yours deals with time travel. The third, And Put Away Childish Things is concerned with mythical lands, particularly those created in the mid twentieth century which required the services of plucky English children who would enter them to go on adventures. This book (much like Lev Grossman’s The Magicians) asks the question – what if those mythical lands were not only real but not what they were cracked up to be.
Harry Bodie, a B-grade television actor known for his appearance in children’s shows is famous by association with his grandmother who wrote a series of books about the mythical world of Underhill. The stories were about a pair of children who turn out to be the rightful rulers of Underhill and go there from our world to have adventures. Bodie is confronted with the origins of Underhill during the filming of a Genealogy-style series in which it turns out his Great Grandmother was institutionalised on arriving in England and his Grandmother got her ideas for Underhill when visiting her mother in the asylum. But this exposure also brings Bodie to the attention of various factions, at least one of which believes that Underhill is a real place. Soon, Bodie finds that not only is it real but is in decline and possibly he is the only one who can save it.
Tchaikovsky has a lot of fun in this book playing with the fantasy conventions that those who grew up with the Narnia books are familiar with. There is the magical sword, the playful faun, and various other archetypal characters (deep knowledge of which becomes pivotal on more than one occasion). CS Lewis and Narnia exist in this world, they are the competition, but it is Underhill that people believe actually exists.
And Put Away Childish Things may be a novella but Tchaikovsky manages to pack plenty into a small space. For example, the narrative, set in the present day, also deals with the impact of the pandemic on Harry’s life as a performer. But overall this is serves as a not only a deconstruction of but also a paean to some of the classic and enduring works of British fantasy.

3.5 stars rounded up
This was one weird story. As a child growing up in suburban Bengal, I never read any of the bigwig portal fantasy as a kid. Which resulted in adult me not seeing the appeal and nostalgia of portal fantasies and their grim retellings. The only other story that explores the portal fantasy genre is The Magicians by Lev Grossman which I was lukewarm on. I went into Tchaikovsky's novella with the hope and optimism of someone who has read other books by him and... the result is mostly positive.

I loved the irreverent and tongue in cheek humour of the book. The first half was excellent and promising like our protagonist Harry's career but soon started stretching and morphing into something less than appealing. The story is a horror story at its core and is slightly reminiscent of T. Kingfisher's work. What I felt that it was entirely too long. Parts of it towards the end were amusing and showed flickers of brilliance but the sum of the parts failed to catch my attention.

This is a quick read for someone looking for something different. It is unlike anything else I've read by Tchaikovsky

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

"And Put Away Childish Things" is basically the "What if Narnia was real and the descendant is confronted with this during the pandemic", but it's not C.S. Lewis but a fictive Inklings member-not-member because women weren't around. So Harry, a failed middle aged TV presenterr, is drawn into the fantasy world his grandmother crafted (Underhill, which is very much unhinged Narnia) but the world has gone to ruin with the absence of 'fresh blood'. While I liked the premise, I found Harry to be immensely unlikeable (on purpose of course but he has no character development whatsoever), the entire way the story progressed weird, and the world building somewhat unconvincing. There were some cool moments but overall I was underwhelmed. Parts of the story were fun and unhinged, but apart from that it's another book where stuff just happens to a useless protagonist and it feels off. Yes, the pandemic was part of the narrative and helped Harry cover his fairyland absences but overall I'm underwhelmed by this Underhill take on Narnia. So much potential for not only better stories but also criticism of portal quest narratives, yet nothing. Underwhelming ending and capitalist exploitation? Good thinking but needs more work. 2.5 stars because at least it's short

Four stars (just!). I have been reading different things from the author, this is the first that didn't quite work in some areas for me, though enough good and interesting to be worthwhile.

The story - 40-something strugging tv presenter finds himself enwrapped in the childrens fantasy world of his ancestors, with real-life adult threats in both worlds. A good story with writing, characters, and enough twists to keep things interesting through to the end. But there were stretches that did not link together well enough or feel substantial enough. Particularly in the middle part, the switches between worlds felt jarring to me, both in tone and disrupting the narrative.

One thought is length - a shorter story (without the diversion back to reality and picking up an unnecessary extra character) would have brought things into sharper focus.

It's difficult for books to take on the Lewis/Narnia genre and do it well (<i>The Light Between Worlds</i> was one, Grossman's Magicians series is another)- far too many do it poorly. This is one of the good books. There's also a bit of Christopher Milne's trying to be defined by more than Pooh and friends here, also done well.

The way the world that Harry's grandmother created has aged in the years since <i>her</i> mother appeared in London and gave birth to her, telling her the stories that would eventually enchant millions of children, feels so right: of course things aren't exactly the same as in the books, and of course the characters have (within the limits of their creation) grown. It was also a good choice to acknowledge the Narnia-thing head on because any book of this type will get compared to Lewis' work. Here it's done creatively and in a way that feels totally organic.

Setting this during the pandemic lockdowns allows for Harry's actions to go pretty much unobserved, but it also allowed for a little weakness in the London segments of the story (hence the loss of a star).

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I love these shorter stories from Tchaikovsky. Second chapter had me snorting chocolate milk out my nose and I was hooked.

Being a 30 something whose grown up on that 'other wardrobe', I was nervous at to the authors take, if it's going to be twisted, it needs to go all out. Thankfully there isn't really anything whimsical or fantastical about this tale. Underhill is not what it seems. I mean let's be honest, anyone prone to draw towards dark fantasy has looked back at their childhood classics and thought "what if...*insert believed character doing not very beloved thing*". No? Just me?

It's a well dressed story, managing to perfectly balance dry British humour with the batsh*t insanity of the scenarios that the MC finds himself propelled into. At points I was feeling strong dark and twisted Alice in Wonderland vibes.

Just read it. Shout out for the Barnard Castle reference. 👀

And Put Away Childish Things is a story of possibly unwelcome inheritance. "Harry" Bodie is a mildly successful actor who hosts children's television shows. His GRANDMOTHER on the other hand was something having written a popukar series of children's books about kids who explore a mythical world (not Narnia which is actually a running joke in the book).
The world of his grandmother's "imagination" is however starts to colllide with his life when he learns that his family history is not all what he thought it was. The story brings together some interesting threads, and put me a little on mind of Heinleins Number of the Beast. But, ultimately ,the ending felt unfinished to me. Perhaps this is the opening work on a series itself?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
#andputawaychildishthings #Netgalley

It had to happen at some point, I suppose. A book written by Adrian Tchaikovsky that I don't love. It didn't grab me, it didn't hook me. It hurts. "And Put Away Childish Things" felt flat, the characters were boring to me, and the story wasn't very engaging. Not everyone will love every book, and my disappointment says far more about me than about this book.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it will definitely not be the last.
The story is a very dark take take on the world of Narnia, alternate worlds and a few wicked witches just to spice things up. I have found another very talented author and will definitely be searching out the rest of this authors work. Absolutely loved this book and so highly recommended!!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This was my first work by Tchaikovsky, but I will definitely be reading more of his books. This standalone novella takes the premise of a portal to another realm in a children's fantasy series and asks, "What if it were actually real?". Harry Bodie is a struggling actor whose grandmother wrote a beloved children's fantasy series about a fairyland called Underhill. When weird things start happening, Harry eventually finds his way to Underhill, but it's nothing like the charming land of adventure in his grandmother's books. It's cold, and dark, and everything and everyone there is literally falling apart. The writing is excellent and the premise is engaging and thought-provoking. I'm always impressed by authors who can write SFF novellas and clearly convey the world-building in that limited amount of space. Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion, Solaris for a digital review copy.

This was too creepy and sad for me - while not explicitly marketed as horror, Tchaikovsky's take on the classic through the wardrobe tale is a haunted funhouse mirror full of mysterious creatures and miserable, angry, long-forgotten children's story characters. I've never been a fan of this brand of anti-fantasy that is concerned with smashing the naïveté of youth and injecting innocent tropes with the "realities" or horror and misery present in adulthood. All told, I found Seanan's McGuire's version of this more nuanced take.

A quick, brilliant read! Having grown up with the Narnia books, this was a peek at the darker side of the imaginary worlds I loved to read.

This world through the wardrobe is covered in non-snow, with a nightmarish faun who has given up on life, and other strange creatures that are slowly falling apart as the world comes to an end. Brodie, the grumpiest, laziest, most selfish hero, is their final hope.

Full of a mix of humour and darkness, silliness and fear, real world and a wild imagination, I really enjoyed And Put Away Childish Things. Highly recommend!

Not sure what I feel about this one yet, but once again Tchaikovsky is unique and interesting. The first half of this I found somewhat dull as it felt like it took forever to get to the actual story. I was tempted to DNF and then everything clicked and I loved the last third. It helped me appreciate the setup in the first half more but I still think it could have been done a bit more efficiently.

This novella examines portal fantasy and the effect of fiction on us, and is definitely in conversation with Narnia and Tolkien (both of which are name dropped several times), but I also found it remiscent if Winnie the Pooh, if Christopher Robin had abandoned 100-Acre Wood and left Pooh and the others to fend for themselves. It also reminded me quite a bit of Stephen King, both in some of the plot reveals but also in the dialogue.

Tchaikovsky continues to impress me, even with the things I like less.

7/10 I think?

Not sure what I feel about this one yet, but once again Tchaikovsky is unique and interesting. The first half of this I found somewhat dull as it felt like it took forever to get to the actual story. I was tempted to DNF and then everything clicked and I loved the last third. It helped me appreciate the setup in the first half more but I still think it could have been done a bit more efficiently.

This novella examines portal fantasy and the effect of fiction on us, and is definitely in conversation with Narnia and Tolkien (both of which are name dropped several times), but I also found it remiscent if Winnie the Pooh, if Christopher Robin had abandoned 100-Acre Wood and left Pooh and the others to fend for themselves. It also reminded me quite a bit of Stephen King, both in some of the plot reveals but also in the dialogue.

Tchaikovsky continues to impress me, even with the things I like less.

7/10 I think?

Imagine finding out that the universe and characters of one of the best-beloved children´s books are actually real, you are the heir of it all, and it´s up to you to save it. I bet most people would love to be the hero and dive right in the adventure of a lifetime, right?

Well, not Harry Bodie, though. Struggling professionally and personally, this mediocre British actor has no desire to live up to his family literature legacy. He only wishes to be taken seriously for his craft, and keep his distance from all the weirdness it entails. But Fate has other plans for him, and now he has to deal with obsessive-crazed fans, a twisted dark fairy tale universe that is in the same decaying shape his life is right now, and some hard truths about his heritage.

I really enjoyed what I found here. Having a somewhat unlikeable mature protagonist with a twisted spin on the Chosen One trope was great. Even though this book has a lot of Narnia-related references, which was a bit too much on the nose for me, I think it worked fine as a critique/homage to the middle-grade portal-style books.

However, as someone who has read Tchaikovsky before, I was expecting more from the themes, so the story as a whole fell a little flat for me at times, and was not as entertaining as I thought. Still, it is a solid quick read I would recommend, especially for an adult audience who wishes for a different sort of fantasy.

My sincere thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing for a free copy in exchange for my honest review and feedback .