The Indian in the Cupboard (The Indian in the Cupboard, #1)

Lynne Reid Banks · ★★★

My son picked this out to read fresh off The Forgotten Door and I suppose it is an apt follow up though I dislike the novel. The writing is fine but its concept is rife with an arrogant English colonialist flair I find distasteful. Cultural and racial stereotypes abound. Honestly, reading this as an adult I thought it was just so weird that a little boy would ache so badly to own an Indian, to hold him in his hand. Is it perverse? Does Omri grow or change as a character? I'm not exactly sure. I mean the figurines he brings to life literally never have autonomy or any choice at all over their existence. It is fascinating that this book has held on across generations. Even I couldn't stop it, though it led to some good conversations with my son about owning people and consent and even a little path towards the concept of othering.