The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Mystery, Puzzle-Type Book, Newbery Medal Book
Age 9-13
Grades 4-8
206 pages
c. 1978
The
Westing Game is a classic
mystery, puzzle type book and one of my favorite books. An eccentric billionaire,
Sam Westing, has gathered his sixteen heirs for a reading of his will. The will
states that he did not die of natural causes and that one of the heirs is
responsible for his death. Sam Westing was an expert gamer and the will further
states that the heirs must compete in his “Westing Game” and the one who wins
the game will inherit his estate.
All the heirs have been invited to
live in a new, high rise apartment building, but a mistake has been made. One
of the residents is not actually an heir. These heirs are a unique group of
characters, each with their good points and faults. They consist of mothers and
fathers and children and single people. One is a bookie, a burglar, a bomber, a
dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, and a judge. More details about
each of them and their relationship to Sam Westing are revealed as the story
progresses. There are many twists and turns in the plot, fascinating and puzzling
clues and many "red herrings." The author, Elen Raskin, is a lover of language
and word plays.
Raskin also has a lot of
understanding of human nature and the last three chapters of the book deal with
growing up and growing old, with joy and self- knowledge, sadness and grief,
but all told in the most beautiful and gentle way. I highly recommend this book. I would also suggest keeping a chart of each character and the clues if you want
a chance to solve all the mysteries.
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