The Phantom Tollbooth

By: Norton Juster

Narrated by: Rainn Wilson, Norton Juster

Hailed as "a classic. . . . humorous, full of warmth and real invention" (The New Yorker), this beloved story--first published more than fifty ago--introduces readers to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond.

For Milo, everything's a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he's got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it's exciting beyond his wildest dreams. . . .

"I read [The Phantom Tollbooth] first when I was ten. I still have the book report I wrote, which began 'This is the best book ever.'" --The New York Times

"The Phantom Tollbooth is the closest thing we have to a modern Alice in Wonderland." --The Guardian

"The book lingers long after turning the final page. . . . A classic indeed." --Los Angeles Review of Books

"You loved the humor and adventure . . . and [now] you'll marvel at [the book's] wit, complexity, and its understanding of how children perceive the passage of time." --Entertainment Weekly

Critic reviews

"I read The Phantom Tollbooth first when I was 10. I still have the book report I wrote, which began 'This is the best book ever.'"-Anna Quindlen, The New York Times

"A classic--Humorous, full of warmth and real invention."-The New Yorker

“The Phantom Tollbooth is the closest thing we have to a modern Alice in Wonderland.”—The Guardian

“The book lingers long after turning the final page. . . . A classic indeed.” —Los Angeles Review of Books

“You loved the humor and adventure . . . and [now] you’ll marvel at [the book's] wit, complexity, and its understanding of how children perceive the passage of time.” —Entertainment Weekly

Absolutely loved listening to this book!

This will put a smile in your brain. Completely delightful story about a young boy Milo and his adventure with Tock and Humbug. “So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know it’s impossible.”

Read rather than Listen

Performance was great. Story was good. Word play got confusing at times. Should be read

Great

I really loved this book I think you as the listener will enjoy it to

Not so silly at it's core

The themes in this book are relevant to listeners of all ages. It seems like such a silly fantasy, and while yes it is quite an imaginative story, each chapter concludes with a meaningful lesson about purpose and wisdom. Rainn Wilson was the perfect voice for this story and I loved that his son Walter got to speak a bit role in it too (a .58 bit to be exact!).

It is a wonderful book

It was so good it made me think of simple things so much differently