Book #70: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs
Released: September 17th, 2024
My 13th book for 2025 was Ransom Rigg's “Sunderland Volume 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry”.
This was an interesting one. My general understanding of this book is that a teenager, Leopold (Larry) Berry, found these video tapes following his mother's passing. He develops an obsession with an old TV show from the 1990's as a sort of grieving mechanism. Suddenly he and his best friend Emmet start seeing the TV world appear in their own lives. He encounters the same things his favorite character did, and learns all about this unique world that sits within the confines of L.A.
Anyone who has a passion for Los Angeles history and geography will enjoy all the referential treats this book shares. I didn't Google to see if any of the places in the book are real, but I can easily visualize them in real life from the descriptions given.
I enjoyed the early idea of this book because I have an obsession with the old Ferris Bueller TV show from 1990. Yes, you read that right. There is a Ferris Bueller television sitcom. It only lasted 1 season, and was cancelled due to the success of Parker Lewis Can't Lose. The only real standout things to know about it are that it featured Jennifer Aniston in her debut role. Also, the guy who plays Ed Rooney was better known as Tom Smykowski from Office Space in the mid-1990's. Despite all of this, I have a weird obsession with the late 80's and early 90's teenage life. I enjoyed this show despite the campy and goofy elements.
That's why when they mentioned Larry enjoying the short-lived show, I could completely relate.
As the story goes on, he has to learn about different magical things that take place in Sunderland. A sort of alternate reality that coexists within the human realm. There are similarities to Harry Potter, in that magic exists within the Sunder world, and there are different elements and treatments to heal things "slacks" or non-magical people would have a knowledge or use for.
I felt it started a bit slow but improved from there. I lost track of the story about halfway in, but as it went on the story grew in pace. The ending was pretty enjoyable, and I could definitely see this being made into a movie at some point. Whether it takes off as the next big franchise or just exists within a few novels is up to the creators.
Here is what I learned:
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- Leopold Berry is a 17-year-old person who lives in Los Angeles.
- Book is dedicated to Tahereh.
- At age 12, Leopold was told he had a hyperactive imagination.
- Richter Berry is his father.
- His parents nicked him Larry Berry.
- Richter is a writer.
- His first book was titled “Think Like A Winner”.
- Richter has 2 stepsons, Hal and Drake.
- Hal is captain of the high school wrestling team.
- Drake is in his 2nd year at USC’s business school.
- Richter prefers carrying cash. He never carried anything smaller than a $100 on principle.
- Leopold drives a Volvo. It is his most prized possession.
- He named his Volvo “Bessie”.
- Leopold marks his mother’s death by miles on his trip speedometer rather than years.
- His mother passed 7,261 miles ago.
- His mother, Monica Berry, died of cancer.
- Sunder is a fictional realm from Max’s Adventures in Sunderworld.
- The show is a 1990s fantasy TV series.
- Leopold felt the show was an unfinished story, and worked to write and create new episodes featuring teens in his neighborhood.
- Emmet Worthington is his best friend since fourth grade.
- A shiggoth is a lizard-like monster from Sunderworld.
- The Fade Inn is the grudgiest on the block.
- Mike is Emmet’s girlfriend.
- The Stench is an old punk bar.
- Mika sings for the band “Broken Typewriters”.
- “Kilroy” is a signal word between Leopold and his mother, which meant “pay attention”.
- Bunker Hill used to be the fanciest neighborhood in LA.
- Art gets 2-minute breaks.
- Kaye is a waitress at the Brite Spot.
- Anything Pie changes with each bite.
- Slack is a pejorative Sundarian term for people with no magical ability.
- Jorge works at 99 Spells…And More.
- Charles Vigdor founder Sunder.
- The world’s first Aether well was known as “The Vein”.
- Leopold broke his first bone on a sycamore tree in his former backyard.
- Leopold has never seen the Fast and the Furious movies.
- Isabel and her Uncle Norm live in the Chateau El Royale apartments.
- Norm makes a delicious breakfast.
- An optical expositator allows one to see beneath the surface layers of magical objects.
- The only Sunder street atlas that is enchantable is the 1987 edition.
- El Royale is an old Hollywood beauty.
- Uncle Norm always makes Isabel carry spare teeth in her pocket.
- Code 806 of Sunderlaw violates “Illegal reentry into a veiled zone following official banishment.”
- Code 507-A violates “Exposing Sunder secrets to Slacks.”
- Code 653 violates “Suspected involvement in a magical explosion.”
- Code 1707 violates “Suspected possession of unregulated magical devices.”
- Code 180 violates “Aiding and abetting a fugitive.”
Overall, the book was entertaining, but not the most thrilling book I've read. It shared elements of things we have already seen in similar fantasy novels. It's good for fantasy readers, but not my favorite book.
Recommended for fantasy, magic, and futuristic fans.
On to Book #71: Clue #1: Who Killed Mr. Boddy? by A.E. Parker.
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