La galerie cachée

Par Maryrose Wood

Grâce aux efforts de mademoiselle Penelope Lumley, leur courageuse gouvernante, Alexander, Beowulf et Cassiopeia se comportent maintenant beaucoup plus comme des enfants que comme des louveteaux. Ils sont habitués à porter des vêtements. Ils n’aboient presque jamais à la lune. Et de façon générale, ils résistent à l’envie féroce de pourchasser les écureuils dans les arbres. Toutefois, malgré l’influence civilisatrice de Penelope, les Incorrigibles ont réussi à gâcher le bal de Noël de lady Constance en détruisant presque en totalité sa demeure grandiose. Et donc, pendant la restauration de la maison, Penelope, les Ashton et les enfants élisent domicile à Londres. Penelope en est ravie, puisque Londres offre une multitude d’occasions d’approfondir l’éducation de ses élèves uniques. Mais la ville présente aussi des défis, sous la forme des chapeaux en peau d’ours des gardes du palais, qui provoquent l’instinct sauvage des Incorrigibles, sans parler de l’abondance de pigeons qu’ils adorent traquer. En explorant Londres, ils découvrent cependant de plus en plus de choses sur euxmêmes, au fur et à mesure que les indices sur leur passé mystérieux, et celui de Penelope, surgissent de manière tout à fait inattendue…

• Langue: Français
• Éditeur: Éditions AdA
• Date de sortie: 28 sept. 2012
• ISBN: 9782896837748

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[leslie398 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

This second book in the Incorrigible Children series doesn't live up to the first book. There is less about the teaching of the children and more implications about Penelope's hidden relationship to them. I also noticed some anachronisms in the commentary of the narration this time, which is a shame...

Katherine Kellgren still does a magnificent job with the narration (especially for the children's voices & sounds!), so 3½ stars for this audiobook edition.

[jennybeast · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

The series continues, and continues to be deeply amusing. The audio book version of it is superb, with just the right mix of pragmatic governess voice and assorted delightful animal noises. Hilarious, over the top, and full of sound advice.

[roses7184_1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Oh, those incorrigible children! In case you missed my raving review of the first book, let me assure you that this series is well worth your time. If you love Middle Grade books, especially ones full of charming characters and witty banter, then this is definitely for you. I fell head over heels for Miss Penelope Lumley and her three wolfish charges from the moment I met them. It's pretty much impossible not to. Perhaps it's "optoomuchistic" of me, but I do believe you'll adore this second book in the series!

Before I do my gushing about the story itself, please allow me to once again praise Katherine Kellgren for her gorgeous narration of this story. Her accents are spot on, her voices for the children too sweet for words, and she just has a way of making the whole story come to life. From her plucky portrayal of Miss Penelope Lumley, to her all but ear-splitting rendition of Lady Ashton's voice, each character is brilliantly done! I will listen to all of these on audio if I can help it. They are absolutely wonderful!

On to the story, shall we? In The Hidden Gallery, Miss Lumley and her spirited young charges are off to London! A new place to explore was thrilling enough, but what shot this into the five star category for me was the fact that this wasn't simply a jaunt into the big city. Adventures aplenty, and the revealing of some new clues about the origin of our the three wolfish children, made for a very fun read. I'm not certain whether my thoughts on how this will all work out are correct, but I'll say that I'm intrigued! Is there a possibility that our four main characters are linked? Perhaps, my friends. Perhaps.

I know I'm being vague, but trust me when I say that it's necessary. There is so much to love about this story, but all of it is much better appreciated if you're experiencing it first hand. Suffice it to say that the word I use entirely too much while chatting up these books to others is charming. They truly are. These are the novels I wish were around when I was a Middle Grade reader. Although that won't stop me from reading them now, that's for sure. On to the next!

[tjsjohanna_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

The mystery thickens in this next story in the series ... who are these wolf-children? for that matter, who is Miss Lumley? I love the narrative style of this story - one critic describes it as "Jane Austen meets Lemony Snicket". This will stretch the reading skills of middle grade readers and the antics of the children should bring a smile or even a laugh at times.

[sarah1e · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

I wish more had happened in this book. More clues are dropped on the reader, but no resolution. The book feels incomplete - the whole plot is Penelope receives a letter, goes to London, and finds a clue to her own mysterious origins. I wish some real progress had been made in the story; perhaps in the third installment. This was a very good sequel, so of course I will read the next. The characters are just as well-written as in the first book, and all the ahwooing is just as cute.

[christianr_899499 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

I just love this series and am looking forward to the final installation when I assume a lot while be explained. In the meantime, it's lots of fun to journey with Penelope Lumley and the three Incorrigible children. In this book (Book Two) they travel to London where they meet a very nice young man, Simon. Penelope reunites briefly with her beloved former governess, Miss Mortimer, who stirs up even more confusion by warning her that the children are in grave danger but cautioning Penelope against trying to figure out the mystery. Why does Miss Mortimer insist Penelope use the Swanburne Academy hair poultice, which turns her beautiful hair (which turns out to be the same interesting shade as the Incorrigibles) a lifeless and hideous color? Why does Miss Mortimer give Penelope a guidebook to London that, although charming, seems not to describe London at all except for an obscure wing of the London Museum? And why does Lord Ashton's friend, Judge Quinzy, turn out not to be a judge at all? Maryrose Wood's turn of a phrase is delightful and her references to human nature, especially when she relates it to modern day, will have readers nodding in agreement. This would be a fun read-aloud.

[celerydog_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Loved book 2 as much, perhaps more than the first part. There is no doubt about reading the final installment.Suitable for 10+ and great fro reading aloud..

[abbylibrarian_1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Another funny, historical mystery in this series. The audio narration by Katherine Kellgren really takes this book to another level. Recommended for fans of Lemony Snickett.

[jenj5 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Greatly enjoying this series; looking forward to reading the rest. I like how the clues to the series long mystery are slowly unveiled while the book-specific issues are resolved (at least mostly); paying attention is rewarded in the long run. I'm actually really looking forward to listening to this series on audio as well.

[akmargie · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

So I like Wood's writing. It is very Lemony Snickett. But...I wonder about the appeal. I enjoy the humorous references and winks to the time period but I wonder how much kids will pick up on this. Which is why I gave it a tween and ya. But still a fun book.

[jschofie · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood is the second book in the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. The first book in the series is currently a YRCA selection for 2013. The book picks up right where the first left off, with the mess of the ball still on everyone's mind. The heroine, Miss Penelope Lumley, decides it might be a good idea to take the children to London for a trip to clear their heads and get away from Ashton Place for awhile. She also wishes to visit with the headmistress of her former school whom she formed a close relationship with. When she asks Lady Constance, the wife of Lord Ashton, she agrees immediately, but to Penelope's dismay she decides to come along as well. When they arrive in London, things immediately begin to get mysterious again. Penelope receives a strange guidebook from her former headmistress and an old gypsy in the street yells some rather cryptic words at the children. Then, when Penelope finally meets with Miss Mortimer, her former headmistress she also gives her a rather mysterious warning regarding the moon and wolves. Through the rest of the book adventure and mystery ensue, including inebriated actors, questionable judges, and of course a hidden gallery. More questions arise about the origins of the children, of Lord Ashton, and even of Miss Penelope Lumley herself. We can only hope that some of these questions will be answered in the next book, The Unseen Guest. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first, once again for the humorous writing and the sense of mystery which permeated throughout. Jon Klassen's illustrations throughout helped to further the plot and provide some humorous asides. Maryrose Wood's writing is very strong again, particularly when she breaks from the plot to go of on humorous tangents. One such tangent that I particularly enjoyed is:"On the other hand , perhaps Mr. Burns was using his poetic license. This is the license that allows poets to say things that are not precisely true without being accused of telling lies. Anyone may obtain such a license, but still, the powers it grants must be wielded responsibly. (A word to the wise: When asked, "Who put the empty milk carton back in the refrigerator?" if you reply, "My incorrigible sister, Lavinia," when in fact it is you who are the guilty party, at the ensuing trial, the judge will not be impressed to hear you defend yourself by claiming that your whopper was merely "poetic license.")All in all, an enjoyable easy read that could be enjoyed by readers of almost any age.

[erisofdiscord · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This is actually the second book in a series, but thanks to the author's helpful blurb of the previous book at the beginning of the story, I was able to read this with very little problems. The book is about a Victorian governess's attempts to tame and school a trio of young children who were presumably abandoned by their parents and raised by wolves. It's not always easy, of course, being the governess to these three children, as all of them long to talk in barks and howls and they always have the urge to walk about on all fours, but the governess is largely successful in her efforts. This book details the governess and her pupils trip to London, where they must deal with thespian pirates, a tempting zoo, and a mysterious mystery about the childrens long-lost parents.This book was light, fluffy, and amusing. I finished it in a few hours, and it kept me occupied whilst in the throes of a fever. The mystery about the childrens' parentage is interesting enough, although I was a little dissapointed that it wasn't resolved at the end of the book. However, I enjoy the slighly satiric prose of the book, and it has good characters and interesting situations.

[madamewho · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

The mystery deepens in this charming sequel to The Mysterious Howling. The romance subplot was sweet, and I'm very keen to find out what happens in the next installment.

[chrisbookarama · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Read this with the girl.

[norabelle414 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

While Ashton Place is being repaired due to the damage caused by the Incorrigibles at the Christmas party, the entire household rents a house in London for a few weeks. Miss Lumley meets an attractive young playwright, and the children have a BLAST. But of course, more mysteries arise and the children run wild and cause another catastrophe.This book is even better than the first, most likely due to the fact that it takes place in London instead of a mansion in the middle of nowhere. But don't expect any answers from this one either. It reveals nothing and raises even MORE questions.

[susiesharp_1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

This is such a fun series, in this one we find out that there is a curse on the children, we also get a few more hints at a connections between Miss Lumley and the children beyond the fact that she is their governess, also what is going on with Lord Ashton and just what is his actual connection with the children. Miss Lumley also meets a very interesting man named Simon who may end up being the man for her. Old Tom may not be as creepy and scary as we first assumed. Also what is the connection with the paintings in the secret room in the museum and the paintings in the attic?When Miss Lumley, Simon and the children go to a West End production about pirates Miss Lumley thinks this will be a great educational opportunity for the children but as you can guess things do not go as planned what happens at the show and the chase through the streets of London were hilarious. We also get more of the gypsy woman and a parrot and pirates.I also love that the children will say the most intelligent things then end the sentence with a howl. I can’t wait to know the answers to my questions and to spend more time with these incorrigible children.As usual Katherine Kellgren’s narration was pure perfection, her narration of Lady Constance is such fun and in my head she is classic movie star Billie Burke (Mrs.Topper, the mother in You Can’t Take it With You and Glinda the good witch in Wizard of Oz, she’s a great actress). Katherine does these awhooof’s of the children’s language so well. I can’t imagine anyone else doing as good of a job as Katherine Kellgren does!I am hoping book 3 will be available from the library soon; I need to know what happens next.4 ½ Stars

[bookappeal · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

After the disastrous Christmas party, Lady Constance decides to take the whole family away from repairs at Ashton Place to London for awhile. Penelope is thrilled but quickly lost as the guide given to her by her old headmistress turns out to be no help at all. Simon, a young playwright, comes to her aid. The children have many adventures and Penelope uncovers more strange and enigmatic clues about the children - and makes a startling deduction about Lord Ashton!

[sriemann_2 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

A sequel that does not disappoint - the same level of wit, mysterious happenings and clues to the future, and even a new character to enjoy. Loveahwooooo it!

[scote23 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as the first one. I'm still willing to read book three!

[citygirl_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Delightful and charming, with a healthy dose of absurdist humor thrown in. Penelope, the 15 year old nanny and star of the book, has more sense than any of the adults she encounters. Nearly unflappable, Penelope has the confidence that her education at the Agatha Swanburne School for Poor Bright Girls can see her through any challenge, which it does. Having succeeded in taming the feral children in her charge, she now must navigate the unfamiliar dangers of London and foil the sinister plots of some rather odd and creepy people in her employers' social circle. Laugh out loud funny in many places. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

[picardyrose · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

 The tone is too affected now, and the mystery hardly mysterious -- I'm too old for it, that's what's wrong.

[skstiles612 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

In this second book we find some answers to mysteries set before us in the first book. By the end of the book we are left with more questions, more mysteries. I loved that we see the children go back to their most basic animalistic selves when they encounter the palace guards and the pigeons in London. Throw in a gypsy who warns about someone who wants to put the children in harms way and you are all set to grind your teeth waiting for the next book. I enjoyed this one as much as the first one and look forward to the next one when it come out.

[molliekay · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This next installment in the Incorrigible Children series is even better than the first. Miss Lumley and the children move to London for the summer and the hunt is on! Lemony Snicket and Jane Austen would be proud of the trio of wolf babies and their governess.

[jll112 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

"Ahwoooooooooooo!"As Agatha Swanburn says, "She who waits for the perfect moment to act will never make a turn at a busy intersection." And so we are delighted by this and other revelations of a Victorian lady as related by her student Penelope. I haven't read the first book but I intend to now. I was afraid this boook might just be fluff. However, as I got more into the book I really enjoyed the developing mystery surrounding this family.My only fear is that it will start leaning to the supernatural which I would not enjoy...we'll see. But so far the Incorrigible Children have been wonderwooooo!!!!

[jfoster_sf · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Wonderful! This second book is even better than the first. In this sequel, Penelope and the children have been invited to go to London to visit with Penelope's old school master, and the lady of the house-Lady Constance-gets the idea in her head to move the whole household to London! When Penelope and the Incorrigibles get to London, the sights, sounds, smells, and the enormous hustle and bustle prove to be overwhelming. When Penelope ushers the children to a small nook in the alley to get away from the crowd and catch their breaths, they are all startled by an old gypsy woman who tells the children's fortunes and claims to beware, the hunt is on! This was such a fun book, with even more indispensable Swanburne sayings, and even more mysteries unfolding. Also, while lost in the streets of London, shortly after meeting the gypsy, Penelope and the children make the acquaintance of a wonderfully smitten-worthy young man, which makes a nice addition to the story. All in all, I can't wait for the next one and hope this turns into a nice, lengthy series.

[aethercowboy · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

The worst part about this book was that it was compared to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Comparing one book to another, arguably, more popular book, or series, or author, or what have you is very dangerous, as it causes the astute reader to view the work at hand through a more critical lens usually reserved for books and series and authors who have proven their worth enough to get there.This gave me a terrible first impression of the book, as I've read other books in the past that have been likened to other, more popular books, series, and authors, some even to the point of declaring themselves superior, only to be let down.So, what can I say about the author, Maryrose Wood, and her ability to overcome these publisher-laden handicaps?One word: Wow.Now other words: Wood has crafted here an atypical governess story, clearly inspired by the Victorian-era chick-lit, but also with a healthy dose of modern-day humor, and a bit of the hair of the dog that bit ya.The premise of the series as a whole, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, is that some feral foundlings, the eponymous children who are dubbed with the surname Incorrigible are put under the charge of a governess named Penelope who has more pluck than anything else. By the end of the first volume, she's managed to convince them to sit up straight, use utensils, and stop eating most woodland creatures. Nevertheless, their surrogate lupine parentage comes through at the most inopportune times.In the second volume, the one I'm reviewing, the Ashtons, their servants, the Incorrigibles, and Penelope all go to London, where many mysteries are reveled, some are only slightly uncovered, and many, many more are introduced.While Maryrose Wood is not exactly Lemony Snicket, she is Maryrose Wood, and that should be enough.

[keristars_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

I did not read The Mysterious Howling before starting on The Hidden Gallery: I was much too impatient to start reading about the Incorribles to take the time to go to the library (or bookstore) for a copy. I had been looking forward to reading about governess Penelope Lumley and the three children ever since I first heard of The Mysterious Howling, but I always had too many other books already at hand that were begging to be read... Luckily, I found that I didn't need to be familiar with the first book to enjoy the second.Many references are made to the events in The Mysterious Howling, but always with just enough context to simply make me curious and eager to read that book, rather than confused and frustrated that I was missing part of the plot or story. Thus, while it is probably very helpful to have read the first book, I don't think it is necessary to do so before starting on this one, if by chance you can't get hold of The Mysterious Howling before acquiring The Hidden Gallery.In The Hidden Gallery, the Ashton Place household temporarily relocates to London. Even for the clever Penelope, London is a confusing and strange city, which leads to some very humorous scenes, such as the children mistaking one of the Buckingham Palace guards for a bear. Luckily, Penelope was given an illustrated guidebook to help her find her way - though it, too, is strange, with illustrations of Alpine pastorals rather than city scenes, and short verses rather than proper descriptions save for eight pages going on in great detail about the Gallery of Overuse of Symbolism in Historical Portraits in the British Museum.There is a mystery which never quite gets solved, though many clues are placed along the way, should a clever reader try to figure out the answer. Presumably, this mystery was introduced in the first book and will be answered in a future one.I daresay that Lady Constance is my favorite character in the book, and I was sad that she had so few appearances. Her reactions to different things about London were a running joke throughout the book, as were descriptions/fondness of ferns, and quotes from Agatha Swanburne (I get the impression that they're also common in the first book).If there was anything I didn't like about the book, it's that the third one is so far off from being published. The Hidden Gallery is positively delightful, terribly fun. The way Maryrose Wood plays with language in the storytelling is fantastic, rather like a gentler, tea-and-cake version of Lemony Snicket, whom I also love to read, particularly the first few books in that series.I can't recommend this book enough for anyone who enjoys children's books!

[bgweaver · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I was unable to avoid a little disappointment in my reading of this installment in The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. It was not a strong sequel, which is a shame as I did so much want to like it. The Hidden Gallery has many of the same shortcomings as the first, but as the story stretches on I find them harder and harder to overlook. The children are still very much a lump character, and there is very little reason for the reader to differentiate between them. When they were still fresh from the wild, still a pack, this made sense, but I wanted them to grow and develop significantly more than they did. Some effort was made to grow them, one of the boys becomes an art fanatic, the other develops a love of navigation and Cassiopeia is apparently a math prodigy (isn’t she five? Solving for the area of a triangle?), but that’s the long and the short of it. I cannot even remember which boy has which hobby, but it honestly doesn’t seem to matter. I find them mildly amusing, in a distant sort of way, but I don't really care about them.I felt like more of the humor fell flat too. Not that there weren’t funny bits, such as the attack on the guards pictured on the cover, but there were more bits that tried to be funny and were just embarrassing: “At that point Beowulf scooted up to show Penelope and Simon a new trick he had invented on the velocipede (he called it ‘popping a wheelawoo’). . .” I had to stop reading for a little while after that. I wish that I didn’t think poorly about Wood’s writing. I really love her idea, and the direction I foresee the story going is intriguing. I raced through The Mysterious Howling and wanted to share it with others, even suggesting it to a few children I thought might think it a good read. I’ll wind up loaning out The Mysterious Howling and I would definitely spend money on a sequel, but for the idea and because I wanted/expected better than The Hidden Gallery and I think Wood could deliver. If it was not so, I wouldn’t have finished the book, holding my breath and hoping it would redeem itself.

[foggidawn · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

In this, the second book of the series, plucky governess Penelope Lumley and her three Incorrigible charges travel to London. Penelope is full of plans for educational outings, as well as a visit with her friend and former headmistress Miss Mortimer, but all does not go as planned. On the journey to London, they meet a sly stranger who seems intent upon stealing the travel guide Miss Mortimer sent to help them in their travels, and upon reaching London they meet other people, including a mysterious old woman, a sleazy judge, and a kind young man with a gleam of genius in his eye. Their time in London is full of ferns, elephants, velocipedes, pirates, letters, and a well-hidden gallery, which their otherwise useless guide book describes in great detail.The writing style and characters in this book are just as enjoyable as they were in the first book, but though the plot moves right along, it does not seem to resolve well at the end. There are many hints and clues that will, no doubt, be important later in the series, but the Incorrigibles' visit to Hidden Gallery itself is actually a bit anticlimactic. Readers who enjoyed the first book in the series will probably enjoy this one as well, but it certainly leaves a lot of loose threads for the author to deal with in upcoming volumes. Who is Judge Quinzey, really? Will Penelope and her new friend Simon meet again? Why is Miss Mortimer so insistent about Penelope using the hair poultice? What is the connection between the painting in the Hidden Gallery and the one in the attic of Ashton Place? How did the Incorrigibles end up being raised by wolves, and who are their parents? Where are Penelope's parents, and why must their correspondence with her be so secretive? The rest of the series promises to be just as enjoyable as the first two volumes, and readers of this book will be left hoping that additional volumes will be quickly forthcoming.

[_zoe__1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This is the sequel to The Mysterious Howling, which I loved when I read it last year. I didn't think The Hidden Gallery reached quite the same level as the first, but it's still an entertaining book and the series as a whole is one that I'd wholeheartedly recommend. I just found this installment a bit frustrating because for about the first two-thirds of the book, no progress at all was made towards resolving the various mysteries that had been introduced in the first one, and even when certain pieces of information were revealed toward the end, we were often left with more questions than answers. One the one hand, this is a good thing because it means that the series can go on longer, and I do enjoy reading about these characters. On the other hand, I'd like the main plot lines to progress at least a bit more in 300+ pages. Maryrose Wood can certainly write a tantalizing story, but in the end it felt like we hadn't gotten very far. Still, Wood remains one of my favourite new authors, and I'm eager to see how the story unfolds in the coming books.