The Curse of the Blue Figurine

The Johnny Dixon Series, Book 1

By: John Bellairs

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

A boy sneaks into an old church to confront a mad ghost in this adventure by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls.

It’s the 1950s when Johnny Dixon’s mother dies, his father goes to fight in the Korean War, and he goes to live with his grandparents. Although life in a new house is strange, Johnny’s “Grampa” listens to his favorite ballgames, takes him on long walks, and tells him stories of the strange mysteries that lurk in the shadows. Best of all, he’s friends with Professor Childermass, an eccentric academic who’s about to take Johnny on the adventure of a lifetime.

When the professor learns Johnny loves ghost stories, he tells the boy the spookiest legend in Duston Heights, Massachusetts—the tale of the haunted church on the edge of town, with demonic carvings on its altar, and the troubled spirit of mad Father Baart, who is said to have killed two people before vanishing long ago. With the professor as his guide, Johnny sets out on a quest that will put him face-to-face with the crazy, long-dead priest.

©1983 John Bellairs (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Re-reading a YA favorite

I remember this book from my childhood. Re-reading this years later, it still stands up well. It’s no The House With A Clock In It’s Walls, but the Johnny Dixon books had many more titles, and have similar themes. I’m very happy to see that Audible is getting more Bellairs titles, as I loved these as a kid, and have since introduced others kids to these great books.

Good Story

Overall a good story written by John Bellairs it reminds me of the Lewis B series which is my favorite of all John Bellairs series

Revisiting

I originally read this series when I was pretty young and it was a huge influence on me wanting to become an author. hearing this version brought me so much joy. I think this is a wonderful and very faithful performance that captures different voices for characters without becoming irritating

A great reading of a story that I have held dear since childhood!

Great reading of a great story! It brought me back to junior high at a Christian school! I’d hide them in the spine of a school book.

So happy these exist.

I am 50 and I still listen to these every once in a while. They bring me back to a young age. A little bit of boy magic joy in this crazy world.

So happy to see this book here!

This was the first chapter book that I ever selected, bought, and read entirely by myself when I was about 10 years old, and I *adored* it - read the cover off of it, and the other Johnny Dixon books by Bellairs. It actually holds up exceptionally well, and I’m sort of stunned at how genuinely charming, funny, and clever (and creepy) it still is.

The narrator does a totally solid and decent job, and I particularly thought he more or less nailed Professor Childermass which is the key voice to make it all hang together. I docked him a point for the absurd stereotypical German accent he gave the psychiatrist character.

Reading this after 25 years of YA novels dominated by the specter of Harry Potter, I have to mention how refreshing Bellairs boy protagonists are. Unlike a Harry Potter, boys like Johnny Dixon (and Lewis Barnavelt) are *truly* losers and wimps. Awkward and sensitive, unpopular at school, bad at sports, lacking courage, coming from poor families and with dusty dweeby talents and hobbies. I think a *lot* of us can much more readily and realistically identify (and sympathize) with that sort of protagonist than the famous, rich, popular, brave, courageous, innately powerful quidditch star that is Harry Potter.

Anyway, I’m utterly thrilled to see this here and listen to it again, and definitely am looking forward to more Johnny Dixon books coming out on here. The Trolley to Yesterday is my most anticipated one, I think - though The Eyes of the Killer Robot may be a close second!

Very happy!!!

Finally, more of Bellairs’ work is available by audiobook!I love the Lewis Barnavelt series, and have often wished this series was available via audio. If you like the House With A Clock In It’s Walls, and it’s companions, I recommend you give this series a chance.