The Phantom Tollbooth: The most relatable book of all time

Among the piles of classic books that have withstood the test of time, there is one that represents a stage of life that every student has reached at some time. In The Phantom Tollbooth, American author Norton Juster pens the colorful tale of a disgruntled student named Milo. The story opens with Milo--like any student beaten by an endless barrage of exams, studying, homework, and tests--contemplating the point of his education. His doubts are evident on the very first page, where he remarks, “It seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time…I can’t see the point in learning to solve useless problems, or subtracting turnips from turnips, or knowing where Ethiopia is or how to spell February.”

In this pessimistic state, he finds a mysterious package in his living room labeled “For Milo, who has plenty of time.” “Results are not guaranteed, but if not perfectly satisfied, your wasted time will be refunded.” Begrudgingly, he gets into his toy car, pays at the Tollbooth, and finds himself driving on a strange country road.

From there, he is thrust into a quest to find the twin princesses Rhyme and Reason and return them to a world that is descending into chaos without their guidance. On his way to their place of captivity, Milo must navigate obstacles with great metaphorical and literal meaning: just a few of which being a Word Market that gets all jumbled up and a Valley of Sound that has gone silent. At the heart of every problem, he faces questions essential to education, including why using the right words matters and whether words or numbers are more important.

Beyond the deeper meaning of the story, Milo is surrounded by a colorful cast of friends and foes who remind us of everything that a good book is: eventful, comprehendible, funny, timeless, and, most of all, relatable. Courtesy of the “watch-dog” Tock, the Humbug, the Spelling Bee, and all sorts of other punny characters, the reader is reminded of how the complexities of life can be tackled when people from all different backgrounds work together. Milo enters the kingdom of Wisdom as a student learning a lesson, but comes out having taught a thing or two himself. If nothing else, The Phantom Tollbooth proves that life is by no means a waste of time.