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Tenderness
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 1997 14:38:13 -0500
Thank you to everyone for contributing such thoughtful comments to CCBC-NET in the discussion of "Classics" throughout the month of July.
I want to invite everyone to begin our August discussion of new fiction for young adults by looking at Robert Cormier's latest novel, Tenderness
(Delacorte, 1997).
When I first read Tenderness several months ago I found it riveting, not to mention unsettling. That unsettling feeling stays with me as I reflect upon the book now--not surprising given that the main character is a serial killer (or whatever the correct psychological terminology is for Eric Poole). But while I found Eric Poole a deeply disturbing character, I was fascinated by Cormier's ability to engender a kind of compassion (if that's not too strong a word) for Eric without ever making him fully understandable, and certainly not condoning his actions. He certainly draws upon Eric's background as providing part of the explanation for why Eric is the way he is, but for as much insight as Cormier provides into Eric's personality, and for as much as the reader can begin to understand Eric's way of interpreting the world and responding to it, there is never a moment when Eric is completely revealed and explained--it would have been too easy and to unrealistic to allow the reader to say "I get it--this is why he is the way he is."
Instead, I think readers must deal with the tension of knowing and feeling a level of understanding and compassion for someone whose behavior can't be condoned. They must struggle with not knowing--or not knowing completely--why he is the way he is. This is challenging reading (and skillful writing).
Do you think Cormier is successful creating these tensions that challenge readers to think and feel and respond to what they've read? What do you think of Tenderness?
Megan Schliesman Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison schliesman at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu
Received on Mon 04 Aug 1997 02:38:13 PM CDT
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 1997 14:38:13 -0500
Thank you to everyone for contributing such thoughtful comments to CCBC-NET in the discussion of "Classics" throughout the month of July.
I want to invite everyone to begin our August discussion of new fiction for young adults by looking at Robert Cormier's latest novel, Tenderness
(Delacorte, 1997).
When I first read Tenderness several months ago I found it riveting, not to mention unsettling. That unsettling feeling stays with me as I reflect upon the book now--not surprising given that the main character is a serial killer (or whatever the correct psychological terminology is for Eric Poole). But while I found Eric Poole a deeply disturbing character, I was fascinated by Cormier's ability to engender a kind of compassion (if that's not too strong a word) for Eric without ever making him fully understandable, and certainly not condoning his actions. He certainly draws upon Eric's background as providing part of the explanation for why Eric is the way he is, but for as much insight as Cormier provides into Eric's personality, and for as much as the reader can begin to understand Eric's way of interpreting the world and responding to it, there is never a moment when Eric is completely revealed and explained--it would have been too easy and to unrealistic to allow the reader to say "I get it--this is why he is the way he is."
Instead, I think readers must deal with the tension of knowing and feeling a level of understanding and compassion for someone whose behavior can't be condoned. They must struggle with not knowing--or not knowing completely--why he is the way he is. This is challenging reading (and skillful writing).
Do you think Cormier is successful creating these tensions that challenge readers to think and feel and respond to what they've read? What do you think of Tenderness?
Megan Schliesman Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison schliesman at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu
Received on Mon 04 Aug 1997 02:38:13 PM CDT
