From: Monica R. Edinger <edinger>
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 17:45:50 -0500

Okay, after vowing to returning to my lurker status after my faux pas earlier today I can't resist commenting on the fantasy/folk lore elements of Holes. (And I sure hope this is on topic!) While I do feel it is very folkloric, I do not feel it is a fantasy. While no expert I am a fantasy buff and think of such fiction as having magic or certainly something that clearly just can't happen in real life. While Holes is pretty deadpan and farfetched I just don't feel that there is any thing in it that is patently unreal. Sure the lake is dry, the onions save them - but is it a magic lake, are they magic onions? Someone else mentioned the Woman in the Wall and I'm not sure I'd call that fantasy either (although I must say I'm less clear what I WOULD call it.) I suppose the Wayside School books are fantasy, but Holes is far more subtle -no outrageous, clearly fantastical things happening. Perhaps Holes is one of these books that is sort of on the border of a genre? Sorta real, sorta fantasy, sorta folktale...

Monica Edinger The Dalton School New York edinger at dalton.org
Received on Wed 17 Feb 1999 04:45:50 PM CST