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Tillermans - Solitary Blue
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From: Maia <maia>
Date: Sun, 16 May 1999 15:41:18 -0400
Walter M. Mayes Walter the Giant Storyteller
said..
I too am in awe of Solitary Blue. Voigt's understanding of (Melody's) narcissism and the impact that Melody's lack of boundaries would have on Jeff is amazing. Voight so clearly and accurately shows how seductive people like Melody can be, and how difficult it is for a child/young adult to disengage from such a parent. Solitary Blue gave me chills at times; I know of few books that are so true in their depiction of a personality type.
I wonder if kids who are in similar situations are able to recognize what is happening with Melody and Jeff, and if this helps them to articulate their own feelings? Or is this level of Solitary Blue too mature for adolescent readers to grasp? SB might be in fact one of those books about adolescence/childhood that are more useful for adult readers than for kids. Out of curiosity, I checked amazon's and b&n's reader reviews... I didn't find reviews on either site that suggested readers had much of a glimpse of the deeper issues of the book. A number of readers said they found the book slow-paced, or 'boring,'... however, a few kids were able to identify with Jeff because of their own absent-parent experiences. It's interesting - there certainly isn't much 'action' in Solitary Blue, but I think it's one of the most emotionally rich books I've ever read.
Which leads me to another thought - girls might take better to Solitary Blue than do boys because of its high emotional content, but the focus of the book is on a particular kind of mother-son dynamic... so I wonder again if the book works better for adults perhaps, both men and women, rather than for kids?
Regardless, I think it's an incredible book, and part of a very good series. Voigt has a definite talent for breathing life into her characters - I find myself interested in people that I wouldn't get to know in the course of my life; people whose behavior I tend to find offsetting (like Dicey's!) are revealed as rounded characters with histories that make them who they are. I think that the series is a maturing series, in that it matures its readers as they read. I only hope that as a writer I will one day accomplish so much.
Maia Cheli-Colando maia at littlefolktales.org
Received on Sun 16 May 1999 02:41:18 PM CDT
Date: Sun, 16 May 1999 15:41:18 -0400
Walter M. Mayes Walter the Giant Storyteller
said..
I too am in awe of Solitary Blue. Voigt's understanding of (Melody's) narcissism and the impact that Melody's lack of boundaries would have on Jeff is amazing. Voight so clearly and accurately shows how seductive people like Melody can be, and how difficult it is for a child/young adult to disengage from such a parent. Solitary Blue gave me chills at times; I know of few books that are so true in their depiction of a personality type.
I wonder if kids who are in similar situations are able to recognize what is happening with Melody and Jeff, and if this helps them to articulate their own feelings? Or is this level of Solitary Blue too mature for adolescent readers to grasp? SB might be in fact one of those books about adolescence/childhood that are more useful for adult readers than for kids. Out of curiosity, I checked amazon's and b&n's reader reviews... I didn't find reviews on either site that suggested readers had much of a glimpse of the deeper issues of the book. A number of readers said they found the book slow-paced, or 'boring,'... however, a few kids were able to identify with Jeff because of their own absent-parent experiences. It's interesting - there certainly isn't much 'action' in Solitary Blue, but I think it's one of the most emotionally rich books I've ever read.
Which leads me to another thought - girls might take better to Solitary Blue than do boys because of its high emotional content, but the focus of the book is on a particular kind of mother-son dynamic... so I wonder again if the book works better for adults perhaps, both men and women, rather than for kids?
Regardless, I think it's an incredible book, and part of a very good series. Voigt has a definite talent for breathing life into her characters - I find myself interested in people that I wouldn't get to know in the course of my life; people whose behavior I tend to find offsetting (like Dicey's!) are revealed as rounded characters with histories that make them who they are. I think that the series is a maturing series, in that it matures its readers as they read. I only hope that as a writer I will one day accomplish so much.
Maia Cheli-Colando maia at littlefolktales.org
Received on Sun 16 May 1999 02:41:18 PM CDT
