From: Shorecam at aol.com <Shorecam>
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 20:22:19 EDT

Since this is the last day of our discussion on Robert Cormier, I want to thank all of you for your insights and reactions. I am hard at work on a book for Delacorte which will be titled Disturbing the Universe: The Novels of Robert Cormier. It will be built on the previous book about Cormier which i wrote in 1989, Presenting Robert Cormier, but this time I will attempt to put his lifework in perspective and trace his influence on young adult literature. Your comments have been most helpful, and I may be contacting some of you for permission to quote.

A few random thoughts before we close:

First, a comment on an idea that kept coming up in the discussion of The Chocolate War. It seems to me that it is a misunderstanding of Jerry's character and situation to interpret his refusal to sell the chocolates as a conscious, heroic decision. At first he does it because The Vigils have forced him to. Then, when they rescind their order, he is surprised by his own voice contining to say no. He doesn't understnd himself why he stubbornly keeps on keeping on. He just does. Here is a kid whose beloved mother has just died, whose father is a zombie, and who is scared of growing up to have the same kind of colorless life. Saying no to the chocolates is a way to say no to all that, not a heroic stand against evil. His action grows to take on that dimension without his intention. However, in Beyond the Chocolte War, Cormier shows Jerry finally discovering the great moral power of passive resistance as he utterly defeats Emile Janza by allowing Janza to beat him to a pulp without lifting a hand to fight back, an action that is completely in accord with Jerry's character.

It's a pity that this discussion got so hung up on personal reactions to The Chocolate War that we didn't explore some of the intriguing complexities nd unswered questions in the other books. How about "Does the one bad deed you do wipe out all the good you've done in your life?"--a question raised in Heroes. Or the exquisite soaring ending of Bumblebee, in which Barney, in a supremely illogical moment, thumbs his nose at the universe. Or the delicious confusion of the boundaries of reality and fiction in Fade. Or the daring ideas in the difficult novel that should be his most controversial, but isn't-?ter the First Death, in which Cormier draws a parallel between patriotism and terrorism. Or the many wonderful structural intricacies and stylistic brillance in his work. And on and on. There's so much more to talk about. But that's why I'm writing this book.

Those of you who have already got your hands on a copy of his last novel, The Rag and Bone Shop, might be interested to know that my September Horn Book column is an appreciation of this last Cormier. And just for this list serv, here's a secret tidbit to chew over: in all the early versions of this manuscript, the interrogator's name was Brint.

And finally, it always amuses me when people talk about the despair and hopelessness of Robert Comrier. Bob was one of the sunniest, most moral and balanced human beings I have ever known, and he went to his death unafraid and confident in God's love. In his books he shows us the light by focusing on the shadow which is its consequence, because Robert Cormier believed in the power of goodness.

Patty Campbell
Received on Sat 01 Sep 2001 07:22:19 PM CDT