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Novels in poetry form
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From: Steven Engelfried <sengelfried>
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 10:54:30 -0700
I haven't read "Loose Threads" yet, but agree with Amy Thurber's point about the poetry in some books being "too sophisticated for the voice that is supposedly narrating." I don't see this as a problem in such books as "Witness" by Hesse, where you can see the poetic narrative as an expression of the characters' inernal thoughts...they're not literally sitting down and putting those words on paper. In something like "Bronx Masquerade" by Grimes, however, the characters truly have composed the poetry they share, and I felt it was a stretch at times, and the style of poetry not diverse enough (though the poems themselves were very effective). One of the best things about "Love That Dog" by Creech is that you really can see how that particular boy could have come up with those words, and the poems that he shares turn out to be very powerful in a simple way.
- Steven Engelfried, Head of Youth Services
Beaverton City Library
12375 SW 5th Street
Beaverton, OR 97005
503R6%99
sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us
*********************
From CCBC-NET, 4-8: I am currently reading Loose Threads by Lorie Ann Grover, and I am intrigued by her use of poetry to cover such a tough and close to home topic such as breast cancer. The main character, Kay lives with four generations of women and the book is written in
her voice, all in poetry. I'm not sure about the set up of other books of this sort but, here, each poem has a title, making them each a different chapter, or maybe different paragraphs? I am yet to be convinced that the voice of the poery is accurate for a seventh grader. Has anyone else noticed that books in poetry form can be too sophisticated for the voice that is supposedly narrating?
Amy Thurber
Director
Canaan Town Library, Canaan NH
Received on Wed 09 Apr 2003 12:54:30 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 10:54:30 -0700
I haven't read "Loose Threads" yet, but agree with Amy Thurber's point about the poetry in some books being "too sophisticated for the voice that is supposedly narrating." I don't see this as a problem in such books as "Witness" by Hesse, where you can see the poetic narrative as an expression of the characters' inernal thoughts...they're not literally sitting down and putting those words on paper. In something like "Bronx Masquerade" by Grimes, however, the characters truly have composed the poetry they share, and I felt it was a stretch at times, and the style of poetry not diverse enough (though the poems themselves were very effective). One of the best things about "Love That Dog" by Creech is that you really can see how that particular boy could have come up with those words, and the poems that he shares turn out to be very powerful in a simple way.
- Steven Engelfried, Head of Youth Services
Beaverton City Library
12375 SW 5th Street
Beaverton, OR 97005
503R6%99
sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us
*********************
From CCBC-NET, 4-8: I am currently reading Loose Threads by Lorie Ann Grover, and I am intrigued by her use of poetry to cover such a tough and close to home topic such as breast cancer. The main character, Kay lives with four generations of women and the book is written in
her voice, all in poetry. I'm not sure about the set up of other books of this sort but, here, each poem has a title, making them each a different chapter, or maybe different paragraphs? I am yet to be convinced that the voice of the poery is accurate for a seventh grader. Has anyone else noticed that books in poetry form can be too sophisticated for the voice that is supposedly narrating?
Amy Thurber
Director
Canaan Town Library, Canaan NH
Received on Wed 09 Apr 2003 12:54:30 PM CDT
