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[CCBC-Net] CCBC-Net Digest, Vol 10, Issue 42
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From: Leda Schubert <bobr>
Date: Sat, 27 May 2006 13:30:33 -0400
As we remember our favorites and discuss those life-changing books, it's very clear that some of us grew up in a golden age of children's books and some of us, sadly, predate it. I first read a lot of the books others have mentioned as an adult/ There were only about five books for young adults published when I was one (I do exaggerate), so I read grownup books right away (age 13, etc.) . Many--The Magic Mountain, the Russian novelists, Middlemarch--I read when I was far too young to truly understand them. This is one major reason for rereading.
I envy many of you the experience of reading the books that have been mentioned over and over during this discussion when you were actually children. Because for me, the complete immersion in a book we've been discussing no longer exists. It used to be that I didn't hear people
(specifically my parents) call me when I read. Now I never attain that wonderful oblivion. Sigh.
Another comment on re-reading: now I do it to study craft as best I can. Also there are many books that change as we change, as someone mentioned. I identify far more with the hopefully-not-too-wicked stepmother now than I did as a child, for example. ZEL and THE MAGIC CIRCLE, Donna Jo Napoli's amazing books, seem to come from a similar perspective.
Books that I don't think have been mentioned that I just remembered: The Black Stallion, The Island Stallion (and others in the series), My Friend Flicka, King of the WInd. Is there a theme here? Why did I, a city child, know everything about Palominoes, roans, Arabians, etc?
leda www.ledaschubert.com
At 12:00 PM 5/26/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>I've been thinking about this since the question was first raised- I think
>for me it's as simple as time- I remember long summer days when I could just
>relax and read, winter days when I could curl up on a chair and
>read, nights
>when I could "sneak" under the blanket-tent... my life was fairly
>uncomplicated and responsibility free....
>now it just seems harder to find the quiet time to just turn off the rest of
>the world when I read! I don't think it's so much the lack of imagination,
>it is just increasingly difficult to totally leave everything else behind
>and
>"fall" into the world of the book...multi tasking is also not a friend of
>the true reader....
>I've been trying to come up with a book that really "took me away" as an
>adult like books did
>when I was younger. Perhaps POSSESSION...
>Micki
Date: Sat, 27 May 2006 13:30:33 -0400
As we remember our favorites and discuss those life-changing books, it's very clear that some of us grew up in a golden age of children's books and some of us, sadly, predate it. I first read a lot of the books others have mentioned as an adult/ There were only about five books for young adults published when I was one (I do exaggerate), so I read grownup books right away (age 13, etc.) . Many--The Magic Mountain, the Russian novelists, Middlemarch--I read when I was far too young to truly understand them. This is one major reason for rereading.
I envy many of you the experience of reading the books that have been mentioned over and over during this discussion when you were actually children. Because for me, the complete immersion in a book we've been discussing no longer exists. It used to be that I didn't hear people
(specifically my parents) call me when I read. Now I never attain that wonderful oblivion. Sigh.
Another comment on re-reading: now I do it to study craft as best I can. Also there are many books that change as we change, as someone mentioned. I identify far more with the hopefully-not-too-wicked stepmother now than I did as a child, for example. ZEL and THE MAGIC CIRCLE, Donna Jo Napoli's amazing books, seem to come from a similar perspective.
Books that I don't think have been mentioned that I just remembered: The Black Stallion, The Island Stallion (and others in the series), My Friend Flicka, King of the WInd. Is there a theme here? Why did I, a city child, know everything about Palominoes, roans, Arabians, etc?
leda www.ledaschubert.com
At 12:00 PM 5/26/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>I've been thinking about this since the question was first raised- I think
>for me it's as simple as time- I remember long summer days when I could just
>relax and read, winter days when I could curl up on a chair and
>read, nights
>when I could "sneak" under the blanket-tent... my life was fairly
>uncomplicated and responsibility free....
>now it just seems harder to find the quiet time to just turn off the rest of
>the world when I read! I don't think it's so much the lack of imagination,
>it is just increasingly difficult to totally leave everything else behind
>and
>"fall" into the world of the book...multi tasking is also not a friend of
>the true reader....
>I've been trying to come up with a book that really "took me away" as an
>adult like books did
>when I was younger. Perhaps POSSESSION...
>Micki
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