Reading Should Be Child's Play
by
Candice Watters
on Aug 22, 2007 at 9:21 AM
Few things seem worse than a vacancy on my nightstand. To not have good books to read feels like not having any friends. Usually I have a stack of books there. But an article I read a few weeks back has me rethinking my list of must-reads.
In it, the author chided Americans for not reading enough, but he also went on to chide those who do read, for only reading non-fiction. Not good enough he said. The really worthy, soul-altering stories are just that, stories. And so I've been scrutinizing my list of holds at the library of late and realized he's right. I read mostly non-fiction. And while a lot of it is worthwhile and challenging reading, important even, much of it lacks that magical draw I feel when I'm reading a delicious novel.
It's not that I don't like fiction. But that it's elusive. It seems delicious novels are like gems: rare and hard to find.
Just when I was about to despair of ever finding one again, I discovered a wealth of stories in an unlikely place: children's literature. We started reading The Hobbit to the kids in the evenings after dinner, and I was transfixed. I remembered loving the story as a kid. But I was loving it even more as an adult.
Yesterday I was reading a friend's books blog where she talked about being at L'Abri reading, of all things, Winnie the Pooh (the real one by A.A. Milne, not the Disneyfied version). We ran a review of Milne's classic during the early years of Boundless that echoes her sentiments.
In it, Sam Torode writes:
As James S. Taylor states in his study of the philosophy of education, Poetic Knowledge, "there can be no real advancement in knowledge unless it first begin in leisure or wonder, where the controlling motive throughout remains to be delight and love."
Sitting on carpet squares and listening intently: this is the proper posture for receiving literature. Not analyzing, or using, literature, mind you, but receiving it. C. S. Lewis, in An Experiment in Criticism, makes this distinction: while the unliterary reader "uses" literature, the literary reader "receives" it, allowing the work to move him in new directions, expanding his view of the world.
Torode concludes,
Undeniably, next to Hamlet or The Divine Comedy, Winnie-the-Pooh is fluff. Yes-but it is exquisite fluff. Beautiful fluff. Fluff which prepares us to encounter greater authors and more profound works. The children's classics provide a solid foundation for life-long learning.
And so of late, my nightstand is piled high with E. Nesbit, Roald Dahl, Noel Streatfeild, Hans Christian Anderson and Louisa May Alcott. Reading hasn't been this fun, and this transformational, since I was a kid.
1. Jacob had the following to say on Aug 22 at 9:45 AM:
Those interested in good literature and great stories would do well to check out some of these:
Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis
The Odyssey, Homer
The Ballad of the White Horse, by Chesterton
Various poems and plays by T.S. Eliot
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson
The benefits of a liberal arts education is being exposed to lots of great works such as these, and many others. One of the drawbacks to specialized education is that you seldom have the opportunity to work through the great stories that inspire the imagination.
2. JMarie had the following to say on Aug 22 at 10:25 AM:
My college roommate was taking a children's literature course around the same time that Sam Torode's article was published. We ended up having a lot of fun reading classic Winnie-the-Pooh out loud to each other. Then we read To Kill a Mockingbird and made a list of classics to read on our own. Rachel Starr Thomson's July article on Hero Hunting made me think again of literature and how I miss reading good stories. Now that the Harry Potter books are through, I'd like to read some classics, like the Narnia and Anne of Green Gables books, which I somehow missed out on in childhood. I also want to re-read stories I loved: Christy by Catherine Marshall, Watership Down by Richard Adams, the Redwall books by Brian Jacques.
Actually, this seems to be a theme lately, since my Dad recently sent me an article about people's need for literature:
http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=2007&month=02
3. Jacob had the following to say on Aug 22 at 10:33 AM:
JMarie,
I went to Hillsdale College, which publishes Imprimis, and actually got to hear the talk that became that month's Imprimis. I became very impressed with Walden Media and what it is trying to accomplish.
4. Charllotte had the following to say on Aug 22 at 10:42 AM:
I'm happy to see so many avid readers, hahah. A friend of mine and I have also been pining after a good book -- nonfiction is great and useful, but we're searching for that book that challenges our literary prowess but that is also simply a great story of unadulterated "true love and high adventure." I just watched the movie Big Fish and fell in love with that story, so I'm looking to read the book and see what that's like.
5. Beth L. had the following to say on Aug 22 at 10:43 AM:
Let me recommend George MacDonald's fariy tales/childen's lit., namely, "The Light Princess", "Day Boy & Night Girl", "At the Back of the North Wind", and the Cudry books - "The Princess & the Goblins" & the "Princess & Curdy". All of them are full of delight and the magic of "Story". They are also wonderful example of what "Christian" literature should be, as they have great themes and lessons without being "preachy" or trite.
6. Andrea (aka Elena) had the following to say on Aug 22 at 10:52 AM:
{What's up with requesting our real names, btw??}
Hmm... Interesting!
I think I do both: "receiving" and "using." I have done so almost all my life. Don't know how to really separate those facets of reading.
In fact, the development of my critical reading and thinking skills through the years has enhanced my "receiving" of literature. And the growth of my vocabulary—especially nuances among connotations—unlocks more gates into the meanings of various works, since I'm better able to understand the author's word choices and usage. (The more I read from a particular era of British literature, for example, the better I am at understanding other authors' works of the same period....and to receive the messages sent.)
And I even go one more step... I enter in. I can be in the world that the book creates...immersed in it, surrounded by it. Perhaps not as far in as some readers can go. And probably further in than other readers can or will go.
I like that the more I read and the more varied my reading choices become, I can better "grasp" the poetry I've read before and the poetry that is new to me. And then that is translated into improving my own poetry-writing!
I love it when The Line talks about reading and writing and grammar and such! Kindred spirits!!! =]
7. Candice Watters had the following to say on Aug 22 at 11:14 AM:
Thanks, JMarie, for the link to Imprimis. Good reading. Your idea of reading Anne of Green Gables is a good one. Few books are so delightful. I, too, missed out on Lucy Maud Montgomery's classics when I was a girl. Only recently did I pick up Anne to read to my daughter at nap time. I'd read her to sleep and then just keep going while she snored beside me. I couldn't put it down!
8. Abby had the following to say on Aug 22 at 11:33 AM:
This article is so wonderfully true! I just started reading a lot of C.S. Lewis fiction - Out of Silent Planet, Paralandra, That Hideous Strength, Till We Have Faces, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc. and it has been such a delightful experience! My faith has still been challenged but in a new and different way. I love getting lost in the stories and losing track of time. It is fun to feel like I'm twelve again on a Saturday morning devouring everything on my bookshelf! Other fun fiction suggestions:
- Persuasion by Jane Austin
- Christy by Catherine Marshall
- A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Watership Down by Richard Adams
- Any fiction by Tolkien
9. Julie had the following to say on Aug 22 at 12:02 PM:
I read this post before it had any comments yet and now I'm adding my bit - the third Hillsdale (graduate)attendee to do so :) I majored in theater and English, so it's pretty obvious that I LOVE story, and as a matter of fact children's lit/YA is one of my favorite genres because it usually retains that redemptive element that so much modern adult fiction seems to lack. I also read a lot of high fantasy, Lord of the Rings being an example of the genre. I tend to see life, the Kingdom of God, and their intersection in poetic or literary terms (metanarrative, anyone?), and for me this lends much grace and wonder to this world we live in.
On Sunday I finished reading a beautifully made fantasy series (Farseer/Tawny Man series) by Robin Hobb. In the end one of the characters, for love of his friend, takes his friend's death and give the friend his life. It was an extraordinarily powerful scene because I'd been with these characters through six books and here in this scene I saw this man trading his life that his friend might live, in such a way that reading it was like standing there seeing Jesus on the cross do the same thing for love of me. It was one of the most immediate, powerful experiences of God I've had in a while. What a reminder, from a "mere" fantasy book! This is what I love about stories. They do speak Jesus to me, with all the glory that entails.
10. SB had the following to say on Aug 22 at 12:28 PM:
Excellent fiction: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
And as for great "children's" fiction, I highly recommend the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, and the Harry Potter books.
NOTE: I realize some people are offended by Harry Potter; I am recommending them because as far as plot, character development, imagination, suspense, and other literary qualities go they are superb. Please do not accuse me of being a satanist or something. If you need more proof of their validity, you can read Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger.
11. April L. had the following to say on Aug 22 at 12:41 PM:
One of my favorite subjects! Alas, I have too little time to expound upon it. But for those who might perhaps be interested, you could visit www.isecw.org, an amusing and pretentious little society my brothers and I formed some time ago.
Check out our "Worthwhile Classics" and "Worthwhile Children's Classics" lists - we are always looking for new suggestions! It does take a while to add to these lists, however, as our rules state we must read them first!
Currently, I'm rereading "Rose in Bloom" by Louisa May Alcott (aloud to my little brothers this time!) and also "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell...I highly recommend both!
12. Seth had the following to say on Aug 22 at 12:57 PM:
About a year ago I went back and read all the Red Wall books since they were my favorite back in elementary school. I remembered all over again why I liked them so much, it was a grand reading time.
13. Aranel Alasse had the following to say on Aug 22 at 1:57 PM:
(First off: Boundless, I'm not comfortable with sharing my real name on a public blog for all of the search engines to see and for the world to archive indefinitely... I hope you'll either forgive or tolerate my continued use my internet pseudonym. If not, I'd love to hear your reasoning for that, in a Blog entry. Thanks!)
I totally agree!! I love reading children's stories! Most particularly, those by George MacDonald. They're amazing! They're so poetic and magical and light and simple and funny and immensely deep all at the same time. In short, I find them to be exhilarating!
I think I was so excited to read this blog, that I had trouble focusing on reading it, and kept thinking, instead, about my love for children's books (and fiction novels, in general). Haha!
At some point a year or two ago, I decided that, when it came to what I read, I grew up too fast. In Junior High, I clearly remember despising reading. And then the next thing I remember is reading "grown-up" Christian fiction--all while I was still in JH. I completely skipped over the idea of reading children or juvenile fiction. (I think that it was because I hadn't found much Christian children and juvenile fiction to read.)
But a couple of years ago, I sort of accidentally stumbled across George MacDonald's grown-up books, and then his children's books, and now I'm hooked. :) (I love the tone-of-voice George MacDonald and CS Lewis use in their children's books. Their use of the pronoun "I" in their books makes it seem like they're actually sitting right there telling a story to me. It's more than just that that I love, but I can't really explain it. They're one of a kind, I know, but if anyone knows of any author who writes somewhat like George MacDonald and CS Lewis did when they wrote their children's books, let me know!)
Then I started to wonder what else I missed out on, by limiting myself to only Christian books, and by not reading children and juvenile fiction, when I was younger. So I started reading Harry Potter, and I loved how the author was so good at mixing the real and non-real together, in that first book. So, again, I was hooked. (I still find it hard to stomach non-Christian books, though, because the characters don't have a God to cry out to for help, when things go wrong. I tend to empathize with the characters too much, so if they can't pray, then I get depressed.)
I've heard that kids these days prefer realistic fiction, but, to me, that would be just depressing. Give me a fairy tale any day! I want to read about kings and queens and knights and castles! Of course, that's not real, so it can be depressing, too...
So when I get too caught up in my books, and they cause me to feel anxious, I just look at my own life, and take a deep breath, and sigh with a smile and say, "This is sweet. Because it's real." So, really, even when I can't live a fairy-tale life, reading the fairy tales can have a strange way of making me appreciate my life even more.
14. JMarie had the following to say on Aug 22 at 2:05 PM:
I enjoyed discussing the Imprimis article with my dad, and I'm so glad to find others of like mind!
Julie had the following to say on Aug 22 at 12:02 PM
"as a matter of fact children's lit/YA is one of my favorite genres because it usually retains that redemptive element that so much modern adult fiction seems to lack."
I think you put your finger on it, Julie! I was intrigued to find that a Robin Hobb novel had such an impact on you, though. I read the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and while the journey was great, I found the ending to be really depressing. I couldn't help but think she must hate her characters to give them such gritty endings rather than the happiness I thought they deserved. But then, I tend to prefer my fiction to be escapism with just enough touch of reality to make it believable.
I definitely want to second SB's recommendation of The Thirteenth Tale. That and, yes, Harry Potter, are the only stories I've read this side of adulthood that have really transported me to another place and held me there 'til the end. Best of all, The Thirteenth Tale doesn't have even vague occult references to give people pause, so unlike Harry, I don't have to hesitate before recommending it.
15. Christina had the following to say on Aug 22 at 3:09 PM:
I've recently picked up reading classic literature. My favorite so far has been "The Scarlet Letter." I think we read the cliff's notes version of this in high school, because I didn't remember the story at all. Beautiful.
Right now I'm reading "The Man who was Thursday," (by Chesterton) which has been extremely delightful because of its many unexpected twists.
They both come highly recommended from a humble reader.
16. erin had the following to say on Aug 22 at 4:10 PM:
My heart cheered when reading this post, as I recently re-discovered children's literature while taking a graduate course on it. I echo Beth's recommendation of George MacDonald; his works are fabulous, and I especially love The Light Princess. I also would recommend Lois Lowry's books The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger. The stories are wonderfully written and full of beauty and truth.
I own all of Lucy Maud Montgomery's books, and they, along with Little Women, are always my "go-to" books when I just want to relish the pleasure of a wonderful story.
17. Julie had the following to say on Aug 22 at 5:37 PM:
JMarie said:
"I read the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and while the journey was great, I found the ending to be really depressing. I couldn't help but think she must hate her characters to give them such gritty endings rather than the happiness I thought they deserved."
Yes, but did you continue with the Farseer story in the Tawny Man trilogy?? Not quite everyone gets a happy ending, but there are a whole bunch of marriages, hearth, and home sweet home endings for main characters at the conclusion of the series (I like that kind of 'The End' too) :)
18. Beth L. had the following to say on Aug 22 at 5:53 PM:
I am now tottally craving a trip to the library...
For those of you who love fairy tales, may I recommend Robin McKinley's "Beauty: A Re-telling of Beauty & the Beast". It has to be one of my all time Favorite books. It really is a great retellilng of a classic fairy tale...
19. Leah had the following to say on Aug 23 at 7:26 AM:
I'll put a vote in for "Curdy" too. (thanks Beth!) I have to admit I have never read the books, but I have seen the movie (animated) of "The Princess and the Goblins" (can't remember the movie name) and it was wonderful, and I can only imagine the book is even better (as books generall are).
I also endorse Janette Oke books, Lori Wick books, and I'll echo SB's vote for A Series of Unfortunate Events and Harry Potter.
Aranel Alasse- If you just put your first name, no-one would ever be able to attribute your statements to you. I mean, I put in my name "Leah", and most boundless people know I live in Australia and study journalism- I'm sure there are many Leahs in Australia who study journalism!! No-one knows exactly which one I am ;)
20. SB had the following to say on Aug 23 at 8:53 AM:
ooh that Robin McKinley book is great!!
21. Ted Slater had the following to say on Aug 23 at 12:41 PM:
Our President, some might be surprised to hear, is quite a reader. He read over 90 books last year, for example, according to an interview with his friend Carl Rove.
22. JMarie had the following to say on Aug 23 at 1:37 PM:
Julie,
Reading to me seems like an act of trust. If you haven't already gotten a feel for the author, you have to trust that the journey they're taking you on is a good one. With Robin Hobb, I loved the story, but I felt so let down by the ending that I didn't have the heart to trust her again. However, I may just have to trust you and read the Tawny Man books. Thanks for the recommendation! :)
23. Kathy had the following to say on Aug 23 at 4:32 PM:
I would also recommend George MacDonald's "Phantastes" since it hasn't been added to the list as yet. (I kept expecting to have somebody nominate it, but surprise!)
Just to be fair, here's a second or third vote for C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy and Till We Have Faces -- hopefully the vast majority of us grew up on Narnia. Those of us who didn't missed out in a big way.
Oh -- and here's a plug for G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown mysteries.