What literature says about values
I find this teaser excerpt from LM Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside interesting, mostly for what it says about the type of book publishers thought would sell in 1985 (the book was originally published in 1920).
“Rilla-my-Rilla, what are you thinking of?”
“Everything is so changed, Walter,” said Rilla wistfully. “Even you—you’re changed. A week ago we were all so happy—and—and—now I just can’t find myself at all. I’m lost.”
Walter sat down on a neighboring stone and took Rilla’s little appealing hand.
“I’m afraid our world has come to an end, Rilla. We’ve got to face that fact.”
So the two sat there in the old valley until the evening star shone through a pale-grey, gauzy cloud over the maple grove. Walter felt, for the time being at least, that it was not such a despicable thing after all to dread the horror of war; and Rilla was glad to sympathize with him. It was one of the evenings Rilla was to treasure all her life—the first one on which Walter had ever talked to her as if she were a woman and not a child.
For those of you who don’t know, Walter and Rilla are brother and sister and the book is set during World War I.
I don’t know…. do kids today say “I want a book about the end of the world and a woman coming of age!” I get the feeling they say “Wizards! Pow! Magic! Kazaam!” This was one of my favorite books as a kid, and I was a little disappointed when I re-read that teaser text. It’s so… meh. Anyway. I find it interesting that that’s the part that was excerpted.
In other news, every kid should have to read Laurence Yep’s The Serpent’s Children.
PPP says 2 June 2007
Lol! I liked Rilla, but I liked Anne better. Actually, the last Anne books sort of bored me, but the first three—great! Especially Anne of Green Gables. I liked Rilla, too, though. And all of that “coming of age” stuff.
It is funny that the above is the teaser.
I’ve been really wanting to read Madeline L’Engle again. Of course, after comps. But damn, _A Wrinkle in Time_? I miss it.
Or Lois Lowry. Have you ever read _The Giver_? So good. Or _Number the Stars_? So good too.
And Cynthia Voigt. Loved _Homecoming_.
Okay. Back to my boring job
. Wish I could be reading for fun instead.