Blog hopping? Come on in. Here’s one of my favourite children’s reads. When you’ve finished, nip over here for some more posts on books, children’s and others.
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I’ve blogged about this book before, a long time back, but I’m coming back to it again. For all of the fun of exploring new books, finding new ideas and new characters, there is something wonderful about regularly reinhabiting books.
The most regular form of this is whatever children’s book is most cherished at the time. I have had time to hone my ‘boglabols’ when reading Burglar Bill, because we read it so much. And no doubt part of our own delight (mine anyway) in rediscovering the books of our past is that opportunity to reinhabit pictures as well as well-worn words.
Back to A Formal Feeling. It’s by Zibby Oneal, an American author who writes brilliantly for teens. Not the kind of teen writing that comes out now (good and/or necessary as that is), but the type that is more about uncertainty, exploration of self, in a quieter tone.
The main reason for rereading the book is its evocation of the run up to Christmas, and just beyond. It covers the full run of preparations, the actual day, the days before New Year, and back into regular routine.
I used to read it from 1 December, for several years in a row, a chapter a day. It was a way of thinking about Christmas, of savouring a story, and details that were not my Christmas, yet somehow became mine through the rereading.
I’m mentioning it because it brings to mind other books that people reread. One of the things I remember from watching some of those makings of videos for Lord of the Rings is Christopher Lee’s comment about rereading the Lord of the Rings trilogy every year. No wonder he was pleased when he was asked to appear in it too.
There are certain books that appeal to us, that we want to relive. We know the ending this time, but we want to see the characters unfold – to see their reactions to situations, both in ‘real time’ (as the story stands at that point), and in the light of our knowledge of what happens next.
My mother in law has talked about this in rereading for the Kim Stanley Robinson Mars trilogy. The characters are so well written, they change as the planet is transformed through terraforming. They live so much longer than we can on earth, and so there are different forms of change in them as they take up new tasks, age, and so on.
So whatever lists of books you may have taken on to read this year – or not – go read something you’ve loved. Rediscover how good it is.
There’s a reason for going back to favourites – because they continue to please. And books, among all the other things they are about, are certainly about pleasure.