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Archive Number 3617 | ||
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Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 15:40:22 -0800
MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Probably explains my fondness for "Godfather Death" in the bleak Grimm's version. Kids seem curiously attracted to the tale as well - it speaks to something real - the aspect of death which is inevitable finality. Kimberley > [Original Message] > From: Gail Rosen > To: > Date: 1/24/2004 2:16:35 PM > Subject: Happy Endings > > Bobby Avstreih asked me to post this for him: > > Though I prefer to spend my time and money away from any media except poetry > > anthologies, I always enjoy reading about the stories that are popular in > > our culture. Obviously being out of the desert and back caring for mom, I > > have too much free time and issues of NYTimes, plus computer access. > > > Since the List has been involved in discussing the lack of "happy endings" > > in certain types of stories, I want to share this with you. The front page > > of the Jan.25 "Arts and Leisure" section features an article about Phillip[ > > Pullman and his children's fantasy trilogy "His Dark Materials" (a title > > taken from Milton's "Paradise Lost"). > > Apparently it is on its way to becoming the next "Harry Potter"/"Lord of the > > Rings" blockbuster. > > I was never impressed with either of those series, and agree with the London > > reviewer who found J.K.Rowland's books "increasingly derivative, formulaic, > > flatly written ...". Without the characters of Sam and Gollum, "The Rings" > > would be the same stale rehash, for me. So, I am not a fan of this insipid > > style of heroic fantasy (though I loved these pictureless comic books, the > > Sword and Sorcery genre, as a teen and in college). > > > With this as a caveat, I find myself very excited in reading about the "Dark > > Materials" series, now being produced in a stage version by Nicholas Hytner > > for London's National Theater. Particularly exciting to story-tellers > > involved in trying to join creativity with healing (instead of just > > repeating church or new age or whatever propaganda) is Pullman's ability "to > > offer both spellbound wonder and sudden moments of deep emotion that cut at > > the heart like the subtlest of knives". > > > Here is the end of the article, which is about the place and image of Death > > in this children's trilogy: > > "even critics who didn't like the theater production have loved the scenes > > that take place in the prison-like World of the Dead, where the downtrodden, > > suffering deceased are gently released into the outside world, where they > > feel a moment of unspeakable ecstasy before dissolving gratefully into the > > earth and the air. > > 'It's astonishing how uncompromising it is in introducing kids to an > > alternative mythology of death,' Mr Hytner said, 'how it finds a harsh > > consolation in the notion that death is death, and that the worst possible > > thing, the most desperate thing, is that there is some kind of afterlife. > > It's thrilling to see kids as young as 9 and 10 sitting, riveted, by that > > and feeling perhaps relieved by the notion of oblivion." > > > I know of a few ancient Greek and Hebrew references to "the afterlife" as a > > land of dismal shades. What thrills me most is not Pullman's religious view, > > but his daring creativity in being so simple and direct and unafraid of > > Death as an appropriate theme in children's stories, without the need for > > "happy endings". Its NOT about the heroic survival of the survivors or other > > "life must go on" homilies, but plain old Death itself. Hope this > > stimulates some creative curiosity and daring in others, too. > > Bobby > > ------------------------------- > To Unsubscribe from Healingstory send the message: unsubscribe healingstory > to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu > ------------------------------- ------------------------------- To Unsubscribe from Healingstory send the message: unsubscribe healingstory to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu ------------------------------- | ||