Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The Blue Girl and The Yearling

I'm lumping these two books together as while they are very different, they are mostly catering for their main audience - the younger set.

I was expecting more from The Blue Girl, my first Charles de Lint read. It was overall a fun read but I didn't like the way things seem to have been resolved relatively quickly at the end. I wasn't really into the way the book is told from the perspectives of the three characters either. I think I might have picked the wrong Charles de Lint book to start with. I'll have to see what else the library has, as I don't intend to just give up on his work.

The Yearling was quite a surprise. I started out wondering how this became a Pulitzer Prize winner back in 1939, but it began to grow on me. It is a marvellous coming-of-age tale set in Florida. A time when bears and panthers roamed, and your nearest neighbours were 4 miles away. It was vivid and very absorbing. I admired Penny's appreciation for nature and wildlife and was continuously amazed at how life was led in those times. But I wondered if, were The Yearling to be published today, would it be a Pulitzer Prize winner?

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