Good lines - on childhood reading

 

 

    "I suppose that an American's approach to English literature must always be oblique. We share a language but not a landscape. In order to understand the English classics as adults, we must build up a sort of visual vocabulary from the books we read as children. Children's literature is, in some ways, more important to us than it is to the English child. I contend that a child brought up on nursery rhymes and Jacobs' English Fairy Tales can better understand Shakespeare; that a child who has pored over Beatrix Potter can better respond to Wordsworth. Of course it is best if one can find for himself a bank where the wild thyme grows, or discover daffodils growing wild. Failing that, the American child must feed the 'inward eye' with the images in the books he reads when young, so that he can enter a larger realm when he is older. I am sure I enjoyed the Brontë novels more for having read The Secret Garden first. As I stood on those moors, looking out over that wind-swept landscape I realized that it was Mrs. Burnett who taught me what 'wuthering' meant long before I ever got round to reading Wuthering Heights. Epiphany comes at the moment of recognition."

    From How the Heather Looks: A Joyous Journey to the British Sources of Children's Books by Joan Bodger.

Comments

[Joan Kyler]

I have about 40 pages to read in this book and I'm enjoying it very much. I've started a list of older books I hope my grandnieces will like when they get just a little older. Some of the books I know from my own childhood, but others are new to me.

[Cornflower]

I so enjoyed the book, Joan, and like you found references to quite a few things I hadn't come across before.
I admired the Bodgers' stamina and their knowledge of literature!

[Ed]

This quote about Americans' approach to English literature also applies to Australians such as myself. It is true for European literature in general. Europeans write about things like snow which I did not even see until my early teens. We do have it in Australia, just a long way from Sydney. They mention trees such as oaks which I have only seen in Botanic gardens over here. And animals such as squirrels which we also do not have, though possums are sort of the equivalent.

[LizF]

Reading Joan Bodger's words, it occurred to me that a lot of my favourite books from childhood were actually set in America or Canada - things like Susan Coolidge's Katy stories, Little Women, Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins, Children of the Oregon Trail, My Friend Flicka... the list goes on.
Of course I read a lot of British books as well - some which had belonged to my parents (I had a particular fondness for my mum's 1920's school stories!)

[Susan in TX]

Loved this book! It just feeds my desire to spend weeks and weeks traveling slowly around the UK. :)

[Cornflower]

You are right, Ed, and we in Britain tend to take these things for granted!

[Cornflower]

Re. the American/Canadian books, I was always particularly intrigued by mentions of food which was foreign to me.

[Cornflower]

If only the roads here were as empty now as they were when the Bodgers travelled them!

[Alex]

As someone who used to lecture in Children's Literature this is going straight onto my reading list. Thanks for introducing me to it.

[Cornflower]

You're welcome, Alex. I'm not sure where I first heard about it but for me it was such a rich, enjoyable read, and I hope you'll find that, too.

[LizF]

I was always fascinated by mentions of grits and root beer but sadly when I got to try them as an adult I thought that the former was like a cross between wallpaper paste and flavourless porridge (well in the hotel breakfast buffet in Revere it was!) and the latter tasted like antiseptic! Such a disappointment.
My son on the other hand thoroughly approved of maple syrup with pancakes and bacon!

[Cornflower]

Shame about the grits, but the maple syrup/bacon/pancakes is a great invention!