Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Voice of a Pedagogue

*
Found a book by Ruth Chew looking as good
as new in an edition of 1976, the title is ‘the
Trouble with Magic’ a glance makes it clear
why books by Lois Lowry are falling apart
being read so much while this one is in
pristine condition in the library

The author does not know the enchantment
of magic, uses the concept in the voice of a
pedagogue explaining the dangers of it, her
characters stick figures without sparkle and
life, Ruth missed the uplifting powers in PL
Travers’ Mary Poppins, did not feel

The adorable quality of Margery Sharp’s Miss
Bianca who drew hats instead of maps, yet the
mouse pilot found his way with the hat-map in
the Rescuer series - I was fooled by the word
‘Magic’ as title, did not realize it is a treatise
warning against fantastic power

No wonder the book looks new, it is bound to
continue doing so because it fails to entice the
reader’s mind and open reality to the beauty of
creative invention which bewitches life!


“The Trouble With Magic” Ruth Chew
Dodd Mead & Company, 1976
*

No comments:

Dying Eventually

Listening to my favourite Internet guru, quite clearly this works for many people as they repeat the jargon flawlessly and I wish I could ge...