tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post7574320375075842635..comments2023-10-10T20:43:00.969-04:00Comments on Books and Chocolate: The Enchanted Castle by E. NesbitKaren K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-86401153584900774112010-11-24T04:22:52.823-05:002010-11-24T04:22:52.823-05:00In principle, a good happen, support the views of ...In principle, a good happen, support the views of the authorgeneric cialishttp://www.agir-galiza.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-21409829809680646562010-02-01T18:27:35.476-05:002010-02-01T18:27:35.476-05:00I am a teacher, not a librarian, and have also rec...I am a teacher, not a librarian, and have also recently discovered Nesbit, mostly because I love C.S. Lewis and he mentions her as an influence. I don't think that it is so much that she was writing about, not for, children. She was doing both! The real problem is that modern readers, adults as well as children, are less literate than in the past. Note that adult works such as Charles Dickens, which many common readers today find difficult, were wildly popular in their day. There has been a decline in literacy. I blame not only TV, but something that began before electronic media, a sort of glorification of anti-intellectualism and the "average guy" that Lewis often spoke of as one of the unfortunate unintended consequences of democracy run amok.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-63282534070931944262009-11-06T11:31:00.849-05:002009-11-06T11:31:00.849-05:00I am a children's librarian and I can tell you...I am a children's librarian and I can tell you that families still take out the books, and seem to like them. I loved her when I was a child, but I grew up in a no TV house so it was like a strange little slice of the Victorian era in the 1960's/70's.<br /><br />I think it helps to read her if first you have read Andrew Lang's colored Fairy Books: "The Red Fairy Book," "The Blue Fairy Book," etc., Joseph Jacobs "English Fairy Tales," and books by Howard Pyle. George MacDonald's "Princess and Curdie" and "The Princess and the Goblin." Then you have a background of archaic language that helps for reading other 19th century Children's literature.<br /><br />You can also read the Edgar Eager magic books which promote E. Nesbit for new generations, she is always the favorite author of his child characters.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-54543096049722842562009-10-05T23:38:59.270-04:002009-10-05T23:38:59.270-04:00I was really excited about a new fantasy author I&...I was really excited about a new fantasy author I'd never heard of! Definitely want to give it a try. <br /><br />It's interesting that you say you don't think kids would appreciate it. Too bad it comes across that way. I'm trying to think of any British children's lit that I get that impression from and I realize I'm woefully ignorant. Haven't read Secret Garden, for example, since I was kid, but then I didn't feel it was hard to read. Not sure.<br /><br />Sorry this is rambling comment. I should stop when it gets this late.Rebecca Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06062252252301802298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-80078722573131852582009-10-03T18:34:17.795-04:002009-10-03T18:34:17.795-04:00I think children were just expected to grow up fas...I think children were just expected to grow up faster. A lot of them had responsibilities thrown at them a lot sooner, people married younger, died younger, etc. Most of the early children's fiction was really didactic, or harped on the fact that it was important to be good now so you'd get into heaven, since so many people died young -- Death and Baby Death would be so pleased! (See Amanda's vlog if you're confused: http://zenleaf.blogspot.com/2009/09/death-book-hour-4-banned-books.html )Karen K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-44750152256627215112009-10-03T15:48:53.961-04:002009-10-03T15:48:53.961-04:00I agree that children were treated differently the...I agree that children were treated differently then, but I also think adults just didn't understand them very much, hence books that were difficult for children. I don't think adults tried too hard to understand children. But maybe I'm wrong. That's just what I imagine.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026099426503180472noreply@blogger.com