I read all of these when I was very young, and I remember them not at all as books but as things that happened to me.
-- John Steinbeck, Steinbeck's Ghost
If you've been given a gift; you're honor-bound to use it for the greater good.
-- Danny, Quantum Prophecy
Books are heavy because they carry the world inside.
-- Meggie, Inkheart
The keener and clearer is the reason, the better fantasy it will make. If men were ever in a state in which they did not want to know or could not perceive truth, then fantasy would languish until they were cured.
--J.R.R. Tolkien
Maybe we benefit from the providence of others more often than we know.
--Mrs. Cheever, Gone-Away Lake
A lie is a weed in the Lord's flower garden.
--Toby Boyce's Grandpa, Bull Run
Books are like truth serum. If you don't read, you can't figure out what's real.
--Kevin, Freak the Mighty
...not knowing something doesn't mean you're stupid. All it means is that there's still room left to wonder.
-- Heidi, So B. It
I am tired, weary, I haven't a hope left. But I have to go on trying to get to the Mountain, as long as I can move.
-- Frodo, The Return of the King
It's more important to get the big concept than be an expert in the small stuff.
-- Addie, Hope was Here
The difficulty is...we often do not recognize evil. Evil can begin with a word.
-- Herr Schafer, After the Train
I only skimmed this one. The theme of prostitution was enough reason to skip it. Those who think that peeking at the dark side via a book is safe for tweens are only thinking of the physical body.
Safety Rating: DaVinci Pile
2 comments:
I disagree, this was a very good book.
We might disagree on art, too. Books, of course, are a form of art. I believe they should contribute to what is good, beautiful, and true. Like Shakespeare, that sometimes means exposes the tragic parts of humanity as well. But the purpose should be to elevate the human spirit in some way, not to use violence, sex, or vice to primarily titillate. I would argue that while this author might have talent and can weave a story, I suspect he titillated for entertainment more than revealed an important truth that engaged the intellect or brought forth beauty in something.
Not to mention that his topic should be beyond the realm of tweens unless they are jaded, sophisticated beyond their years, or unduly robbed of their innocence. That is all-too-possible nowadays. This blog is for parents who would like to postpone the loss of innocence because we deem it good. I read enough for purposes of this blog.
If I didn't read closely enough to determine it had something good to offer, I'll leave that to the adults to argue over.
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