Literature for the Pre-Pubescent
At some recent point young adult literature has received a level of acceptability. Not that there haven't been exceptions throughout the 20th century - C.S. Lewis' Narnia chronicles, Tolkien's The Hobbit, and Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series all spring to mind. But there has been an explosion in recent years of critically accepted or acclaimed works. There is of course Rowling's Harry Potter, but also the Lemony Snicket books (soon to join Harry Potter in the world of Hollywood), the prize winning Philip Pullman series Dark Materials, Artemis Fowl, and more. What achieved the breakthrough - was it Potter, and if so, how? What made this series succeed beyond the field of children's literature?
I've been thinking about this a good deal lately - I've come to realize that these books have been some my most recommended over the last few years, and the most recommended to me. And no one I know has children of the right age to read them. I think the reason they appeal to adults so much is they capture the sense of wonder and adventure we get pounded out of us as we grow older and "put aside childish things." Some people I know have grown into historical fiction (an adventure story without the imaginary setting and with sex), some turn to sci-fi (an adventure story with advanced technology, and sex), some to modern/post-modern fiction ( a lack of adventure story, where people talk about sex), some to memoir and biography (someone else's adventures and sex), or popular supermarket fiction (adventurous sex).
So with Potter five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, coming 21 June, have we entered a "golden age" of young adult literature? Have we accepted the need to escape our lives is the prevalent desire of modern life? Can we use these "imagination aids" to spark the creativity we've let atrophy? Can this be turned inward to free us from passive entertainment - can we free ourselves from the Matrix?
I've been thinking about this a good deal lately - I've come to realize that these books have been some my most recommended over the last few years, and the most recommended to me. And no one I know has children of the right age to read them. I think the reason they appeal to adults so much is they capture the sense of wonder and adventure we get pounded out of us as we grow older and "put aside childish things." Some people I know have grown into historical fiction (an adventure story without the imaginary setting and with sex), some turn to sci-fi (an adventure story with advanced technology, and sex), some to modern/post-modern fiction ( a lack of adventure story, where people talk about sex), some to memoir and biography (someone else's adventures and sex), or popular supermarket fiction (adventurous sex).
So with Potter five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, coming 21 June, have we entered a "golden age" of young adult literature? Have we accepted the need to escape our lives is the prevalent desire of modern life? Can we use these "imagination aids" to spark the creativity we've let atrophy? Can this be turned inward to free us from passive entertainment - can we free ourselves from the Matrix?
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