It’s so unfair that I just found out about this. Gris Grimly, illustrator of two very creepy books of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories (Tales of Death and Dementia and Tales of Mystery and Madness (reviewed here), now has an illustrated version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, just out since August 27. Grimly was interviewed by Publisher’s Weekly about the process of re-creating, designing, and illustrating Frankenstein, a story which has been adapted and presented in many different ways (it’s a really interesting interview, and here is a link so you can check it out for yourself). One of the things I learned from reading it was that Grimly had blogged about the process as he worked through the book, created illustrations, got frustrated, made changes, and pulled it all together. For four years. How I missed knowing that a brilliant illustrator of both children’s and YA books was working on, and blogging about, this fantastic project for FOUR YEARS is crazy! I so wish the publisher had contacted us and offered a copy to us for review. Anyway, the blog he wrote as he was creating this book is a pretty neat look into the mind of an illustrator who is serious about respecting the author’s intent while also making the story his own, and here is a link so you can visit there. I loved Kenneth Oppell’s prequel to the Frankenstein story, This Dark Endeavor (reviewed here), which (at least in the Kindle version) was paired with the original novel, and is intriguing and gripping enough to motivate some kids into attempting the original. However, from what he says, Grimly takes what appears to be a much more direct, visual, and fantastic approach to the story, one that may draw in an entirely different audience of YA readers. But mainly, right now, I’m just bummed that, with the book four years in the making, and Grimly publicly blogging about it, that I didn’t know about it until now. And if you didn’t know about it before, and you see just the bits he shows on his blog, I suspect you’ll want to know more, too.
Murder Most Foul: Violent Death in Children’s Literature
The Boston Globe just published an interview with Michelle Ann Abate, a professor at Ohio State University who has just published a book about the tradition of murder and violence in children’s literature (a really interesting take on the “scaring the children” theme). I’m not sure if it’s because of the way the interviewer edited the interview for publication, but for some reason both he and she come across as seeming surprised that there is a tradition of violence in children’s literature, and she’s actually quoted as saying that “the story of violence and books for young readers hasn’t been told before”.
I have to say that I am surprised at the surprise that there is a tradition of violence in children’s literature. It’s a frequent reason that books are banned (although racism, explicit sexual situations, and profanity currently top that). Going back in history, even after you progress past Grimm’s fairy tales, there’s no lack of violence and death. Andersen’s tales often end with death. “The Little Match Girl”, for instance, freezes to death on the street.
Struwwelpeter, by Heinrich Hoffman, is a classic children’s book, with lovely illustrations. Here’s one for a story about a girl with matches who burns to death!
And let’s not forget the Gashlycrumb Tinies. Poor Kate! Childhood used to be a much different creature than it is today, a point that Abate does make, and attitudes toward parenting tended toward the didactic and scaring kids into behaving. It is interesting to note, though, that Hoffman wrote the book to entertain his young child, and in spite of the terrifying stories and illustrations, there are a lot of adults who remember it as being funny when they were kids. There’s a darkness inside children that a lot of grownups don’t want to admit is there.
“K is for Kate who was struck with an axe”
Moving on to more recent times, we have the parents of the kids in Julian Thompson’s The Grounding of Group 6, who send their kids to a school that guarantees they’ll be permanently lost in the woods; the viciousness of the children in William Sleator’s House of Stairs; the matter-of-fact euthanasia of children and the elderly in Lois Lowry’s The Giver; the government approved murders of “extra” children in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Among the Hidden; the chilling account of the Holocaust in The Devil’s Arithmetic; the supernatural terrors from Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark; the death of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Death, and especially murder, can be scary in books, but nowhere near as scary as daily life. Processing the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. is a lot more difficult for my kids than processing The Tailypo.
Many people– librarians, critics, parents, academics– have considered the story of violence in children’s books. Nearly every year there’s at least one article about how children’s literature has gotten too dark. I would say that it’s an aspect that people either choose to avoid (it’s not difficult to avoid children’s books containing murders) or take for granted. When something like The Hunger Games or Goosebumps becomes massively popular, violence in children’s books comes into the spotlight, but even when it’s not in the spotlight, there are people who notice it, study it, and write about it. I think as transmedia platforms become more popular we’ll see more of this come to light, as books and visual media connect in more ways than ever, and this is definitely a topic worth paying attention to… but if the study of violence in children’s literature hasn’t been noticed before, it’s only because people didn’t want to see what was really there.
Missing Since Gen Con: Robert the Bard
As some of you may know, Gen Con(a major science fiction, fantasy and gaming convention) took place in the area here not that long ago. Whether you’re a librarian or a fan, you’ve probably been to some kind of convention at some time. They are a great way to meet people with common interests, widen your knowledge, geek on favorite authors and/or authorities in your field, and, most of all, have fun. Science fiction, fantasy, and gaming together cover a huge number of topics, genres, events, and people, including writers, readers, and consumers of the horror genre. If you want a feel for what science fiction, fantasy, and horror lovers are looking for, and you want to get them into your library, look for a local con in your community, and go in with an open mind. It’s worth it to check it out.
A transcript of the following report was forwarded to us by our reviewer Aaron Fletcher, who attended Gen Con 2013 and acquired this digital recording of an interview conducted by Robert the Bard there that may shed some light on the convention experience.
Report From the Floor of Gen Con 2013 Day 2 August 16, 2013.
Transcribed by Aaron Fletcher
Robert the Bard: Hello everyone, Robert the Bard reporting from the Indianapolis Convention Center, where I am attending Gen Con 2013! I am here today talking with the lesser known “heroes” of Gen Con: the monsters. Without them, there would be no Gen Con. Here to start us off is this splendid, absolutely gruesome ogre named Grug. How are you enjoying Gen Con, Grug?
Grug: Me not.
Robert the Bard: You’re not?!? What seems to be the problem?
Grug: Me rest in dungeon when horde of humans rush in and hit Grug. Hit Grug in tummy. Hurt Grug! Take Grug treasure! Why humans do that?
Robert the Bard: Well, Grug, I imagine they did that to have an adventure.
Grug: Grug want treasure back! Grug MAD!!!
Robert the Bard: All right! All right now, Grug! Take it easy. No need to go on a rampage now. I’m sure you can go on an adventure of your own and get treasure from some innocent people in a little while. Why don’t you take in some of the other events at Gen Con while you wait?
Grug: Events??!?!? What events mean?
Robert the Bard: Well I’m talking about the other things going on here at Gen Con. There’s The Film Festival, the Writer’s Symposium, and the Art Show. Maybe pick up something to read or a fantastic work of art for your dungeon.
Grug: Stories scare Grug. Always of Adventurers kill monsters. Make Grug sad. Dungeon has art. Mrs. Grug jealous artist. She no like other art.
Robert the Bard: Oh, I see, Grug. Well if you don’t like those things, you can play a game or learn a new one. After all, Gen Con is known for all kinds of role playing games, board games and card games. You can even buy the games right here.
Grug: What kind games?
Robert the Bard: Well, just about anything you can imagine. There are fantasy Games, science fiction Games, horror Games, world building games, and just about anything else you can think of.
Grug: Oh. Grug like fantasy adventure game. Get treasure…
Robert the Bard: You do! Well what’s it called, Grug? I’ll help you find some treasure.
Grug: You help Grug?!?!?
Robert the Bard: Sure I will! What do you say…Uh…What are you doing, Grug? Uh, take it easy now…
Grug: Hehe! Grug like smash talky talky human! Here Grug come!
Robert the Bard: Put that club down now before somebody gets hurt! Grug! Grug!
Grug: Hehe! Grug like puny human run away. It fun!
Robert the Bard: Uh well folks there you have it. This is your reporter on the floor of Gen Con 2013 saying…..I gotta RUUUUNNN!!!!
Grug: Hehe! Treasure!!!!!
Note: This was intended to be a multiple part series reporting on all aspects of the cultural and social gaming event known as Gen Con 2013. Unfortunately, Robert the Bard has not been heard from since. If anyone knows his whereabouts please let us know. It would be greatly appreciated as we would like to get the rest of the series, so we can share it with you. Oh, and, of course, we are concerned for his safety.
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