I've been doing a lot of reading lately. Mostly fiction. I enjoy fiction as a way to unwind after work. Nothing against non-fiction but it requires a much more active reading style which I don't always have the will power for by the end of the day. Anyway...the fiction books I've been reading lately have brought to my mind something that a friend told me once. Oddly enough it was during our premarital counseling. I don't remember how we got on the topic but we were talking about Harry Potter and Dave (the guy who was counseling us) said that his issue with HP was not the magic but rather the prevailing theme that Adults are inept and incompetent where the children are fully capable of rising to the challenge, defying death, breaking rules and saving the world. Lately I've read some pretty popular fiction stories which all involve adolescent kids who end up saving the world, usually through not listening to their elder's advice. The Hunger Games trilogy, the Harry Potter series, the "I Am Number 4" series, all have that similar concept. I know the idea of a young protagonist who disobeys rules is hardly new (Tom Sawyer, A Separate Piece, Chronicles of Narnia) it seems like the concept has been glorified recently. I confess it's been awhile since I've read the older novels listed but it seems there were consequences for breaking the rules that aren't there in more recent stories. I haven't fully thought through all of this, I just find it interesting, so feel free to comment on your thoughts
As a side note for my birthday I received a Kindle touch from my parents. If anyone is on the fence about buying one of these I'd strongly recommend it. It's so nice to be able to carry this little thing around and have access to so many books. It reads like paper so my eyes can take a break from the computer screen and its evil pixels! And I can rent books from the library (limited selection but the option is there).
And just b/c it makes the blog more fun here is a trailer for the Hunger Games movie coming out next year...
Interesting point about that theme throughout literature. They tell them what they want to hear...tickle their ears. I am about a chapter away from reading the Hunger Games, though. It's been too distracting this last week :) You'll have to give me to some good book tips when I'm home.
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