“For Beatrice”
I have had a great deal of time over the last year to reaqcuaint myself with children’s literature (particularly that which appeals to those aged 9 to 13). I intentionally bypassed anything recent. An exception however is Lemony Snicket whose A Series of Unfortunate Events has brought me a great deal of enjoyment.
While each book in the Series is rather predictable (in fact, Snicket often explicitly tells in advance what will happen, as part of his continuous attempt to have the reader put down the book in favour of something less saddening), it is the process of investing something of oneself into Snicket’s characters (and particularly himself) that kept me reading through the Series. Snicket, as the narrator, leaves the occasional passing references to his rather extraordinary person life, and gives mention of a certain Beatrice. Hoping to discover more about her I read on and Snicket does not disappoint, but what I leave with you, are the dedications Snicket extends to his love.
One appears at the beginning of each book.
To Beatrice -
darling, dearest, dead.
For Beatrice -
My love for you shall last forever.
You, however, did not.
For Beatrice -
I would much prefer it if you were alive and well.
To Beatrice -
My love flew like a butterfly
Until death swooped down like a bat
As the poet Emma Montana McElroy said
"That’s the end of that."
For Beatrice -
You will always be in my heart,
In my mind,
And in your grave.
For Beatrice -
When we met my life began,
Soon afterward, yours ended.
For Beatrice -
When we were together I felt breathless,
Now you are.
For Beatrice -
Summer without you is as cold as winter.
Winter without you is even colder.
For Beatrice -
Our love broke my heart
and stopped yours.
For Beatrice -
When we first met, you were pretty, and I was lonely.
Now I’m pretty lonely.
For Beatrice -
Dead women tell no tales,
Sad men write them down.
To Beatrice -
No one could extinguish my love,
Or your house.
For Beatrice -
I cherished, you perished,
The world’s been nightmarished.
For Beatrice -
We are like boats passing in the night, particularly you.
Potential ways for discussion here could be to discuss the literary merits of the 14 books in the Series, or perhaps their moral or spiritual value, or perhaps an identification of some favourite moments, or lingering questions, or an evaluation of the film starring Jim Carrey which takes plot from the first three books, or even any questions you have about the books (perhaps if you are not familiar with them?). These are just ideas. I wonder whether anyone has read them?
I look forward to hearing from you.
K.
Children should not be taught to lament death, but rejoice in life. That is the vocation of youth. Hopefully, as they mature, they’re concept of life will mature, and they will discover that, although our stay in this world is short, life is forever. (Even now we are living our eternal life, only in this world, it is veiled by the burdens the world imposes. Nothing that belongs to what is truly life ever dies.) I would forbid any child to read his books, if these dedications represent their spirit.
Comment by Richard — May 7, 2008 @ 12:41 am
Richard, thank you for your comments. I interpret them in the context that you have limitted yourself to (that your knowledge of Snicket is confined to what I have written…).
I find your first comment particularly unusual because it seems to me that precisely because life is worth living, death should be lamented, because it brings an end to it. Jesus himself cried at the tomb of his friend, however confident he was of life continuing after the grave.
The dedications to Beatrice are simply an indication of Snicket’s rather unusual humour, because one can read them rather sadly, but there is also an element of humour in them I find. I was going to use them for a Valentine’s post, but after offering the Shakespeare sonnet, I think I’ll leave Valentine’s alone.
K.
Comment by K. — May 7, 2008 @ 9:04 am
Ok…Let me admit up front, I’m a really bad mom! I allowed my 12-now 13 yr old daughter to read the whole series without reading them myself! She loved them! Maybe I’ll have to go back and read them. She also loved the HP series and I did read a few of those. She is a smart girl and is usually bored with the mundane ie Babysitters Club etc. She also absolutely loved the Regina Doman books!
~TC
Comment by Tibercrawl — May 7, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
Hi Kelly,
You wrote: I find your first comment particularly unusual because it seems to me that precisely because life is worth living, death should be lamented, because it brings an end to it. Jesus himself cried at the tomb of his friend, however confident he was of life continuing after the grave.
You’re right. It should be, and I can see why you saw fit to bring that to my attention. But there is a time for living and a time for dying. These dedications stifle the joy of life in an arid recollection of death. “It takes life to live life” (Spoon River Anthology), and though it may not be what Masters had in mind, the life it takes to live is a sense of eternal life (essentially, the virtue of hope). Without that, the beauty of the rose that will fade tomorrow can only be the occasion of tears.
Comment by Richard — May 8, 2008 @ 1:18 am
Hi Tibercrawl,
HP, Regina Doman…Your daughter is drawn to tales of darkness because she finds in them what seems really real to her (so many, adults and even children) feel that way. It’s not intelligence that prefers tales of darkness, but a heart that is reaching out for life, and not finding it where it should be found: in the light. I see the same thing in my kids. It’s sad.
Richard
Comment by Richard — May 8, 2008 @ 1:29 am
Tibercrawl,
The Snicket Series is a fantastic one and there is nothing wrong with letting your child read them. Interestingly, some critics have even found in them an overarching message consistent with the Christian one so the darkness that some identify with them is (in my view) a superficial one (even if grouping the literature as ‘Christian’ is a bit stretched).
I would identify the series as a moral parable.
K.
Comment by K. — May 8, 2008 @ 7:56 am