Have you ever read Elizabeth Goudge? For years I’d heard about her books but couldn’t find them. People who read them adore them. There’s even a reading group on Instagram specifically dedicated to reading her works. Finally, after years of wondering what the hooplah was about, my husband ordered me a copy of one of her best known works and I read it.
The Little White Horse is precious in every sense of the word. It’s a children’s book, yes, but honestly it handled some pretty big issues and deep, philosophical conundrums. I’d call it magical realism for the young and the young at heart. I knew nothing about this book going into it except, again, that people LOVE it. And this time, the hype checks out.
While I get that this type of book is not everyone’s cup of tea, I found it delightful. It was straightforward, pulled no punches in terms of morality and the magical realism was done so well that you didn’t really question it. Suddenly there’s a dwarf in the kitchen. One of the animals communicates by writing symbols in the fireplace ash with a claw. People live in underground cave-houses that are cozier than the room you’re reading in.
On the one hand, some of this stuff is just suddenly THERE and makes no sense. But it’s not supposed to. Don’t let that dissuade you. It’s sheer wonder at it’s base definition and for anyone who ever loved a good fairy tale, this book holds up to the scrutiny of any “Once upon a time.”
Also, don’t let the publication date turn you away. I’ve met loads of people who abhore books written before the twenty-first century. I’ve also met people who wouldn’t read anything unless it was on the current NYT Bestseller List. If you’re one of them, you’re really missing out. The book was published in 1946 and is set in 1842. And yes, you can definitely tell. That’s not a complaint, either. It’s a fact.
While it’s also true that some of the major plot points will seem eye-roll worthy to the more “worldly” reader, I had zero complaints with it. It was short, sweet, and gives you the HEA you expect from page one.
My original intent was to begin reading Umberto Eco’s In the Name of the Rose after finishing the Goudge. I’ve not seen the film and I don’t know too much about the plot except for the back-of-book-blurb and the little I allowed myself to listen to of a podcast dedicated to Eco’s masterpiece. After I read Susanna Clarke’s brilliant Piranesi, Eco’s novel came up as a recommendation. I’d heard about it for years as well but thought it way above my paygrade.
Well …
… I still think that BUT I’m determined to read it and figure out the obsession surrounding it. Or at least feel attached to it for a brief moment in time. I’m excited to read it but for some reason, I can’t quite seem to get myself in the headspace for it.
So here’s my question for YOU:
Are you more of a whimsy reader, leaning to fantasy, Rom-Coms and Happily Ever Afters, or do you take your reading Seriously with a side of bitter tea? Do you, like me, like a good mixture of the two and try to space them accordingly so that after a heavy hitter you can indulge in some nice, light reading for a while?
Light reading, by the way, doesn’t mean dumbed down. Nor should it. Light reading is something you read that removes you from you current situation, gives you a lovely escape and allows you to ruminate over someone else’s problems for a while. They’re the romance stories, the adventure, the Girl-gets-the-Guy-gets-the-Girl books we sigh with pleasure over when everything wraps up neat and tidy when we finally read The End.
These books should never insult the reader’s intelligence. They should act as lovely pauses, place-holders, books that remind us that reading is fun and should be enjoyed. If all you do is read depressing, social commentary you might as well go back to school and get a Masters in Literary Theory.
And I don’t wish that on anyone.
To be honest, I’m not ready for Eco just yet. I don’t feel up to par. I had so much fun with The Little White Horse that I honestly just want something else light and fluffy. The Season of Lent is filled with somber scripture and lamenting Psalms and hymns - and rightly so. I need a little sunlight to help carry me through to the dawn of Easter Sunrise.
Maybe then I’ll be ready to descend into the brilliance of Eco’s In the Name of the Rose.
What do you prefer, Dear Reader? Light and happy? Deep and Serious? Laugh-out-loud Hilarious? Existential Crisis between two chipboard covers? Or, like me, a little dash of All of the Above?
Just curious x