Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Magic of Books (or Magic of Story)

A couple Sundays ago I sat down to read one of the many books on my TBR pile. (I've managed to get the pile down to 15 books.)  The book I picked up was "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" by Jessica Day George. (Go, buy, read. But only after you read this blog post.)

The book is very good on its own. But what made it magical for me was the memories.  As I read the book and the mystery surrounding the main character started to unfold, suddenly I realized this book was based on the same tale as  movie I'd once watched.

By once watched, I mean I rented it half a dozen times or more (as memory serves) from Blockbuster when I was a young'un. (Man I feel old.) This movie was titled "The Polar Bear King." I adored that movie. Recently I may have discovered it on Netflix and thought I'd eventually sit down and rewatch the movie that brings such warm fuzzies to my heart.

Then I read the book. And I wanted to watch the movie even more. Then I realized, that I don't want to break that magic. Reading the book took me back to a simpler time when I didn't have the cares I have now. Sure there was bad stuff going on at the time. My dad was diagnosed with cancer when I was 7 and died when I was 15. This movie was somewhere between ages almost-ten and almost-thirteen. I know because my memory tells me which house we were living in at the time.

The book itself was very good from a purely rational point of view. The power of memories, that recollection of another beloved version that was no less magical than the book though a very different version of the tale, is what made it magical.

Is there a book that's just pure magic for you because of the memories and associations you bring to the page as you read it?

Also, don't forget to enter the 500 posts giveaway! Your odds are still really great when it comes to winning prizes. I'll draw for prizes in early June.

7 comments:

  1. When I was a teenager, I adored the TV show Roswell. That period was marked with changes-I started high school, we were moving to another house, I experienced my first heartbreak. Last year I read Cicada by Belle Whittington which also revolves around extraterrestrial life. It brought back all the memories from that time that I still consider best days of my life.

    Thanks for reminding me this magic, now I'll probably go reread Cicada and watch Roswell all afternoon :)

    Ivana @ WTSL.

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    1. The things tied to our memories are so powerful, aren't they? I mean, to this day I still look at the drivers of certain types of cars because high school crushes drove those cars.

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  2. Wow, I'm glad this book had such a powerful influence on you. I can't say that I've read a book that's done that for me. I remember crying in books, but I don't think it's because of it taking me back to my own memories...

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    1. Oh, I've cried loads of times. But like you said, never because of my own memories. This was really the first time something like this has happened for me.

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  3. I didn't read much growing up. I wish I had. But I remember the book The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I loved it's mystery and how it made me feel misty with wonder of what was going to happen. Now, I want to read that one again.

    I did grow up on Nick-at-Nite. Now, this is back in the day when it really WAS Nick-at-Nite with old shows like Get Smart, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, The Bob Newhart Show, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I loved them so much. It was a nightly event to watch them. Good times.

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    1. Summer block party?! I totally remember that. Each night was hours of the same show. Mondays were one show, Tuesdays another, and so on. I loved that!

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  4. Nice post! I totally get what you're saying. So awesome that the book brought back such nostaligia for you.

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