Where the Wild Things Are

Day 16--16/501

General Musings: Today I was appointed Assistant Deputy Chief of Operations! Third highest rank in the CFD and the coolest division (I'm joking--a little). A great day for me and a day of infamy for our august department. I celebrated it by sitting in a very long meeting on strategic planning.

Running Page Count: 4,507

Today's Title (Children's Fiction): Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are

Preface: Originally published in 1963 Where the Wild Things Are is Sendak's masterpiece in writing and art. It is hard to believe that the story is a half-century old already. When it was published the grotesque fanged monsters (wild things) were a source of much debate and consternation. Originally Sendak drew horses instead of monsters but on his publishers suggestion he changed them to the awful teeth gnashing beasts. The book has sold over 19 million copies world wide so maybe his publisher was right. Sendak is a first generation American the son of Polish Jews and recently admitted to being gay and in a long time relationship--in a very non-Wild Things maneuver he actually waited for his parents to die before coming out.

The Book: A ten sentence story of a naughty boy Max that allows his emotions to get the best of him and escapes by sea to a far away land inhabited by monsters. Max has fun as ruler of the monsters until he becomes homesick and returns to his room despite the threats and exhortations of his beast subjects.

Grade: B

Observations: Great art that definitely steps out of the Disney friendly monster box. The story that is often denounced by conservatives for indulging children is in fact a treatise on how to handle feelings. Granted the story takes a severe turn into the psychoanalytic but the timeless anecdote works for both kids and adults. Some of the lines are scary, sweet, and weird all at the same time. The writing has a great rhythm and humour that I still enjoy as an adult.

Segues: An animated short feature, an opera, a video game, and most recently a live-action feature length film. The feature was directed and adapted by Spike Jonze and my son and I both enjoyed the long and challenging film. The film picks up the Freudian theme and takes it to the logical extreme. Ironically my son had a tantrum a short while after the film on the monstrous nature of anger.


Tomorrow's Book (Classic Fiction): Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness 17/501