Can we just talk about this Winnie-ther-Pooh sequel business? I am very upset. Mostly, I am keeping my words to myself until I have finished the book sometime tomorrow. I will say this: I know deeply and well how it is to yearn for more books by the same author. At age eight, when I discovered that Roald Dahl had passed away, I cried for three days.
But surely this is not right.
Clever retellings of stories, with stinky cheese men or zombies? I'm down. Creative prequels, perhaps told in the voice of another character? No problem. Sequels written by very small children? Understandable. Sequels by adults who are not the author? Sequels sactioned by the Representatives of Pooh? I cannot bear it.
What say you, gentle reader?
NPR story here. New York Times story here.
10 maids a-milking:
Better to get out your well-thumbed copy of The Pooh Perplex for a re-read instead, but maybe it's okay.
And I protest Miss Maid! Zombies indeed! What next- Zora Hurston and ninjas? You don't see anyone adding rubbish to the male equivalent. And Austen is notably pleasurable to read already.
Let's leave the Zombies right where they're confortable and in context- Fanny Burney's Evelin.
what? what the? (i loved your post over on mine--loooooovvvvvvved it..thanks milky...
I thing it is wrong and crass and anti-Pooh. I'm not planning on reading it. It smacks of money-grubbing of the worst form. I don't believe for a minute the whole "if people read this maybe they will read the original" argument the publisher seems to be advancing.
I do understand the impulse for the story to go on ... but it seems a childish impulse to me. I don't mean that in a negative way - it's one of the trainers of imagination, to think and wonder what happens next. I spent hours writing sequels to books I liked when I was eight or ten. But at some point, you grow up and recognize ends, and value the art of the finite.
This I feel is merely a play to market pearl-wearing otter stuffed toys. Very sad.
It makes me sad. I'd love to know where characters are now, with lots of books, but if the original author isn't writing the story it feels so fake. It's like some strange Choose Your Own Adventure for Pooh book.
ps I still cry a bit when I think of the glorious, but deceased Dahl.
I am very with you on this. Very. Boo.
sequels written by very small children :)
Boo Boo Boo Hiss Hiss Hiss.
Why must we always make sequels? Take the creepy dollar signs far away from Pooh.
And fix Piglet back! He looks wonky in the new illustrations.
i wrote some highly questionable stories about mickey mouse and smurfette back in the day (not THAT kind of questionable, geez).
i concur; the fact that heirs to some literary estates are comfortable with this sort of continuation doesn't really translate to comfort on my end. lottie the otter = the new scrappy doo?
there is also a jacob two-two sequel coming out this year.
dollar signs are sadly part of children's popular culture. which, perhaps makes me a traditionalist in that regard...
I agree. At eight years old you knew the appropriate course, to cry for three days and let go. But some people are not good at letting go.
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