Kisa in CA Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 OK, I'm reading this to my 7 and 10 year olds and thinking of ditching it. Anyone else have problems with the way the author portrays family and 'leadership' which can also be seen as the church? EVERY member of Despereux's family is terrible. His Dad turns him in, is labeled 'treacherous' by the author, his mom cries when he is taken to the dungeon, but does nothing about it, (the author even mentions how she DOESN'T offer herself instead), his sister and aunt mock him and his brother is the one who leads him to his death. Then... the council, the 'wise ones' use spiritual terms like sin and repent and condemn him for breaking mouse law. Their obviously the bad guys in the story. I'm not seeing how this will benefit my boys. Anyone care to comment? I haven't finished the book, but I did read this line at the end: "Reader, I hope you have found some light here." I think she has a point to make, all good authors do, but I'm not sure it't the same point I want to make to my children. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jg_puppy Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I read it because of all the recomendations here. I was glad that I didn't read it to my kids. I really didn't like it for all of the reasons that you mentioned. I did finish the book. It was okay, but not one that I will read to my kids anytime soon. I think it would be okay to read to them when they are older. Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 wouldn't read it to my dc-same reasons, and it's been awhile but I think there were some other reasons too that I can't recall. It just seemed dark to me. But my dc are extra sensitive so I have to be careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 We just read that earlier this month. I was caught off guard by some of the deeper ideas that were being conveyed (perfidy, etc.). However, I read the entire book to my son and we even dwelled over some of the questions (empathy). I thought the book had a lot of good in it, even if it was pretty dark. The end, for me, really dragged it back into the light and made me feel better about reading it to him. It was a painful story, but one with many lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbabe Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Well, I believe that the best place to learn lessons is at home. I don't have a problem reading a book and discussing why it was or wasn't good. Unless it is a bent or broken story (Bent stories portray evil as good, and good as evil. Broken stories portray accurately evil as evil and good as good, but evil wins). I liked Desperaux because I thought it did a good job of teaching consequences. Everyone in the story made a choice - some good, some bad, and they all had a snowball affect of consequences for themselves and for others. We read it about 3 years ago so I don't remember all the details, but I liked it enough to purchase it and own it. I thought the movie was very poorly done though. Smiles, Shalynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 This was scheduled as a lit read-aloud for my kids, who are six and six. I read about it here, read some reviews at Amazon, and decided not to pursue it because it just seemed to dark for us. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TundraAcademy Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I'm reading it right now with my almost 10yo son. We both are enjoying it. I think it is well written. It does have some dark aspects, but I think my son is old enough to handle it. My 6yo son on the other hand would probably have a hard time with the darkness. We are only about 1/3 of the way through it, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutmeg Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 We love this book! I read it to the girls when they were maybe 8 and 10? I blogged about it a few years back: The girls and I were recently discussing how and why to forgive someone who has not apologized nor asked for forgiveness. We see a beautiful vision of this in Despereaux. I am unsure if this is the 'point' the author is attempting to make, but this is what I caught from the story: we forgive in order that we may heal. At the time we read the book, I was struggling with the issue. Of course, whether your child is mature enough to hear Despereaux' tale and glean any message from it, only you can decide. As the novel concludes: And the the Princess took a deep breath and put a hand on her heart. And I think, dear reader, that she was feeling the same thing that Despereaux had felt when he was faced with his father begging him for forgiveness. That is, Pea was aware of how fragile her heart was, how much darkness was inside it, fighting, always, with the light. She did not like the rat. She would never like the rat, but she knew what she must do to save her own heart. And so, here are the words that the princess spoke to her enemy. She said, "Roscuro, would you like some soup?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhondabee Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 My boys were 10 and 8 when I read it to them, and, no, I didn't have a problem with it at all - because I was reading it with them, and we could use that to discuss real life. At the time, we had just started homeschooling. One big reason was how ostracized my oldest had been in public school. So, the book was very timely. There is a verse in the Bible somewhere (Psalms/Proverbs??) that "when my father and mother desert me, the Lord will lift me up." I have tried for many years to teach my children that no matter hard I try to be a good parent, I *am* going to fail them. And, sometimes, even though I *haven't* failed them, they will feel alone. The question is, to whom will they turn when that time inevitably comes? Obviously, when Despereaux is in the dark of the dungeon, deserted by everyone, he has a choice to make. A choice for good or for evil. Will he let the circumstances of his life, the unfairness he has suffered, the wickedness of those around him, turn him into a bitter person, desperate for revenge? Or, will he search for a place of light and goodness? BTW, the character Chiascuro (sure I botched the spelling) is a very interesting extra-book research venture for mom and maybe your oldest. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 We love this book! I read it to the girls when they were maybe 8 and 10? I blogged about it a few years back: The girls and I were recently discussing how and why to forgive someone who has not apologized nor asked for forgiveness. We see a beautiful vision of this in Despereaux. I am unsure if this is the 'point' the author is attempting to make, but this is what I caught from the story: we forgive in order that we may heal. At the time we read the book, I was struggling with the issue. Of course, whether your child is mature enough to hear Despereaux' tale and glean any message from it, only you can decide. As the novel concludes: And the the Princess took a deep breath and put a hand on her heart. And I think, dear reader, that she was feeling the same thing that Despereaux had felt when he was faced with his father begging him for forgiveness. That is, Pea was aware of how fragile her heart was, how much darkness was inside it, fighting, always, with the light. She did not like the rat. She would never like the rat, but she knew what she must do to save her own heart. And so, here are the words that the princess spoke to her enemy. She said, "Roscuro, would you like some soup?" I cried so many times when I read that story (alone, I read ahead after I got choked up the first time). The sentiments are beautiful, but painful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrina Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 We saw the movie and I then let DD read it as a IR afterwards. It is a little dark but the end result is a powerful lesson on forgiveness, light and darkness/good and evil. At least in the movie it is undeniable. I was very impressed with it for this reason. There is a realness to it that you don't get in Disney stuff, life's hard, people get hurt, things are unfair- but there is so much healing and redemption in the end. It was really powerful. The stuff that did make me squirmy in my seat we were able to talk about afterwards, but it was nothing that isn't just part of real life, in other stories, in friends lives etc. I was glad we watched the movie and after dd read the book we talked about the differences between the movie and the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 we started and dumped it - just too dark. I did read Edward Tulane to my 6 year old and I regretted it. Too sad. Yes, books are a great way to generate discussions - I would just rather do it later than earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I think it's a *beautiful* and profound book. Maybe more so for adults than kids. But there's a great deal of darkness... The idea of chiaroscuro is huge in the book -- the darkness that makes us able to see the light. There's evil and cruelty and betrayal in the book, from many sides and shown in many ways. There's weakness and sorrow and foolishness. But there's also bravery and redemption and courage and loyalty and forgiveness and healing. It's a tough read at times. It sounds to me like you're still early in the story -- the parts with Miggory Sow and the rats in the dungeon... They're tough. And while it's a fairy tale, not every character gets the ending we might hope for them. They don't become new people. But some of them do change. And they find forgiveness and hope and new life... I don't think the "council" is meant to be church leadership particularly. It's simply a corrupt bureaucracy. And certainly more governmental than ecclesiastical. If you're not sure about reading it to your kids, I would recommend finishing it yourself before making a decision. There were definitely moments in the middle where I thought, "Where is this *going*?!? How can this be so beautiful and so awful at the same time?!?" And yet, in the end, it truly is one of my very favorite books. It doesn't gloss over pain in the world. But it shows that there is hope -- hope in the worst of situations, in the most hopeless of places -- and that even the worst betrayals, while they cannot be undone, they can be forgiven and redeemed. (But not everyone even *wants* forgiveness and redemption...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shasta Mom Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 My 9 y0 ds read it and loved it. I haven't read it though, and haven't seen the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Both girls saw the movie, and DH read the book aloud to Becca. She absolutely loved the story and had zero problems with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornerstone Classical Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 We listened to the audio book last year, and my dc still say that is the best book of all time!! The audiobook is awesome!! They still say lines from it. Especially Mig saying "gggggaaaaauuuuhhhhhh" my kids burst out in giggles everytime they heard it. We haven't seen the movie. We didn't have the heart to, because we charish the time we had with the audio book and we don't want to ruin it. Not that we think the movie would, just not going to take the chance to alter the way we see it in our minds eye!;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 The audiobook is awesome!! Oh, I so agree! The audiobook is just fantastic. The reader is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sew happily ever after Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 We just ditched this book. My DC age 7 and 9 asked me to stop reading it, esp after we got into book the second. it was just too dark for us...they didn't enjoy it and i wasn't too into reading it. it just seemed weird to be reading that to them and it was quite a shock to us as we'd just finished a little house on the prairie book! I don't think we'll see the movie either...the book ruined it for them I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy at Home Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 This is probably our all time favorite read aloud. We've read it twice, once a couple of years ago when dds were 7 and 10, and again this past year. Yes, it's dark at times, but my girls weren't bothered by it at all. I really love this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I agree with Abbeyej--profound truths couched in a tale of a little mouse. I thought of my son as I read about Chiaroscuro. He has seen the light, and it has forever ruined him for anything less. I'm hoping his heart will heal completely. That said, it's more of an older child book than a younger child book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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