I think I was first introduced to
them by my mom, who read aloud The Little
House in the Big Woods. After that, I raced through the rest of them and read
them over and over. I was fascinated by the details of life in a different time.
I cheered along with Laura as she got even with the bully Nellie Oleson in On the Banks of Plum Creek and I loved the
simple romance of These Happy Golden
Years.
It’s funny how you notice different
things when you read as an adult. As I child, I used to be bored by the whole
story of The Long Winter, where Laura’s
family was trapped in their house by blizzards, grinding grain in a coffee mill,
but I now am fascinated by how they survived their hardship. As an adult, I’m a
little disturbed by some of the racial attitudes in the early books, even though
I can appreciate that they are consistent with the time period and need to be
considered in context (for more see Little House on the Prairie: Racist or Not? ).
What influenced me most as a writer
was not the content or the history in these books but the way they were written. I still admire Wilder’s writing style. It’s straightforward and
simple, but it contains lovely imagery that helps me picture the scenes in my
mind. The style changes a bit through the series, as the main character Laura’s age does – the
earlier books have shorter sentences, whereas the older ones seem more fluid to
me. To me, this not only shows her awareness of the age of the audience, but also
her increasing skill as a writer. Something I strive for in my own writing is that combination of straightforwardness and vivid imagery.
What author’s writing style do you
admire? Are there any books from your childhood that stand out in your mind because
of the writing style?
I've never read the books. I've only seen the tv shows.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of authors whose writing I admire. It's impossible to list them all. As for ones that stick out from when I was a kid, I'd say Edith Blyton and Judy Blume. :D
I love the Little House books. I, too, write middle grade and also picture books. It's funny, but I don't remember reading much as a child or being read to by my mother. But what I missed out on in my childhood, I am making up for now :o)
ReplyDeleteI loved the Little House books, too, and read the many times. I never really thought about it, but you're right, the writing was simple, yet still full of detail. I think those types of books are best for middle grade readers; they can be kept engaged without feeling that the books are too hard to understand.
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