I didn't realize this was The Odyssey for so long. It seems so obvious now! It's the Cyclops part. Polyphemus.




Which makes Max's mom a stand-in for Penelope, keeping his dinner hot for him as he sails "in and out of weeks and almost over a year," and that's a little weird but there's always something a little weird about Maurice Sendak, isn't there? Have you read In the Night Kitchen? It's fuckin' weird, man. None of this knocks Where the Wild Things Are any lower on the list of Great Children's Literature, where it is #1.

It's everything, right? The way Sendak writes - everything is a little effortlessly different. He starts in media res, "The night Max wore his wolf suit..." I like to evolve the way I say wild things - in the beginning I put the emphasis like "wild Things," and then I switch it up to the Hendrixian "Wild things" as we build to this:

n  
n  “And now,” cried Max,
“let the wild rumpus start!”n

Which honestly, can you think of a better sentence in all of literature? I'm being serious! I can't. This is my favorite one.

You ever notice how the pictures get bigger? Max making mischief of one kind and another is just a little picture on the page, but by the time the wild rumpus gets going it's full page spreads, there's not even room for any words. And those creatures! You've probably heard how Sendak modeled them on his family. Look how awesome they are.


Which one is your favorite? I like the hippie in the back.

And of course it's great because, like the best children's books, it takes children seriously. Max is being an asshole. Dude chased the dog with a fork, what the fuck. His mother punishes him and he learns zero lessons, he just plays in his room until she gives in. That's a plot a kid can dig! Children can tell when a book is written for them and when it's written at them. This is for children. It has magic in it, and so do they.

Очарованието на книгата се крие в това, че тя признава открито пред четящото я дете, че импулсът да рушиш, да се оставиш на дивото в себе си, да изразяваш гняв и агресия може да донесе наслада. Няма порицание, няма “Макс се уплаши от диванетата и дълбоко съжали, че не е слушал майка си”. Напротив, целият сюжет е едно свободно разгръщане на разрушителните фантазии. Ницше би рекъл, че е триумф на дионисиевското над аполоновото начало, още повече, че има и див танц в гората. Да, приятно е да бъдеш див. Да, това е някакво решение, когато не можеш да отреагираш на страха по друг начин. Да, когато рушиш, се чувстваш силен. Възрастните рядко казват тези неща на децата – сякаш те няма да ги открият сами. Сендак въздейства именно затова, защото е абсолютно честен по тези въпроси. След което можем да му повярваме, когато допълва, че никакво дивеене няма да ни предпази от самотата или скръбта - и надеждата да те приемат обратно.

n  "And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all."n

Where the Wild Things Are is iconic. Whether you've grown up with it or not, there is no way you have never come across it at one point or another in your life. Not many books consisting of just ten sentences have inspired as many adaptions, nightmares and dreams alike.



The story is simply told: Max is pretending to be a wolf and messing with his mom, for which he is sent off to bed without supper. There, he finds his room turn into a forest and he is taken away to a far-away land where the wild things live, of whom he becomes the ruler - until he realises how all he wants is being at home.

More Than Meets the Eye

One of the book's greatest strengths is the fact that it works in multiple ways: as a powerful narrative that is relatable to children and adult's alike - who hasn't experienced that feeling of missing the security provided by your family and own safe home? The more you dig, the more layers of the narrative you uncover. It makes you think of how the child is not able to articulate these feelings yet, and how you forget them when you grow older.

Becoming King of Yourself

And then there's the fact that our protagonist Max tames the wild things. I love the ambiguity of the setting - when Max is sent to his room, which turns into a magical place, we do not know if it's a different world he is entering, whether he is just dreaming or imagining things - or maybe fighting his inner demons. Maybe it's not the outside world's threats he conquers, but his own hidden fears.



A Bond Like No Other

And then there's the relationship between Max and his mother. She sends him off without supper and manages to become the evil one without even visually appearing. But as Max returns to her, he finds food in his bed - and it's still hot. That last little detail puts aside all worries of his mother being emotionally detached from her son, as she provides him the security he wishes for, despite all worries. This is a strong message by itself, but gains power when looking at Sendak's biography, whose mother suffered from depression and who Sendak described as disturbed. So while his own story might not have come to that conclusion, Where the Wild Things Are makes you remember those ancient feelings of wanting to be safe. And who would deny that kind of love.

So not my normal choice of read. But it was a me and little one book, where I read and he listens or pretends to...hopefully we can nail down the 'pretend to listen' game with the kid. (But not with me, because I'm the favorite aunt--duh.)

Anyway, the story was...meh to me. I remember when I was younger and saw this book. I bypassed it then. Apparently, I was onto something because I totally would bypass it now, especially after reading.

I couldn't stand Max. Why would the awesome beasts/monsters be tamed by him? He didn't do anything but show up even if he's the one pulling the strings.

But the pictures were nice.

What did the kid think? Fucking enthralled! Seriously glued to the pages.
Or it could have been the sound of my voice. *shrugs*

If he could speak, he'd rate it: 10/10 would read again.

So...

Me: 2 stars
Kid: 5 stars

Let's meet middle ground and average, 3.5 stars. I'll round up because...ugh...we'll be rereading.

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

love this story. so simple, and the kids used to ask to read it again and again.

Andata e ritorno

Negazione delle proprie responsabilità e rifiuto di ruoli per non dover affrontare il peso del rimprovero dopo l'errore: la fuga nella terra dei mostri è una bella storia di formazione che si fregia di un'atmosfera allucinata per costruire un intenso invito alla riappacificazione.

If you don't already know why it's got five stars, go read it.

I had not read this before having my son. I guess I always thought it would be so much more. I forget that a lot of children's books are less than 10 sentences total.

It was good but I was expecting so much more.

I enjoyed the illustrations more than I did the actual story.

Reading it to Ryder was fun though!

This book filled me with questions. To wit:

What exactly, besides terrorizing the dog, did Max do that earned him a scolding and a punishment from Mommy?

How did a jungle, an ocean and a private boat appear in his room? Seems unbearably claustrophobic.

If he sailed for such a long length of time, how did he survive on no supper? Did he shoot albatrosses or something?

And, perhaps more importantly, how did he handle the call of nature?

Did the wild things have names? How did they get there? And why was their behaviour so meek when clearly they could easily have overpowered the brat and eaten him?

As you can see, this was a thoroughly mystifying narrative.

I didn't want to add any children's books - but this one was just too cool...

Update: Saw the movie - the book was much better!

“Where the Wild Things Are" was published in 1963 and teaches children about their emotions, such as danger, boredom, fear, etc.

I will also read this book to my son.

-This book is included in the list: 100 greatest children’s books of all time by BBC-