Comments on: How to Be Well Read – Winnie the Pooh http://www.eurocriticsmagazine.com/entertainment/books/how-to-be-well-read_winnie-the-pooh?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-be-well-read_winnie-the-pooh A European Look at Human Culture and Stuff Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:09:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: A.L. Harper http://www.eurocriticsmagazine.com/entertainment/books/how-to-be-well-read_winnie-the-pooh/comment-page-1#comment-37 A.L. Harper Fri, 30 May 2008 16:57:00 +0000 http://www.eurocriticsmagazine.com/?p=56#comment-37 I love hearing that someone approves of my first choice. I look forward to writing the rest of the series. I agree with your view that Milne aimed the Pooh books at much at adults as children. I think that adds to their winsome qualities. I love hearing that someone approves of my first choice. I look forward to writing the rest of the series.

I agree with your view that Milne aimed the Pooh books at much at adults as children. I think that adds to their winsome qualities.

]]> By: Richard Nelson http://www.eurocriticsmagazine.com/entertainment/books/how-to-be-well-read_winnie-the-pooh/comment-page-1#comment-35 Richard Nelson Wed, 28 May 2008 14:43:45 +0000 http://www.eurocriticsmagazine.com/?p=56#comment-35 I'm so pleased to see someone recommending Winnie the Pooh to 'grown ups'. "How to Be Well Read" seems an inherently good idea for a series, though one that immediately suggests a snobbish selection of nigh-incomprehensible works that you feel you *have* to read but really don't *want* to. So to start with Winnie the Pooh clearly suggests this series will be massively more enjoyable, but no less relevant. I've had cause to re-read all of the Pooh stories recently (out loud too, so even better). I was expecting no more than pleasant enough children's books with many happy childhood memories, but there's so much more to them than that. Milne is a brilliant writer, and the books are packed with wit that I'm certain must be aimed at adults rather than children -- not the "it's for adults too" double entendres reviewers always praise in films like Shrek, but a genuinely amusing use of language and structure, or stories that are actually about something entirely different to what they appear (such as the one where Christopher Robin starts school). Plus there's all the charm and loveliness one hopes for in good children's literature. There's just so much to love in these tales, for all ages and on different levels, that I can only agree they're essential reading. Well done on a good start, then -- I'm now quite looking forward to the rest of this series. I’m so pleased to see someone recommending Winnie the Pooh to ‘grown ups’. “How to Be Well Read” seems an inherently good idea for a series, though one that immediately suggests a snobbish selection of nigh-incomprehensible works that you feel you *have* to read but really don’t *want* to. So to start with Winnie the Pooh clearly suggests this series will be massively more enjoyable, but no less relevant.

I’ve had cause to re-read all of the Pooh stories recently (out loud too, so even better). I was expecting no more than pleasant enough children’s books with many happy childhood memories, but there’s so much more to them than that. Milne is a brilliant writer, and the books are packed with wit that I’m certain must be aimed at adults rather than children — not the “it’s for adults too” double entendres reviewers always praise in films like Shrek, but a genuinely amusing use of language and structure, or stories that are actually about something entirely different to what they appear (such as the one where Christopher Robin starts school). Plus there’s all the charm and loveliness one hopes for in good children’s literature.

There’s just so much to love in these tales, for all ages and on different levels, that I can only agree they’re essential reading. Well done on a good start, then — I’m now quite looking forward to the rest of this series.

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