Email: A quote that may amuse you

Hello there Malstrom. So I have this book that contains both Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and I recently took the time to read the introduction in this particular compilation. The person who it was written by mentioned an essay by a fellow named GK Chesterton defending fantasy works to adults who feel they are bad for children. Weird I know. In the essay the guy mentions he met a man who he is writing for. The following comes from that encounter:

“Can you not see,” I said, “that fairy tales in their essence are quite solid and straightforward; but that this everlasting fiction about modern life is in its nature essentially incredible? Folk-lore means that the soul is sane, but that the universe is wild and full of marvels. Realism means that the world is dull and full of routine, but that the soul is sick and screaming. The problem of the fairy tale is – what will a healthy man do with a fantastic world? The problem of the modern novel is – what will a madman do with a dull world? In the fairy tales the cosmos goes mad; but the hero does not go mad. In the modern novels the hero is mad before the book begins, and suffers from the harsh steadiness and cruel sanity of the cosmos.”

This reminded me of several of your blog posts and I wasn’t sure if you’ve seen this or not, so I sent it your way. Thanks for the blog!

What! You have the book called ‘Alice in Wonderland’? How barbaric! What are you doing with such a book? Do you not realize that such works are antiquated? Do you not realize you are supposed to stick with gritty and realistic electronic products, not deal with fantastical books of the 19th century. For crying out loud… a book! With actual pages!

And to top off the blasphemy some more, you are quoting the Chesterton. Do you not realize we live in the Brave New World and you are supposed to immerse yourself in the soma of your electronic/digital fantasy world? But here you are reading an old book and quoting Chesterton while you are at it! You are a Savage and will be brought in to the reservation.

Great Ford, what is next? Alice and Wonderland could be a gateway drug to more evil classics. You must cease this activity immediately!