I read Tuck Everlasting every year at the beginning of August. (HUUUUGE thanks to Aunt Tawnya for introducing me to it when I was eight!!) I absolutely love it. And yesterday, whilst doing my yearly reading, I remembered a blog post I made back when I was blogging on myspace. So today I logged back in (I know - scary!!) and skimmed through my old blog entries looking for it. That was fun. I kept a really detailed blog the first year (ish) I was in Florida, so re-reading was lots of fun . . . tons of silly memories I'd forgotten. Good times. Anyway, I'd thought to re-post with perhaps a few changes here and there, but I think I'll just leave it as-is (was?). (The first paragraph is the first paragraph of the book.) Just for a frame of reference, I wrote this a couple of weeks before I went to Florida.
The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that comes before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless and hot.
I read Tuck Everlasting religiously every year at the beginning of August. I have since I was about 12. It's become way of marking the passgae of time and observing how much things change and how much they stay the same as I grow older. No matter how old I get, the premis of the novella still fascinates me. Who wouldn't want to live forever? On the surface it seem like a marvellous idea. But more and more I come to agree with Angus Tuck. To get off (or be thrown off) the wheel of life is not a good or desirable thing. As much as I would love to see what happens in this world as time passes, there isn't anyway I could do that and be happy. I don't want to grow old, at least not really old. I don't want to reach that point where either my mind or body goes. On the other hand, I don't want to stay 22 forever. Granted, it would be nice to stay 22 for a while, but I imagine I would get tired of it, and want to move on.
Update: I'm glad I didn't stay 22. :-)
P. ost S. cript
Just . . . fail!!!
I too love Tuck Everlasting. It has beautiful language full of beautiful quotes. One which you have included.
ReplyDeleteReally? Me? Is this a good time to tell you I have no memory of ever reading Tuck Everlasting?
ReplyDeleteI love Tuck Everlasting. I first read it when I was getting my teaching degree and have read it many times since. I read it to all my kids except Brandi and am thinking that maybe it is about time we read it. Thanks for reminding me.
ReplyDeleteYou don't? Crazy!! I distinctly remember you pointing it out and telling me I would love it on a trip to the library the summer you lived with us . . .
ReplyDeleteHuh. I wonder if I read it in my Lit class the semester before then. I don't doubt you, I just really don't remember!
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