by Johann R Wyss
This book was my Mother's favourite book and the copy in the photograph is her copy. She told me how she would read it over and over. Looking back I don't actually remember her reading it, I saw her read many books but not this one, yet, whenever I asked what her favourite book was, this was always her choice. This fact never occurred to me until I began to read it for myself recently.
When I first began the book I was a little disappointed. I think this was because I was reading it with a cynical adult's eye. 'Oh for goodness sake how many different animals are there on this island?', 'I don't believe they could find all that' were frequent complaints coming from me as I read successive chapters.
Seven chapters in I was really beginning to wonder how this could have been my mother's favourite book because I was struggling. Then I began to think about it and I realised that when Mum used to talk about reading it over and over again she often referred to the winter nights of her childhood. Then I saw my problem. I was reading it from the wrong perspective. Remembering sharing books with my children as they grew up I began to read it from a child's point of view. Now I saw the short chapters as a boon, each succeeding chapter as a new adventure, wondering what would happen to the family next. I employed what my English teacher termed 'The willing suspension of disbelief'.
So what happened with this new approach? I began to fall in love with the book. I loved the language (I always do with classics), I loved the adventure and I loved the characters. When I reached the end of the book I was sad to let it go. It had become a friend.
So should you read it?
I give it 8/10 and would say it is a fine read so long as you are willing to suspend your disbelief
and just take part in a jolly good adventure.
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