"The Giving Tree" book -- what am I supposed to make of this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can tell you this now because I've come to terms with my limitations. But I've always wanted to write "The Taking Stream," wherein the little boy swims and fishes in the stream, then eventually builds a factory next to his beloved stream, then the factory spills sludge into the stream, and finally the stream gets sick of it all and floods the factory and drowns the boy.

i like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The picture of Shel Silverstein on the back is terrifying

Haha. So true. We took the book sleeve off it because there isn't a picture on the actual book itself. It freaked me out.

And I LOVE the idea of "The Taking Stream."

[Anonymous]

Which is creepier, "The Giving Tree" or "I Will Love You Forever"?

[Anonymous]

Well, I have always thought of it as imparting a generally positive message, albeit one heavily freighted with a bias towards humankind's dominion over nature. What is vaguely sad is that, as we all know, as the innocence and wonder of childhood fades away, the mercantile, selfish needs of adults appear. But the tree, ultimately, seems ok with it, and happy in its freeness: I am spent and ruined, but please, avail yourself of my stump and rest, old timer--let us fade into our joint decrepitude. But the tree does not have any real power, other than the power to please. The meaning to a child, I don't know: friends to the end? I enjoyed the book during my childhood, and I see it often in TJ Maxx, deeply discounted. But I am not yet ready to introduce my 3 year old to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which is creepier, "The Giving Tree" or "I Will Love You Forever"?

I hate forever. Reminds me of my overbearing mother.

[Anonymous]

I liked it as a kindergartner. I only cried as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can tell you this now because I've come to terms with my limitations. But I've always wanted to write "The Taking Stream," wherein the little boy swims and fishes in the stream, then eventually builds a factory next to his beloved stream, then the factory spills sludge into the stream, and finally the stream gets sick of it all and floods the factory and drowns the boy.

i like you.

Off to the therapists, please.

[Anonymous]

I always thought that book was like a master class in Catholic guilt and parental martyrdom...but then, I learned about it in Catholic school so that may have skewed my perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, I have always thought of it as imparting a generally positive message, albeit one heavily freighted with a bias towards humankind's dominion over nature. What is vaguely sad is that, as we all know, as the innocence and wonder of childhood fades away, the mercantile, selfish needs of adults appear. But the tree, ultimately, seems ok with it, and happy in its freeness: I am spent and ruined, but please, avail yourself of my stump and rest, old timer--let us fade into our joint decrepitude. But the tree does not have any real power, other than the power to please. The meaning to a child, I don't know: friends to the end? I enjoyed the book during my childhood, and I see it often in TJ Maxx, deeply discounted. But I am not yet ready to introduce my 3 year old to it.

^^

Meant "treeness."

[Anonymous]

I think my 3 yo likes it because the child in it has fun with the tree. She doesn't truly get that th older man is that same child much less how he has changed while the tree kept loving him all the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which is creepier, "The Giving Tree" or "I Will Love You Forever"?

Just googled I Will Love You Forever and looked at the illustrations. Holy. Shit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which is creepier, "The Giving Tree" or "I Will Love You Forever"?

I hate forever. Reminds me of my overbearing mother.

"I Will Love You Forever" is way, way, way, way, way creepier. I won't read it to my child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which is creepier, "The Giving Tree" or "I Will Love You Forever"?

Just googled I Will Love You Forever and looked at the illustrations. Holy. Shit.

For real.

Fuck that book straight to hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which is creepier, "The Giving Tree" or "I Will Love You Forever"?

Just googled I Will Love You Forever and looked at the illustrations. Holy. Shit.

For real.

Fuck that book straight to hell.

In reality, the mom never would've reached old age because she would have been mistaken for a burglar and shot, creeping all into people's windows in the middle of the night and shit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which is creepier, "The Giving Tree" or "I Will Love You Forever"?

Just googled I Will Love You Forever and looked at the illustrations. Holy. Shit.

Np - I just did the same thing. Check out this narration on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z-oBkgJ4Ow