The World Is Round

In the Editor's Preface, Jonathan Cott recommends reading this short gem out loud so the reader can feel and hear the childish and circular flow of Gertrude Stein's Rose. I tried to do this, but found it incredibly difficult to do so because of the aforementioned childish circular flow of the words... but had I not tried, I would have missed having a much purer understanding of the depth of this book. It's so simple and yet deep, leaving you curious and sometimes bored, and I think it made me feel like a child again. Rose [is a Rose is a Rose] is young, contemplative, sad [happy?], but nevertheless, a child. Sometimes it's nice, as an adult, to stop for a short period of time and remember what it was like to be a child for all the good, show more the bad, and the confusing. show less

Charming, lilting story of Rose and her cousin Willie. Willie owns a lion named Billie. Rose climbs a mountain with a blue chair. Both sing their way through life.

Once upon a time the world was round and you could go on it around and around.

Eveywhere there was somewhere and everywhere there they were men women children dogs cows wild pigs little rabbits cats lizards and animals. That is the way it was. And everybody dogs cats sheep rabbits and lizards and children all wanted to tell everybody all about it and they wanted to tell all about themselves.

And then there was Rose.

Rose was her name and would she have been Rose if her name had not been Rose. She used to think and then she used to think again.

Such an interesting book, full up in Gertrude Stein-ism and pleasant runs of words that fit so nicely together, like a puzzle. A bit nonsensical, a bit dark, a bit odd.

Books in Search of Children: reports from children:

12 yo boy 'relaxing'
another 'the use of words has you laughing till your sides ache.'
another 'much more *human* than most books.'
13 yo girl 'I think Rose and Willie are wonderful. I like people who really feel things inside, and adore the way they express themselves in their wonderful songs.'
another 13 yo girl 'the story is simple and dreamy. You can forget yourself and live in a separate world while you are reading it.'
younger child 'I love the new style writing because it is the way I, or any other child, would think and write.'
"Of course there were also children who thought 'dumb.'"

Ok, so now I've read it. Thank goodness I had this new edition, with plenty of notes. I did manage to show more read, *aloud*, the whole thing, and hear the 'music' of it, but I still didn't enjoy it much. It had a little bit of Ruth Krauss vibe to it, and maybe even a bit of Mr. God This is Anna, but only if you're immediately familiar with those will my comment mean anything to you.

It's not "difficult." In that I agree with the commentators. But it is personal; iow it appeals to some readers and not others. If you're artistic, sensitive, philosophical, you're likely to appreciate it more than I did. I'm generally more pragmatic, and I value logic and stoicism, so, um, well, let's just say that I'm not the intended audience, I didn't manage to feel enriched, and I don't feel as if I can rate it. show less

The boy loved the wordplay and rhythm of this "children's" book by Ms. Stein, which actually is a pretty sweet story. Plus, now he's totally on board with walking around with me to see her haunts in Paris in a few weeks.