Nevermore....

Today I finished The Swiss Family Robinson. It was OK. While I can see the inspiration of the far superior Robinson Crusoe, the fact remains that the book is obviously written for children. While Crusoe is at least somewhat believable, The Swiss Family Robinson is less so, to the point of being incredible. The family encounters such a variety of creatures, many of which I don't even think are found in the East Indies where the family is shipwrecked, the one would imagine that they were actually shipwrecked at a zoo. The incredible ease by which they adapt to their surroundings, and the lack of difficulty in creating not only necessities but luxury items as well, are both sufficient to leave the adult reader scratching his or her head. It might be something good for your second- or third-grader, but children much older than that might find the story a little too fantastic, perhaps even contrived.

Next is The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. This particular edition is one of those massive hardcovers that can be had inexpensively from Barnes & Noble and are frequently cloth- or leather-bound. I'm familiar with some of Poe's work, including such poems as "The Bells" and "The Raven" and such tales as "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Masque of the Red Death," and "The Tell-Tale Heart." I've enjoyed what I've read thus far; I'm expecting to enjoy the rest of Poe's work.