Round Two: Grimm v Trash

Match: A Tale Dark and Grimm v Trash

Judge: Pete Hautman

Hautman decides to channel his inner younger self while reading these two books. A Tale Dark and Grimm is “a forbidden fruit deliciousness here—like being a kid and having your most favorite and funniest uncle telling you stories that might make your overly-protective helicopter parents blanch.” While Trash has “fewer brutal deaths, amputations, and maimings than in the Gidwitz book, Trash comes across as darker and grimmer—perhaps because the world and the events it describes are all too real. This is no fairy tale.”

 The Judge uses language that — to me — makes it obvious not just what book he (or his younger self) likes, but also what he thinks is the better book. As much as he enjoyed one book, the best thing about that book was inspiring Hautman to read a different book! One book is more polished, but one is more raw and powerful. One is more agreeable; one cuts deeper. It’s a fascinating opinion to read and reread, just because of how Hautman presents his opinions on these two books, how he words what he sees as their strengths and weaknesses without using those words.

What’s even more interesting — the comments! The book that wasn’t picked sure has it’s supporters!

Filed under: Battle of the Books, Uncategorized