Depictions of Darkness: The Book of Lost Things PDF

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The theme of darkness and the role it plays in the novel, the medieval depictions of Tolkien’s realm of Faerie, escape in folk tales, and the ‘happily ever after’. They can reveal that although there are elements of a fairy tale in John Connolly’s novel, it is evidently a folk tale.
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Charles 1 Tamara Charles Question 2 Depictions of Darkness: The Book of Lost Things John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things, is a novel based on twisted fairy tales. David, a 12-year-old boy, is introduced to a dark world, full of folk-like themes. Although this novel is described as a modern take on fairy tales, it is evident that this novel is more of a folk tale through its dark depictions of faerie and realism. David’s journey through a sunken hole in his garden wall, leads him to see his beloved fairy tales transformed into heinous, cruel and immoral beings that have no worry in introducing a child to the darkness of their existence. In discussing the theme of darkness and the role it plays in the novel, the medieval depictions of Tolkien’s realm of Faerie, escape in folk tales, and the ‘happily ever after’, it can reveal that although there are elements of a fairy tale in John Connolly’s novel, it is evidently a folk tale. From the beginning of the novel, John Connolly paints a picture of darkness “Once upon a time - for that is how all stories should begin - there was a boy who lost his mother”, David’s mother is sick, and she dies, leaving David to his father and his ‘evil stepmother’ Rose, at least that is how he sees her (Connolly, 1). Connolly’s choice of words in that first phrase alludes to the fact that this story is unlike any tale, and contains darkness. His mother, who David loved more than anyone, brought light to his life with fairy tales, where he “retained an affection for these tales, and the fact that it pleased his mother to hear such stories added to his love for her” (12). Initially, it is shown that good people die, which in fairy tales does not occur, this is a representation of the darkness of a folk tale. When the books start whispering to David, it is emphasized that they “whisper to him in the darkness, and as he takes refuge in his imagination,

Charles 2 he finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld”, which suggests foreshadowing of the dark events that occur throughout the novel (3). Connolly, on several occasions, uses the work “dark” as to represent the landscape. He uses dark descriptions to describe the setting in different areas, for example; when David first finds himself in the realm he sees that it is “dark and musty, and filled with all kinds of hidden scurrying things”, and as he looks at new castles that had appeared in the kingdom, he describes them as “dark places of hidden evil” (139). The several mentionings of darkness in the novel, play a role in the evidence of the folk tale that is present. Fairy tales, represented in most Disney movies, show extreme happiness, and magical imaginary beings and lands. Jack Zipes’ article “Happily Ever After”, describes fairy tales as “promising happiness, even when tragedy occurred” this phrase suits fairy tales in the sense that the protagonist overcomes a tragedy, and the ending is always perfect (Zipes, 4). Unlike the realm in The Book of Lost Things , it is quite different than that of a fairy tale. Although there are magical imaginary beings like trolls, dragons and sea beasts, there is an evil that is present throughout, and not much happiness is represented. What is mainly presented is realness: throughout the novel good people die, i.e. David’s mother, the Woodsman, and Jonathan; and the world is represented in a way that is imperfect, which is seen in the ending of the novel. Additionally, the fairy tale characters are different to that of the traditional fairy tale representation as well, which may be represented as perfect and beautiful. Modern-day readers will recognize a wide variety of stories that The Book of Lost Things p ulls from, such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” and “Little Red Riding Hood”. Snow White, who is usually represented as “the fairest of them all”, is represented through Connolly as “the biggest, fattest lady that David had ever seen,'' she is large, grotesque and revolting, and she is cruel to the

Charles 3 dwarfs, which is the opposite of the traditional Snow White (Connolly, 162). The communist dwarves beset on murdering their overbearing patroness, she is a monster. In discussing how different fairy tales are represented in the novel as folk themes, it is important to consider the medieval depictions of the realm of Faerie. J. R. R. Tolkien’s “On Fairy Stories” lecture perfectly describes faerie , which may be interpreted as the kingdom that is described in John Connolly’s novel. Tolkien did not mean by the term “fairy story” a short work of fiction about fairies. Instead, Tolkien believed a fairy story is one that takes place in the realm of Faerie (Tolkien, 1). This enchanted world, as is the realm represented in The Book of Lost Things, is a place that creates a sense of marvel and mystery by describing things that are beyond an explanation from nature. In describing this “perilous land”, it is clear that David’s fantasy fits this description (1). John Connolly’s novel, seen similarly in the description of Faerie, takes place in a dark, and dangerous setting, which can allude to the novel not being entirely for children, but for adults. An interesting concept seen through the novel is escape. Primarily seen through David’s fascination with stories and tales, they are “an escape from reality and an alternative reality themselves”, soon after David hears whispers from the books “the trouble started, that was when the bad things came, that was when the Crooked Man began to appear to David” (Connolly, 21). David’s new abilities to hear books are accompanied by unexplainable fainting episodes that leave him blacked out for short periods of time, and when he comes back to reality, he notices “there were now voices and whispers in his head where no voices and whispers had been before”, this alternate reality that David begins to sense is the beginning of his “escape” (28). When David enters the fantasy realm, it is almost as if he is crossing a threshold, which we later

Charles 4 discover is the key to finding himself after losing his mother “And in the darkness, David closed his eyes, and all that was lost was found again” (498). This crossing between realms or threshold is first seen when“The Crooked Man, who walked through forests like the one beyond David’s window” is seen in David’s dreams, this alluding that the realm may have been dreamt of or may have been a key to leaving behind the old and accepting the new (48). Tolkien’s fantastical realm is a place to “escape” from everyday reality (Tolkien, 6). David “escapes” his world, and in doing so, gained the understanding and closure he may have been seeking since his mother passed “David admitted to himself, perhaps for the first time, that he had always known his mother was gone. He had just wanted to believe otherwise” (Connolly, 312). In folk tales the endings are dark, and most literary works with child protagonists, like David, holds no punches. As mentioned before, characters die in horrific ways, and corruption runs rampant. In the novel, David’s life progression gains a substantial quality of realism. Simply put, this is not a book that ends with a happily ever after. Ruth Bottigheimer, in her article on fairy tales, discusses how among tales of magic, there are familiar endings in which “a youth kills a dragon, thereby rescuing a princess and then marrying them” (Bottigheimer, 6). These traditional fairy tale endings are not seen in folk tales, and in John Connolly’s novel, there is no princess that has to be saved, there is no perfect ending, David dies (6). Ruth, in comparing the traditional wedding at the end of a fairy tale to a folk tale, says “folk tales that include a married couple are not about the joys of getting married, but about the difficulties of being married”, in other words, the realities of marriage are presented in folk tales through disagreements and imperfection. In further interpreting Ruth’s conceptualization of the reality being presented in folk tales, it is important to note that the ending of The Book of Lost Things  did involve David in

Charles 5 a marriage “David married a woman with dark hair and green eyes”, but the importance was not of the marriage, but of the life he lived after his marriage, after his self-discovery (Connolly, 492). David learns to love Rose, and his new brother Georgie, we see an ending that is bittersweet in that aspect, as Rose sits beside David in the hospital. The book of lost things, literally, symbolized the relationship between David and the loss of his childhood. The book, being tied together with the overall theme of the novel, discusses growing up, everything that is lost, and everything that is found with growing up and moving through life. Everyone must grow up at some point, but how you go about it makes all of the difference. When David was thrown into impossible situations, he had to learn to fend for himself, stop being a child, and begin his journey into adulthood. He had to learn how to cope with his problems instead of running away from them. John Connolly, in writing this book, displayed the message that it is important to realize all that we have, and that even though many things are lost with growing up, so many more things are gained. David lives to be an old man and a well-known writer, living through the many pains in life, just as one does. Just before his death, he returns to the garden wall and slips through to Elsewhere, as David sees himself reflected in the Woodsman’s eyes, bows his head to Scylla, and sees his unborn child, he “dreams his own heaven”, and although this ending is full of pain and sadness, it is the ending that suits David, his journey ultimately led him there (402). As seen through David’s journey, The Book of Lost Things, in all of its darkness and imperfections, presented many important themes. Though there are many themes that came from the book, it is significant to note that even though there are many evils in the world, and much darkness, one must remain strong and fight, "But as time progressed, David discovered one thing at least that the Crooked Man had not lied about: his life was filled with great grief as well as

Charles 6 great happiness, suffering and regret as well as triumphs and contentment", this representing the many triumphs and pains that one may go through in their life (Connolly 335). While the novel contains a few elements of a fairy tale, it is clear, through the medieval depictions of Tolkien’s realm of Faerie, the darkness that is portrayed in the novel, and the realism that is displayed throughout the story line, that John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things, i s indeed a folk tale.

Charles 7 Works Cited Bottigheimer, Ruth B. "Fairy Tales." A New History. New York: State U of New York  (2009). Connolly, John. The Book of Lost Things: A Novel . Simon and Schuster, 2006. Tolkien, J. R. R. “On Fairy-Stories”, lecture (handout) Zipes, Jack. Happily ever after: Fairy tales, children, and the culture industry . Routledge, 2013....