Ode to Beatrix Potter

I've just watched the biographical film of Beatrix Potter starring Renee Zellweger: "Miss Potter." Lovely. For those of you who don't know, or don't remember, Beatrix Potter is the mother of Peter Rabbit and a whole host of other wonderful characters; some of my favorites are Mrs. Tiggy Winkle and Jemima Puddle Duck. I stumbled upon this film on Spanish television this weekend, but decided it wasn't one to be watched dubbed so I downloaded it and have therefore fully appreciated it in the original. :)

Beatrix Potter was a childhood favorite of mine. It might be more appropriate to say "childhood obsession." These were some of the first books I read on my own--and I fell completely in love. I read each story over and over again. I distinctly recall recommending one of the books (The Tailor of Gloucester, perhaps?) to a classmate in first grade after a trip to the library. It was the first time I began to serial read an author's books. Every trip to the library, I'd go straight to the P's and check out the next in line. My grandma gave me a mini collection of the Beatrix Potter books for my birthday one year. I think it was my favorite gift.

Reading is an intimate act. The author invites you to share his or her vision of a story--fiction or non-ficition, biography or history--and by accepting that invitation you become, in a way, a confidant, an accomplice. A relationship is formed. Following a specific author's work deepens that relationship so that reading becomes like meeting an old friend: there's comfort in the syntax, sentence structure, descriptions.

After spending so much time with an author's work, however, one inevitably begins to wonder what he or she must really be like. When we love a certain book, we want to love the author, too. It's easy to fantasize, to make an author into what we think they should be; but some times the biographical details are disappointing. Suddenly we discover our favorite writer was an adulterer or a Nazi sympathizer, or a generally disagreeable person. Regardless of whether or not it's fair to judge literature based on our opinions of an author's personal life, we do. And as faithful readers we feel betrayed or tricked for having liked and trusted someone "like that."

At age six, Beatrix Potter was the first author I ever longed to meet. I can say now, after watching this film, I'm not the least bit disappointed for having loved and trusted her during my childhood years. I'm happy I had the opportunity to let my imagination run wild with the endearing creations of such a strong woman.

p.s. I recommend both the books and the movie to anyone interested.