When I think about quaint I think about the authors Louisa Mae Alcott and Jean Stratton Porter. They wrote quaint stories right? I've never liked their books because they were quaint. What is it about quaint with me? I've read Laddie three times in an effort to like quaint books. I've read multiple Porter books and multiple Alcott books. I've read the books were they go through the Indiana marshes (or whatever they were) and found moths. I read an entire book on moth collecting!! I read Little Men and all the boys were so perfect and never didn't anything wrong. The little ones cooked "cakes and pies" in their little oven in the toy room. Is that what it means to be quaint? I've tried to like them, but they are just so......well, quaint!
The online dictionary says:
Quaint–adjective, -er, -est.
1. having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque: a quaint old house.
2. strange, peculiar, or unusual in an interesting, pleasing, or amusing way: a quaint sense of humor.
3. skillfully or cleverly made.
4. obsolete . wise; skilled.
I like old-fashioned things, but I'm not big on quaint old-fashioned things. Perhaps I see quaint as having things a little to perfect and everyone just a little to happy. That's not good though. We want perfect and happy. What is my problem?
My problem is that I really don't like Porter and Alcott's books and I'm worried that I'm going to have to all of a sudden like them. I like Austen, Glaskell, and Montgomery though.
Quaint.What am I going to do?
3 comments:
*laugh* You're too funny! I like Porter books, but I find that I gravitate there because they're a little more simplistic in some way compared to our lives today. I like the old-fashioneness of things and how they worked/spent time. I don't know that they're perfect or happy per-say, everyone does have some kind of issue.
Anyway, I loved Laddie because I enjoyed the different relationships and especially how they dealt with learning. It always hits me when I stop to think about how much the average person used to know. Thinking of the mom and dad working with their children gives me warm fuzzies and reminds me that a farmer was capable of reading the Federalist papers as they were being circulated. I know that thought jumped, but that's what tends to happen with me :-)
I don't know, I think definitions 3 & 4 (minus the obsolete part) would suit you well! Maybe we could just make up a different word to fit the same set of definitions?
As you were listing books I was thinking, "How could you???" and then I remembered that there is a quaint little book that I CANNOT read to my children because it is so sweet it makes me want to you know what. What is it called? It's too early to go looking in the library so I'll have to get back with you on that.
I love old fashioned, simple books but I guess I'm like you. I can only stand so much quaint-ness.
The Five Little Peppers. That's what it is. I can't stand that book but my children love it. They are very quaint.
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