There are some things that I don't "do" (read: like or tolerate):
* Science fiction or fantasy books
* Science fiction or fantasy movies
* Animated movies
* Scary or violent movies.
Anyway, today I finished a book that snuck into my hands because of its title: Mr. Penumbra's Twenty-Four Hour Bookstore. I say "snuck" because it ended up being kind of fantasy-ish, but by the time it revealed itself to me as such, I was already into the plot, characters, and writing style enough that I had to finish.
Spoiler Alert (because it is a decent read, so just in case you care about the element of surprise that comes with the ending): The message at the end of the book is that friendship is more important than anything. So the hero of the story goes through all of these adventures, calling up old friends and collecting new ones along the way, only to discover that there was no real big finish. His friends are the happy ending.
And this, my friends, is why I don't "do" fantasy. You go to all that trouble, trying to understand stuff that isn't even real, only to have an old guy tear off his mask at the end - Scooby Doo style - and yell, "And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for you darn kids!" What is lasting and true and rich is the relationship between Scooby and his friends. So, while some of you may enjoy the adventures, I'd be perfectly happy to have Scooby and friends just stay at home and talk about their thoughts and feelings, and leave the nail biting aside. Jane Austen really understood my needs.
On to the next title. And don't forget to hug your friends.
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