Last week, The Atlantic came out with a very attention-grabbing article titled, “Why the British Tell Better Children’s Stories Than Americans” written by Colleen Gillard. Gillard explains that British “…history informs fantastical myths and legends, while American tales tend to focus on moral realism.” This is an intriguing concept that immediately had me reading further.
The stories of Harry Potter and Huckleberry Finn are both brought up, each representing their respective countries of origination. One side focuses on imagination while the other focuses on realistic settings of everyday life. Gillard brings up the idea that American fantasies differ from British ones because of these themes of realism and lessons learned.
Throughout the article Gillard goes on to explain how history and religion have shaped storytelling in each country and how fantasy is proven to be an important factor in childhood development. The article closes by mentioning recently popular American fantasy novels including The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Maze Runner. Each of these stories is part of a new trend of fantasy filled with dark twists.
As an American, I have to say that I’m jealous of these British childhood stories filled with fantasy. On the other hand though, I was exposed to Harry Potter and other British children’s books at an early age (thanks mom!) so I can’t say I missed out much.
To read more, here’s a link to the article: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/01/why-the-british-tell-better-childrens-stories/422859/
Dream by Day 
That’s so interesting! I’ve never really considered it. Looking back now I can remember that the vast majority of the books I read when I was young were books written by British authors, like Enid Blyton, C.S. Lewis, and Roald Dahl, then moving on to Tolkien when I got older.
This might be a tenuous connection, but I think my childhood reading is definitely reflected in my reading tastes now, because if I look at the adult fiction I prefer to read they are generally books written by British authors, or set in Britain.
LikeLike
It’s a great article, and brings up a lot of great points! I bet there totally is a connection between the books you grew up with and what you prefer to read now!
LikeLike
I read the article as well and I agree with the writer. I grew up reading mostly British children’s novels and I enjoyed them more than the American ones I was later exposed to. The fantastical elements in them made them more appealing and playful.
LikeLike
I totally agree! I think the fantasy and myths within the stories was so much more exciting than the realism in American books.
LikeLike
That’s really interesting. I’ve never considered it that way, but it makes sense that there’s a cultural difference, no matter how linked the UK and USA are.
LikeLike
I hadn’t really either, but it totally makes sense now that I’ve read the article.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You should check out The Book Wars’ take on the same article: https://thebookwars.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/telling-tales-vs-storytelling/
From a personal perspective, I see your point. Harry Potter is definitely more exciting than Huckleberry Finn. However, I think based on what The Book Wars pointed out, the inequalities in how they compared American and British child literature means that they might not have the story just right.
LikeLike
That’s a great point, there are many ways to compare American and British children’s literature. I’ll definitely check out the post from The Book Wars!
LikeLiked by 1 person
An interesting idea and something I have never thought about. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
Of course! Thank you for reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an interesting idea! I’ve always thought that fairy tales are so deeply affecting because their symbolism resonates on a subconscious level. If that is the case, it would make sense that fantasy stories might take children deeper into the realms of imagination than those that emulate real life. That said, I think that you can tell from a mile off whether a book has been written with a moral agenda or not – and that goes for adult books as well. A story written purely because it needed to be told beats one contriving to convey a moral lesson every time!
LikeLike
That’s a great point, there are some stories that need to be told regardless of any moral lesson involved. Thank you for your comment! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person