John Paterson (4) (1932–)

This audio book captivated and enchanted me from the first notes of the Sugar-Plum-Fairy-like celesta music that opens and closes every disc to the utterly charming and funny author commentary at the end, and every wonderful minute in between. Which is to say, to echo Mary Poppins, the book was practically perfect in every way. This is storytelling at its finest, by which I mean both the actual book -- a collaborative effort of Katherine Patterson and her husband John freely abridging the original Eden Phillpotts 1910 story, and the narration, beautifully performed by Ralph Lister.

The funny and touching story is essentially a classic fairy tale. In Stone-Age Dartmoor, a powerful talisman brings cruelty and destruction to the tribe. A thousand years later, the Flint Heart emerges from the bog to again transform a kindly farmer and others until the farmer’s son, daughter, and dog ask the pixies what they can do to bring back their father’s gentle nature. Humans, beasts, and fairies are drawn together to solve the problem, with humor, kindness, an unexpected re-telling (and moral) of a familiar fable, and plenty of lore. The narrator often directly addresses the reader, which I love. The print version is beautifully illustrated, but the audio is splendid. What a treat for a middle-grade reader (and a middle-aged librarian).

Most of the last disc is commentary by Katherine Patterson, which was an unexpected treat. She discusses the writing collaboration with her husband (much better and more successful that their wallpaper-hanging collaboration), and discusses wonder at length, saying it is an essential part of our human nature that often is suppressed; that kids today, even with all the amazing scientific innovations and electronic marvels still crave the fantastic (she points to the success of Harry Potter and Twilight as proof that this need is out there). She discusses the reluctance to see her books brought to life on screen, because readers bring their own wonder to a story. She was ultimately pleased with the movie version of Bridge to Terebithia, but worries about The Flint Heart, which is also scheduled for a movie production.

Ms. Patterson’s account of how the Flint Heart came to be is a wonderful story of how books lead to other books, to which I think every one of us here on LT can attest. She said she has recommended books over the years for her husband, and while he will always say his favorite writer is Katherine Patterson, it was a book by New Zealand writer Margaret Mahy (The Catalogue of the Universe) that he bought copies to give to everyone he knows. His reverence for Ms. Mahy led to a strong family friendship, and a quest to obtain and reprint The Flint Heart; a Fairy Story by Eden Phillpotts, which Ms. Mahy declared a book no 21st century child should be without. After having the original book rejected over and over for reprinting, one publisher suggested the Pattersons rewrite it, which they did. THAT story is charming indeed. The Pattersons’ “freely abridged” version was a huge success -- with the publisher, and definitely with me.… (mehr)