Publisher: Farrar, Strous and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: January 20, 2015 (40th anniversary edition!)
Source/Format: Publisher (Thanks!) || Hardcover
Blessed with—or doomed to—eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less of a blessing than it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.
Revisiting Tuck Everlasting was a fun way to spend a few hours during an intensely busy weekend It had been a very long time since I'd thought about Winnie Foster, the Tucks and their story. So, since I had the 40th Anniversary Edition on hand, I thought it was high time I dove into a reread to see how I felt about it now that I'm a little older. Since it's a reread, I decided to follow the suggested format that Hannah & Kelly shared in their introduction post for their challenge!
WHEN I First Read
Honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell you the first time I read Tuck Everlasting. I do think it was more or less the year the movie came out though, which was in 2002. I was a teen then, and I remember being fascinated by the romantic notion of living forever.
WHAT I Remember
This is going to sound awful, but I remembered the movie more than I remembered the book. I knew that it was about the Tucks, a family who had discovered and drank from a little spring that granted them immortality, and their encounter with Winnie Foster, a girl who learns their secret. Basically though, I just have mental images of Alexis Bledel in my mind whenever I think about this story.
WHY I Wanted to Re-read
I had a copy (and a pretty one at that!) on hand, and since it's not as long as some of the other books I've read and I've read it before, I thought it would be a good pick to read during a really busy weekend. Plus, it's totally a legitimate excuse so that I could watch the film again! Other than that, I was mildly curious to see how I would feel about this story now.
HOW I Felt After Re-reading
I really still love these characters to pieces. They were my favorite part of the story the first time I read, and that certainly remains true until now. While I do wish we had gotten to know them just a little bit more (with the exception of Winnie, who I felt was introduced really well), they're still the same distinctive people I remember. As for the story, it was a touch simpler than I remember. But the descriptions are beautifully done with carefully chosen turns of phrase. The only thing that really surprised me was how young Winnie was, which I think I'd forgotten about!
WOULD I Re-read Again
While I don't think it would be any time soon, I do think I would re-read this one again eventually. There's something magical about a story so brief, filled with memorable characters and excellent starting points for some really deep thinking about life. It's also a book I'd encourage my own children to read someday so that we could discuss some interesting topics, even at a young age.
Ahh, I always forget how much I loved this book in elementary. I read it in grade 5 or 6 and fell in love with the characters, which led me to watching the movie and adoring that as well. Thanks for this -- I need to buy a copy of it so I can reread it one day this year :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, girl! I probably need to do more re-reading because I'm sure my thoughts would be different now than they were a couple of years ago. It's just so hard to find the time when new books keep coming out. :P I think my tastes of gotten somewhat pickier, so I'd be interested to see if things I tolerated before I wouldn't tolerate so much now.
ReplyDeleteI read this book in middle school and I loved it so much at the time! I really enjoyed the movie as well, but I also remember thinking it didn't do the book justice (like most book-movies LOL). I would love to reread this as an adult and see how it makes me feel!
ReplyDeleteI've reread BED a hundred trillion gazillion infinityillion times and I get something new out of it every.single.time. I mean I know it verbatim but it moves me every single time. Rereading while blogging is hard but I never deny myself a reread because favorites need to be revisited! I'm with you about plot perception and it's why Dangerous Girls is such a strong mystery. Even though I know what happens now, I can still reread it and enjoy the journey to the big reveal because there so many hints to pick up on and things to understand in a new light!
ReplyDeleteAs for taste transformation, my favorite YA book ever is Perfect Chemistry which I read ions ago when I was just starting to read but I think if I read it now I would have HATED IT. It's such an odd thing to reread it and still 100% love it but at the same time recognize I can't enjoy something like it with my current taste. SO I FEEL YOU! For some of the books I reread and don't hold near to my heart like I do with PC, its very sad to fall less in love with them. But I guess I have enough new faves to make up for the losses :P
I like the originality in this book and how she explores a different happily-ever-after. I also love it when retellings have a more dark approach, so I'll be sure to check this one out!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel I didn't enjoy a book as much as I could have, because I wasn't really in the mood for it. Or I didn't connect with the writing-style/character at that moment. That happened to me when I reread Daughter of smoke and bone. The first time it was an okay book, but the second time I appreciated the writing-style much more and I ended up liking it much better.
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