The Van Gogh Café, written by Cynthia Rylant, is a fantasy story about a café. A young girl, Clara, and her father, Marc, run the Van Gogh café in Flowers,
I thought it was interesting that the magic in this book came from everyday things (lightning or muffins) instead of typically magic-related things. This encourages readers to look around and see common, everyday objects differently. For example, that cup could just be a cup, or it could somehow be a miracle waiting to happen.
I loved how Rylant connected all of the stories to the previous story. The book was divided up into chapters, but they all flowed into and out of one another. For example, “But the star will not be the last wanderer making his way home by way of the Van Gogh Café. There will be others. In fact, one is about to land on its roof. Magic is never wasted on a wayward gull….” In this way, the story about the lost seagull and the story about the man waiting for his love are brought together. Each of the stories has something in common with the others, whether both characters are wanderers or both have secrets.
Although I thought this was a good read, I was kind of unsure as to what the point of it was. In this book, Rylant seems to emphasize the idea that people ought to appreciate the beauty in the small, common things in life and be satisfied by that. People often miss the small, seemingly insignificant things that happen, and they need to take time to stop and look around themselves for beauty in strange places. What does everyone else think the point of this book is?
5 comments:
Oh my gosh! Your comment about what the point of the story was is exactly what I was thinking after I read the story. I think that every story has a reason or message from the author and I just didn't get this one. I wish I could be of more help, but again, I don't really know myself. I did like how all the different stories related to each other. Also, as I've said on other posts, I like the quaint coziness of the cafe. It's somewhere I'd like to visit or stop at from a long drive down the interstate.
I too had a hard time finding the point, beyond, as you said, stopping to see the miracles in the everyday. As I write this I realize that that is a pretty significant point, after all. I enjoyed the story, but I kept waiting to "get it". I never really did.
I agree with all of you. I enjoyed reading the book: laughing at the funny situations or sighing at the sad events. But in the end, I just thought "Ok. I read about some magic in a cafe. What connections can I make to this book so that I can post about it on my blog?" I also agree with all of you that you can find magic in ordinary things. A possum might not seem like a magical creature, but the one in this story had some sort of magical powers that allowed people to forgive each other and a grieving man to return home and start a shelter for stray animals. I guess maybe you draw your own conclusions about "the point" of this story.
I too was perplexed about the "message" of this story. I wasn't sure if there was one - I like your idea of finding the magic in everyday. Perhaps this is what Rylant intended. Or perhaps she just really finds the theater and the arts magical and wishes that all kids would think they hold a special magic in them. I know when I walked into my first theater (The Pantages Theater in Hollywood) I was amazed and convinced there was something special - magical - about the place. Perhaps it was the history, the hugeness of it all, or the art. But even today, when I take my students on their field trip to The Landmark Theater in Richmond, I still get a sense of magic when I walk through the door.
I enjoyed your blog comment and your honesty about the "point" of the book. I agree, Rylant challenged her audience to think about the miracles that surround us everyday. I also liked the magic of the cafe, especially since the magic happened to real people rather than whimisical people in faraway, imaginative places. I think Amy Stewart has a very unique perspective on the book... I think you should check our her blog!
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