Neil Bowen Morgan (1924–2014)

A biography of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, aka a beloved icon of much of the world's collective childhood.

I'll admit, I wasn't too sure about this book early on, as I found myself thinking that it was fine and all, but Geisel's life simply wasn't anywhere near as interesting as his work. Despite a surprisingly dramatic development or two, that is very much true, but I found myself growing fond of the biography after a while, anyway. Possibly just because it is liberally peppered with quotes and jokes and comments from the man himself, and, gosh, he really was exactly as offbeat and witty and delightful as you would expect. And the account of his death, and the tributes paid to him afterward, actually choked me up a little bit. Also, it's interesting as a portrait of a life that spanned most of the 20th century; the earlier chapters do perhaps provide a lens through which to view some history that is already fading from living memory.

(By the way, I kind of don't want to, but I guess I really need to address this or it's something of an elephant -- sadly, not Horton -- in the room. So: no, the reason I read this now isn't as some sort of protest against the recent-ish decision of Seuss' publishers to stop printing a few of his works because they contain racially stereotyped images that I'm sure raised no eyebrows among white people at the time, but that the publishers obviously feel aren't something they want to put in front of 21st century children. The timing was purely coincidence. And while I can't say what Mr. Geisel would have thought about the whole thing, having read the bio I can be pretty sure that the people who are most vocally offended by that aren't the sort of folks he would approve of. And that's all I have to say about that.)… (meer)

As with many people who lived across the span of the 20th century, what is nearly as interesting as the biographical aspects of Ted's life are the glimpses into the society in which he grew up and lived. As a descendent of German immigrants, we see how racism and bullying permeated American society during the World Wars and impacted Ted's personality. The rise and fall of prohibition is also well-documented here, through the impact it held for Ted's father and grandfather, who worked as brewers. Even the advent of various technologies, from typewriter to electric typewriter to computer, occurred during Ted's lifetime as held sway over his works. The two Morgans do an excellent job of demonstrating not only the development of Ted as artist and writer but also just how much changed in America and around the world over the course of Ted's lifetime.

Please read the rest of my review here: http://thevegbrarian.blogspot.ca/2013/08/dr-seuss-mr-geisel-book-review.html… (meer)