Children's Stories (and aversions to same)

[Trebuchet]

Here's an odd question for you. As an American, I have always had an aversion to the classic English children's fantasy stories, such as Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, the Chronicles of Narnia, or Alice in Wonderland.

Classic American children's fantasies, such as the Oz series, more recent English stories by authors such ask JK Rowling, and works for adults by the same authors don't bother me. Something about the world view of the classic stories just bothers me, and my parents report that this was true when I was very little. Apparently, I strongly disliked even Winnie the Pooh.

Even now, I find these books creepy, and told my husband (INTJ, and he likes them) that he can read them to our daughter, but I'll be in a different room. Even American adaptations bother me. I watched the movie of Narnia, and didn't think it was too creepy, but I had nightmares for the next four nights.

Most likely, there is just something wrong with me, that I don't like these popular stories. But I thought I'd ask if anyone else here found them creepy, and if so, why?

 

[Deleted member 1424]

Well Mary Poppins frightened me as a child, though I can't remember why.

 

[Trebuchet]

Yeah, Mary Poppins, too! Exactly the same reaction. (Though that author is Australian.)

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

I had really awesome children's stories read to me when I was little.

I think the darkest was "The Brothers Lionheart" by Astrid Lindgren.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Lionheart

Many of its themes are unusually dark and heavy for the children's book genre. Disease, death, tyranny, betrayal and rebellion are some of the dark themes that permeate the story. The lighter themes of the book involve platonic love, loyalty, hope, courage and pacifism.

My aunt thought that the book was too dark for children- considering that it involved suicide & the afterlife.

 

[asdfasdfasdfsdf]

Here's an odd question for you. As an American, I have always had an aversion to the classic English children's fantasy stories, such as Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, the Chronicles of Narnia, or Alice in Wonderland.

Classic American children's fantasies, such as the Oz series, more recent English stories by authors such ask JK Rowling, and works for adults by the same authors don't bother me. Something about the world view of the classic stories just bothers me, and my parents report that this was true when I was very little. Apparently, I strongly disliked even Winnie the Pooh.

Even now, I find these books creepy, and told my husband (INTJ, and he likes them) that he can read them to our daughter, but I'll be in a different room. Even American adaptations bother me. I watched the movie of Narnia, and didn't think it was too creepy, but I had nightmares for the next four nights.

Most likely, there is just something wrong with me, that I don't like these popular stories. But I thought I'd ask if anyone else here found them creepy, and if so, why?

it could be that allot of the stories have unsettling meanings behind them.
also.. alice in wonderland is just a freaky story..

 

[Madoness]

I had really awesome children's stories read to me when I was little.

I think the darkest was "The Brothers Lionheart" by Astrid Lindgren.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Lionheart

My aunt thought that the book was too dark for children- considering that it involved suicide & the afterlife.

Loved it I actually had almost all Astrid Lindgrens books at home. The one I mostly loved was
"Rasmus and the Vagabond"
It had a character who had no family and started being a vagabond, it had comedy and still some darkness in it as criminals in a ghost town (a child and another one hiding in house from criminals than can kill then etc.)

Another one I loved for being mystical and I was scared of was Annie M. G. Schmidt's book "A for Abel" I haven't read it since I was seven years old and read it when I was at a hospital that had this book, it is somewhat of a rare book to own. I now own it, but have read it only as much to figure out it is not meant for the grown ups.

 

[grEEEn]

I've loved all things dark and creepy ever since I was little. Yes, some of the stories were frightening and gave me nightmares - but I liked that. My dad bought me the Disney Alice in Wonderland video when I was about 5 years old. Instantly loved it. But I watched the live action version on TV and was horrified by the Jabberwocky. Still am to this day. The Firies in Labyrinth also scared me - well, the whole movie kind of distubed me, but it was one of my favourites anyways.

The first novel I read by myself in grade 1 was The Secret Garden. Still one of my favourite books to this day, and in High School I collected all of the coloured fairy books edited by Andrew Lang (mostly because I loved the H.J. Ford illustrations). I also collected some Grimm and some Anderson, and other collections and whatever else I found.

Often when I'm nervous or uncomfortable but still am feeling pried open into telling someone of an experience, I start with the familiar "once upon a time" and reffer to myself as a princess.

 

[Kidege]

I was a teen when I read Alice and I've never watched the movie, but I can see how it could be distressing. The duchess and the piglet were a bit scary.


I grew with mythology and folk stories from all over the world. The only ones I didn't like were:

1) The Mexican tales where witches become animals (there was a sentence about them "removing their legs and turning into turkeys")

2) Maxim Gorki's Danko, because the end is too sad and the pictures were creepy

3) Snowmaiden (which is Russian) because the girl quite literally melts.

4) Another Mexican tale where a guy walks into a cave and spends the night seeing strange men play cards. When he walks out his house is in ruins, etc., because a hundred years have passed. The pic of the card players was scary.

5) Beowulf, which I had as a comic book. The severed arm pinned on the door was... ugh. And I was... five? Of course it isn't a children's story.