#19 The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

EBook, epub format 82 pages

Published February 14, 2006

Rating 4/5

How many times have you loved and been loved by someone? Are you tired of being loved and giving up loving? Don't be...

This is a story about love and journey of Edward Tulane. Edward is a china rabbit wearing suit silk, custom shoes fashioned from the finest leather. Almost all parts of his body are made of china. He has a mistress who loves him unconditionally, Abilene, unfortunately, Edward doesn't love her as much as Abilene does. Abilene always talks to him like a human, she even asks her father to repeat what he says to Edward just in case Edward doesn't listen to him. He gets his own bed and chair in dining table. But, one day, a disaster separates Edward from Abilene.

Then, here comes long and winding journey of Edward Tulane. After he separates from Abilene, he is buried in the bottom of the sea, then get upside down by wave, and a fisherman finds him. Get him home and name him Susanna. From then on, he is passed to one another who then call him differently: Susanna, Clyde, Jangles, Malone, etc. And, he starts to fall in love. His first love might be Abilene, but he begins to feel pang in his chest after he is separated from the fisherman and his wife. He weeps when a girl who rocks him died and is broken when a boy says goodbye to him. Then he says that he is done loving and being loved. Until an antique doll comes to him and says:

"You disappoint me," she said. " You disappoint me greatly. If you have no intention of loving and being loved, then the whole journey is pointless. You might as well leap this shelf right now and let yourself shatter into million pieces. Get it over with. Get it all over with it right now."

"Open your heart," she said gently. Someone will come for you. But first you must open your heart."

So, it's true that this story is about love. Open your heart to me, baby, I hold the lock if you hold the key.... (Madonna, Open Your heart). There must be key to a lock and vice versa. What you need is just wait and let your heart open.

Note

I can't believe it! I just finished reading this suddenly popular novel after it's been mentioned by a famous Korean drama, You who came from the star. I also saw some friends of mine marked this book as to read or currently reading. I mostly avoid reading a mainstream book hahaha. But then, I ended up reading it and enjoyed it. At first, I think Edward is a condescending china brat that feels proud of himself. With his beautiful artistic shape and finest outfit, who wouldn't love him? But, his destiny changes and he is the one who has to learn how to love, how to bear losing someone and how to keep hoping that there will be a chance of another love.