No. 3 from a series of six things all writers can learn from Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth, based on Laura Miller’s 9 March 2021 article in Slate © 2021 The Slate Group LLC
Embrace the big themes. Just don’t lean too hard on them.
In The Phantom Tollbooth, the hero Milo learns that the Kingdom of Wisdom is in disarray because King Azaz of Dictionopolis is feuding with his brother The Mathemagician over whether letters are more important than numbers, or vice versa.
This is a sly nod to a famous lecture delivered by the chemist C.P. Snow in 1959. Titled ‘The Two Cultures’ it was about the widening rift between the humanities and sciences.
“I didn’t lay it out as a thesis or anything,” Juster said, “but it was fun having it in there. And it doesn’t get in the way of the story.”
The power of big themes really shines in genre works. The themes can hide at first, lingering beneath the conventions and tropes. Until you realize that the book is actually about something significant and universal.
Posts in this series:
1. Procrastination isn’t always your enemy
3. Don’t be afraid of the big themes
4. No literary genre ever really dies
5. Procrastination IS sometimes your enemy
6. Good writing is as much about what you don’t say
Acknowledgement
In early March 2021 the writer and architect Norton Juster died at the age of 91. He was the author of the beloved fantasy adventure book The Phantom Tollboth, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer. Shortly afterwards, Laura Miller published the article ‘Six Things All Writers Can Learn from The Phantom Tollbooth’ in Slate as an appreciation of Juster. “Every time I return to the book,” wrote Miller, “I marvel at how beautifully crafted is, and not just for a kids’ book. There’s plenty that all kinds of writers can learn from Juster’s masterpiece.” I’m basing this series of posts on that article.
