[Comments] Shrek by William Steig

[Fillyjonk]

SHREK After three heavy-hitting lit-fic-picks in a row, we had a couple of requests to, and I paraphrase, LIGHTEN UP, YOU SCURVY-ADDLED BOOK WENCHES, IT IS SUMMER. Heard. For July, welcome into your hearts SHREK by William Steig, a book that put the light in Delightful. Long before Dreamworks introduced a worldwide audience to everyone's favorite layered-as-an-onion ogre, there was a nonsensical children's picture book. Not until longtime RPGXer AnotherDragoon showed us this meme: We thought these were actually pages from the book. We desperately hoped and wanted these to be actual pages from the book. Nope. Turns out, it was only some Clever Internetians (localtiredgoat and (extremefandomfeels) doing Clever Internetian things. We were heartbroken, until the esteemed Squirmonkey showed us one of the actual pages: Okay, look, that's just as good. So for July, find a leisurely half hour to enjoy Shrek marrying whatever that thing is. It is, according to multiple ecstatic reviews, one of those rare kid books that entertains people of all ages. But hey---if you have a kid, or a grandkid, or a little sibling, or a niece or nephew, or a neighbor's child who is trying to win their ticket to the Library Summer Reading program's Ice Cream Party, this is a great way to bond, OR you can just shamelessly read it for your own pleasure. We promise, from the top of Shrek's hot knob to the soles of the feet the gods revile, there is plenty to be had of it. It might also be fun to rewatch the movie and have a chat about how wildly Dreamworks diverged. SPOILER ALERT: Donkey is a mere squib, not the sidekick/foil character that makes Shrek work. If you read AND watch, I'd love to talk with both DMs and Players about what makes a foil character work, and use Shrek, book and movie, as a lens to discuss paired applications here on the Crossing to create foil characters, and how that might change a game's longevity and depth. HAPPY SUMMER READING!

[lostcheerio]

Yah!

[AnotherDragoon]

So, I listened to the Audiobook narrated by Stanley Tucci. The way he says "sizzling on Shrek's hot knob" is just top-notch! But, the way he voiced the Ugly Princess may in fact be his best performance. Ever.

Very quick and easy listen with more rhyming than I expected. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Fillyjonk]

OMG I LOVE HIM

Now I want the Audio. I ordered the book from an Indie, but maybe the Library has the audio I will check tomorrow!

[Acathala]

Could we please talk about the Jewel of the Seven Stars for august? I believe I (hopefully) did a good job with my post on it.

[lostcheerio]

Hi! Since you already made your own thread back in June, we assumed you were running on your own timeline. Feel free to roll forward with that discussion at any time.

[lostcheerio]

Got my copy today!

I'm going to teach this in my primary literature class, for sure. They will love it. Their older siblings are reading Beowulf.

[AnotherDragoon]

The thing about the audiobook is I'm missing out on all those amazing illustrations.

Loved Beowulf way back when, still do. I'm sure there are some parallels to be found between these two.

[lostcheerio]

What I love about this book version of Shrek is that he learns nothing. He's just beginning-of-the-movie Shrek the entire time. Gleefully awful. Which was always our favorite Shrek, right?

[Sprite]

I listened to the audio book. So much fun and light-hearted indeed

[Fillyjonk]

I loved this, and it is pretty much THE book I have time ot read this month. I am STACKED TO HEAVEN with work reads.

Shrek is just so gleeful and naughty, but not scary, and really funny. He is awful, and pleased with himself over it. It reminded me of The Great Brain books, in which the Great Brain is a more gentle kind of awful. I loved those books as a kid, and in more concrete ways of this British book---I CANNOT REMEMBER THE TITLE! I have asked bothers. More later.

[Fillyjonk]

There are a lot of good words in this book, all in hilarious or charming little phrases and sentences, but the best words are when Shrek sees hundreds of him in the house of mirrors and is:

"FULL OF RABID SELF ESTEEM"

Fight me.