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Harriet the Spy was my favorite book at ages eight through twelve inclusive, but I never read Louise Fitzhugh's follow-ups in the same universe... until now. I had been told they were disappointing, and I never happened to see them for sale, so I left it at that. They were recommended for me on Amazon, so I decided to give it a go.
They are disappointing, as Harriet sequels, since they're nothing at all like Harriet, and she's not the main character in either one; it's hard to get as excited about other kids, who are so much more subdued. I read a quote on a fanfic journal once that the characters we love are often the ones who love themselves, who you could picture saying to themselves (in their own words, unironically) "I'm awesome."* This is a big part of Harriet's charm, I think, why we love her even though she is often rude and sarcastic and rageful. When you're smart, lively, interested in everything, and think you're awesome, rudeness and sarcasm and rage can become oddly attractive qualities. (cf. Emma, Dr Rodney McKay.) Beth Ellen and Sport do have their moments, and are often funny in their own internal monologue, but in both books they are too pawnish, too pushed around. They accept things Harriet would never stand for, and it's not as much fun to be them.
Still, as books, minimizing the comparison to Harriet, are they decent?
( The Long Secret )
( Sport )
*note if you follow the link: I'm providing the reference because the books made me think of that discussion, but it turns out I've partially misremembered it. I do not necessarily endorse the views in the actual quote, which suggest that fictional and real women are less likely to have that I'm-awesome attitude than men or that this is necessary due to double-standardy audience perceptions of female vs. male characters. It's notable that although many commenters provided counterexamples, ie. Ivanova, as far as I read, nobody mentioned Harriet the Spy even a commenter named harriet_spy.
They are disappointing, as Harriet sequels, since they're nothing at all like Harriet, and she's not the main character in either one; it's hard to get as excited about other kids, who are so much more subdued. I read a quote on a fanfic journal once that the characters we love are often the ones who love themselves, who you could picture saying to themselves (in their own words, unironically) "I'm awesome."* This is a big part of Harriet's charm, I think, why we love her even though she is often rude and sarcastic and rageful. When you're smart, lively, interested in everything, and think you're awesome, rudeness and sarcasm and rage can become oddly attractive qualities. (cf. Emma, Dr Rodney McKay.) Beth Ellen and Sport do have their moments, and are often funny in their own internal monologue, but in both books they are too pawnish, too pushed around. They accept things Harriet would never stand for, and it's not as much fun to be them.
Still, as books, minimizing the comparison to Harriet, are they decent?
( The Long Secret )
( Sport )
*note if you follow the link: I'm providing the reference because the books made me think of that discussion, but it turns out I've partially misremembered it. I do not necessarily endorse the views in the actual quote, which suggest that fictional and real women are less likely to have that I'm-awesome attitude than men or that this is necessary due to double-standardy audience perceptions of female vs. male characters. It's notable that although many commenters provided counterexamples, ie. Ivanova, as far as I read, nobody mentioned Harriet the Spy even a commenter named harriet_spy.
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