Friday, July 19, 2013

The Worst Children in Literature

The children from The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham Bad to the Bone: The Worst Children in Literature on AbeBooks: Children can be innocent, inquisitive and the embodiment of hope.  But those characteristics make for boring stories.  Sometimes authors enjoy creating a fictional child that is just plain nasty. Draco Malfoy might be a bigot and a bully, but he’s rarely dull and is a vital ingredient in the Harry Potter novels. Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would not be such a tasty read without greedy Augustus Gloop, bratty Violet Beauregarde and the spoiled Veruca Salt.

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