A Review of a Review

Roger Sutton, editor of The Horn Book (a favorite magazine, though I'm always 2 to 3 issues behind in reading it), had a review in the November 14 New York Times entitled 'The Red Book' and 'Into the Forest': Metafiction for Beginners.

Though I've heard Sutton speak and enjoyed him, I have to admit that some of this review was a little over my head. For instance, I don't know what "self-reflexive stories" are. I also had trouble figuring out why he wasn't crazy for Into the Forest. Did he mean a kid couldn't understand it without help from an adult? And I was really disappointed that the word "Metafiction" was in the title but never used in the review. Not that I'm such a big fan of metafiction. I was hoping he'd explain what it is.

At any rate, I thought that both The Red Book and Into the Forest sounded as if they're worth a look.