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Getting lost in the book

Smacholdt's picture

 Reflecting on the first half of A Field Guide to Getting Lost I think that, in opposition to Fun Home, prose is a good form for this novel. Pictures allow the reader to follow the story more intimately, where as with prose, the reader is able to "lose" herself in the text. The mix of stories, facts, and personal anecdotes fit together well, yet are varied enough that I did not know what to expect next as I read. 

I especially enjoyed and could relate to Solnit 's musings on children and getting lost. She says that, "For me, childhood roaming was what developed self-reliance, a sense of diretion and adventure, imagination, a will to explore, to be able to get a little lost and then figure out the way back. I wonder what will come of placing this generation under house arrest." I agreed with Solnit that, during childhood, getting lost is an important part of growing up, both because it promotes an innate sense of direction, and because of the feeling of accomplishment that comes with finding your way back home.  Solnit also makes a good point that children are often better at being lost than adults are, because they know when they are truly lost and are not too stubborn to keep going. 

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