Edith and Mr. Bear

Dare Wright

Depending on how you want to look at it, Edith and Mr. Bear is either the height of the creep-out phase of the Lonely Doll series or its turning point into a kinder, gentler type of book. In this episode, Edith is fascinated by a clock Mr. Bear has up on the mantel. Curiosity, of course, leads to a broken clock, and Edith trying to figure out what to do with herself before Mr. Bear realizes that she's the one who broke it.

The release of The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll has sparked what is rapidly becoming a firestorm of debate on whether the Lonely Doll books, especially the early ones, are disturbing or not. I think a lot of those on the "not" side are making the assumption that those of us on the "are" side are all saying that the books are disturbing because punishment happens. Not at all; it's the way the punishment is depicted. It's not that Mr. Bear spanks Edith; it's that, if you substitute live-action characters in the same clothes and poses, you'd be looking at softcore porn, not a kids' book. (And we won't even both to touch on the whole "furry" thing.) I'm not altogether sure of the appropriateness of discussing it in reviews for this particular book-- in which, when it comes right down to it, Edith metes out her own punishment (which is why I see it as a turning point)-- but the discussion rages about this one, too. (It's also the doll itself-- do you folks really not find the doll's facial expression disturbing in and of itself?)

One way or the other, whether you find the books disturbing or not, they're both an interesting cultural document and important evidence of Dare Wright's mental state during the sixties, and as such, should be read.