Maurice Sendak, Author of 'Where the Wild Things Are,' Dead at 83
Maurice Sendak, widely considered the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century, who wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche, died on Tuesday in Danbury, Conn. He was 83 and lived in Ridgefield, Conn.
The cause was complications from a recent stroke, said Michael di Capua, his longtime editor.
Stephen Colbert had Sendak on The Colbert Report at the beginning of the year, and even at over 80 years old, Sendak was still sharp and very funny. Based on his thoughts on a sequel to Where the Wild Things Are, the author clearly understands the state of children's entertainment.
Despite Sendak's joking with Colbert about a sequel to his book, Sendak did work closely with director Spike Jonze on the 2009 cinematic adaption of Where the Wild Things Are. I feel like you're more likely to find an author like Alan Moore who not only refuses to work with the teams turning his works into movies but also protests against them than you are to find someone like Sendak. The movie version of Where the Wild Things Are was beautifully done, and it's a haunting film — something that may have not been the case without Sendak's involvement.
Children and their parents have been reading Where the Wild Things Are for almost half a century now. I'm sure the book is going to be around for many more years, and every time a mom or dad sits with their kids and turns the pages of Sendak's greatest creation, it will be a tribute to the author.
Maurice Sendak, Author of 'Where the Wild Things Are,' Dead at 83
Reviewed by Bill Kuchman
on
5/08/2012
Rating:
Reviewed by Bill Kuchman
on
5/08/2012
Rating:
