I really like that story, along with many others that Hoff incorporates in this novel. Another amazing thing that Hoff does is quote directly from Winnie-the-Pooh books. After he quotes them, he explains how the relate back to Taoism, and it seems as though Winnie-the-Pooh was made specifically for the purpose of explaining Taoism. That is where I think the reader understands how great of a job Hoff has done with this book.
One odd thing I noticed throughout the book was the capitalization of nouns that normally would not be capitalized. I mean, it does not interfere with the meaning, but it is weird. For example, Hoff writes, "In the morning sunshine, in the evening twilight, a small Bear travels through a Forest" (Hoff 153). It is very abnormal that "Bear" and "Forest" are capitalized. Just something to point out, I guess.
Another thing that was a bit confusing about this book was the blurring of fiction and nonfiction. I think this is the perfect example of blurred line between the two genres. I think that there are definitely characteristics of nonfiction and fiction in this text. The fiction is pretty easy to identify. The characters of Winnie-the-Pooh are fictional and any interactions among them is obviously made up. However, the teachings of the Tao are all considered nonfiction. There are quotes directly from Laozi which is considered nonfiction. I truly do not know how to classify this book as either a fiction or nonfiction novel. With the help of a quick Google search, I know that most websites classify it as a Philosophy or Religious text, which is under nonfiction. However, this is one of the books that could really go either way.
I leave you with my favorite quote from the novel, "Tao does not do, but nothing is not done"
When I originally had read the preview to this book, I had thought it sounded really boring, but I actually enjoyed the short little story involved. It was very interesting and enlightening. How is this story organized, is it all short stories, with separate characters in each? I'm glad you enjoyed the book
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