The Wild Things

The Wild Things
By Dave Eggers
McSweeney's Books, 2009. 288 pgs. Science Fiction

Eight-year-old Max is frustrated by his older sister's lack of interest in him, by how busy his mother is with work, and by his mother's annoying boyfriend Gary. So when crazy ideas enter his head, such as dumping buckets full of water all over his sister's room, Max acts on them. One night, Max puts on his wolf suit and as his behavior spirals out of control, he finds himself running away from home. He sails a boat to an island where he quickly encounters a group of wild things, and his fast talking gets him made their king. However, they're a hard bunch to rule, and things aren't as fun as Max hoped.

This spin-off of the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are and the screen play of this year's movie, falls flat. I liked the beginning, with some speculation about why Max is a wild thing; the family dynamics are intriguing. However, there's not much additional insight into the wild things--who are they, where did they come from, what will happen to them when Max leaves? The imbalance there frustrated me, and this book lacks the power and sheer fun of the original picture book. Fans of Maurice Sendak's book will likely be disappointed with this attempt to build on the story.

AE