#009. River Boy ★★★★★

River Boy
Tim Bowler
Novel
Winner of the 1998 Carnegie Medal
★★★★★

좋은 책인데도 불구하고 읽는데 정말 오래 걸렸습니다. 이상하게 처음부분이 잘 읽혀지지 않아서요. Paper Book이어서 장거리 여행에는 항상 동행했던 책입니다.

이 책이 청소년을 위한 책이라니 놀랍습니다. 주인공이 어리다 뿐이지 인생과 죽음, 삶에 대한 고민이 보입니다. 특히 맘에 들었던 부분을 인용해 봅니다.

"The life of the river." His eyes remained fixed on the horizon. "It's born here and it runs its alotted distance, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes straight, sometimes twisting, sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent, and it keeps on running until it reaches its end in the sea. I find that comforting."
"In what way?"
"Just to know that whatever happens to the river on its journey, it'll end up in something beautiful."
"But death isn't beautiful," she said, thinking of Grandpa.
"It's dying that isn't beautiful," he said, still gazing at the sea. "But, then, living isn't always beautiful either. This river will have its battles on the way, but it'll keep on running because it has to. And even when it reaches the end, it'll already have started renewing itself here. I find that comforting, too."