Ryanne Molinari

When we think about books, especially about what type of books we prefer, we tend to categorize them into genres, time periods, literary movements, etc. Today, during a visit to the library, my school librarian commented that The Maze Runner and Divergent are silver. This seemed a completely logical statement to me and I added that I needed a silver book as ebony (such as the works of Charles Dickens) was too deep a tinge for the moment. Then, I realized: books truly can be described simply through colors (and the occasional pattern.) This sounds whimsical, but to any serious reader, whimsy and sense are actually quite similar.

Anyway, my thoughts took the loveliest turn this evening as I considered which of my favorite books are best represented by which colors and I came to some entertaining conclusions. For example:

Anne of Green Gables– a pale, minty green speckled with purplish flowers

Gone With the Wind– vibrant Scarlet, like the character, tinged with emerald

The Mysterious Benedict Society– cream with splashes of navy

The Picture of Dorian Gray– reddish mahogany

The Hunger Games– bronze

Harry Potter– fiery orange like the Weasleys’ hair

The Fairy’s Return and Other Princess Tales– blush pink and crystal

Pride and Prejudice– pastel rose-pink with traces of green

Little Women– indigo with feathery white patches

Charlotte’s Web– cornflower blue

The Phantom of the Opera– deep purple with silver linings

The Illustrated Man– blend of deep colors, like a sleeve tattoo

Those are just a couple; my mind has been a flurry of titles and hues all night! It amazes me how many pictures authors can create through words, evoking memories of color and texture with only black words on a white page.  And now my mind is turning to music… just imagine all the shades painted within the compositions of Chopin, Bach, or Grieg! But I’ll save that for another time. For now, I’m going to enjoy some “silver” reading.