Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

I am still trying to figure out what kind of positive message Fitzhugh was trying to get across in this story. The writing style was very descriptive and well developed (with the exception of the conclusion), however the book overall has serious problems in approach. Harriet is a mean-spirited little girl who sees very little in reality of consequences. She sees the negative in most everything and when caught in this trap of jaundiced eye (and pen), rather than being held accountable for her acts and brought to better resolution, she is allowed to continue on in a mean manner. The other children also respond badly. The portrayal of others is very derogatory. Harriet is compulsive and obsessive and is in serious grief over the loss of her nurse. These issues were completely glossed over. Her mother and father are rather disassociated with her life and caught up in their own lives to her detriment. I found myself very disassociated with Harriet’s rich life, as she seemed disassociated from the lives of everyone else. The conclusion of the book is not well executed and the portrayal of family life is very negative. It may be a good book if you want a book that is more of an adult study in disfunctional children in a disfunctional world populated by disfunctional adults. I had a hard time enjoying the characters and writing that Fitzhugh introduces because I disliked and could not connect with any of the characters.