Delar av Catherynne M. Valentes The Habitation of the Blessed berättas av de kungliga barnens barnflicka Imtithal i form av godnattsagor. Vården av barnen kräver mycket av Imtithal, och hon förklarar:
Children, you must understand, are monsters. They are ravenous, ravening, they lope over the countryside with slavering mouths, seeking love to devour. Even when they find it, even if they roll about in it and gorge themselves, still it will never be enough. Their hunger for it is greater than any heart to satisfy. You mustn’t think poorly of them for it – we are all monsters that way, it is only that when we are grown, we learn more subtle methods to snatch it up, and secretly slurp our fingers clean in dark corners, relishing even the last dregs. All children know is a clumsy sort of pouncing after love. They often miss, but that is how they learn.
Their hands are so big, so big, because they need so much. They reach out and out and you could disappear in their grip.
Och jag tycker att Valentes språk är så träffande, dessa konstverk som hon målar upp i form av ord.
Katja Malmborg 