I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
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| I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew | |
| Author | Dr. Seuss |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Publication date | 1965 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and paperback) |
| OCLC | 1425583 |
| Preceded by | Fox in Socks |
| Followed by | The Cat in the Hat Song Book |
I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew is a 1965 children's book by Dr. Seuss. The story features classic Seuss rhymes and drawings in his distinctive pen and ink style.
[edit] The book
Solla Sollew is a tale of a young person who discovers the "troubles" of life and wishes to escape them. Through a series of adventures experienced when trying to reach the mythical city of the title ("where they never have troubles/at least very few") the protagonist comes to realize that he must face his problems instead of running away from them. (At the end of the book, it is revealed that the mythical city has just one problem: a creature given to slapping keys out of keyholes has taken up residence in the gate to the city, and it is considered extremely bad luck to kill this kind of creature. As a result, nobody can get into the city. In fact, the doorman moves to another city called Boola Boom-Ball, "where they never have troubles/no troubles at all.")
It features typical fantastic occurrences, as well as some mild political statements. In one instance, the protagonist is forced to pull a wagon for a bossy would-be helper. In another scene, he is drafted into the army under the command of the fearsome, but ultimately cowardly, tyrant General Genghis Khan Schmitz.
The protagonist's yearning for Solla-Sollew, and his difficulties in getting there, forshadow a darker phase of Seuss's writing. This phase would be more fully explored in his books The Lorax, Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? and The Butter Battle Book.[citation needed]
[edit] In Seussical
In Seussical, Solla Sollew is the subject of a song in which the main characters yearn for a happy resolution to their problems. It is referred to as "a faraway land, so the stories all tell/somewhere beyond the horizon". It is said that "troubles there are few" and that "maybe it's something like heaven."
Solla Sollew, in the story and in Seussical, is believed to be a place of hope and wonder, where "breezes are warm" and "people are kind." It is a dream of the characters to find this incredible place, where they will find each other and be happy once and for all.
In this part of the show, Horton the Elephant has been auctioned off to the circus and has just been told by Mayzie that the egg now belongs to him. JoJo is off at military school, and his parents are back home, yearning to see their son again. The song established a connection between these characters.
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