The Wild Things

The Wild Things is a 2009 full length novel written by Dave Eggers and published by McSweeney's. The book is based on the screenplay of Where the Wild Things Are which Eggers co-wrote. The film is, in turn, based on Maurice Sendak's children's book Where the Wild Things Are.

Development

According to the Acknowledgements of the novel, Eggers, who was asked by Jonze to write the screenplay, was also asked by Sendak to write the novelization. He said his version is different, as Sendak's Max was based on Sendak, Jonze's was based on Jonze, and while writing the book Eggers incorporated parts of his own boyhood into the character.

Plot

The story begins with Max going to his friend's house. His friend is not there, and Max only manages to find his friend's over-protective Mom, who attempts to walk him home. Max thinks she's crazy, and rides away quickly on his bike to the entrance of the woods. This shows the reader a bit of Max's problems. Later, Max builds a snow fort in his backyard complete with a flag and shelves containing snowballs. When Claire, Max's sister, and her friends go outside while the boys in the group chew tobacco, Max begins a great snowball fight. After throwing a few, he runs back into his snow fort, thinking he is safe. This is not true, and the boys find it easily because of his flag. One of the boys jumps on the fort causing it to collapse and suffocate Max. Max comes up crying, and his sister Claire does nothing to help him. Max is now filled with rage. Max goes upstairs to Claire's room and commences in dumping water all over it, breaking a few of her belongings as well. Later, his mom comes home from work to find Max hiding in his bed, feeling bad about what he's done. He then reluctantly shows her what he did to Claire's room. Exasperated but really too tired to be angry with him, they clean up the mess together.