Maniac Magee

Hi Everyone
"Manic Magee" is a young adults novel by Jerry Spinelli. The book begins with "Before the Story." There`s this paragraph in the end of this part:

"But that’s okay, because the history of a kid is one part fact, two parts legend, and three parts snowball. And if you want to know what it was like back when Maniac Magee roamed these parts, well, just run your hand under your movie seat and be very, very careful not to let the facts get mixed up with the truth."

Although it`s the beginning of the novel and we don`t know yet what lies ahead, but it seems kind of strange to me to start the book with these sentences. In another word, these sentences (especially the Bold-ed parts) make no sense at all. I`m just curious to know your opinion.

Thank you all.

it is obviously humorous.

'three parts snowball'. A snowball is something that melts and is very ephemeral. I think he is suggesting that a story told by a child has a lot of imagination, exaggeration and ephemera in it (it is not very reliable, in other words).

I don't know the significance of running your hand under your movie seat – all I would expect from that would be a sticky, dirty hand (cinema seats being famous for having chewing gum and fizzy drinks spilled all over them).

And 'don't let the facts get mixed up with the truth' is a deliberate contradiction which suggests that some of the story may be deceptive; or may turn out to be different from what you expect; and will probably be surprising.

It's just trying to whet your appetite, really. You may understand better when you've read more of the story.

A snowball is also something that can be rolled on the snow and have it grow in size to make a snowman. So a snowball can get bigger (rolling in the snow) or get smaller (melting). Or it can disintegrate when thrown. But the one thing a snowball can't do is stay the same.

I take it as meaning growth here.

RM1(SS) said:

I take it as meaning growth here.

As in a "snowball rolling down a hill". The further it rolls, the bigger it gets.

Packard said:

As in a "snowball rolling down a hill". The further it rolls, the bigger it gets.

👁 media%2F1bb%2F1bb4e194-edf8-4354-b08c-82ee5ae048e7%2Fphppfou47.png

you mean THREE PARTS SNOWBALL means the history of a kid gets bigger?!! I have problems understanding "one part..., two parts..., three parts...". What could these means in relation to A KID`s History?!

Imagine a pie sliced into six slices.

Each slice represents 16.666% of the whole. So,

• 16.666% is fact
• 33.333% is legend
• 50% is snowball (growing in size) (Or perhaps melting or disintegrating when thrown--but never permanent.)

Packard said:

Imagine a pie sliced into six slices.

Each slice represents 16.666% of the whole. So,

• 16.666% is fact
• 33.333% is legend
• 50% is snowball (growing in size) (Or perhaps melting or disintegrating when thrown--but never permanent.)

Then "Snowball" here refers to something that is not Permanent, it`s imaginary or ephemeral according to Chez. Thank you anyway.

mehrk said:

Then "Snowball" here refers to something that is not Permanent, it`s imaginary or ephemeral according to Chez. Thank you anyway.

Chez' "Not permanent" and "ephemeral" and my "never permanent" all pretty much mean the same thing. I agree it is imaginary as "snowball" is a metaphor.