Literature as a theme park

The British are opening Dickens World, an amusement park devoted to the life and works of Charles Dickens.

With a host of captivating attractions, Dickens World features one of Europe’s largest dark boat rides, the Haunted house of Ebenezer Scrooge, a state-of-the art animatronic show, Victorian School Room, 4D high definition show and Fagin’s Den.

I know that there are some purists who would pooh-pooh turning works of literature into an amusement park ride. I think it's great and hope that the idea catches on elsewhere. Just think of some of the possibilities - Homer and Vergil provide thrill rides all by themselves. Ride the Charybdis Tilt-a-whirl! Or you could explore the Underworld roller coaster with Aeneas! Or for American literature, sail down the Mississippi as you encounter the animatronic figures from Huckleberry Finn. The possibilities are endless. Plan your own rides.

Soon kids will be inspired to read books because they enjoyed the ride and animatronic show. And once we've finished with works of great literature, we can move out to popular fiction. Just imagine a theme park devoted to Stephen King or Harry Potter. Why should the movies be the only forms of art that rate theme park rides?