Growing up in Canada, the snowy landscape was never as special to me as it was to Ransome's characters, but I always thought it was one of the strongest books. I'm afraid the binding of my copy is rather gone in the spot where my thumb holds it!
Last time I read it through, there were two things that really struck me. First, that it feels entirely natural that everything around the lake should have a different name than it does in summer. And second, the 'N.P.' message is received a full thirty pages before it's sent! Doesn't sound like it should work, and yet it does, perfectly - Ransome's seamless use of non-linear narrative has been a major influence on my own writing.
Enjoyed this very much. I also count Winter Holiday as my favourite of Ransome's books (with Pigeon Post a very close second). I think his writing—not least the descriptions of landscapes and nature—has reached full maturity, and the introduction of the D's is a great way to shift the focus and refresh the setup. And it's darned impressive how he handles a cast of eight, all with beautifully drawn characters and a clear role to play.
(There's a lot of good nature writing in PP too, including the hedgehog and the hawk that chases the pigeon.)
Glad you enjoyed it - thank you. I think that's a really good point about having eight children, all of whom feel like individuals that we can care about.
Thank you for this Shelly. I fell in love with these books when I was an adult and caught chicken pox. I was so poorly, all I could do was lie in bed for days. A kind friend lent me all the Swallows and Amazon books which I read and loved and when I finished the last one I cried as it was like saying goodbye to dear friends.
I can’t imagine Windermere freezing over! That seems fantastical now. Thank you again.
Growing up in Canada, the snowy landscape was never as special to me as it was to Ransome's characters, but I always thought it was one of the strongest books. I'm afraid the binding of my copy is rather gone in the spot where my thumb holds it!
Last time I read it through, there were two things that really struck me. First, that it feels entirely natural that everything around the lake should have a different name than it does in summer. And second, the 'N.P.' message is received a full thirty pages before it's sent! Doesn't sound like it should work, and yet it does, perfectly - Ransome's seamless use of non-linear narrative has been a major influence on my own writing.
Winter Holiday is my favourite Ransome too. Thank you for reminding me.
Enjoyed this very much. I also count Winter Holiday as my favourite of Ransome's books (with Pigeon Post a very close second). I think his writing—not least the descriptions of landscapes and nature—has reached full maturity, and the introduction of the D's is a great way to shift the focus and refresh the setup. And it's darned impressive how he handles a cast of eight, all with beautifully drawn characters and a clear role to play.
(There's a lot of good nature writing in PP too, including the hedgehog and the hawk that chases the pigeon.)
Right, I'm going to find your earlier post now.
Glad you enjoyed it - thank you. I think that's a really good point about having eight children, all of whom feel like individuals that we can care about.
My dad read us all the Swallows and Amazons books and we enjoyed them all, however I’ve never revisited them, perhaps now’s the time to do so.
Thank you for this Shelly. I fell in love with these books when I was an adult and caught chicken pox. I was so poorly, all I could do was lie in bed for days. A kind friend lent me all the Swallows and Amazon books which I read and loved and when I finished the last one I cried as it was like saying goodbye to dear friends.
I can’t imagine Windermere freezing over! That seems fantastical now. Thank you again.
Thanks Liz, I'm glad you enjoyed it!