Posted by Peter Ceresole on November 04, 2003 at -1:09:49 from 193.195.0.102 user PeterC.
In Reply to: Re: AR and John Walker. posted by John Nichols on November 03, 2003 at 21:43:14:
I will have to read Bohemia in London before I comment further.
I've only read excerpts and crits- not the whole book. And there's no question of AR *being* a bohemian; he knew them well, was interested in them and wrote about them. But that's a long way from his portrayal of the young John, clearly preparing himself to follow his father into the Navy. John, as depicted by AR, was certainly a narrower character than AR was himself.
But I am not sure of the plot devices in Racundra other than a narrative of a set of adventures.
I don't think Racundra had a plot, or adventures, as such; it was a factual account. A travel book, incorporating some of AR's trips from previous years. The illustrations are AR's own photographs. The Cook really *is* Evgenia. And the Ancient really *is* the ancient- there's even his photo on Racundra's deck, in port.
The children's books were a totally different proposition.