Posted by Jenna Darter on July 20, 1998 at 21:02:07:
In Reply to: Great Northern?-is it real or Peater Duck? posted by Rachel Klapman on July 20, 1998 at 16:08:53:
Funny you brought this up cos I was thinking of asking this here (and hoping it hadn't already been discussed to death, but I just found this place).
I've always thought Great Northern was a Peter Duck book because the only summer holiday it could fit into would have to be the summer after Pigeon Post. And by that time the elders would be WELL into their teens and just wouldn't act the same anymore. I couldn't see anyone imagining that 16-yr-old John could pass as the much younger (and undoubtably much smaller) Dick, as the 16-year old Nancy rather unrealistically does. Her character development was consistent right up to Picts and Martyrs but in Great Northern everyone seems to have regressed a bit and I've always felt that it works better as a timeless Peter Duck tale.
By the way, Great Northern is one of my favourites because of the beautifully constructed plot.