Posted by William Dashfield on July 22, 1998 at 14:24:24:
In Reply to: Picts & Martyrs & Evgenia Ransome posted by Art Mulder on July 21, 1998 at 20:13:45:
She felt that Ransome had done it before, and was recyling the plot from Swallowdale - the fooling of 'Aunt Maria'.
A number of elements were repeated - the Picts being based on land, learning to fish (though by guddling, not fly fishing), Mary Swainson, Colonel Jollies (from Pigeon Post).
But he did put some character into the GA, who'd also before been only seen (by the Swallows and the reader) in the distance, and made her more understandable if not actually likeable.
Personally I enjoyed meeting them all again, though I think it is the least gripping of his books.
But I wish Evgenia had been less critical - AR was finding plots harder to devise; Great Northern, his only later book was based on an idea suggested (in some detail) by a fan.
And the 'Picts in the North' was never finished because AR had a good start and a good end, but couldn't work out a plausible plot to join the two. With a bit more support, and less critism, perhaps he would have got through the fallow period?
But who knows - perhaps her reviews helped him strengthen the plot in the earlier books.
regards