Posted by Peter Ceresole on November 14, 2005 at 23:21:04 from 80.177.22.49 user PeterC.
In Reply to: The fascinating topic (yet again)of which books we like posted by Prue Eckett on November 14, 2005 at 04:03:38:
I've no idea why I like P&M. Something about the adventure of it all, the Dog's Home, learning to guddle, and the wonderful messup at the end where 'the one thing that mustn't happen' did! And it's got a happy ending which a lot of the others veer away from (not to say they are unhappy though).
It's a happy story, in its details. For instance the Ds are really happy in the Dog's Home, and because there are just two of them AR can let himself go on Dot's happy discovery of domesticity and Dick's enjoyment of everything, without needing to keep up the pace of adventure. Interesting how good he is at describing rainy days spent doing not much at all... I think it's probably the most personal, introspective book. It also has more than the other books (apart maybe from SW) about the 'civilian' home life of the characters; the Blackett girls being good hostesses and so forth. As an adult I find that side of it fascinating and attractive.
Interestingly, my all-time favourite is WH, and that also has some of that introspection which he apparently found easiest to express in his 'Dorothea' character. Titty's turmoils and passions in, for example, PP, are more anguished, less reflective. And Dot is funny. As in really funny, not burlesque. AR enjoys some gentle satire at her expense.
The other thing WH has is that wonderful winter landscape.