Posted by Robert Hill on January 07, 1999 at 19:01:59:
In Reply to: Re: 'Frequently Asked Questions' pages now available posted by David S on January 07, 1999 at 11:05:50:
Congratulations on an excellent first draft of the FAQ.
I would suggest that newcomers to the series be advised to
try to follow the chronological order as far as possible
(though not to worry about it if circumstances prevent them).
There are quite a lot of references in later books to the events
of earlier ones; these references add to the pleasure when read
in the right order, and can leave one with some disappointment
otherwise.
I read "The Picts and the Martyrs" at an early stage, so I never had
the pleasure of reading "Pigeon Post" without knowing the true
identity of Timothy. I also knew in advance that the outcome of
the search for gold was a copper mine, and that the pigeons
helped fight a fell fire, and I met the fully developed
character of the GA before encountering her at arm's length in
Swallowdale.
Incidentally, when people read PP in the right order, do they
tend to guess about Timothy long before the truth is revealed?
To get back to the FAQ: on question 4 under "Characters",
on the relative ages of Susan and Peggy, it might be added that
there are several indications in later books (starting at
least as early as Winter Holiday) that AR had by that time come to
think of Peggy as younger than Susan.