Posted by PeterH on December 01, 2006 at 18:14:25 from 86.143.231.207 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Arthur Ransome manuscript and books for auction posted by andyb on December 01, 2006 at 16:42:55:
Having never been to sea, I can't really help Andyb over 'naval blimps'. However, as I have just advocated frankness on TarBoard, I will practise what I preach and claim that the phrase 'Telegraph reading naval blimps' is a dreadfully tired old cliche - as cliched a stereotype as 'sandal-wearing Guardian-reading polytechnic lecturer'. I read the Telegraph, and have no wish to 'annex' anything or anyone. I also read the Guardian on a fairly regular basis, and always on Saturday (I'm hooked on 'Tamara Drewe').
Having got that out of the way, where was I? Oh yes, the metaphysics of Blue Treacle. Again, I have to admit to not knowing the answer - I only read Blue Treacle once and vowed never again. But looking at Ransome's work as a whole, I always like the statement of a critic in 1935 who said that AR's work 'marked the terminus of the Edwardian age'.
For me, the best explanation of the genius of Ransome is contained in the first chapter of Peter Hunt's book Approaching Arthur Ransome. A short excerpt:
Peter Hunt goes on in like vein. His stance would appear to be that AR's stories were written for and about children, and can only be validly approached on that basis, and that we adults have to approach AR through the child in ourselves. I agree. Hunt doesn't say all that much about the social significance of AR's characters and storylines, as presumably he did not consider it all that important. Neither do I.