Posted by Elizabeth on January 22, 2011 at 17:54:42 user Elizabeth.
In Reply to: Re: Geoffrey Trease and Bannerdale posted by Harry Miller on January 20, 2011 at 03:51:57:
I was delighted to find through www.worldcat.org that my daughter's university library, right in our city, had a copy of No Boats on Bannermere. She did my errand for me, and I started in on the book today. Love the first line, which stands by itself: "I never meant to listen." Lovely--makes you jump right in! There is an immediate difference between the AR canon and this book by Tease. Ransome wrote entirely in 3rd person, as if he were observing the action. Even when we are given a character's inner thoughts, it is still told in 3rd person. Tease writes in 1st person, through the eyes of the younger brother in the family, Bill, who we learn wants to be a writer himself, although he tells people he plans to be a schoolmaster, because "You can't very well say you're going to be an author. You can't be sure you'll be good enough." Great writing. I am looking forward to the rest of the book, when I settle in for a long cozy reading tonight!