Posted by David Owen on November 09, 2014 at 03:13:43 user Gavi_Dai.
In Reply to: Re: Ransome's language posted by Mike Field on November 08, 2014 at 14:15:05:
I couldn't agree more with what Mike said about Richmal Crompton's 'Just William' books. When I tried one again a few years ago, partly as a result of listening to Martin Jarvis's excellent, adapted readings on the radio, I found it very stiff and stodgy. I read all twelve AR books to my kids as bedtime stories when they were about 8 and 10. It took a year. When I'd finished I tried to read them something else, but they weren't interested. I tried several children's books, but nothing worked. I wonder what might have been acceptable?
One thing I remember clearly was how easily they accepted Ransome's frequent technical explanations, particularly but not exclusively about sailing - the nature and vital importance of tides in Coot Club and Secret Water,Dick's scientific inventigations, Morse and semaphore, for instance. They sometimes asked for a little clarification, but the technicalities never bothered them. Perhaps that's one of AR's great strengths - he doesn't 'write down' to children, he expects them to be bright enough and keen enough to understand, and if it takes some effort, fine.
But I don't recall any negative or amused reactions to Ransome's language. It seems odd now I think about it. There really is some strange language from today's point of view. What on earth did my children make of Nancy saying "I say, what a lark!" at being captured by pirates in the South China Sea?