Posted by Roger Wardale on November 14, 2014 at 10:21:35 user RogerW.
In Reply to: Re: Ship's Baby passed away yesterday posted by Ed Kiser on November 14, 2014 at 07:31:52:
Lovely choice of quotes, Ed.
AR has often been credited with the introduction of the holiday genre and, thank goodness, term-time in comparison to the holidays seems hardly to matter at all.
In the 1930s and 40s (maybe the 50s) the 12 were very popular with school boarders, bringing the holidays into the school and with them a brief escape from the routine. I was not happy at a day school until I reached the sixth form, and the books became a wonderful escape, similar to that mentioned by Gabriel Wolfe in the introduction to his audio tapes.
I suspect that 21st century children are generally happier at school (instead of the beaks ruling, now the kids rule and heaven help the teacher who tries to change this!) and I suspect that instead of the holidays (and the holiday stories) being a kind of blessed release from life that is real and earnest, for some they bring boredom. Even when I was teaching, kids admitted to being pleased to be back at school for something to do.
SA seems to have become fixed in its classic status, but have those who saw SA the Musical, read others. I doubt it.
But it is not all doom and gloom. This August I watched a fleet of around 20 youngsters having a week's sailing with instructors, racing in the sea with safety boats, barbecues in the evening, and they had a great time. There are many more young people sailing in the cadet sections than there were in my day. Perhaps these are the young readers who will come to know WD etc if they are introduced. This was one reason why I was not overjoyed to hear of the new SA film. Why not PD or WD? WD would appeal to the sailing types in a way that SA with its imaginative play cannot. WD would do a lot to dispel the 'cosy' image that I think hinders the present day newcomer to the books.
It may be significant but 'Nauticalia' does a great job advertising sets of hardbacks to sailing types.
The Executors may know Ransome's current sales figures, but my publishers have become reticent and I cannot access my own!
SORRY FOR RAMBLING ON . . .