Posted by Katharine on October 11, 2003 at 15:33:58 from 81.96.140.205 user Katharine.
In Reply to: Are the D's the real heroes? posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on October 11, 2003 at 12:08:41:
I think Andrew's point is a very interesting one - the D's are at the heart of so many stories, and yet are often not mentioned when the characters in the series are discussed (as on The Big Read the other day).
I think the brilliance of introducing them where Ransome does, is that it gives the non-sailing reader someone to identify with just when the Walkers are getting disgustingly good at sailing. I have also heard that Dick is based on AR himself; and Dot, of course, is a writer like Ransome (though with a slightly different style....)
I wonder why he chooses not to use them in Missee Lee? It struck me just now that if it's a 'Peter Duck' story in the sense that it is made up by the SAs, isn't it a bit mean of them to leave the D's out of it?!