Posted by Peter H on October 10, 2004 at 19:52:16 from 81.131.221.85 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Colouring In (was: Full set of 1st editions??) posted by Peter Ceresole on October 10, 2004 at 16:58:20:
Because we all have to learn to cope with boredom, and this process starts early. A young child learning to count may not find experience much enthusiasm for it, ditto 1001 other prosaic things which have to be learnt. It's the old conundrum - if you are happy for 100% of the time, ie never unhappy, how do you know you are happy? The idea that children need constant diversion is a peculiarly modern one. I have to admit being out of touch here - I once tried to watch an 'Indiana Jones' film and had to give up after 10 minutes. Something new seemed to happen every 10 seconds and I couldn't cope with it. I just wanted a few 'boring' minutes to recover.
All this is not completely off-topic. I have just been looking, analytically, at Chapter 7 of PP - 'Trek to Tyson's'. In this Chapter, the plot is not really moved forward much. What the Chapter describes is preparing to move camp, listing provisions etc, and then moving it. Any modern author (or his/her publisher) would leave it out - 'the young reader will get bored with this'. AR considered it important, which it is. Readers at the time did not seem to be put off by it. We know that the action is developing, so we're prepared to wait. 'Enthusiasm and engagement' will occur when Squashy is spotted in Chapter 8.