Posted by Russell Barnes on January 10, 1999 at 20:39:24:
In Reply to: Re: Getting the spouse interested: Was Re: Lone AR fan posted by Robert Dilley on December 15, 1998 at 14:57:45:
(Back at home after a summer holiday away, etc). Thanks to all the above for your responses and thoughts almost a month ago. It has clarified the matter for me a lot.
The answer is of course that AR wrote about children for adults and children. The perfect confirmation of this is found on page 298 of Hugh Brogan's "Biography":
"'"I will make, if possible, a book that a child shall understand, yet a man will feel some temptation to peruse should he chance to take it up." - Walter Scott's Diary, June 10, 1827, about his plans for writing stories from Scottish history for little Johnnie Lockhart. I have always thought this a perfect description of the books I should like to have written' - Arthur Ransome, undated memorandum."
Stop press! A major breakthrough - my wife has just started to enjoy the "Just William" stories! (And I am currently reading "Biggles" . . .!).