Posted by Geraint Lewis on June 14, 2007 at 10:07:49 from 194.164.38.65 user Geraint_Lewis.
In Reply to: Re: spying & Telemark posted by David Bamford on June 14, 2007 at 23:49:38:
David
Yes, I'd agree that was an excellent series and rightly highlighted the resourcefulness and sheer endurance of the Norwegians, which was in many ways more impressive than the direct military actions they undertook. I have some experience of ski-touring on the Hardangervidda myself, as well as camping in winter on its peripheries, but in some ways a little first-hand knowledge of that environment only makes their endurance seem even more incredible, rather than less.
A possible Ransome analogy might be the reaction of the Dutch Pilot in We Didn't Mean to go to Sea. He knew and understood the North Sea, and he knew and understood the recent storm. So he had some idea just how impressive the Swallow's survival and safe arrival really was. A landsman might well be equally impressed, but might equally not grasp the scale of their achievement.
It does seem to suggest that there are a few people whose lives really are exceptional and of genuine interest to many others - another Norwegian, Nansen, was one such for AR. In comparison most people - myself definitely included! - lead lives that are of no genuine interest to a mass audience whatsoever. I don't see that as a problem, it only really becomes sad when people delude themselves into thinking their lives merit more attention than they really do. The current trend towards the "manufacture" of celebrity status via gameshows, etc, seems to me to be a case in point.
Perhaps Ransome provides another - I'll admit very tenuous - analogy through the Ds in Winter Holiday? They come to the Swallows and Amazons' attention because they do something that the latter find genuinely interesting and which they recognise they might not have thought of doing themselves.
I'll admit that I'm not totally sure of the veracity of that analogy, but at least it lets me end on a Ransomish theme!
Geraint