Posted by andy bolger on April 09, 1999 at 00:17:36:
In Reply to: Re: Speaking of holidays... posted by kate crosby on April 08, 1999 at 19:34:11:
Until I read Christina Hardyment, I had always assumed that G.N. was 'real', i.e. not a Peter Duck. It belongs in the tradition of C.C. and B.6 where ther are adult baddies of a sott.
I agree with the point about the gun and the inscriptions, although the holidays remain a problem for the non PD school.. In all the other books, ( excep perhaps, M L) it is clear in what month the action takes place. In GN., the implication is sometime in the summer holidays and, therfore, outside the nesting season. Scottish Easters can be pretty exciting weather- wise and it would be reasonable to expect some mention of the season.if it were early spring. Then there is the small matter of the midges or the lack of them. Scottish Augusts are notorious for midges and, although the Sea Bear might have escaped them, Dick wouldn't have in his hide!
There is also a comment, to the effect, that the Ds felt inexperrienced compared to the others in a boat the size of the SB. Granted, the Swallows had many sea miles under theiir souwesters, even before WDMTGTS but what about the Amazons? The only 'big' ship the A's spend much time in is the Wildcat which takes us back to PD.
On the whole, I prefer the PD theory, as it allows me to preserve my illusion of the Lakes books as 'magic hyper realism.