Posted by Peter Willis on March 11, 2009 at 21:53:56 user PeterWillis.
In Reply to: Re: AR's 'silly books' posted by peteb on March 08, 2009 at 11:53:28:
Hang on! before we all drift off into discussion of the BS red herring (if it's not already too late) I'm shocked no none has challenged the idea that PD is a 'silly book'.
I wonder if Peteb and others are aware that its origin is in a story the S&As began to spin to amuse themselves while spendiing a winter holiday (Not The Winter Holiday) in a wherry on the Broads. Naturally they put themselves into the tale, and it's perhaps equally natural that they retell, on a larger and more fantastic canvas the story of what happened to them in Swallows and Amazons.
The early down-channel passages of PD are magnificent, some of Ransome's best sea-writing, and admittedly it's hard to imagine the s&as coming up with them over a cup of cocoa. I must admit that though I reread this part quite often I tend to skip the Carribean part, and pick up again on the up-channel reprise, visiting the locations of Spanish Ladies.