Posted by John Lambert on July 27, 2009 at 18:59:10 user John.
In Reply to: Re: Thoughts on posted by Elizabeth on July 27, 2009 at 16:16:15:
For me, it is WD. It is here that we are shown the Swallows as fully human. I don't mean that they weren't human before, but the fact that Susan was crying with fear brought home the fact that here is real danger.
The other books shows crises, including Captain Nancy, the Terror of the Seas, being seasick, but it is only in WD that they are thrust into a long, continuous struggle. It is as if the other books were preparatory stages for their real trial - crossing the North Sea in a storm. I remember reading it with a feeling of awe. This was real stuff. This was the genuine article. I think when I finished the novel, I was nearly as exhausted as the Swallows. I felt that I was no longer a child, but a young adult. AR did this for me.