Posted by Elizabeth Jolley on May 12, 2012 at 09:52:49 user Elizabeth.
In Reply to: Swallowdale - some thoughts posted by Mike Dennis on May 12, 2012 at 05:18:08:
Mike--this is a well-thought-out and interesting take on Swallowdale. I personally have always had a very hard time choosing a favorite book of the series, but have often settled on Swallowdale as one of the best. Adults in conflict with children is not a theme that makes me uneasy, especially in AR's books, when I know that they will all end happily. I love the depth of feeling that AR gives us in Titty during her crisis with the wax figure of the GA. I love that Mother immediately knows something is wrong and takes Titty aside to hear her story. Titty and Dorothea (both inventive and creative) are the characters who show their emotions more than the others, sometimes to everyone, often internally only to the reader. One does have to wonder if AR had a deeper understanding of this way of navigating one's world than he did of Nancy's bravado & strong leadership. If I have understood the various books I've read about AR's younger life, he seemed to be a bit of a loner, probably with plenty of internal emotions that weren't often shared with his family.