Posted by alan truelove on October 18, 2000 at 23:13:12 from 157.234.250.2:
In Reply to: Re: More Ransome "Oddities" posted by John Wilson on October 14, 2000 at 14:01:32:
Lack of (even mention of) Nancy/Peggy local friends-good point, but one which certainly didnt occur to me 50 years ago-- I suppose one bought into the concept that all the characters attend boarding school, are professional class, and that local children wouldn't fit in, in any case (whether having left at 14 or not--). Presumably upper middle class children, in the holidays, were driven, or bussed, around the Lake to birthday parties, sleepovers, hunting etc.. but Ransome simply ignored all this in the Lakes (while attempting a cross-class children's community in CC etc, rather faint-heartedly, and possibly Don in SW- altho' as I recall we get v little class info on him). Similar authors including Katherine Hull & Pamela Whitlock did likewise (their local, Maurice, is a mysterious loner too)