Posted by Kathryn Lawrence on September 26, 1997 at 04:49:49:
In Reply to: Re: John & Nancy , Timothy & Peggy etc. etc. posted by Tim Johns on September 25, 1997 at 15:14:47:
I have been enjoying this thread, since I speculated on the subject myself more than
once. Swallows and Amazons is compelling for it's real look into the
hearts and minds of children. The characters are different from one
another and unusually well developed, especially for such a big cast.
Those children were not purely invented, but were fiction based on real
children that AR knew and loved.
Since John and Nancy were BOTH based on Taqui Altounyan, it is clear why
no romance ensued. Beyond that, it seems that AR preferred children of a certain
age for his work. As time goes along and the series of books progresses,
the point of view shifts from John and Nancy to that of younger characters,
Dorothy, Dick, Roger and Titty.
However, I confess that I always wished for a happy ending where the
characters marry and live happily ever after.