William Shakespeare: Ariel's Song (p.141)Įlizabeth Barrett Browning: The Mask (p.142) Samuel Goodrich: Higgledy-Piggledy Pop (p.134) Aunt Dymphna is a marvelous character (in all senses of that word), and I was so glad to see that the Gareths appreciated her in the end.Įdward Ardizzone, as always, does a fine job of the illustrations. I loved the literary allusions and how vital they were to how the kids grow.
The Gareths' sometimes hostile treatment of Stephan is another example of behavior that goes past the Ransome level. I also feel that maybe this subplot was there as a nod to Streatfeild's earlier Shoes tales of child stars.
I wasn't crazy about the bit of intrigue that was included - I'd be perfectly happy to have a lovely tale of a simple summer in Ireland where there is no sense of time (the book is dedicated to Elizabeth Enright, a marvelous summer writer), but I suppose it served a purpose in presenting a character to show that the Gareths weren't all that bad, after all. This didn't really thrill me, but I suppose it is more realistic for the time.
The absent parents are frequently mentioned, and we get regular updates. Happily, there weren't a lot of references that reveal the 1960s time period (only once there is the briefest mention of Beatles songs). His adults seem to be more sympathetic at all times (I suppose the initial conflict with Captain Flint might be an exception). At one point there are some rather harsh words, which I don't think we get in Ransome. The interactions with adults are very interesting. This has quite a bit in common with Ransome, such as The Picts & the Martyrs or Not Welcome at All, but there are definite differences. The original British title The Growing Summer is much better than the American ( The Magic Summer), as it is growing that is the essence of the story. I still think they'd probably drown if left on their own for real, but it's a start. The kids develop and mature in more ways than one. John, Susan, Roger, and Titty would be appalled to learn that their grandchildren are duffers - or worse! What to do!? Ship them off to Ireland and let good old Great-aunt Dymphna sort them out, not by really instructing them, but more by letting them free-range it as much as possible. In just a couple of generations, English schoolchildren have become soft.
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