feather_ghyll

I read these books in July, but they didn’t warrant a post of their own. I should also say I didn’t enjoy any of them much. ‘Two in a Tangle’ by Mary Gervaise ( Read more... )

I think ‘The Heart of The Family’ is the first book by Elizabeth Goudge I’ve read. (I’ve watched adaptations of The Little White Horse or The Secret of Moonacre.) ( Read more... )

L.T. Meade’s ‘A World of Girls’ ( Read more... )

Journey to the River Sea: Eva Ibbotson (Macmillan, 2002)

I’ve now reached the Ibbotson children’s books I own on my rereading of her books. ( Read more... )

Princess Susan: Ivy Russell. Nelson, reprint in a new series, 1958.

The title of this book intrigued me. Would it be something like Oldmeadow’s charming ‘Princess’ hooks? Then there was the name, for aside from those giantesses of children’s literature, Susan Pevensie and Susan Walker, the name seems rather down to earth to me. [ETA: Ugh, I forgot Susan Lyle. What's wrong with me?] What would this ‘Princess Susan’ be like? The dustjacket is an illustration of a girl with plaits, lying on her front, stroking a dog, ( Read more... )

Eight Cousins: Louisa M. Alcott, Rupert Hart-Davies, 1965.

Alcott is most famous for ‘Little Women’ and the series that followed. I read those classics as a child, but not only did I first read this book as an adult, I have a feeling that I read it after its sequel. ‘Rose in Bloom’. I hope to reread that next - in fact, that’s my bribe to get myself to read a realist literary novel - after being charmed by my reunion with Rose, her seven boy cousins and, indeed, all her family.

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Star and Company: Jean Vaughan. Nelson, 1947

I was looking forward to reading this sequel to Lone Star but having done so, ( Read more... )

I haven't posted much about books so far this year, but I haven't read many books, or so it feels, but I tried to make up for it over the past weekend.

Gerry Goes to School: Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, Chambers, ‘latest reprint’ 1952.

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The BFG (2016) (PG)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Adapted by: Melissa Mathison
From the book by: Roald Dahl
Starring: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Jemaine Clement, Penelope Wilton
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3691740/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

This year is the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth, which has affected me less than I would have believed as a child when I devoured his books and loved them. ( Read more... )

I happened to read two books about two foundlings recently: Blue of the Sea by L. T. Meade and The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson. The former is an example of a potentially good story, failed by a lack of care and, to a modern day reader, rampant and unsustained snobbishness. The latter I can recommend if you want to curl up to a satisfying read.

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Daddy Long Legs St James’s Theatre, London

I spotted that there was a forthcoming musical adaptation of Jean Webster’s Daddy Long Legs in a newspaper, and, although it’s many years since I read the book – I suspect I’ve read Webster’s Just Patty more recently – I had to go. I keep meaning to see more theatrical productions (plays, musicals or dance) than I end up doing every year. So, that is what I was going to do a week yesterday. I had to pick up the ticket at the box office, so I couldn’t check it compulsively, only the diary in which I’d jotted down the time of the matinee. This time, I got there well in time.

Unfortunately, I got there hungry as a wolf. It was entirely my fault. I had just enough time – thought I – to wander around the vicinity, nose in map, and visit some charity shops and lunch. The reality was that I didn’t make any exciting finds, gawped at how much charity shops in Pimlico charge for clothes and failed to pop into a cafe or sandwich shop, even though I’d been hungry on leaving the coach. I only managed to get a croissant at the theatre, so I had a headache and a deep desire to kick myself as I took my seat. It’s to the production’s credit that my self-induced state didn’t mar my enjoyment one bit.

St James’s Theatre is, I understand, a new theatre built where an older theatre used to stand. I didn’t get much of a chance to take in the whole building, but the main auditorium is great. Three hundred and something seats – so they’re all good – descending down to the stage, allowing you to see and hear everything.

I’ll repeat that it’s many years since I read this book, and although I can visualise my copy, I have no idea where it is. I was curious about how they’d adapt what is an epistolary novel (and IIRC mainly written by one character). The answer is very cleverly.

This will contain spoilers for the musical and book, because I’m going to presume that you’ve read the book, and if you haven’t, you should have (if you’ve read Anne of Green Gables, What Katy Did and Little Women etc). And then you should go see this musical if you can.

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Jessica on Her Own: Mary K. Harris Faber Fanfares 1978

I reread this over the Christmas holidays (and I might as well be honest, I think I'm more likely to write about the Australian Open than I am to post more reviews of anything that I read over Christmas). I picked it up because the book was mixed in a pile of non children's books that I was sorting through as part of the slow process of removing more of my books from my parents'. I must have read it before, although I didn’t remember much about it.

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