The fascinating thing about Trennels is discovering that people have such very different responses to the books. Falconer's Lure and Run Away Home, mentioned by others as favourites, are far and away my least favourite, and I actually do like Thuggery Affair, although not as much as Ready Made Family and Peter's Room.
I think the internal politics of Kingscote, and some of the humour that generates, as well as some of the specifically school characters - Tim, Miranda, Janice and Miss Cromwell particularly - are really irresistable. But the holiday stories have other things to offer. There is a lovely feeling for the landscape in them, which grows on you I think. And it is interesting to see the interactions between the Marlows as a family. And then there is Patrick - not a favourite of mine, but he does set up some interesting discussions/situations.
I have to admit Cricket Term is probably my all time favourite Forest, but Peter's Room contains some of her absolutely best pieces of writing, IMO - the hunt and the Twelth Night party and Sprog. And Player's and the Rebels is absolutely fantastic! It really is excellent - the character of Shakespeare, and the way the plot resolves at the end, the characters of the different players and some of the touches of humour, and...everything really. As Smelling Bottle says, Nicholas is a dead ringer for Nicola - and I have no problem with that. I would rate these books - Ready Made Family, Peter's Room and Rebels - ahead of Autumn Term and Attic Term (although admittedly it is years since I read the latter).
I'd also say that having known and loved some AF books so well, I have found it hard to take to the missing books I have recently aquired through GGBP. FAlconer's Lure, Marlows and the Traitor and Run Away Home all came as huge disappointments, and the first historical doesn't seem as good as Rebels either. I'm wondering if this really reflects the quality of the books themselves (especially as so many on Trennels love them) or whether I somehow have to get used to them. I feel resentful when the characters don't behave quite as I expect, I feel they are dated (which I never notice with the other books) and they seem bitty somehow. I think AF is maybe a writer who repays rereading. So maybe you will find the same with the holiday books. I'm reading FL - again - and enjoying it more.
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I think the internal politics of Kingscote, and some of the humour that generates, as well as some of the specifically school characters - Tim, Miranda, Janice and Miss Cromwell particularly - are really irresistable. But the holiday stories have other things to offer. There is a lovely feeling for the landscape in them, which grows on you I think. And it is interesting to see the interactions between the Marlows as a family. And then there is Patrick - not a favourite of mine, but he does set up some interesting discussions/situations.
I have to admit Cricket Term is probably my all time favourite Forest, but Peter's Room contains some of her absolutely best pieces of writing, IMO - the hunt and the Twelth Night party and Sprog. And Player's and the Rebels is absolutely fantastic! It really is excellent - the character of Shakespeare, and the way the plot resolves at the end, the characters of the different players and some of the touches of humour, and...everything really. As Smelling Bottle says, Nicholas is a dead ringer for Nicola - and I have no problem with that. I would rate these books - Ready Made Family, Peter's Room and Rebels - ahead of Autumn Term and Attic Term (although admittedly it is years since I read the latter).
I'd also say that having known and loved some AF books so well, I have found it hard to take to the missing books I have recently aquired through GGBP. FAlconer's Lure, Marlows and the Traitor and Run Away Home all came as huge disappointments, and the first historical doesn't seem as good as Rebels either. I'm wondering if this really reflects the quality of the books themselves (especially as so many on Trennels love them) or whether I somehow have to get used to them. I feel resentful when the characters don't behave quite as I expect, I feel they are dated (which I never notice with the other books) and they seem bitty somehow. I think AF is maybe a writer who repays rereading. So maybe you will find the same with the holiday books. I'm reading FL - again - and enjoying it more.