GGBP books

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

I've just been on the GGBP website for the first time in at least a year, and I see they have finally published the second Marlows-in-the-past book (The Players and the Rebels?). I have to confess that despite having had my copy of The Players Boy since GGB republished, I still haven't read it...(my Dad wants to borrow it though, molto bizarro).

I also noticed that there is an Antonia Forest bio published; has anyone read it? I decided not to buy the first one based on reviews, so would be interested to hear what people think...

Comments

[nicolap.livejournal.com]

Celebrating AF is not a biography, but transcripts of talks given at a conference, plus several chunks that were cut from the final draft of Run Away Home. I definitely preferred it to the infamously awful Marlows and Their Maker, about which I complained to Ann and Clarissa as I was so disappointed.

I think the historical novels are OK, but I'm not sure how often I'd reread. I bought them for the sake of completism.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

I have a vague feeling someone mentioned Sue Sims doing a biography, but you're right, it's certainly not the same book as Celebrating Antonia Forest.

I liked Celebrating AF on the whole - it was great to finally be able to read the texts of the papers I had to miss because of parallel programming, and of course to have the extra Run Away Home material.

I do have a couple of minor issues with the convention report at the beginning. There are a couple of inaccuracies concerning the quiz, and I think it's a little odd that they didn't ask the people who feature in the 'around the convention' photographs if they minded having their pictures included in the book.

I do understand that it's legal to take pictures at public gatherings, but if I'd been involved I would have been inclined to ask, as much for goodwill's sake as anything else.

[nicolap.livejournal.com]

You're right, A & C's reply to my complaint about the Marlows and Their Maker mentioned Sue Sims' biography- as if in mitigation!

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

Did they mention when it might be out?

[lizarfau.livejournal.com]

I thought if you included photos of people in books (or any other printed matter), you had to ask their permission to publish it. Maybe it doesn't apply to group shots, though, only individual ones.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

What was the extra 'Run Away Home' material? Buster not surviving the ride?

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

I love the historical novels. Nicholas is essentially boy!Nicola running around the 16th century. The history is interesting, Shakespeare is fab, and the Marlow/Merrick backstory is worth knowing. Especially since it features the real-life character of Gilly Merrick.

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

I am sure I will like them when I read them, but my default position is to avoid historical novels at all costs. I blame this on reading Jean Plaidy as a teenager, and reading far too many of my Nan's copies of 'My Weekly', 'Women's Weekly' etc...

[antisoppist.livejournal.com]

She wrote it as one book and Faber said it was too long and made her publish it as two, so waiting until you've got both is actually very sensible!

[mrs-redboots.livejournal.com]

It's very good, and I have also loved Celebrating Antonia Forest; the absolute best is there are quite long extracts from early drafts of Run Away Home that didn't make it into the final version. Blew me away!

Absolutely no comparison to the terribly disappointing Marlows and their Maker.

[nicolap.livejournal.com]

I'm still not over Buster...

[promethea100.livejournal.com]

>>I definitely preferred it to the infamously awful Marlows and Their Maker, about which I complained to Ann and Clarissa as I was so disappointed.
God, I wish I had - I suppose it wasn't A&C's faults, but glad to know it wasn't just me who was so disappointed, especially after such a long wait.

Despite having read the other books pretty much annually since childhood, I just can't seem to bring myself to even try the historicals. For a long time I thought it was the prices putting me off, but now they're easily available, I suppose I don't have that excuse any more. It just sounds a bit corny, the whole "and then they met Shakespeare" angle - like Forrest Gump or something. I really should give them a go.

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

I now have images of Nick and Peter running a shrimping business, and Lawrie earnestly eating chocolates on a bench...

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

"Life is like a box of chocolates. Like this box of chocolates in particular, in that it's all mine."

[promethea100.livejournal.com]

And obviously before the shrimps, Nicola would lose her legs but bravely insist, "It's only a flesh wound."

[smellingbottle.livejournal.com]

It's not all that big a step from the modern Marlow books, to be honest. AF's Shakespeare is essentially Rowan (if Rowan were a 16thc jobbing playwright/player) and an entirely fascinating and credible character. And the bits about acting and plays etc are not unlike the school stories that deal with The Prince and the Pauper and The Tempest and the Christmas play. Plus you can imagine how a Tudor male Nick has all kinds of opportunities denied to 20thc Nicola to be gallant and talented...

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

AF's Shakespeare is essentially Rowan (if Rowan were a 16thc jobbing playwright/player) and an entirely fascinating and credible character.

I can't believe I have failed to notice this.

[smellingbottle.livejournal.com]

Or maybe Rowan with a dash of Tim Keith? Tim Keith, that is, without the inability to read aloud.

[colne-dsr.livejournal.com]

It does contain a further 50 pages of unfinished/rejected AF writing, which for obsessive completists like me are essential. Also some very interesting articles, including (from memory) one about how real AF's Shakespeare is, and one about friendship in the books. Well worth buying IMO, but it really depends how keen you are on the books.

I may be the odd one out here, but I enjoyed "Marlows and their Maker". I had the original downloaded from the computer long before the book ever came out.