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

[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.