The Dodds

[nickwhit.livejournal.com]

Found this discussion on AF elsewhere, in which someone said how much they'd hated the Dodds. And I suddenly thought 'yes! me too!'. Whilst I loved certain things about RMF (Nicola collecting The Idiot, riding home and the fight with Lawrie; the bathroom conversation after Kay's dropped her bombshell), I invariably speed-read through all the Dodds episodes (especially the rescuing-Fob-from-the-wreck episode), even the climactic rescuing of Rose. I felt the same about the Edward storyline in RAH - the more that takes off, the less I'm interested.

For me, AF is at her best not when she's driving forward a plot, but for the way in which she manages to convey her characters' inner life. (Sometimes I think my favourite book is Falconer's Lure, where there is no one major story arc.) And the Dodds, for me, in both books where they feature at any length, are essentially plot devices.

Am I being unspeakably harsh? How does everyone else feel about them?

Comments

[tabithabun.livejournal.com]

When I first read the Ready Made Family, I loathed Fob. Her stubbornness on the wrecked boat put Nicola in danger and I just wanted to give her a slap! But by Run Away Home I love her. The whole rescue of Edward depends on Fob giving him the message and she comes up trumps. She feels no need to please anyone unless she chooses to and I find her glowering at strangers and deep cross voice hilarious in such a young child. She has a strong sense of herself - "I'm going home now" - and I sense her observing everything that goes on around her.