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Post by Claire on Jan 17, 2013 14:06:54 GMT 1
Our next reading circle book, to tie in with January's author of the month is Blind Beauty by K. M. Peyton. (We are also doing a non-pony book of the authors, Pattern of Roses. You are free to join in with either or both) The book is easy to find on Amazon and ebay, etc. Discussion will start in around 10-14 days. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2013 16:13:03 GMT 1
I'll get cracking on this one now.
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 17, 2013 22:54:33 GMT 1
I'm looking forward to this one
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 17, 2013 23:40:55 GMT 1
It's a good book.
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Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2013 14:40:39 GMT 1
Timed this well as just finished up with the books I was reading and needed one to start. Read about 100 pages now. Forgot just how good this was! I'd really recommend everyone to get hold of a copy.
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Post by kunuma on Jan 18, 2013 14:56:08 GMT 1
Will do! Just got halfway through what I thought would be a nice supernatural mystery only to fling the book in the bin when something nasty happened to the lovely old labrador in it - grrrrrrrr! Authors take note!
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Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2013 16:02:36 GMT 1
Will do! Just got halfway through what I thought would be a nice supernatural mystery only to fling the book in the bin when something nasty happened to the lovely old labrador in it - grrrrrrrr! Authors take note! I've said it before and I'll say it again - I wish authors of thrillers/supernatural stories etc would stop puttin in cats and dogs just so they can use them to get killed off as part of a (lazy) plot device. It really annoys me and its sloppy cliched writing as well. What book was that kunuma - just so I can avoid it!
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Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2013 20:05:20 GMT 1
Mind you, just remembered when reading it, there is a horse death in Blind Beauty.
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Post by Claire on Jan 19, 2013 15:04:59 GMT 1
Almost finished and its amazing how much I'd forgotten the story!
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Post by kunuma on Jan 19, 2013 17:03:58 GMT 1
I'll pm you the name of the guilty book Claire, don't want to give it free publicity!
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 19, 2013 17:18:58 GMT 1
Mind you, just remembered when reading it, there is a horse death in Blind Beauty. There is and it's a sad bit but she doesn't make a big thing of it like in some books like Riding with the Lyntons. You can tell it's coming so you can skip over it.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2013 19:18:00 GMT 1
Almost finished and its amazing how much I'd forgotten the story! Wow you are all such quick readers, it will be a while before I finish it I've got to page 100 Loving it the second time round ;D
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Post by Claire on Jan 19, 2013 20:33:42 GMT 1
Hehe I'm actually trying to make it last as long as possible cos I don't want it to end! I think I'm enjoying it even more than the first time I read it - in fact it may have even become my favourite KMP!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2013 21:09:54 GMT 1
Finished it! Wow what a book, had me blubbing a second time!
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Post by Claire on Jan 24, 2013 13:50:19 GMT 1
Yes rosie, I had a lump in the old throat too. Its a very involving and emotional read.
I hope there will be some others joining in with this one - you don't want to miss it and its an easy/cheap book to find.
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Post by kunuma on Jan 24, 2013 17:47:35 GMT 1
Yes rosie, I had a lump in the old throat too. Its a very involving and emotional read. I hope there will be some others joining in with this one - you don't want to miss it and its an easy/cheap book to find. Don't like the sound of that - Claire I think I might chicken out, I'm still struggling to read normal horsy ones, couldn't handle a sad one.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2013 18:43:48 GMT 1
Kunuma it's sad in parts but in a way that all comes out right in the end. A horse does die but as darkhorse says it isn't done in a horrid drawn out kind of way. I'm sure you'd love it! You'd love Buffoon, he's such a lovely horse. I want one of him.
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Post by Claire on Jan 24, 2013 21:07:59 GMT 1
No its emotional in a good way, you are so involved with the characters of Tessa and Buffoon that you are swept along with them and just really root for them. A slight spoiler but its a happy ending nothing awful happens like at the end of Free Rein. Sometimes happy endings are trite but as i said before this one gives you a bit of a lump. And I agree with rosie Buffoon is a fantastic horse character. I love that he's ugly and funny looking and an oddity, but a lovely friendly laid back chap. If you like Darkling kunuma, as you said in the other thread, you will almost certainly like this one. Honestly folks if you only read one pony book this year make it this one!
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odonna
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Post by odonna on Jan 24, 2013 23:12:56 GMT 1
Sorry I don't have time to read this again and join in. I read it a couple of years ago and I loved it. I don't feel it is a sad book. Go for it kunuma!
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Post by Claire on Jan 30, 2013 1:49:04 GMT 1
Hi all, is anyone else joining in with this one apart from me, Rosie and Darkhorse? I will be a bit disappointed if we're the only ones! I anyone else wants to join in late no probs, just let me know. If not the 3 of us may as well make a start discussing it.
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Post by rallycairn on Jan 30, 2013 3:17:35 GMT 1
Oh, I'm re-reading it, just waiting for the discussion to start.
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vera
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Post by vera on Jan 30, 2013 9:48:24 GMT 1
I am reading it, just waiting for Zane to go back to school.
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Post by Claire on Jan 30, 2013 13:35:25 GMT 1
Oh great! Well will make a start. If anyone hasn't finished yet just join in later.
PLEASE NOTE SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON - DO NOT READ FURTHER UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED THE BOOK!
Some discussion points I've picked up on which you may want to consider:
The book was voted 'best racing story' in the top 10 polls we had a while back - do you think it justifies this? If so why?
The character of Tessa is quite different from your usual run of the mill pony girl. Do you think she's likeable and/or someone you can sympathise with despite her faults?
Do you feel the stabbing of her step father was too contrived - or was it a believable action?
Do you think the happy ending was a bit trite and too good to be true or did it work?
Also if you have any other views on the book let us know.
I'll give my views on some of these points shortly, will let someone else get their oar stuck in!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2013 14:04:00 GMT 1
I'm not a fan of racing stories but I could read this without becoming bored as it is so well written and doesn't go on about the racing side of things too much. When Tessa hated Buffoon at the start because no one else liked him in the yard and she called him a pig, I had no sympathy for her at all. I do wonder whether she would have taken to him eventually if she hadn't found out he was Shiners son? I guess that was her character, all or nothing with her! As the book progressed I found myself rooting for her all the way especially against her awful stepfather. The stabbing was maybe a bit over the top but then who knows what someone like her with her upbringing would do in that situation when the red mist comes down? And as for Buffoon, oh what a sweetie! Loved him and want him! Oh how I blubbed when he was in that field all alone completely blind and starving I like a happy ending so no problems on that score for me I liked Tessa's growing affection for Tom too, good to have a bit of romance thrown in to the equation.
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Post by Claire on Jan 30, 2013 14:56:03 GMT 1
I love racing stories anyhow. I think that one of the reasons it was a superb racing story - not just because of how well-written and what a gripping story it was - is because it focuses on the real side of racing rather than the glamour, the day to day routine. A lot of racing stories just use the racing side as a backdrop but this was an integral part of the story. I also liked that they portrayed a small scruffy struggling yard and compared it with a posh and successful one. One thing the book really captured was the element of luck in racing - how one fall can ruin the career of a great horse. And on the other side of the coin how a cheap horse from nowhere can become a champion. (Yes it happens in real life too!)
In some ways Tessa is not a likeable character but I really sympathised with her and rooted for her. She had terrible parents and an even worse step father so its no wonder she turned out a problem child. In a way I find her a similar character to Jinny in the Pat Leitch books (tho Jinny is not quite as bad!) both are not particularly nicey nice girls but they get under your skin. I always like books about outsiders and find these sort of characters more interesting than those awful perfect heroines who are beautiful, can ride perfectly and are good at everything! I loved the way KMP portrayed her slowly changing for the better as she learned to have relationships with people as well as animals.
The romance side with Tom was extremely well done and realistic. I liked the way that Tessa didnt really understand that she was falling in love and also the way that Tom despaired that she would ever love a person and not a horse.
The book was very tightly plotted - the stabbing and the ending were perhaps not overly realistic. I think the stabbing was a bit of a plot device and I'm not sure if she would have gone that far, as she was getting to control herself more by that point. But as rosie says, who knows how someone so damaged would react. It certainly brought the story to a crisis point. In some ways I prefer more realistic endings to wish fulfillment ones but in this book the ending worked. You just couldnt imagine any other ending and they deserved it. Also the race itself was just brilliant - the only thing that compares is the race in National Velvet. I'm not the sort to blub at a happy ending but had a tear in the eye with this one.
Another thing I loved about the book is the bond between Tessa and Buffoon - one of my favourite aspects of pony books. I don't like stories where the heroines don't seem to care much about their ponies. I don't think I have read a book where there is a closer bond between a human and horse (people keep saying in the books she's in love with that horse!) KMP really showed that animal and human relationships can be as powerful as relationships between people. The deep depression Tessa went into when Buffoon was sold, the joy at finding him again and the terror when he went in for the operation all showed this.
A few very slight criticisms. I would have liked to see the first race he won. I am not sure why KMP missed this out as I think it would have been a very powerful scene.
Also - maybe I'm wrong - but would Tessa have risked Buffoon's life with the operation to make him see again so he could race? She loved him so much. But then again racing was part of his character and she wanted to make him whole again. Hmm not sure of this one, but if it was me I think I'd just have let him have a safe happy retirement
On the whole tho its definitely one of the best books I've read and it really has everything.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2013 15:39:05 GMT 1
I suppose you could argue that Tessa was being a bit selfish in putting him through the op so she could have her dream. She was so driven and tunnel-visioned! But then would buffoon have been happy in his blindness just bimbling around a field and never ridden again? I'm not sure on this one either!
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Post by fizz on Jan 30, 2013 18:58:40 GMT 1
I will join in but I was re-reading a Pattern of Roses first & I am stressed at work, busy & my job is once more at risk.
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Post by Claire on Jan 30, 2013 23:11:18 GMT 1
Don't worry about it fizz - I'm not cracking the whip! Sorry to hear you are having a bad time. I hope your job worries are sorted soon. If anyone else has read A Pattern of Roses don't worry we are going to discuss that too.
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Post by fizz on Jan 31, 2013 19:33:11 GMT 1
They are closing the Art Department & I will have to retrain to teach something else. This government is going to leave the UK a cultural desert. Once the art is gone it will never come back.
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Post by Claire on Jan 31, 2013 20:40:45 GMT 1
Oh thats awful fizz. I agree the gov is tearing this country apart.
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