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Post by brumby on Apr 17, 2015 22:54:44 GMT 1
How old was Kathleen when she wrote the book?
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Post by brumby on Apr 17, 2015 23:07:28 GMT 1
Haffy wrote
"Bellamy was wonderful, but even if her sire was thoroughbred and by Felstead, her dam had only been an obscure half-bred, sweet and noble no doubt, but common nevertheless - not out of the top draw"
it then goes on along the lines of she was a good at show jumping was fast and had of course been cheap, then it continues with all her faults and how she wants a 'blood' horse
She does say Bellamy is in her heart and never to be sold but the way she criticises her all the time makes me wonder?
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Post by susanb on Apr 19, 2015 22:35:21 GMT 1
Finally joining in!
Have to agree with everyone, Lesley is not a very sympathetic heroine....more of an anti-heroine really! I'm not all that convinced about her reformation either...in the end, she's still talking about the Mandrake's greatness and going on to win in years to come. It seems like she's never going to learn "handsome is as handsome does".
At book's end, Bellamy has more winnings than either Goblin or Mandrake, and yet is still considered rubbish, really because of her LOOKS. With all the talk of breeding, one point gets lost: Mandrake, like Bellamy, is by a TB stallion out of a half-bred mare. He's just better looking, but she has the talent. Lesley chooses style over substance.
I don't know that Peyton intended her to be reformed....she never took the easy way out in her later books, perhaps this is what the character is meant to be....not very likeable, or wise. The world is full of such people....I think Peyton spotted that early and wrote the character very well and very subtly.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2015 8:11:16 GMT 1
How old was Kathleen when she wrote the book? I think she was about 15?
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Post by Claire on Apr 20, 2015 21:13:46 GMT 1
Interesting points Susan. What do other folk think was the message in the book - if any? Or was it just a slice of life? I really can't see the author making a main character so unlikeable unless there was a reason for it so I think there was some purpose or moral to the story.
I'm also trying to think if there were any unsympathetic or unpleasant main characters in her other books. The only one I can really think of is Carrie in The Scruffy Pony and she is made to see the error of her way and become a nicer character. Tessa in Blind Beauty was not very pleasant a lot of the time but you did feel some empathy for her because of her problematic life.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 7:04:53 GMT 1
Now there's a book that made me cry! My favourite of her books.
I didn't feel any empathy for Lesley at all. Could have cheerfully throttled her!!
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Post by Claire on Apr 21, 2015 13:00:40 GMT 1
Now there's a book that made me cry! My favourite of her books. I didn't feel any empathy for Lesley at all. Could have cheerfully throttled her!! Yeah thats what I mean - why did KMP create such an unlikeable and unsympathetic character?
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Post by tintin on Apr 22, 2015 12:36:11 GMT 1
I think it's a very good "slice of life" book, however, I do think in addition to being about love (or infatuation)it is very much about immaturity. The father, the rider, the dealer and the horse are all quite immature in various ways and it forms a bit of a toxic cocktail.
The other two horsey books I have recently finished are such a contrast - "The Gift Horse" (A Romanes)and the non-fiction book - "Merlin - the Story of a Courageous Police Horse".
The contrast in the fictional and real life trainers to Lindsay is huge. Murphy, the gift horse of the title, is a much worse horse than the Mandrake and is, to put it mildly, unprepossessing in appearance. Kelsey, his rider, dislikes and despairs of him, but perserveres and he gets better. Merlin is very like the Mandrake - daft and unpredictable - in fact his behaviour is worse (to start with.) Kelsey is a similar age to Lindsay, but is much more sensible and likeable.
I did n't dislike Lindsay as much as some on here, just felt a bit exasperated with her for lacking a sense of proportion and sorry for her for having no more sensible horsey friends. More "interview without coffee" or "dispense lifestyle advice" than propulsion into muck barrows.
Thinking about this book, however, surprised me in that three of my favourite pony books are about training the awkward horse - Benedictine in "Impossible Horse", Barnone in "Let's Meet Again" and Clown in the Augusta and Christina series
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Post by susanb on Apr 24, 2015 17:19:11 GMT 1
That's a really good point, tintin, about the lack of maturity...that....mmm...obsession is too strong, passionate longing, perhaps?,...for perfection in something/someone is a hallmark of the young. Often to the point where they have blinders on to the object of their loves faults!
The knowledge that there isn't any such thing as perfection, just a choice as to what faults you can live with, and which bits are more important, usually comes with age
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Post by Claire on Apr 27, 2015 15:21:43 GMT 1
Crikey I have been trying to make this comment for 2 days now but keep having computer probs! I thought your comments very interesting Tintin and Susan. Especially when you consider that KMP had a penchant for heroines who were in love/obsessed by an often unsuitable man/boy. This seems along the same lines but with a horse instead.
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Post by fizz on May 1, 2015 23:06:57 GMT 1
I thought someone was passing a copy on to me and then I was passing it on to someone else? What happened I have never heard from anyone?
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Post by kunuma1 on May 5, 2015 15:48:05 GMT 1
I thought someone was passing a copy on to me and then I was passing it on to someone else? What happened I have never heard from anyone? That was probably me fizz, sorry I have had family bereavement so not been around much - if you pm me your address I will send Claire's copy on to you.
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Post by fizz on Jun 11, 2015 18:07:46 GMT 1
I have finally finished this book. I did read it when I was about eleven and I think it probably went over my head a bit, but stayed in my memory for the lovely cover and the internal illustrations by Lionel Edwards. I enjoyed the beautiful, vivid descriptions of landscape, weather and the horses very much. it is hard to believe she was so young when she wrote it. The writing has a freshness that has vanished by some of the later books. Her plots are tighter later but the sensitivity of description is not always there. I felt that not a lot happened in the book and it was just a series of beautifully written descriptions. KM Peyton isn't my favourite writer, but then I haven't read all of them and this is the only early career novel I've read.
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Post by Claire on Jun 11, 2015 20:27:40 GMT 1
Thanks for adding your comments Fizz. I am glad you enjoyed it. Talking of illustrations I keep meaning to mention this but forgetting, but does anyone else think on the dustjacket illustration that The Mandrake looks really small in comparison to the heroine? More like a little pony. Or is it just me?!
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Post by tintin on Jul 15, 2015 13:00:14 GMT 1
I lent this book to my friend Diane who has a stables and with her daughter has trained a lot of horses, principally to get a professional perspective. It came back very quickly - "did n't like the horse, did n't like the people"
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Post by Claire on Jul 15, 2015 22:42:53 GMT 1
Lol Tintin, the horse was Okay if not a favourite of mine. I defo agree about the people tho!
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