Post by Claire on Jan 1, 2008 17:20:27 GMT 1
THE WILD ONE by MONICA EDWARDS
EDITION REVIEWED - FIRST ED COLLINS 1967 ILLUSTRATED BY GEOFFREY WHITTAM
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Lindsey Thornton – the main character about 14 or 15 years old
Dion – her brother
Andrea – her older grown-up sister
Peter – her young 10 year old brother
Rissa – their friend
Roger – Rissa’s cousin
Charles – Andrea’s boyfriend
Sula – Lindsey’s pony
Siani – Rissa’s pony
Mr Forsythe or ‘Old Force’ – the Siamese cat
PLOT SUMMARY:
Last in the Punchbowl Farm series about the Thornton family. The story follows on from Fire in the Punchbowl where a fire has devastated the farm.
The plot was inspired by the ‘Surrey Puma’ - a mystery animal along the lines of the 'Beast of Exmoor' or the 'Beast of Bodmin', which were in the news a few years back. This is a tale of a wild puma cub whom Lindsey and Roger find and protect.
The Thornton children, along with their friends Rissa and Roger who are staying with them, are clearing up after the fire. They also discuss the fact that a huge stray dog has been seen in the area. Then they notice that younger brother Peter has gone missing. Eventually they find Peter near a badger sett unconscious. He had spotted that the sett had been blocked and was clearing it only to be overcome by gas which had been left to kill the badgers. Lindsey stays with her brother while Roger goes for help and it is then she spots a strange fox-like animal half-hidden in the trees.
Later Lindsey realises that her beloved pony has got colic. Whilst walking her about in the fields to stop her rolling, she spots the mystery animal again and realises, half in terror, half in wonder that it is a wild puma cub. She tells her secret to Roger and together the pair try to look after the cub and find it fresh meat to eat, a hard and unsettling task. At first Lindsey is afraid of the cub but in time she begins to feel a close affinity with it and eventually, in a magical moment it even lets her touch it. But the children find out that there has been an adult puma found nearby and shot. This is the reality of the huge dog that people had spotted! They realise it is the cub’s mother and know that the local farmers would also want to shoot the cub, fearful it may kill their animals. Lindsey and Roger are desperate. They are finding it almost impossible to find enough food for the cub and to keep it hidden from everyone. And then the worst happens, the cub is spotted. Desperate to save the wild one, Lindsey runs off with him…
REVIEW:
This is the last in the Punchbowl Farm series and as such it may be easier to get into the story if you have read some of the others and already know the characters. But even if you have not the book is fairly slow to start which will allow you to familiarise yourself with the main characters and the family dynamics before the main story begins.
This is my all-time favourite Monica Edwards book. But before I go further there are two things to note. Firstly it is not one of Monica’s true ‘pony books’ – although the horses are part of the story they are not the integral part, more of a backdrop. It is however about animals, their relationships with humans and the differences between tame and wild animals. Secondly, this is in parts not a comfortable or cosy read. At times it can be quite disturbing. But it is a book that will strike a deep emotional reaction in the reader. And once read, the book will stay with you forever.
There are two main themes in the book. One of them is that of life and death. Yes, perhaps not a recurrant theme in many children’s books! But the author does not shy away from such matters. Pony books do tend to deal more with the realities and tragedies of life than many other children’s books. Death is seen in many of them from Black Beauty to Riding With the Lyntons, and many others. In this book death is seen as essential for life, with the wild cub needing to eat meat from dead animals to survive. This gives the book some rather unsettling elements which are not comfortable reading at all, and probably are my least favourite parts of the book. However they do contribute to the overall messages the book is trying to get across: that wild animals are real creatures, not fluffy soft toys but part of the wonderful and sometimes terrible world of nature. (It is worth also noting here that there are no graphic scenes such as those in for example Ponies in the Forest by CPT, much is just implied. It is more the thought of killing to survive which is explored rather than the act itself. The author manages to tread an extremely fine line here and does it successfully.)
The most important theme in the book though is that of wild things being allowed to stay wild. Lindsey and Roger do not try and turn the cub into a pet, but attempt to keep it as wild and free as possible. It is the very wildness of the creature that appeals to them:
“Watching him…so like Mr Forsyte and the other Thornton cats, Lindsey longed to stroke the soft fur and the folded-back ears, but she knew better now”
(Page 148)
And Lindsey is rewarded for her efforts to keep him wild when the cub displays its true wild nature at a crucial moment at the end of the book.
The difference between the tame and wild animals in the book is brilliantly contrasted, especially that of the Siamese cat Old Force and the wild cub. (In fact one of the chapters is entitled ‘Tame Cats Are Different’) Although Force is a law unto himself and very independent for a pet, when he comes across the wild cub the difference between a domestic cat and a wild one is demonstrated. But at the same time we also see the core of wildness which is in all animals, no matter how tame, as the two cats interact and show they are indeed the same breed, albeit at different ends of the scale!
What gives the book such a real emotional impact is the deep affinity Lindsey feels with the wild cub. The title of the book, The Wild One, can I think also apply to Lindsey. She is not as conventional as the other female characters. She seems to feel things more deeply. We see many times that she feels she doesn’t fit in with the ‘normal’ image of a young girl. She feels plain and unattractive compared to her beautiful sister, and dull compared to the vivacious Rissa. She seems to have a deeper emtotional connection to animals than the other characters. Roger comments that she is always “desperately protecting an animal.” She has been known to take food to feed badgers and the stray cats and even mice! And on a farm where of course animals are bred for food, she is the one who feels the saddest when they must die.
But at the same time Lindsey, although she may be soft and caring, is the one who truly comprehends the wild nature of the cub. Her character is brilliantly drawn and complex enough to seem real. It is very easy to empathise with her and this helps us to be drawn into the story and feel more of an emotional response to it.
Roger is the only one that really understands Lindsey’s nature and her feeling for animals. The relationship between Roger and Lindsey is charming and subtle. Although, pehaps Roger, for a teenage boy, is rather too caring and mature in his response to Lindsey - one of the few elements in the book which doesn’t quite ring true.
Because Roger understands her, with him Lindsey can be more herself, but it is still with the animals that she feels most comfortable. When she meets the cub she feels they have a connection, both not quite belonging to the world they are living in.
Those moments where Lindsey and the cub interact are the most wonderful in the book, perhaps in any animal novel. The author brilliantly portrays the interaction, not as simply a girl playing with a cuddly kitten-like creature, as would some lesser authors, but with an element of fear as well as wonder. Something which I am sure we would all feel when confronted by a wild animal, no matter how beautiful. But Lindsey’s love and sense of wonder for the cub overcome her fear and eventually the cub comes to her in a breath-taking scene.
“For a moment the rest of the world was shut off, there was only the cub and herself. She was stroking a wild puma in its own wild place, and it had come to of its own accord”
(Page 158)
There is also an amazing scene where Lindsey and Roger watch the Siamese cat Old Force and the wild cub play together which is truly unforgettable, both to them and to the reader:
“There had never been any moment like this moment in Lindsey’s and Roger’s lives. For a long time, until the woods began to grow dusk they watched the Siamese cat and the puma cub playing among the trees”
(Page 161)
And when they have to leave this scene it is to Lindsey like “leaving the garden of Eden.”
You can really feel the author’s love and affinity for animals shining through in these scenes and if you love animals yourself will feel you are almost part of them too, sharing the experience with Lindsey and the animals.
This book is a real emotional roller-coaster ride. As well as these magical uplifting moments, there are also times when you can hardly bear to keep reading, you are so frightened at what might happen next. (The scene with ‘Bullo’ the calf for example.) And then there are light humourous moments too, such as the children having a water fight and Lindsey and Roger making a pretend mushroom out of a chelsea bun for her mushroom-hunting sister to find. This of course reflects life itself, but if like Lindsey and Roger themselves, you are prepared to take the rough with the smooth and read on, you are rewarded by a lovely and magical ending in which the wild one proves he is “a proper little puma.”
All these elements, the quality of writing, the exploration of themes important to life and the refusal to shirk unsettling elements, come together to make this a true classic. Also, in my opinion, the lovely drawings by Geoffrey Whittam (one of my personal favourite illustrators) enhance the story and really capture the magical tone.
I would recommend this book highly to all animal lovers, and especially those who love cats, but this is not a book for those who want a comfort-blanket sort of read. It is however unforgettable reading for anyone who would like to experience a magical interaction of human and animal.
I would award this book a golden trophy for an outstanding read.
EDITION REVIEWED - FIRST ED COLLINS 1967 ILLUSTRATED BY GEOFFREY WHITTAM
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Lindsey Thornton – the main character about 14 or 15 years old
Dion – her brother
Andrea – her older grown-up sister
Peter – her young 10 year old brother
Rissa – their friend
Roger – Rissa’s cousin
Charles – Andrea’s boyfriend
Sula – Lindsey’s pony
Siani – Rissa’s pony
Mr Forsythe or ‘Old Force’ – the Siamese cat
PLOT SUMMARY:
Last in the Punchbowl Farm series about the Thornton family. The story follows on from Fire in the Punchbowl where a fire has devastated the farm.
The plot was inspired by the ‘Surrey Puma’ - a mystery animal along the lines of the 'Beast of Exmoor' or the 'Beast of Bodmin', which were in the news a few years back. This is a tale of a wild puma cub whom Lindsey and Roger find and protect.
The Thornton children, along with their friends Rissa and Roger who are staying with them, are clearing up after the fire. They also discuss the fact that a huge stray dog has been seen in the area. Then they notice that younger brother Peter has gone missing. Eventually they find Peter near a badger sett unconscious. He had spotted that the sett had been blocked and was clearing it only to be overcome by gas which had been left to kill the badgers. Lindsey stays with her brother while Roger goes for help and it is then she spots a strange fox-like animal half-hidden in the trees.
Later Lindsey realises that her beloved pony has got colic. Whilst walking her about in the fields to stop her rolling, she spots the mystery animal again and realises, half in terror, half in wonder that it is a wild puma cub. She tells her secret to Roger and together the pair try to look after the cub and find it fresh meat to eat, a hard and unsettling task. At first Lindsey is afraid of the cub but in time she begins to feel a close affinity with it and eventually, in a magical moment it even lets her touch it. But the children find out that there has been an adult puma found nearby and shot. This is the reality of the huge dog that people had spotted! They realise it is the cub’s mother and know that the local farmers would also want to shoot the cub, fearful it may kill their animals. Lindsey and Roger are desperate. They are finding it almost impossible to find enough food for the cub and to keep it hidden from everyone. And then the worst happens, the cub is spotted. Desperate to save the wild one, Lindsey runs off with him…
REVIEW:
This is the last in the Punchbowl Farm series and as such it may be easier to get into the story if you have read some of the others and already know the characters. But even if you have not the book is fairly slow to start which will allow you to familiarise yourself with the main characters and the family dynamics before the main story begins.
This is my all-time favourite Monica Edwards book. But before I go further there are two things to note. Firstly it is not one of Monica’s true ‘pony books’ – although the horses are part of the story they are not the integral part, more of a backdrop. It is however about animals, their relationships with humans and the differences between tame and wild animals. Secondly, this is in parts not a comfortable or cosy read. At times it can be quite disturbing. But it is a book that will strike a deep emotional reaction in the reader. And once read, the book will stay with you forever.
There are two main themes in the book. One of them is that of life and death. Yes, perhaps not a recurrant theme in many children’s books! But the author does not shy away from such matters. Pony books do tend to deal more with the realities and tragedies of life than many other children’s books. Death is seen in many of them from Black Beauty to Riding With the Lyntons, and many others. In this book death is seen as essential for life, with the wild cub needing to eat meat from dead animals to survive. This gives the book some rather unsettling elements which are not comfortable reading at all, and probably are my least favourite parts of the book. However they do contribute to the overall messages the book is trying to get across: that wild animals are real creatures, not fluffy soft toys but part of the wonderful and sometimes terrible world of nature. (It is worth also noting here that there are no graphic scenes such as those in for example Ponies in the Forest by CPT, much is just implied. It is more the thought of killing to survive which is explored rather than the act itself. The author manages to tread an extremely fine line here and does it successfully.)
The most important theme in the book though is that of wild things being allowed to stay wild. Lindsey and Roger do not try and turn the cub into a pet, but attempt to keep it as wild and free as possible. It is the very wildness of the creature that appeals to them:
“Watching him…so like Mr Forsyte and the other Thornton cats, Lindsey longed to stroke the soft fur and the folded-back ears, but she knew better now”
(Page 148)
And Lindsey is rewarded for her efforts to keep him wild when the cub displays its true wild nature at a crucial moment at the end of the book.
The difference between the tame and wild animals in the book is brilliantly contrasted, especially that of the Siamese cat Old Force and the wild cub. (In fact one of the chapters is entitled ‘Tame Cats Are Different’) Although Force is a law unto himself and very independent for a pet, when he comes across the wild cub the difference between a domestic cat and a wild one is demonstrated. But at the same time we also see the core of wildness which is in all animals, no matter how tame, as the two cats interact and show they are indeed the same breed, albeit at different ends of the scale!
What gives the book such a real emotional impact is the deep affinity Lindsey feels with the wild cub. The title of the book, The Wild One, can I think also apply to Lindsey. She is not as conventional as the other female characters. She seems to feel things more deeply. We see many times that she feels she doesn’t fit in with the ‘normal’ image of a young girl. She feels plain and unattractive compared to her beautiful sister, and dull compared to the vivacious Rissa. She seems to have a deeper emtotional connection to animals than the other characters. Roger comments that she is always “desperately protecting an animal.” She has been known to take food to feed badgers and the stray cats and even mice! And on a farm where of course animals are bred for food, she is the one who feels the saddest when they must die.
But at the same time Lindsey, although she may be soft and caring, is the one who truly comprehends the wild nature of the cub. Her character is brilliantly drawn and complex enough to seem real. It is very easy to empathise with her and this helps us to be drawn into the story and feel more of an emotional response to it.
Roger is the only one that really understands Lindsey’s nature and her feeling for animals. The relationship between Roger and Lindsey is charming and subtle. Although, pehaps Roger, for a teenage boy, is rather too caring and mature in his response to Lindsey - one of the few elements in the book which doesn’t quite ring true.
Because Roger understands her, with him Lindsey can be more herself, but it is still with the animals that she feels most comfortable. When she meets the cub she feels they have a connection, both not quite belonging to the world they are living in.
Those moments where Lindsey and the cub interact are the most wonderful in the book, perhaps in any animal novel. The author brilliantly portrays the interaction, not as simply a girl playing with a cuddly kitten-like creature, as would some lesser authors, but with an element of fear as well as wonder. Something which I am sure we would all feel when confronted by a wild animal, no matter how beautiful. But Lindsey’s love and sense of wonder for the cub overcome her fear and eventually the cub comes to her in a breath-taking scene.
“For a moment the rest of the world was shut off, there was only the cub and herself. She was stroking a wild puma in its own wild place, and it had come to of its own accord”
(Page 158)
There is also an amazing scene where Lindsey and Roger watch the Siamese cat Old Force and the wild cub play together which is truly unforgettable, both to them and to the reader:
“There had never been any moment like this moment in Lindsey’s and Roger’s lives. For a long time, until the woods began to grow dusk they watched the Siamese cat and the puma cub playing among the trees”
(Page 161)
And when they have to leave this scene it is to Lindsey like “leaving the garden of Eden.”
You can really feel the author’s love and affinity for animals shining through in these scenes and if you love animals yourself will feel you are almost part of them too, sharing the experience with Lindsey and the animals.
This book is a real emotional roller-coaster ride. As well as these magical uplifting moments, there are also times when you can hardly bear to keep reading, you are so frightened at what might happen next. (The scene with ‘Bullo’ the calf for example.) And then there are light humourous moments too, such as the children having a water fight and Lindsey and Roger making a pretend mushroom out of a chelsea bun for her mushroom-hunting sister to find. This of course reflects life itself, but if like Lindsey and Roger themselves, you are prepared to take the rough with the smooth and read on, you are rewarded by a lovely and magical ending in which the wild one proves he is “a proper little puma.”
All these elements, the quality of writing, the exploration of themes important to life and the refusal to shirk unsettling elements, come together to make this a true classic. Also, in my opinion, the lovely drawings by Geoffrey Whittam (one of my personal favourite illustrators) enhance the story and really capture the magical tone.
I would recommend this book highly to all animal lovers, and especially those who love cats, but this is not a book for those who want a comfort-blanket sort of read. It is however unforgettable reading for anyone who would like to experience a magical interaction of human and animal.
I would award this book a golden trophy for an outstanding read.