|
Post by tintin on Jul 30, 2012 13:16:20 GMT 1
“Pony Mad Book Lovers” really is a website of infinite variety. I stumbled on “colours in pony books” the other day and felt compelled to see how many Dun horses there were, I soon got diverted to Chestnuts. Finding, to my surprise and delight, a Chestnut called Amber (a favourite horse of my boyhood) I had to read the book (honestly the only thing remotely like the internet for ending up where you did n’t intend to be is talking to old people).
So here I am reviewing “I had Two Ponies”
What did I like about it and what did n’t I like?
I’ll start with the positive.
Firstly, it is very well written (almost goes without saying with the sisters) and it is easy to visualise what she is talking about.
Secondly, the large family on the farm is very well presented (very much like the family in her book “Hidden Horse” was)
Thirdly, the book was quite clever. Though this was more noticeable to me as an adult than it would have been as a boy. There is a saying in Liverpool, “show me the kitten and I’ll show you the cat” and Christabel, the narrating character, seemed a sad reflection of the less attractive sides of her mother and father. Dad particularly seemed to have more than a hint of the “self made man who worshipped his creator”.
Fourthly, there is some pretty good humour in the book, particularly about writing by a writer. Unfortunately it would mostly have gone over my head as a youth. It is also quite inventive – the hypochondriac relatives are pretty good.
Fifthly – “Grooms Organise”, what a fantastic quote. Although not intended positively I thought this a great saying. If there is a professional association for grooms this should be their mission statement.
What did n’t I like? The moral lessons were laid on with a trowel. I could take this as an adult, but as a boy it would have grated. It was almost like Communist Party self criticism (“let us hear from Comrade Christabel” – “Thank you Comrade Secretary - I have neglected my horse and he was sold, I have been feeble, I have not applied myself, I have failed the working class…)
Secondly, it was oddly disjointed. It seemed to peter out a bit quickly and there was a hunter trial (which was fun) thrown in that seemed to be there to fill a few more pages and make it a bit more exciting.
I did n’t warm to the book, but it was vivid and I had to keep going to see what happened.
It would be nice to see the characters again in a less forced setting.
Perhaps I was just a bit brassed off because we did n’t see that much of Amber…
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jul 30, 2012 18:46:42 GMT 1
Great review Tintin. I like the book a lot but for some reason I haven't read it as many times as most of the PT books. There are one or two titles like that for some reason - Janet Must Ride was another one. I really think I'm due for a re-read of this.
I do have a weakness for horrid children in books and Christobel is delightfully awful at the start of the book. I think in a way it was quite brave of JPT to begin the book with her being so horrible as it did run the risk of readers slamming the book shut and saying 'ugh' as the narrator says in her own words! I do think the PTs and Cannan family had a dislike of the 'nouveau riche' as many of the characters in the PTs and Joanna Cannans book who come from that background are not pleasant. (As opposed to the upper class but poverty stricken families who always seem to be good eggs) This was perhaps not surprising as they were in the latter category themselves!
Also notice the good old childrens book cliche of the parents going off to India and foisting their offspring on some friend of the family or distant relation. (Not sure why but it nearly always seemed to be India!)
Do you think children notice moral lessons in books more than adults - I would have thought the opposite. Maybe I was rather dim as a child but I hardly noticed any subtexts, underlying themes or whatnots in books as a kiddiwink. Yes its glaring now but I defo didnt really think of this aspect when reading it back then.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2012 19:37:23 GMT 1
I haven't read this book so can't comment on it yet, but I do know that I never noticed moral lessons when reading pony books as a kid, it all went right over my head! I just devoured the horsey bits and didn't even really notice what the kids characters were like either Black Beauty never upset me as a kid either, but it does now.
|
|
|
Post by tintin on Aug 1, 2012 14:02:41 GMT 1
"Do you think children notice moral lessons in books more than adults?"
Hmm Yes and No (and I can only speak for myself)
No when its a sub-text, or when its the author is unselfconciously sort of saying "this is how it is" like in Black Beauty and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
However, just about the worst thing about being a kid is EVERYONE knows better how to live your life than you do and, worse, just has to tell you (peers, parents, teachers). You could take it, but they all contradict each other, most of them regard their "advice" (and their advice only) as the best and a lot of them are quite rude. This really hacked me off as a boy.
Also all my life I have suffered from vicarious embarassment. If someone else is making a show of themself, or being shown up, I feel worse often than they do. This got better as I got older (I remember a TV series from Australia about a family whose father was in the army in Victorian days - he had a splendid moustache. They were always being told off and it was so embarassing I just could n't watch it)
I really wanted to escape this in books. However, as a kid, Christabel's shame and the family's preachiness would have been a bit much. It would probably have gone back to the library with a plaintive request for one with "more riding in it".
I think the book probably really deserves a 3, but as I am such a fan of the sisters I tend to judge them to an unfairly high standard, also I think I am getting brassed off with Miss Badsworth MFH and was expecting to be cheered up.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Aug 1, 2012 22:09:02 GMT 1
Also all my life I have suffered from vicarious embarassment. If someone else is making a show of themself, or being shown up, I feel worse often than they do. OMG I feel EXACTLY the same way, thought I was a bit odd cos everyone else seems to find people making a fool of themselves hilariously funny whilst I just cringe. I can never watch any of those comedy of embarassment type films. Strangely enough tho I am not easily embarassed myself!
|
|
|
Post by fizz on Aug 2, 2012 17:32:31 GMT 1
This is the first pony book I read. My Dad brought it home from the sweet/tobacconist's shop when he had been for his Player's Navy Cut....how times change! I must have read it so many times it fell apart, but I bought one from a charity shop as an adult. Of course I saw so much more in the book reading it as an adult.
My main memories had been the incident when Christabel tries to tidy the tack room & puts boot polish on the saddles, the section where Brock the terrier has to be dug out & the first show. It is a book filled with humour & humanity. Some parts just went straight over my head as a child (I think I was very young when I first read it). The social class aspect of course & I love the bit where Christabel mentions her school being the "Girl's Eton" & Gay just say's "Ah". All through the book there is this marvellous & quite believable dialogue between the protagonists.
It is different from many other PT booksl as it is told in the first person & Christabel is an unusual narrator, who is telling her tale in retrospect & is self deprecating., Though incredibly arrogant at the beginning of the story she gradually becomes a reformed character.
Humour is developed with the cousins & as someone who was afraid to "buy stamps" & ask for stuff in shops at their age, they have my sympathy! I just love the dialogue between Mrs Westlake. This is a great bit:
"Godffrey's overworking as usual" replied Aunt Mary in rather weary tones. "His partner is quite hopeless, so poor dear Godfrey has nothing for it, but to do two men's work. The children are quite well at the moment, but we are keeping Robin at home this term. He shares Patricia's governess and is coached by the Rector. It's his asthma you know; we thought a term at home might do him good......." JPT does adults so well. Haven't we all met an Aunt Mary at some time?
I suppose there is the need to suspend belief a little for the change & development of Christabel's character to be so speedy, but it is an excellent read, one of JPT's finest in my opinion & complemented by an excellent set of Anne Bullen illustrations. Gold Cup!
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Aug 2, 2012 19:25:41 GMT 1
Interesting comments fizz. You know I never really noticed before but yes JPT doesn't do first person as much as the other 2 PTS, especially Diana. To me, this book is very similar to the style of those her mother Joanna Cannan wrote.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2013 6:46:13 GMT 1
Just read this now. I quite enjoyed it. Aunt Mary was truly awful, agree with Fizz, I've met one of those type of mums before. Thankfully mine wasn't like that!
|
|
|
Post by cally on Apr 25, 2013 11:50:18 GMT 1
I was just thinking yesterday (although it's occurred to me before) that there are so many pony books where the parents are absent- seemingly for years at a time sometimes! I just finished The Young Horsebreakers by Golden Gorse and the two sisters' parents were in India and had no other role in the story. Jackie, as in Jackie Won a Pony doesn't seem to have any parents, but lots of aunts, and there are many other examples that I forget at the moment. I like the inclusion of other family members- Jill Crewe's mum, and all of the parents in J P-T Pony Club Team series, even the horrible Mrs Cresswell!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2013 12:46:16 GMT 1
She's another toe-curling mum ;D But agree they do liven up a book
|
|