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Post by Claire on May 12, 2015 21:38:20 GMT 1
Hi all, our reading circle book for May is Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart. This is an adult horse story. As per usual please post if you need to borrow a copy or have one you can lend out. I know I shouldn't plug my sales website here but I do have a copy of the first edition of this book for sale with 10% off for members of the forum booksforsale.ponymadbooklovers.co.uk/As we are already quite a ways into May can we try and start discussion in about 7-10 days time?
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Post by rallycairn on May 18, 2015 17:27:53 GMT 1
Oooh, gothic meets horse story! I have this one in my attic somewhere -- appropriate for a gothic, no? Anybody else remember when there was something of a "gothic suspense" or "gothic romance" genre of books, meaning mid 20th century novels by authors like Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt and her other pseudonyms (real name Eleanor Hibbert), Phyllis A. Whitney, etc.? (Not meaning Gothic lit from the 1700s to 1800s of course.) I read quite a few of these in my preteens and very early teens. I especially loved Phyllis A. Whitney (The Glass Flame -- ooh that scene of the heroine tied up in a room full of mirrors watching the candle that can spell her doom burn down -- that is very vivid to me, to not just watch the candle burn down but also watch yourself watching in the mirrors; The Stone Bull; The Secret of the Emerald Star, etc. etc.) So many of Victoria Holt's are great fun, too, and her The Queen's Confession about Marie Antoinette is really quite moving -- read that for a high school French class, actually. Susan, haven't you suggested Whitney's Crimson Ghost as a good read for the group? -- so I guess it has a fair bit of horsey content? I think quite a few of these Gothics have at least some horse content, e.g., I remember Holt's Mask of the Enchantress has the heroine being one of those intuitive excellent riders and having to ride the stallion of the woman whose identity she has assumed -- and of course managing to do fine! Looking through Whitney's bibliography, I was reading her in the mid 70s as the titles were coming out -- I remember reading as new releases Stone Bull, Glass Flame, Domino (a teeny bit of horsey content, set out West, I believe?? -- I think she rode a sweet grey? and there were mine shafts and a man named Hilary) -- sheesh I was reading this stuff when I was 11 and 12 and 13 -- what a silly bookworm. And re: Mary Stewart -- adore The Moon-Spinners, The Ivy Tree and Thornyhold, and of course this title -- can't wait to re-visit it. I also remember Touch Not the Cat as good but a little manipulative/creepy -- anybody else remember that one? Our heroine has had a psychic connection to a guy since childhood but he won't reveal who he is - he knows her but she doesn't know him. The full clan motto was "Touch not the cat Bot a Glove" so I can tell you what the word "bot" means in that context, but unfortunately have never been able to employ that little gem of knowledge. Wow, just browsing Wikipedia about these authors and all three were long-lived, Hibbert 86, Stewart 97, and Whitney living to the amazing age of 104. Guess we should all get cracking on our romantic suspense gothic novels -- we can live long lives in exotic locales!!! Well, thanks for the trip down memory lane, this should be a fun group read!
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Post by Claire on May 19, 2015 22:09:55 GMT 1
I've enjoyed reading your post rally. Reading Gothic Romance books has always been a secret pleasure of mine! Have you read the Hibbert titles under the Philippa Carr name? If you haven't I am sure you will enjoy them. i have a couple of Phyllis Witney titles but unfortunately you don't come across them much int he UK. One is the Crimson Ghost which was pretty good. I have only read 2 Mary Stewart books before - her 2 horsy ones. I do like the sound of Touch Not the Cat tho. Off to look for it now!
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Post by rallycairn on May 19, 2015 22:53:56 GMT 1
I'm with you, Claire -- I am feeling a burst of enthusiasm for unearthing some of these books again. I think they will make great summer reading and I am interested in what my perspective on them will be like now so many years later. I suspect I will enjoy the ones with a strong sense of setting as much as ever, since now I know (with our farm and many animals) that I am unlikely to do much traveling unless I change my lifestyle in my very old age. So vicarious travel it is for me!
But I suspect the romantic elements may be a touch boring -- but maybe not. Anyway again I think this is a fantastic choice for late spring/early summer. Got to finish up a quick re-read of Jean Webster's Daddy Long-Legs (college life for a young American woman in the 1910's - not as endearing for me as the Betsy-Tacy series but a very similar setting and shares some themes, plus this one has a very odd and contrived romantic element -- but still it is fun and actually a bit witty). Then will dig up Airs Above the Ground and get cracking on it.
Claire, I was always aware of the Philippa Carr titles but haven't actually ever read any. I want to order Mask of the Enchantress and I'll also give a Carr title a try!
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Post by Claire on May 22, 2015 20:47:04 GMT 1
Claire, I was always aware of the Philippa Carr titles but haven't actually ever read any. I want to order Mask of the Enchantress and I'll also give a Carr title a try! They were meant to be a sort of cross between the Victoria Holt titles and the more mainstream historical novels under the Jean Plaidy name. They have strong elements of romance/gothic but also a lot more historical background than the Holt novels. They actually follow the females in one family through from a few hundred years ago to the 20th century. I read them all in order a few years ago!
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Post by fizz on May 23, 2015 10:30:46 GMT 1
I remember my Mum and Nana reading these books when I was in my early teens. I have read Airs Above the Ground, but I can't remember that much about it. I do remember Touch Not The Cat though; it was always a saying by my Mum and I as she had lots of cats! The cat pictured on my board ID is definitely "a touch not one"! I haven't got a copy, but I'll have a look around for one. Funny how unfashionable she has become as an author, I haven't heard of those two books since I was about fourteen.
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Post by susanb on May 24, 2015 3:03:13 GMT 1
Talk about blast from the past.....yes, I read all those authors...Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, etc. I did mention Whitney's Crimson Ghost for a group read, quite a while back, I'd actually forgotten! Think it had a UK printing in fact. I did have a good bit of horsey content in fact.....its one of her childrens books, not her adult gothic works. Here's a link to page www.phyllisawhitney.com/The%20Mystery%20of%20the%20Crimson%20Ghost.htmRally, have you tried Barbara Michaels (aka Elizabeth Peters) books? My favorites were House of Many Shadows and Ammie Come Home. We can't be the only ones who remember them fondly, I know some are available as ebooks now, so there must be a market...Holt and Michaels definitely are. Back on topic (kind of)....my new eyeglasses came today....hmmmm....not sure how I feel about progressive lenses. Ok for distance, but not crazy about them for reading...which was the WHOLE POINT of getting them! Will try to see how I get on with the book this weekend.
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Post by haffyfan on May 27, 2015 9:58:37 GMT 1
I think i'll pass on this one, something about it just grab my interest.
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Post by Claire on May 30, 2015 3:18:48 GMT 1
Ach! We are a bit behind with this one! I'm staying at my parents house at the mo and forgot to bring the book with me which is my excuse! Has anyone read it yet and would like to start the ball rolling for comments. Its obviously going to leak over into June but hopefully we can fit this and the June read in before we need to start the Summer Reading Programme.
Susan how are you getting on with your specs...?
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Post by brumby on May 30, 2015 7:22:58 GMT 1
I'm nearly finished, hopefully in the next few days...
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Post by rallycairn on May 30, 2015 14:33:43 GMT 1
I'm a little over half through. Enjoyable travelogue, and I like the horsey scenes.
I do not care for the way the reader is duped by the narrator re: the husband situation; even remembering the score from a previous read I don't think that is quite according to Hoyle for me.
But overall I am enjoying it and think this genre is a fab choice to kick off the summer! Oh, and tho not as strongly present as in Stewart's Touch Not the Cat, say, I do squirm a bit in that the female-male relationships seem a little old school paternalistic, even though on the surface Vanessa seems progressive being a vet and all.
I like the blossoming of the Tim character quite a lot.
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Post by kunuma1 on Jun 1, 2015 16:13:45 GMT 1
Just started it, I only read it before because it was about horses, but having liked it always meant to read more of hers - if I'd ever lived near a library I would have done! Think I might go trawling for another one on Amazon as a treat for myself. Which one should I go for?
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Post by Claire on Jun 1, 2015 23:11:35 GMT 1
Just started it, I only read it before because it was about horses, but having liked it always meant to read more of hers - if I'd ever lived near a library I would have done! Think I might go trawling for another one on Amazon as a treat for myself. Which one should I go for? See Rally's post above Kunuma - she recommends a couple of titles. I haven't started yet but will hopefully do so tomorrow. Not that I am in the mood for anything related to romance at the moment, having 2 failed romances under my belt in the last year or so! But as far as I can recall the heroine sets off to find out if her hubby is having an affair or not so its hardly Mills n Book material.
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Post by kunuma1 on Jun 6, 2015 14:28:39 GMT 1
Really really liked it on reread. Characters came to life - and the horse research was done very well, plus happy ending for the horse! A certain kind bookseller is looking for another one by the author for me!!
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Post by Claire on Jun 11, 2015 20:31:34 GMT 1
Oh dear I am sadly not going to be able to join in with this one after all. I couldn't find my copy of the book but then I thought oh I will just read the first edition copy that I have for sale at the moment. Yes, you've guessed it someone just bought it lol. Oh well I may be able to add comments at a later date when I get my hands on a copy or mine turns up.
Dont forget to post here if you have read it. As you may notice I have changed the title of the thread to May/June read as we were all behind and we are doing Dark Sunshine for July/part of the Summer Reading Challenge (for those taking part).
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Post by tintin on Jun 16, 2015 16:32:30 GMT 1
Claire - Happy to send you my copy (enjoyed it, but not a keeper)- PM me your address and I'll have it in the post
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Post by tintin on Jun 16, 2015 16:38:40 GMT 1
I enjoyed this book. Definite sense of time and place and, as Kumuma rightly said, a happy ending for the horse. Loved the Austrian ambience
Although a good book it would have been a much better film (the chase part of the book was much too long for me although it would have been great on the screen)
Did n't warm to the husband (an infuriating "smug married" type), she was much too nice for him
Would have liked a sequel
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