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Post by Claire on Jan 14, 2009 17:53:38 GMT 1
Hi folks as per the Jinny thread have started this poll to see if Jinny really is a love it or hate it thing!
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 14, 2009 20:48:07 GMT 1
interesting results so far...pretty well split. I voted not bothered as I can take thgem or leave them. As I said on the other thread I don't like the fantasy ones like Night Of The Red Horse but quite like some of the normal ones like Devil To Ride and Jump For The Moon. Must reread actually as my thoughts are based on last reading them at about 13/14.
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 15, 2009 20:23:44 GMT 1
Actually, you are quite right Haffy, they aren't all the same, i.e. bad all the way through. Some would make quite a nice read. I just got to hate Jinny more and more from book to book, and could have easily throttled her by book 4. By the way I always thought of Shantih being a mare, now I hear, he was a stallion??? Oopsie sorry that was me I just ment the horse on the 80's covers was actually a stallion called prince Of Orange and not a mare as Shantih was supposed to be (and yes I ahve looked to see if there are any tell tale signs and no the photographer was very clever ;D )
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Post by susanb on Jan 15, 2009 20:27:34 GMT 1
I couldn't stand the series...I think I made it as far as the third book, but found both character and plot irritating.
And the odd thing is that I LOVE Patricia Leitch's other work!! The Jinny books feel like they were written by a totally different person!
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 16, 2009 3:21:35 GMT 1
Im with you haffyan sum of the books are ok but outhers Oh my what rubish.
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Post by cally on Jan 16, 2009 7:28:14 GMT 1
Again, love some of the books, want to flush Jinny's head in the toilet in others- there's a lack of consistency in her character I feel. Mostly I enjoy them, but I've learned to read them selectively, skipping the bits that were seemingly written when Patricia fried up the wrong type of mushrooms for breakfast ie. is it The Golden Horse with the stupid nativity play? YECCH! AWful. Love Finmory though, Ken's a bit annoying too...
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Post by snowfilly on Jan 16, 2009 22:52:24 GMT 1
Yep, love them. Think I must add that I'm a fantasy reading / writing nut, so anything like this gets my attention...but I love the Scottish setting, and Ken as well. He always intrgues me.
I must say though, that I did find Jinny inconsistent as a character sometimes, but I ignore that for the sake of the stories.
With regards to stallions, my Arab boy, who came from the same breeder as Prince of Orange and is a very similar type, is nothing but a soppy date. He runs with his mares and babies, as well as geldings and old mares, and never caused trouble. However, I've lost count of the number of times I've not been able to take him to shows because of him being a stallion. Or, if we go, he can jump but not show.
Normally, I just don't tell people - it avoids all the 'wild tiger' business.
Actually, him being a chestnut arab was probably the main reason I love Jinny so much - it was a bit of wish fufillment because I read the books when he was 2 and I wanted to ride him so much!
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Post by kunuma on Jan 16, 2009 23:47:41 GMT 1
I always felt that Shantih was Patricia L's own fantasy horse, and Jinny was her way of saying that she felt she couldn't actually cope with a Shantih, and so that is why she had a hairy pony. Her real love of Scotland comes through, I have just started rereading the series, and the descriptions of Shantih and of the moors are lovely and the parts of the books I love. Yes there are also the batty bits, where certainly the author was smoking too much of whatever Ken grew in the greenhouse when the pottery failed! I would agree that the nativity play was a prime example - YUK! But for the other bits which get me rereading, for the characters of the farmer and Mrs Tuke, I have to say love them. Of course, the fact that I am a stallion fan, a dyed in the wool Arab fan, and I love the moors best of any place on earth - does come into it! Snow filly - I loved the original Coombe Farm Arabs too, (my idea of an Arab will forever be Crabbet!) I loved Prince of Orange and Hawkmoth - I'm big Count Line fan (Roland D'Orsaz etc) the temperament is unbelievable! My boy was from those lines too! He was one in a million. Haffy - some of my Jinny books have an ARab on them which is not Prince of Orange, one with a big blaze like the 'real'Shantih was supposed to have - any idea who that was?
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Post by Claire on Jan 17, 2009 14:43:34 GMT 1
the horse on the 80's covers was actually a stallion called prince Of Orange and not a mare as Shantih was supposed to be (and yes I ahve looked to see if there are any tell tale signs and no the photographer was very clever ;D ) OK haffy thats it we are now offically NUTS! Have just been scrutinising my Jinny collection myself looking for what you so nicely put as "tell-tale signs" (was sure there was a 'sign' on one of the covers as I knew it was a boy ages before I found out it was Prince of Orange) when it just hit me that here are 2 grown 'adults' poring over the covers of childrens books trying to spot a horse's meat n 2 veg!!! ;D ;D ;D There were at least 3 horses portraying Shantih on the covers. As well as Prince of Orange there was the one kunuma was talking about (four white stockings very large blaze) on the 1st eds of he first few books and also a darker chestnut with a star on the later books. The horse on the 1st ed of Running Wild may also have been a different one or could have been the same one with the large blaze. If anyone knows their identity it would be interesting to know.
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Post by zoe on Jan 18, 2009 17:35:36 GMT 1
I've just got around to voting - I like the Jinny books but I've had to put them on my list to buy as I haven't got them and not read them for years.
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Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2009 19:37:14 GMT 1
Hurrah glad the pro-Jinnys are winning!
I couldnt resist temptation and had to start reading the series. Just finished the first one and still love it but I can't deny that Jinny is an irritating character at times, especially the way she treats poor old Bramble. May do a review of it if I find the time.
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 19, 2009 4:53:36 GMT 1
I have allways liked the art part of the book there arn't that meany artist in pony books. I love art and wish there were more on pony books.
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Post by Claire on Jan 19, 2009 12:31:06 GMT 1
Trixiepony have you read Joanna Cannan's Gaze At the Moon? The heroine in this is a keen artist as well as being horse-mad.
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 19, 2009 19:46:10 GMT 1
, when we all love Arabs for obvious reasons nope, count me out of that one Not a fan, maybe why I never got carried away by the Jinny thing. Give me a TB or a warmblood any day!
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 20, 2009 0:42:13 GMT 1
Trixiepony have you read Joanna Cannan's Gaze At the Moon? The heroine in this is a keen artist as well as being horse-mad. Wow no I have not read that one I'll see if I can get it, thanks.
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 20, 2009 0:45:57 GMT 1
MMM strang, I did write sumthing. Well I have never read that one thanks Claire, I;ll see if I can get a copy from the libery.
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Post by kunuma on Jan 21, 2009 11:13:43 GMT 1
OK - I'm now rereading the Jinny series - and they really do have their good and bad moments! There are some fabulous descriptions of horses and countryside, and the characters, who, love them or hate them, really come alive! There are also some really odd bits which make you wonder why they were put in, and some strange story lines! I'd like to nominate the whole series for the 'really not sure which age group I am aiming at here' prize! I stand by my decision though, I love them!!
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Post by cally on Jan 22, 2009 0:51:21 GMT 1
That's a good point re age group target- the troubled teen years I expect, which is a fairly difficult range to pitch to. I remember first reading 'Devil to Ride' when I was around 11 and it really affected me and made me think about some of the issues for a long time afterwards.
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happy
Pony Trekker
Posts: 50
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Post by happy on Jan 22, 2009 12:30:40 GMT 1
Hi Claire Is Gaze at the moon any good? I have just got hold of a copy but not managed to read it yet
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Post by Claire on Jan 22, 2009 13:40:22 GMT 1
Happy, yes agree with Konstanze, I love Gaze at the Moon. (Candidate for the odd pony book titles list tho!) I think you will like it. BTW konstanze hope you get better soon. Chest infections are awful!
Going back to Jinny, read the first one again and was amazed at the dark moments it has. The horrific teacher is one of them. And yes from personal experience, there were teachers like that back in those days, the profession seemed to attract the odd sadist. And there were the social problems such as the teenager getting sent to jail which is what caused the family to move to Finmory in the first place. The nasty attitude of many of the locals who think the family are a bunch of hippies, Shantih starving on the moors, etc, etc. Not a comfort zone type read at all. I think Pat Leitch was quite brave in writing the books. I think she saw them as a chance to come out of the pony book mould and look at other issues and also explore her love of folklore and legends at the same time. I think maybe she meant them to be aimed at teenagers, but possibly they got away from her a bit when she started writing them!
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Post by kunuma on Jan 22, 2009 22:02:00 GMT 1
Going back to Jinny, read the first one again and was amazed at the dark moments it has. The horrific teacher is one of them. And yes from personal experience, there were teachers like that back in those days, the profession seemed to attract the odd sadist. So true I was made to take piano lessons after school as a child. Not only was I totally tone deaf (still am ) but no one had noticed I was also terrible short sighted and couldn't even see the little black squiggles on the music sheet'''1 Every time I got it wrong, the horrible old biddy hit me over the knuckles with a wooden ruler! Perfectly normal behaviour in those days! I'd love to say that despite all that I am now a talented musician, but actually it gave me a strong aversion to pianos - and to this day I'd have to be chained to a chair to listen to classical music! To really digress, it's the same with teaching children, horses and dogs, why did the human race take up the worst forms of teaching and training and stick to them for generations - why has it taken us so long to realise that the most important part of teaching is learning, not teaching!! Ooops, climbs off soapbox - sorry folks!
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Post by Claire on Jan 22, 2009 22:22:34 GMT 1
You're welcome to the soapbox kunuma. I totally agree. I remember being whacked on the hand with a ruler in front of the class by an evil old hag-like teacher. Like Jinny it is the humliation/anger that gets you as much as the pain. Also when we got a lovely teacher afterwards it was just like in the book. Patricia L had it spot on!
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Post by cally on Jan 23, 2009 0:02:40 GMT 1
My piano lessons experience was surreal- I had them with this little old woman who would wear a fox stole, one with the head and feet on and it smelt OLD. The room was tiny and full of spare chairs and music stands as well as the upright piano. There was no heating and hoare frost on the window, and a couple of times per lesson I'd have to run to the bathroom to warm my stiff fingers up under the tap. And then back to that box room to have that beady eyed fox stare at me, centimetres from my face. No surprise then that I didn't progress in piano!
I must've been all of 9 years old and the memory is as clear as if it were yesterday- one of those frozen in time moments.
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happy
Pony Trekker
Posts: 50
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Post by happy on Jan 23, 2009 12:59:02 GMT 1
Trixiepony you must read "Gaze at the moon" it is great and has the art aspect in it as well as "I wrote a pony book" there is also one I have seen that Claire talks about by Gillian Baxter AKA Gillain Hurst called "Sue-Elaine draws a horse" Is this a good book Claire. I do like children that have an art talent. However I must admit to falling into that category that cannot stand Jinny books. I have tried and I tried as a child as well but it just wasnt working for me.
I dont deny that the books are very well written and they are very descriptive but I just cannot like Jinny however much I try!! I do like a certain amount of realism in books and I just find the Jinny series too mystical for my liking.
xxx
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happy
Pony Trekker
Posts: 50
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Post by happy on Jan 23, 2009 16:55:04 GMT 1
Konstanze Thank you didnt realised that it was aimed at a very young audience. saved me buying it
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lily
Pony Trekker
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Post by lily on Jan 23, 2009 19:25:20 GMT 1
Never had much time for Jinny. Too mystical, too dramatic, too self obsessed. I'd have had no patience for her.
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Post by Claire on Jan 23, 2009 20:58:36 GMT 1
Happy, Sue-Elaine Draws a Horse is aimed at very young children, I doubt you would bond with it.. Have to disagree with this entirely. The book is 'written' by an 'adult narrator' and the other main character, Sue Elaine, is about 17 or so. Sue-Elaine is the artist and she is about to go to art school. If anything I think its aimed at older readers than a lot of pony books. It has a hint of romance in it too (as with most of Gillian's books). I did like it myself. Have done a summary & mini-review of it on my website. If you want to check it out Happy its here: gillianbaxter.ponymadbooklovers.co.uk/
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Post by Claire on Jan 25, 2009 22:04:05 GMT 1
No the site is OK folks just doing maintenance on it this morning. Konstanze/Happy a similar thing happened with Gillian Baxter's Sweet Rock someone told me it was aimed at young kiddies but I got it anyway and am so glad I did. Not only was it definitely NOT aimed at youngsters it was one of my fav Gillian B's and possibly her most controversial one. (wonder if that was why it was never reprinted) BTW if anyone is interested in that particular book and hasnt read it I have discussed it on my blog. Unfortunately it seems I have inadvertantly made you spend more money konstanze! Oh well Sue-Elaine is a good read anyway.
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Post by Claire on Jan 30, 2009 22:07:26 GMT 1
On to book 5 in my re-read and I STILL LOVE THEM!!! ;D ;D ;D
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happy
Pony Trekker
Posts: 50
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Post by happy on Jan 30, 2009 22:17:07 GMT 1
ooh konstanze you must tell me what you think of Sue-Elaine. I nearly bought it the other day. Now Claire and Konstanze you are going to make me spend money now on Gillian Baxter's sweet rock.
Blind Beauty arrived today at my husbands work. I was thinking yippee can spend the weekend curled up reading it. Emm no such luck my lovely hubby forgot to bring it home.
xxxx
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