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Post by Claire on Mar 26, 2008 22:05:31 GMT 1
Just reading the posts on Six Ponies, etc, has got me remembering how funny this series was, esp Team and Camp. When you think about it pony books as a genre are not noted for their humour but these books were chock full of it.
My fav bits:
In Pony Club Camp when the riders have the inspection and they only have a couple of pairs of clean gloves which they pass along the line so that the bigwig who is inspecting them thinks they are all properly dressed. I always laugh out loud at that. JPT really captures the "getting the giggles" bit with the children almost bursting trying to keep a straight face. So true to life as well! Also the bit where Gay is discussing marriage with the major, the dialogue is just brilliant and so funny. In fact the whole match making bit with Gay always brings a smile to my face.
Another fav bit is in Pony Club Team where the children accidentally let out Mrs. H's prized parrot. They chase all over after it with only handfuls of tail feathers to show for it. Then doesn't it start saying give me a kiss or something to some passer by frightenin them out their wits (u can tell I havent got book on me!)
Was wondering what other people's fav funny moments in pony books were. And which books do you think were the funniest?
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Post by fizz on Mar 26, 2008 23:18:43 GMT 1
I love the bit in Radney Riding Club after Colonel Sanderson has disastrously taught the rally, Henry jokes about "ending it all" and describes the colonel as "a bucolic hunting type with the brains of a mentally defective rabbit". I remember having to look up what bucolic meant in a dictionary. All that book is so funny with great little details: Noel giving foul tasting brawn to Ruddy the bull terrier when no one was looking, trying out phrases from the French phrase book, Henry's dismissive remarks about magazines and his Mother's rude comments about people in the society pages of The Tatler. Now it wouldn't be considered inclusive enough for publishing; mores the pity.
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Post by Claire on Mar 27, 2008 13:48:23 GMT 1
Ooh thanks for reminding me of those bits fizz I haven't read Radney in ages and have forgot all about it! The great thing about Josephine was she could do both slapstick and subtle humour equally well.
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Post by kunuma on Mar 27, 2008 20:28:46 GMT 1
My favourite funny bit is from the Caroline Akrill trilogy, I liked the humour in them, the best bit being at the job interview where the tea bag truns out to be a dead mouse! and how about the bit where the clippers break in the middle of clipping - sooooo been there, done that!! ;D
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Post by haffyfan on Mar 27, 2008 20:45:27 GMT 1
My favourite funny bit is from the Caroline Akrill trilogy, I liked the humour in them, the best bit being at the job interview where the tea bag truns out to be a dead mouse! and how about the bit where the clippers break in the middle of clipping - sooooo been there, done that!! ;D The mouse bit is genius!!! I also love the bit where she is unblocking the drains in stable (black horse ?) and forrester arrives oh and the vase at was it harrods or somewhere posh full of rancid stagnent goo. Those books were brill. I was reading one about a month ago that kept making me chuckle out loud but can't for the life of me remember what it was now...will have to have a look along shelf.
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Post by Claire on Mar 27, 2008 20:55:02 GMT 1
Oh yes...love the dead mouse bit too. Caroline Akrill's humour is just so eccentric. Love the bit in I'd rather not gallop where she's learning to ride sidesaddle with a wooden spoon as a whip!
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Post by seahorse on Apr 6, 2008 21:20:22 GMT 1
Have just read Not Quite a Horsewoman again Caroline Akrill always has me in stiches
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Post by Claire on Apr 18, 2008 17:34:10 GMT 1
Just read The Intruders by Veronica Westlake, this is a very funny book. There is a great pony character called Flip in it who is always getting into mischief, especially with unpleasant characters. He nicks the hat of a nasty lawyer and has a little game with it, causes another man to fall in his garden pond and chases an awful housekeeper up a tree. Lots more funny bits in the book worth a read if you can get it as its very rare. All the characters both human and horse are great.
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Post by sarah on Apr 20, 2008 20:24:12 GMT 1
Just read I'd Rather Not Gallop - I chuckled at the bit where Benjamin causes chaos in the showing ring by biting the pony next to him, but manages to be looking angelic when the judge turns round, therefore winning the red rosette.
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Post by haffyfan on Apr 20, 2008 20:37:53 GMT 1
I liked Mr Marmaduke (think that was his name?). Her characters are hilarious and so well observed...I am sure there are real Nigella and Henrietta's etc out there! There surely has to be as they are so real.
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Post by sarah on Apr 22, 2008 19:45:57 GMT 1
Mr Marmaduke is great - like the way he has to keep having a quick swig from his hip flask to keep himself going - now if only I could do that at school...! The pony Benjamin is quite a character - sure he gets up to mischief in the last of the trilogy as well.
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Post by haffyfan on Apr 22, 2008 19:47:59 GMT 1
I am getting so desperate now for Caroline Canters Home the german version is my Abe basket. It will take forever to read though and I will miss the humour. Am going to give it a couple more weeks and another scour round first.
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Post by susanb on Apr 22, 2008 20:25:41 GMT 1
You know the minute you buy it in German it'll pop up in English and you'll kick yourself! Well, maybe not if both versions are cheap....then buying the German one to encourage the English version to show itself might be worth it! :-)
Seriously...just took a look round all the online places I could think of, but no luck :-(
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Post by exmoorfan on Apr 22, 2008 20:58:27 GMT 1
haffyfan ,Is it just unobtainable or very expensive.?
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Post by haffyfan on Apr 22, 2008 21:03:00 GMT 1
Rocking horse poo springs to mind!
Thanks Susanb btw.
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Post by Claire on Apr 22, 2008 21:54:45 GMT 1
I think I would commit murder to get hold of that book. Is it just me or does anyone else have a recurring dream where they go into an old second hand bookshop and find all the rarest titles they have been after for years for pennies? Or am I just nuts?
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Post by fizz on Apr 22, 2008 22:20:32 GMT 1
No Claire I often get it. I'm in the town I grew up in (which being Goole in Yorkshire) is completely without culture, but there is a 2nd hand bookshop with all the racing books I have been looking for. I wake up and realise the shop has never been there. Sad or what!
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Post by Claire on Apr 22, 2008 22:39:37 GMT 1
fizz have given you a karma for being a fellow looney ;D
BTW get a similar dream where I am in a shop full of calorie free cakes and chocs!
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Post by susanb on Apr 23, 2008 0:10:44 GMT 1
I have that dream all the time....it even came true once! (Smoke Rings by Dorothy Lyons in perfect condition, hardcover, dj, like it had never been read, for $5.00...I thought I'd have a heart attack and die on the spot!)
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