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| Methuen edition |
Regular readers may be aware that my favourite book (of its kind) is The WIND In The WILLOWS by Scottish author KENNETH GRAHAME. The book (unintentionally) started as bedtime stories for the author's son ALASTAIR, which continued in the form of letters when, sans parents, the child was on holiday with his governess in Littlehampton. The rest, as they say, is history.
In 1944, ELSPETH GRAHAME (Kenneth's widow) wrote a somewhat fanciful introduction to FIRST WHISPER Of 'The WIND In The WILLOWS', a thin booklet which included a then-hitherto unpublished short story entitled BERTIE'S ESCAPADE, along with transcriptions of Grahame's letters to his young son. I'd previously acquired a 1947 CHILDREN'S BOOK CLUB edition in 2017, but today I took possession of a 1946 METHUEN (3rd) edition with original dust-jacket.
Now all I have to do is find the time and energy to read it, but it's nice to know it's sitting on my shelf waiting for my attention. What's your favourite book from childhood or youth, fellow Crivs? (If you can remember that far back.) Tell your fellow decrepit members of this blog just what it means to you, and why.
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| The Children's Book Club edition |
15 comments:
I Never Had One! (bit pointless me responding then)I could read really well by the time i was five, but at that point i was obsessed with Thunderbirds, so it was all comics & annuals..Tv21 etc..other story's paled in comparison to those.
Later on in school i loved the 'Blue Pirate books', i think that's what they were called, they were rated by a colour code, depending on how well you could read, then things like 'a Kind of Loving' & 'Billy Liar' 'Kes' the classic Brit 60's kitchen sink Books & Movies.
Never pointless, RD, 'cos at least it shows that someone is reading these posts, not just skipping over them.
I seem to remember getting some of the books you mentioned in secondary school, as part of our English lessons - definitely got Stan Barstow's A kind Of Loving. Kes, I think I read my brother's copy, which he got after seeing the film.
I loved those Blue Pirate books too!
I didn't have one particular favourite book but I was a huge fan of the mystery books featuring the Three Investigators, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Once a week during primary school we'd go to the local library (which was right next door to the school) and I'd hunt the shelves for those books. I bought a few in paperback too.
I loved The Three Investigators books myself, CJ - still do. I've only read a couple or so Hardy Boys books and that was around 35 years ago, so perhaps I should read a few more. Nancy Drew? Nah, I'll pass - unless you can tell me why you think they're so good.
Kid, I assume you don't like Nancy Drew because those were books "for girls"? Like She-Hulk, Spiderwoman and Ms. Marvel were for girls??? I just loved those mystery books whether they were the 3 Investigators, Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew.
I Just Remembered 'The pan book Of Horror Story's,' Volume 4 i read a few times..great they were, not read any Nancy Drew, or Hardy Boys, other than Comics & annuals, the classic Dr Who Target books were my other great reads.
You should never 'assume', CJ, because when you do, you make an ASS out of U and ME. (Ho-ho.) Actually, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Spiderwoman WERE mainly for girls, weren't they? Or at least an attempt to entice more of them to read comicbooks. Nah, I just don't like the name 'Nancy'. (I've read Miss Marple books, so that's your theory up the Swanee.)
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I've got one of those Pan Horror books, RD - may even be the first one. Last read it around 1972 or '73 if I recall rightly.
For me it was the Three Investigators, Fighting Fantasy, the Target Doctor Who novels and the Hundred and One Dalmatians. My local library had two shelves, each about three feet long, one with scores of Doctor Who hardbacks and the other jammed with well-read paperback editions of the books. I borrowed all of them multiple times over the years.
I also read Biggles, Jennings, the William books, and a series of novels starring an adventurer called Norman Conquest, who was like a Saint-type character. Back then, the only Dr. Who book I'd read was Dr. Who in an exciting adventure with The Daleks. I've only read another three since then.
I forgot all about the Jennings books - they were another favourite of mine which I searched for during our weekly visits to the library.
I think it was 1972 or '73 that I last read a Jennings book, CJ. By then, William Brown was the top schoolboy on my reading list. Must try a Jennings book again and remind myself what they were like.
After reading all the Famous 5 books/Secret 7/5 Find Outers etc I moved on by Reading 3 Investigators books which were absolutely brilliant.The combination of Alfred Hitchcock(who I stupidly thought actually wrote the introductions to each book) !!!! with mystery / horror titles and stories set in the eternal sunshine and beaches in California was unbeatable. I Still read them today.
I just read a batch of them a few months back, FFF. I'll have to see if I can find some more, 'cos they're still a good read, even for adults.
The original hardback books from late 60s, early 70s are very collectable now, with prices to match, and the inside front cover(and inside back cover I think) has a fantastic image of Jupiter, Pete and Bob at night doing what they do best investigating! Iconic image I can still recall! As with most subjects in your Blog Kid, a doorway to happier times!
There's an image of the endpapers on the blog somewhere, FFF. Just type 'The Three Question Marks' into the search box to see it. A doorway to happier times indeed.
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