kernow_reader

My strongest memory of childhood reading is one of staying up 'till nearly midnight reading "The Railway Children" which my brother had just given me about 9pm that evening. I also remeber him giving me a hardback copy of Enid Blyton's "Hollow Tree House" which I lived, slept and dreamt for weeks. Another time he took me to the library and I got a book about a blue cat. All my life I have wanted to own a bright blue cat like the one in the book..

Oooh..I just joined the other day and I can write on this too, yes? In junior school I used to love Enid Blyton's Mallory Towers books. In senior school we read HG Wells "The History of Mr Polly" and Shakespeare's "Henry V for O-Level. For A-level we read Walter Scott's "Guy Mannering", Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey" and Shakespeare's "Anthony and Cleopatra". I remember our English teacher making us read John Wyndham's "The Kracken Wakes" which I hated....yeuch. But he then wowed me by reading Alexander Pope's poem "The Rape of the Lock" so he was forgiven. I used to read my kids (now aged 17, 21 and 23) stories in silly voices, one to match each character in the tale. Their favourite was Roald Dahl's "The BFG". Even now they embarass me about it.

I get fiercely possessive of my books. On the rare occassions I have given one away I've lived to regret it.

I'm also enjoying this book. Started it last night and liked it straight away. Good choice!

Just joined but here is my contribution... "If dying turns out to be nothing but a trick that might as well be a trick with words, if death is a mere hiccup in time after which life goes on as before, why all the fuss? Is one allowed to refuse it - refuse this deathlessness, this puny fate? I want my old life back, the one that came to an end on Magill Road." "slow man" J.M. Coetzee.