frankie Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Ha yes so it does. It also stands for 'No More Jam Sandwiches' .. which is another January .. tightening your belt sort of thing Don't confuse it with February, when you can have jam again. "Need More Jam Sandwiches" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Don't confuse it with February, when you can have jam again. "Need More Jam Sandwiches" I should say Roll on February!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 Definitely roll on pay day anyway. I've got a serious case of too much month left at the end of the money! This is the main advantage of my new year's res - it doesn't cost me anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson I'd convinced myself that I'd read this a number of years ago, but in all honesty the only part of the book that felt familiar was the final line. I either read some hatchet job "condensed" version, or my memory isn't what it was. Whatever, I really enjoyed re-reading this. Some books from this era can be a bit difficult to read; the writing style is very dense. Perfect for quiet evenings in front of the fire with nothing else to do, but more difficult if trying to read in todays world where I sometimes struggle to find 10 minutes to snatch a few pages. Classic books demand commitment from their readers! Not so with this. The writing is easy and fluid. This book would be considered a childrens book these days, but I don't believe it was written as such (and frankly who cares anyway - like that's gonna stop me reading any book!) and is just simply enjoyable. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 And so, onto Kidnapped. Reading Treasure Island has really fired up my enthusiam for reading this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) This book would be considered a childrens book these days, but I don't believe it was written as such (and frankly who cares anyway - like that's gonna stop me reading any book!) and is just simply enjoyable. 4/5 I agree, it's a great read, adult or child, but being the pedant I am, I couldn't pass this by without responding! Both Treasure Island and Kidnapped were first published as serials in a children's magazine called "Young Folks", so presumably he intended them as children's books. And so what?! More to the point, I really enjoyed Treasure Island, but absolutely adored Kidnapped. Hope you enjoy it as much. Edited January 19, 2015 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I haven't read Treasure Island yet. I had a copy but I seem to have mislaid it. Have you read Moonfleet by J Meade Falkner? That was also written for children but is now considered a classic. I read it last year and thought it was excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Treasure Island is on my TBR, I'm glad you enjoyed (re)-reading it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I've never read the full version of Kidnapped but I know I had a shortened, illustrated version as a child. I don't remember anything except a couple of pictures, but I think I liked it - maybe I should give the full thing a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I'm so happy that you enjoyed Treasure Island! And I'm particularly happy that it's ignited your enthusiasm to read more by Stevenson. I'm sure you'll be bosom buddies with classics by the end of the year I agree, it's a great read, adult or child, but being the pedant I am, I couldn't pass this by without responding! Both Treasure Island and Kidnapped were first published as serials in a children's magazine called "Young Folks", so presumably he intended them as children's books. And so what?! I didn't know that, that's interesting! Oh the days when there were paper magazines... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) I haven't read Treasure Island yet. I had a copy but I seem to have mislaid it. Have you read Moonfleet by J Meade Falkner? That was also written for children but is now considered a classic. I read it last year and thought it was excellent. Read that a couple of months ago. Definitely a good read, and is in the same style, but for me it's not quite at the same level as the two Stevenson books; but if you asked me why, I'd find it difficult to pinpoint the reason. Lots of very little ones accumulating I think. Edited January 20, 2015 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Read that a couple of months ago. Definitely a good read, and is in the same style, but for me it's not quite at the same level as the two Stevenson books; but if you asked me why, I'd find it difficult to pinpoint the reason. Lots of very little ones accumulating I think. Sorry, my post about Moonfleet was meant for Ian - I should have quoted his post. I remember you reading it and enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 I agree, it's a great read, adult or child, but being the pedant I am, I couldn't pass this by without responding! Both Treasure Island and Kidnapped were first published as serials in a children's magazine called "Young Folks", so presumably he intended them as children's books. And so what?! More to the point, I really enjoyed Treasure Island, but absolutely adored Kidnapped. Hope you enjoy it as much. I didn't know that Willoyd - I admit that particular "fact" came from Wikipedia, (that he wrote adult fiction now considered children's) so that's my comeuppance for lazy research! As it happens, my first experience of Kidnapped, and probably of RLS was from a "Boy's book of Adventure stories" that I was given at around age ten. It included an excerpt from early in the book that had always stuck with me, so I'd always wanted to know how it turned out. Well, 35 years later, I've finally got around to it! I haven't read Treasure Island yet. I had a copy but I seem to have mislaid it. Have you read Moonfleet by J Meade Falkner? That was also written for children but is now considered a classic. I read it last year and thought it was excellent. Moonfleet was one of our set texts at sencondary school. I'd already read it by then as my brother had a copy. I would agree it's a fantastic book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson Set in Scotland in 1751, Kidnapped remains one of the most exciting stories ever written. Young David Balfour, orphaned then betrayed by his Uncle Ebenezer, his so-called guardian, falls in with Alan Breck, the unscrupulous but heroic champion of the Jacobite cause. Shipwreck, murder and dramatic escape through the Highlands are just a few of the ingredients of this highly charged tale of intrigue, action and adventure. My thoughts As I said above, I've been waiting a long time to read this book, having read an excerpt in an adventure stories for boys compendium when I was about ten. I really did enjoy this book. There is no let up in the pace of the story; poor old David Balfour goes from one disaster to the next, yet at no point did I feel that what was happening was unlikely. It's a fairly easy read as well. My only difficulty was with some of the Scottish dialect words; the Kindle edition I was reading, downloaded from Guttenberg for free, didn't have notes that explained all of them. In fact, it seemed only to explain the ones I already knew! Still, thanks to the internet, I managed to solve most of these in a matter of seconds, only the word "wame" giving me a problem (it's belly, apparantly!) Still, I wouldn't be without the dialect in this, or any book. It makes it seem more realistic. Well recomended - 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 My only difficulty was with some of the Scottish dialect words; I remember that Great book, glad you enjoyed it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I've just downloaded a (free) version from Amazon. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I'm glad you enjoyed it, Ian! I think the Scottish dialect would really confuse me. I don't own the book, though I'm glad to hear a free version is available. I might be able to understand a Dutch translated version better, but I don't think I'd fare all that well with Scottish dialect of back in those days . I would be able to understand some Dutch dialects in books or even Flemish, so maybe it's a similar thing for England and Scottish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Glad you loved Kidnapped , as I couldn't get into that one after a couple of chapters - I found that Scottish-ness was far too....twee, for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Glad you loved Kidnapped , as I couldn't get into that one after a couple of chapters - I found that Scottish-ness was far too....twee, for me. Plus, I found it got more Scottish as it went along - so it seemed to me anyway. There came a point where I was reading it in a Scottish accent in my head. I guess that's the point, so that worked. It made it more real for me, but I can certainly understand how it could make it difficult to read. I've decided on a change of direction, but still on the older books theme. So, now I'm reading " The ragged-trousered philanthropists" by Robert Tressell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 There came a point where I was reading it in a Scottish accent in my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is a classic representation of the impoverished and politically powerless underclass of British society in Edwardian England, ruthlessly exploited by the institutionalised corruption of their employers and the civic and religious authorities. Epic in scale, the novel charts the ruinous effects of the laissez-faire mercantilist ethics on the men, women, and children of the working classes, and through its emblematic characters, argues for a socialist politics as the only hope for a civilized and humane life for all. It is a timeless work whose political message is as relevant today as it was in Tressell’s time. For this it has long been honoured by the Trade Union movement and thinkers across the political spectrum. My Thoughts. I was naturally sympathetic to this book, as my politics leans towards the left and I used to be a union rep (for my pains). This book was written just over a hundred years ago, and the first thing that struck me was, in some ways, very little has changed. Mixed with that, I felt at times quite sad - Robert Tressell obviously believed quite passionately in the socialist system, and argues for it quite effectively. But here we are 100 years later, most attempts at running socialist governments have failed utterly and brutally. Still, this is a book review, not a political debate. Did I enjoy the book? Some parts. At times I found it too long: I wanted less preaching of the politics and more story. The best parts of this book (and for me, the most effective) were the more satirical parts - Bert showing his Pandarama at the children's party; the council meeting; the beano. These were the parts that for me showed how unfair Edwardian society was. Sometimes, I felt the book got a bit preachy. For that. I can only give it 3/5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 For a complete change of pace, I'm reading all five "Pop Larkin" novels by H.E Bates. I picked these up as an anthology in a charity shop for £1.59. I'd actually picked them up for my mother-in-law, who was after something to read, but she wasn't particularly interested, so I took it home myself. I've read the first two (The Darling Buds of May & A Breath of French Air) before, after being told about them by my dad at the time that the TV series came out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I read the first two books over the Christmas holiday … one was on our English Counties Challenge list, and I enjoyed it so decided to read the second one as well. I intend to finish off the series at some point. I never watched the television series, but I was familiar with the actors who played the various characters, and I couldn't get them out of my head while reading the books. Hope you enjoy them, Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 The Darling Buds of May by H.E.Bates 'Home looks nice. Allus does though, don't it? Perfick' And so the Larkins - Pop, Ma, Mariette, Zinnia, Petunia, Primrose, Victoria and Montgomery - return from an outing for fish and chips and ice cream one May evening. There, amid the rustic charms of home, they discover a visitor: one Cedric Charlton, Her Majesty's inspector of taxes. Mr Charlton is visiting to find out why junk-dealer Pop hasn't paid his tax - but nothing's that simple at the Larkins. Mariette takes a shine to 'Charley' - as Pop calls him - and before long the family have introduced the uncomplaining inspector to the delights of country living: the lusty scents of wild flowers, the pleasures of a bottle of Dragon's Blood, cold cream dribbled over a bowl of strawberries and hot, hot summer nights. In fact, soon Charley can't see any reason to return to the office at all My Thoughts. It's almost the perfect (or should I say perfick) time of year to read this book. Forget the plot, such as it is, the joy of this book is the wonderful use of language. You aren't reading about long, hot late spring days in England: you are there. Sitting reading this in a cold, grey February day, this book is the perfect antidote. It's a bit dated now - The "shock" of discovering that Ma and Pop aren't actually married is nothing now, but I suppose it was still a big thing at the time. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Good to hear you enjoyed reading it again, Ian … "perfick" reading for a wintry day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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