The next batch of Antonia Forest's Marlow books includes two of my very favourites, End of Term (the Christmas play one) and Peter's Room (Gondalling). I've also become quite attached to The Thuggery Affair, usually described as flawed but interesting -- but as time's gone on, I find I can overlook the flaws (the complicated Ted-talk, the inherent implausibility of the plot) in favour of enjoying the novel's strengths (adroit characterisation, Lawrie's chicklet adventure, the philosophical discussions between Jukie and Patrick on the run).
Objectively. End of Term is probably the best of the bunch, with lots to enjoy, mostly the shifting friendships between Lawrie and Tim, Nicola and Miranda, and of course the utter wormishness of Lois Sanger, Nicola's nemesis. I always love the last few chapters, where we see the Christmas play unfold through the eyes of Patrick Merrick, and the still silent snowy beauty of the Cathedral before the gigantic blood-for-breakfast row to come.
Peter's Room will always hold a special place in my heart. I actually enjoy the Gondal sections (skipped over by many readers) though only in the light of the real world happenings through which they're interleaved -- I certainly couldn't take a whole book of them. And when will someone take the firearms away from Peter? So far he's shot a Nazi, a hawk and now nearly Patrick (nearly Rowan, too). Though technically it's Patrick holding the gun this time, it's still Peter's carelessness that left the pistol loaded.
Up to this point, the Marlow novels could all be set vaguely 'after the war,' but with Thuggery, we land in the 1960s with a definite bang. Partly this is because we're interacting with the world outside school and Trennels, with cafe bars, cinemas, pop music on radios, and driving through the night, makeup and clothes are important, and the very presence of the Thuggery boys, a particular brand of juvenile delinquents, situate us firmly in one possible decade only.
Coming into the home strait now with only four novels to go. The next two are excellent but unfortunately the last two are my least favourite of the series. Oh well, I'm committed now.
I must find some of these books! She's a prolific writer I have inexplicably completely missed out on. But while I am trawling through Op Shop junior books I keep finding more and more prolific writers I've never heard of...though why I am surprised by that, I don't know. However, working in second hand books for nearly a decade, you'd think I'd have come across some Marlows ... Maybe the owners keep them?
ReplyDeleteForest is like a cult, her devotees tend to hold the books close, and she never sold massively well. I have had some lucky op shop finds but Girls Gone By have filled in the gaps. It is amazing how there are so many writers who I've overlooked -- but on the bright side, so many treats to discover.
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