Recent reading

[luzula]

The Blue Hawk by Peter Dickinson (read in Swedish)
Reread. I loved this book when I was young, and on reread, I still do. It's set in a world inspired by ancient Egypt, though with different names, and the protagonist is a young priest-in-training who upsets a ritual. And it unfolds from there, ending up in a place which feels very thoughtful and original to me (I don't want to spoil it). The setting is well done, too--the temple, the rituals, the hawk-hunting, it all feels so vivid.

The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit (Librivox audiobook read by Karen Savage)
Reread. skygiants recent post inspired me to read some Nesbit, although I chose this particular book because I knew I liked the reader. Awwww, this is charming and has some lovely sibling interactions. I'd forgotten the bit with the Russian dissident (apparently Nesbit was friends with Kropotkin, among others). It's funny though that the children mostly interact with adults? Although there are some other kids at the end of the book.

Comments

[heliopausa]

It's funny though that the children mostly interact with adults?

I think it's because the interaction between town middle-class children and village children would have been very complicated to write - too many barriers to negotiate.

[luzula]

Oh, that's an interesting point--thanks.

[skygiants]

I think the thing I didn't like as much about the Railway Children when I was young was not enough kids, too many adults! I suspect I would feel differently about it now.

[luzula]

I liked the adults as such, I was just wondering why they don't play with other children. But maybe the comment above is the explanation...