Winter wonderland

[altariel]

Duty forced me to go to the Haunted Bookshop (a specialist children's bookshop), where I found Elizabeth Enright's Thimble Summer, a book I have wanted to read since I was... ooh, eleven or twelve, and read the summary of it in the back of one of her other books. I'm pleased as Punch.

Oh yes, anyone in this neck of the woods who wants to lay their paws on Doctor Who books should get themselves down to the Haunted Bookshop: a stack of Target novelizations, some New and Missing Adventures, a small pile of DWMs, and various other bits and pieces such as quiz books etc.

After a hard slog around the bookshop, it was time to go and see The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe. Well, of course I'm sentimental and easily moved, so I loved it to bits. I could probably pick out a few things here and there which were a bit clumsy or not as well realized as I would have liked, but overall I was enchanted.

The children were all very good (which I was worried might not be the case). I thought all of them were sympathetically handled: Peter and Susan struggling to be the adults and nowhere near old enough to be doing it. Edmund constantly getting it wrong and only earning the scorn of his older brother when he wants approbation. There really was a feeling at the end that this was an experience which alters them in such a way that leaving four children on the thrones of Narnia isn't a hideous tactical error that would be followed up in short order by a Calormene invasion.

The bit which I thought was going to be ghastly, but which was brilliantly realized, was the meeting with Father Christmas. Understated; very well played. One of my favourite bits.

Tilda Swinton was brilliant, and I thoroughly coveted her lion's mane battle wig. Not to mention the chariot and the ice palace and the minions, but let's not be greedy.

I thought it ended a little abruptly: there was a lot of set-up about the evacuation at the start (very well done), which didn't feel quite paid off at the end.

Most of all it felt completely Narnian. I think trying to compare it to the LotR films would be a mistake: they're just not the same thing. It conveyed the enchantment of the book to me. I'd happily sit through it again.

I got Turkish Delight in last night for my reading group, and I'm away now to finish off what's left (not much!).

Comments

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

I loved it too.

But am I a bad Narnia fan if I think Turkish Delight is repulsive?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It makes you more immune to witches! Gorgeous icon.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

Which one is Thimble Summer? I used to have a bunch of Enright books and I can't recall if that was one of them - the only one whose title I can remember is The Saturdays (or was it The Saturday Club?).

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thimble Summer is the one where the little girl living on a farm finds a thimble at the start of the summer and good things happen for the next few months (I think, I've only had chance to read the blurb!).

The Saturdays is the first of the books about the Melendy family; the others are The Four-Storey Mistake, Then There Were Five, and Spiderweb for Two. Are those the ones you had? (The editions I have are Puffin ones with beige covers.)

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

That's it, I just had the Melendy ones, so I've not read Thimble Summer.

There used to be a fantastic second-hand bookshop in Bournemouth, an old church packed floor to ceiling with books, and they had an enormous children's book section. All my Tove Jansson books came from there, so did the Enright books and a few of the Antonia Forests. They knocked it down a few years back to build an ugly apartment block, and I've never found a bookshop I loved as much since.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

an old church packed floor to ceiling with books

How awful, to knock down a place like that :-(

Thimble Summer is turning out to be lovely, btw.

[jomacmouse.livejournal.com]

You are an evil woman, m'dear, mentioning good bookshops that are well out of my way :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

:-) It's a tiny wee place, but every inch of it is stacked with books. Vaguely ordered - but very vaguely. Which means you have to browse, which means you find treasures.

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review. I've yet to see it, and I'm glad it's turned out a successful film when it could easily have become generic fantasy. 'Completely Narnian' sounds great.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

temeres got it right in his review when he pointed out what it owes to Pauline Baynes' illustrations. (Detailed review, if you're avoiding film-specific spoilers... I guess you already know the plot of the book!)

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for successful book-shopping!

And I'm very relieved to read your thoughts on the Narnia films. (And yummy icon too!)

There's a film poster on the bus shelter where I get the bus home from work and it's Tilda Swinton as Jadis, in chain mail sweeping skirt, what looks like a combination of ironmongery and corsetry, a feathery, fur mantle around her shoulders, flying hair, spiky metal headdress, and swirling swords about it her. She looks gorgeous, and I'm hoping the rest of the film lives up to that too, and it sounds like it does.

Mmm, Turkish Delight. Take me, I'm yours.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I read Thimble Summer last night and it was lovely. Not as textured as the Melendy books, but I think they were written later. There were various bits of story and character that she uses again in the Melendy books. Also it was set on a farm in Wisconsin - it was like Little House in the Big Woods had been given a sequel a generation or two on.

I was prepared to be very generous to the film, but in the event there wasn't much to complain about (the Professor was a bit of a disappointment, but then he's probably my favourite character). Lucy's first trip through the wardrobe was perfect, and if they get that right, then you're on the filmmakers' side for the rest of the film.

All of Tilda's frocks are great, but that one sounds like her battledress, and it was particularly magnificent.

Mmm, Turkish Delight. Take me, I'm yours.

Full of Eastern Promise.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

Thimble Summer sounds fascinating - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I've got tickets now to see the film on Sunday (in the cinema in the screen with the leather sofas and footstools, so we'll be all comfy), and I'm looking forward to it.

I think the one on the poster must be her battledress, and it looks splendid. I can't wait to see it in action.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Hope you had a comfy and enjoyable time.

Mr A.'s review is downthread.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

We did. And thanks for the pointer to Mr A's review.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for your book-shopping! I haven't been in the Haunted Bookshop for a few weeks, so am definitely overdue. That's a lovely feeling, where you've read about something and wanted it, and then you manage to get it.

I'm glad you enjoyed the film. Tilda Swinton looks fabulous in the pictures I've seen. I'd want to see it just for her, apart from anything else.

Turkish Delight. Mmmm.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I hadn't been since katlinel was here, and there was a ton of new stock to sift through (didn't quite manage it before I had to rush off to catch the film; must go in again next week).

It's worth seeing just for Tilda, but there's a great deal more to enjoy.

[trixieleitz]

I enjoyed it, too.

Tilda had this fab '80s shoulderpad thing going on all the way through, and I totally dug her battlefrock :)

Enjoy your Turkish Delight!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The battlefrock was fabulous! Her make-up was terrific too.

The Turkish Delight was yummy. There really wasn't that much left though!

[hafren.livejournal.com]

leaving four children on the thrones of Narnia isn't a hideous tactical error that would be followed up in short order by a Calormene invasion.

Myself I suspect that the rationale for that was that he hadn't invented Calormen at the time.

I wonder if the evacuation stuff was done because the original book audience would have known why the kids were where they were and TPTB thought a modern one would be fatally puzzled? I was reading a story the other day with a group of students and came on the place-name Oradour-sur-Glane. I expected they'd all share the same frisson I felt as I realised what was going to happen - turned out none of them had ever heard of it. They weren't all 18 either - some at least in their mid-30s. History gets lost very quickly.

[temeres.livejournal.com]

I'm 42 and I haven't heard of it either. < Quick Google search > Ah. A bit before my time, actually.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard of it. (Mid-30s too.)

Gosh, but I liked it!

[(Anonymous)]

I've just got back from the cinema (or is that the *ahem* "Movie Theater") in snowy Wisconsin (v. Xmassy, well done America!) having seen the Narnimovie. I'd agree wholeheartedly with A's review - mostly great, mostly very Narnian, Saint Nick v. well executed (Santa?! - executed?!! NO!), mostly v. pagan but with moment of terribly heavy-handed xtian imagery that nearly ruined it for me - just like the books, in fact.

But the best thing was the little girl who couldn't have been more than five or six in the seat next to me, watching it from between her hands and/or in her mummy's lap, because it was proper scary when it should be.

And oh yes - everyone should have a battle frock.

Mr A.

Re: Gosh, but I liked it!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

As we know, Santa was gnawed to death by his reindeer.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

Well, there goes my theory that Mrs Claus swiped off his head with a ninja throwing star made of frozen reindeer poop.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

Yay, battlefrocks for all!

Is that another election promise?

[avon7.livejournal.com]

I grew up with Thimble Summe5r and I'm very fond of it, so not as much as I am of Spiderwebs for Two. I love that one to bits. I'm also fond of Goneaway Swamp - don't know if you know it. Enright does play the same themes over and over again and Thimble Summer contains lots of 'shadows' of the Melendy books, IMO.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Spiderweb for Two is my favourite of hers too, such a lovely book. I've read one of the Gone-Away books, the sequel - still have to track down the first one.