Gosh, yes, timeless -- these books have NEVER felt like they were from the sixties to me, except for the covers. Bonnie and Syl could very much could have been the starchier, sturdier contemporaries of Frances Hodgson Burnett's Secret Garden kids (circa 1910) or Theodosia Throckmorton or, of course, the Baudelaire siblings. I have read and reread this book, and the Wolves as a set are on my Someday I Will Find This In Fancy Hard-Cover list. I should make a point to read everything Joan Aiken has ever written, though I think I've read all the Wolves. I've been a bit scared they wouldn't hold up, but... I want to do it anyway. (I think she published her last book in the early 2000's, I wonder how much her voice and character inclusiveness might have changed. Hm...)
Also, you've gotta love Miss Slighcarp. I mean, talk about having the courage of your convictions. Full On Wicked is a truly bold mindset, and she really does it justice. Wearing Mama's clothing always gives me full-on vapours. I mean, THE NERVE. The steel-plated nerve! She's truly one of my favorite villainesses.
Gosh, our shared brain strikes AGAIN, because I thought *a lot* of The Secret Garden while I was reading it this time—specifically because of the Simon/Dickon similarities, and the idealized portrayal of "simple" living as wholesome/healthy!!
And oh, yes, the Baudelaires. A million years ago when I was working at the bookstore, the Snicket books were MASSIVELY popular, so we pushed Aiken HARD to tide readers over between releases. (And we all loved her wayyyyyyyyyyyy more, so we all hoped she'd end up picking up more steam, but it never felt like she caught on the same way, sigh.)
Agree on Miss Slighcarp!!! I'd been toying with writing an AITA-style post from her perspective, but as she had NO SHAME WHATSOEVER, I couldn't make the premise work, LOL. I'm still rolling it around in my brain, because the idea of fictional villains writing to Reddit for moral judgement makes me laugh.
Gosh, yes, timeless -- these books have NEVER felt like they were from the sixties to me, except for the covers. Bonnie and Syl could very much could have been the starchier, sturdier contemporaries of Frances Hodgson Burnett's Secret Garden kids (circa 1910) or Theodosia Throckmorton or, of course, the Baudelaire siblings. I have read and reread this book, and the Wolves as a set are on my Someday I Will Find This In Fancy Hard-Cover list. I should make a point to read everything Joan Aiken has ever written, though I think I've read all the Wolves. I've been a bit scared they wouldn't hold up, but... I want to do it anyway. (I think she published her last book in the early 2000's, I wonder how much her voice and character inclusiveness might have changed. Hm...)
Also, you've gotta love Miss Slighcarp. I mean, talk about having the courage of your convictions. Full On Wicked is a truly bold mindset, and she really does it justice. Wearing Mama's clothing always gives me full-on vapours. I mean, THE NERVE. The steel-plated nerve! She's truly one of my favorite villainesses.
Gosh, our shared brain strikes AGAIN, because I thought *a lot* of The Secret Garden while I was reading it this time—specifically because of the Simon/Dickon similarities, and the idealized portrayal of "simple" living as wholesome/healthy!!
And oh, yes, the Baudelaires. A million years ago when I was working at the bookstore, the Snicket books were MASSIVELY popular, so we pushed Aiken HARD to tide readers over between releases. (And we all loved her wayyyyyyyyyyyy more, so we all hoped she'd end up picking up more steam, but it never felt like she caught on the same way, sigh.)
Agree on Miss Slighcarp!!! I'd been toying with writing an AITA-style post from her perspective, but as she had NO SHAME WHATSOEVER, I couldn't make the premise work, LOL. I'm still rolling it around in my brain, because the idea of fictional villains writing to Reddit for moral judgement makes me laugh.