One thing that can affect your enjoyment of a book when you’re older is a certain sense of deja-vu. I read a lot of Diana Wynne Jones as a kid and J.K. Rowlings’ books reminded me of her, specifically the Chrestomanci books. Discovering who or what the author drew on for inspiration can affect your enjoyment as well. Take Lewis. He was a total magpie – a kid goes through a wardrobe in a story by Nesbit (‘The Aunt and Amabel’) for example.

Freddie is a clever pig who tries out lots of different avocations, like detective and magician. Part of the humor in the books is that the oddness of animals talking is acknowledged.
The playwright is Anthony Clarvoe; he writes good plays (and he has read a lot of chess books, as research for one of his plays!)

It’s AWESOME. It is a bit strange and sad but (spoiler) triumphant at the ending. And, as you like it, working from isolation toward relationship.

You’re quite right, of course. Part of what I mean is that gray areas like that are hard to explain to a four-year-old. You can be a racist bigot and still be a good person!

No, I agree! But why does everyone get to yell at C.S. Lewis for being didactic if you’re going to stand up for LMA so much? I like LMA a lot. She occasionally gets saccharine, but mostly she’s pretty badass.

Oh, no, I disagree with Mumsy (how do I dare?) I still love Wrinkle in Time as much as ever.

We just listened to Swallows and Amazons in the car on cd, and it was wonderful! You could write a thesis on the orientalist discourse in the book, but that aside, it was so refreshing to listen to a story that did not rely on cliff hangers ever other page to keep its plot going. My husband and I were so charmed by it, and amazed at the kids’ independence. Our youngest two (8 and 5) just loved the story and the camaraderie of the siblings.

I have read the books for adults, and loved them. This makes it especially sad that I can’t fall head over heels for the cartoon strips.