Comments on: Cuckoo in the Nest, Michelle Magorian

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 20:40:57 +0000

Re-reading ‘Cuckoo…’ after about 3 years…fantastic description of life in post-war Britain and the sense that the ‘war’ was not over! Out of interest, Elsie’s story is continued in ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ and an older Ralph makes a quick appearance in ‘Just Henry’…I love it when authors overlap their characters!

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:50:03 +0000

In reply to NWK (@MumsyNancy). Whyyyyyy? Mumsy whyyyyyyy? You get bored, is that why?

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:48:02 +0000

In reply to Sharon. Well there you go! That's exactly what Ralph does, and it's how he keeps getting to come back. The best thing about PaperbackSwap is the wish lists, I'm telling you. It took me a while to fully appreciate them, but damn, they are the best. It is so nice to log into my email in the morning and find a Wish Granted email in my inbox.

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:47:04 +0000

In reply to Ash.

Yes yes yes to everything you’ve said. I shrieked with joy that you have read Power of Three–I love it when people are familiar with Diana Wynne Jones’s not-as-popular books. As I get older and older, I’m more and more impressed with the emotional insight in her books. I love how the father-son relationship resolves in Power of Three too, and Gair finds out his father’s really proud of him all along.

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:45:53 +0000

In reply to Charlotte. Oh gosh! I wonder why they changed it so much for the US. I've got Not a Swan on my PaperbackSwap wish list, and I'll just have to hope that they send me the US one. There's an entire character in the US book that isn't in the UK one?

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:45:00 +0000

In reply to Bookgazing. Hahaha, you know, I kind of felt that way too. I thought that would have made it a more interesting book in a lot of ways.

By: NWK (@MumsyNancy)

NWK (@MumsyNancy) — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 23:50:53 +0000

Haha, all I could think of while reading this post was Graham Chapman blustering, “Toongsten carbide drill? What t’ bluidy ‘ell is a toongsten carbide drill?” and then you posted the link! Joy! Also, now I really want to read other Michelle Magorian novels. Alas, I have not been able to read Back Home. Don’t know why; just can’t get past the first chapter.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 22:58:26 +0000

Tangent regarding irresponsible people in theater: my sister is a theater professional, and I can tell you, if you show up, pay attention remember things, do your job, don’t complain, and offer to help out, you are ahead of a lot of people and likely to be looked on as gifted. Basically, make the stage manager like you.

I haven’t been on PB Swap in ages; time to log in!

By: Ash

Ash — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 13:36:30 +0000

My heart nearly skipped a beat when you said ‘Power of Three’ because it seems relatively obscure compared to the rest of DWJ’s oeuvre and the family dynamics and uncomfortable father-son relationship in it was so beautifully subtle that I get a lump in my throat every time I think of it. What is great in both stories is how the muddles and misunderstandings in those relationships are resolved – it’s like both father and son realize that they are not each other’s enemies and that the people closest to you might show their love for you in ways that you might not realize or even understand, because sometimes it’s not that kind of relationship (where being demonstratively affectionate is super non-awkward). Also that while the fathers might never fully understand their children, they kind of bemusedly and lovingly release them into the wild in the end.
I never linked these two books in my head so thank you for that revelation 🙂

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 10:19:38 +0000

I agree–not quite her strongest, but still very good. Never Jam Today is about Ralph’s sister…

My faovrite of her books is Not a Swan, published in the UK as A Litlte Love Song. It’s about sisters on the verge of being grown-ups evacuated to the countryside during WW II, and how they cope. The US edition is very different indeed from the UK one–there’s a third sister. I read them both, thinking they were different books, and like the US one much better!