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Whiteoaks of Jalna and other guilty pleasures...

8 replies

KurriKurri · 30/08/2010 15:19

I was reminded of these by the Delderfield thread.

I read all the Whiteoaks books as a teenager and loved them. I know they have many faults and are classist/chauvinistic etc. etc., so I'm quite prepared to be shouted down but they are a guilty pleasure, - I have a very soft spot for the rather tortured Finch.

Anyone else know them, or do you have a different 'guilty pleasure' book of your own?

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SugarSkyHigh · 30/08/2010 19:39

oh my goodness, I'd forgotten all about these until I saw this thread! I read lots of them as a teenager too. Can't remember much about it but I think I had something for Finch too.... wasn't there someone called Pheasant?

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KurriKurri · 30/08/2010 20:59

Yes Sugar - Pheasant was Maurice Vaughan's illegitimate daughter (He was Meg's sweetheart). I thought I was going to be the only one who'd read them

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londonartemis · 31/08/2010 13:01

I've read them too. Loved them as a teenager. Was Finch the pianist? I have always loved the name Eden since readnig those books, although I think it was a male in the book, and I like it for a girl!

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KurriKurri · 31/08/2010 14:04

Yes Finch was the pianist, he was rather looked down on by the more macho brothers. You are right about the names (Eden, Piers, Finch and Wakefield were the young brothers)- if I'd had my children when I was younger, they'd have ended up with Whiteoak names

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bruffin · 31/08/2010 14:09

Wow I had completely forgotten about these books, it must be over 30 years since I read them. I don't suppose they are in print anymore.

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KurriKurri · 31/08/2010 14:25

I don't think they are bruffin, I borrowed them from the library as a teenager, then collected my own copies from 2nd hand bookshops. Probably available 2nd hand on amazon though.

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SugarSkyHigh · 31/08/2010 14:54

How come they never did a film or TV adaptation of the Jalna books? i would have thought they would be perfect for adaptation. Maybe they did and it passed me by...

I'm feeling I want to revisit these now .. but as I recall there were about 25 of them!

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KurriKurri · 31/08/2010 15:56

Sugar there were 16, - so quite a marathon to get through I think there was a TV series (Google says yes), but it passed me by too. Possibly made for Canadian TV and not shown here.