To not understand the appeal of Beatrix potter books.

[Organisedinacrisis]

I can remember really loving the Beatrix Potter books when I was a child. I really wanted the full boxed set of books but they were far too expensive ( seem the remember they were £90 at the time).

Fast forward twenty five years and my son was given the box set as a Christening present when he was born. He is now 4 and I have started to read them to him. They are terrible. The stories make no sense, the language is archaic and very hard to understand in places. My son does seem to be enjoying them but I honestly don't know why. The pictures are of course lovely, but surely thats not the only reason they are so popular?

Hmm. Where to start? The pictures are wonderful. The language is often very sophisticated but works at a child pleasing level. Eg: lettuces making you "soporific." There are sly gaps in the narrative which.make them rather quirky and sometimes even scary. What does your son say?

I never 'got' BPs books - either as a child or an adult desperately trying to get her DCs into them when they were younger. I understand that they are beautifully illustrated, but the stories are incredibly twee and lack any real storyline imo.

My son seems to enjoy the stories themselves. I also really liked them as a child I'm just wondering how much of them I actually understood at the time. In my head they were easy stories for young children to read which obviously they are not.

I'm not sure how you can say you don't understand the appeal yet you loved them when you were younger? So obviously they appealed to you then.

Some of them bore me to tears but Peter Rabbit is good. In fact I just read it to DD who asked why Peter's dad got made into a pie. I told her rabbit is tasty.

Its really the pictures and 'timelessness' of it.

Most 'classics' are pretty rubbish. I got loads when DS was tiny and reread them. Some were just so badly written!

Has anyone read the Emma Thompson Peter rabbit Christmas book out of interest? I'm enjoying reading te books to dd as they are challenging- gets me concentrating -like dr seuss

I can handily Peter Rabbit and at a push Gemima Puddleduck though it is odd. Squirrel Nutkins is fucking nuts though and has been "recycled". I just couldn't bear reading it.

I would hate it if we got a bloody box set.

I don't think the stories are twee. Think of jemina puddleduck. A tale of frustrated maternity.

handle!! not handily ;/

Mr Jeremy Fisher has butterfly sandwiches for lunch! We loved to go "Ewwww" over that.

I'm just waiting for the day when DD asks what the dogs did to the fox - oh the horror!

I remember my gransfather mumbling something about miximatosis (sp) when he read Peter Rabbit to us.

Rabbit tastes lovely though. You could have a Potter themed banquet.

personally I can't stand Winnie the friggin Pooh

YANBU. I never really read them when a child, but like you, DS2 (now 5) has a box set. Have started going through them at bedtime. Really looked forward to it, but.... We were alright with Peter Rabbit and Tom Kitten as I think he likes the mischief of these particular characters and the pictures. But we read Mrs TiggyWinkle last night and it was basically a meandering and slightly odd washing list with little point except maybe 'as a tiny child you can run up a mountain by yourself and it'll be fine cos you'll meet a hedgehog who likes laundry'. DS2 and I were both

Winnie the friggin Pooh is friggin marvellous

I agree some of them are a bit dull. But the Pie and the Patty Pan and Samuel Whiskers and the Roly Poly Pudding are absolutely loved by dd.

Mrs TW was my fave. She looked like my grandma.

they are beautifully illustrated and written books that don't dumb down for children. How many modern books would you get where the sparrows 'implored Peter to exert himself'?

They are really hard to read aloud, there's no 'flow' at all, not like reading Roald Dahl which is really fun.

DD is trying to get me to read Winnie The Pooh again - we have the giant VolumeOfItAll. It's going to the charity shop.
I hate it.

I'm not all horrid though. I will read Dr Seuss until the cows come home and even know certain books by heart for reciting on car journeys.

I like Mrs Tittlemouse, Jeremy Fisher, Squirrel Nutkin, Timmy Tiptoes, Flopsy Bunnies, Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit - off the top of my head these all have proper stories (bizarre as they might be in places).

I like the riddles in Squirrel Nutkin, and the fact that he's an utter pain in the arse so you have some sympathy with the owl.

I agree that they are not the best. I do remember being scared to death by that fat rat in a waistcoat in, what was it, Samuel Whiskers?

I also confess to feeling the same way about The Wind In The Willows. Sacrilege I daresay, but blimey, they do go on a bit.

Clunking. There, I said it. Heathen

Oh - The Tale Of Mr Tod!

How i loved reading and re reading that as a child. As an adult reading it to my DCs i found real humour in the narrative which i missed as a child.

'' I have made many books about well-behaved people. Now, for a change I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod. Nobody could call Mr. Tod "nice". The rabbits could not bear him; they could smell him half a mile off.''

... I'm 6 again reading that :)

Oh I love BP. I have the complete collection. I would rather read more traditional stories to any children I have in the future than Peppa Pig.

Jemma puddle duck sits outside my front door too

I read DD the Tailor of Gloucester the other day. Or I started to. I didn't understand a bloody word of it.