Antonia Forest, The Marlows and their Maker

[OrlandaFuriosa]

by Ann Heazlewood, couldn't put it down. Wanted it to go on longer, with longer discussions about the friends, not just Patrick. . But Tim, Esther, Miranda etc

Anyone else read it?

Yes, I have and enjoyed it, though it was a while ago.

If you aren't already aware of Trennels, the forum at Live Journal, it's worth looking at - loads of discussions about the books and characters, including a fairly recent re-read and in depth discussion of all the books.

I read Trennels from time to time, find myself getting obsessed and stop, clearly time for a revisit.
AH says a biography was due out, must check. Mind you, I think I find her fictional lives more interesting than her own. Bit like the Brontes, how did their imagination encompass something so out of experience.

There's very little being posted on Trennels nowadays, sadly, but lots of fascinating historic discussions to read. The read-through of the whole Marlow's series was particularly enthralling.

I wish I had known about the AF workshop day that took place years ago.

So I discovered when I last looked at it. Did Sue Sims' biography gone out and if so what was it like? Know I could JFGI but if someone has views on it, helpful.

I think a lot of people get notifications if something gets posted there, as on the rare occasions that it does, it usually get quite rapid responses, which doesnt' always happen in other little-traffic forums that people have to actively check - so if there's anything you want to discuss, do just post it. It doesn't matter that there hasn't been much recently. There was still talk of doing a re-read of the Players Boy books, and the other one, Thursday Kidnapping, so if those happen, it might get more active generally again.

I haven't heard anything about Sue Sims' biog. Can only find Celebrating Antonia Forest, which I believe is papers from the workshop day.

Sue sims? Sue sams? Gave I got the name wrong? Was mentioned in the Heazlewood.

No you had the name right - I just meant I hadn't heard that Sue Sims was writing a biog of AF, or that one had been published.

AH said age was, but perhaps it was overtaken by that article. Tbh, more interested in discussion of the novels than AF's life.

I still think the novels are interesting, but for the reasons most novels are interesting - the characterization, the originality, the quality of the writing etc - not for what they say about her life, which might be relatively little, although I do think Kingscote has got to have some inspiration from South Hampstead High. Her life does appear to have been quite boring in many ways(I'm not saying I'm an expert on it)as well as sometimes financially strained, but like the Brontes, her imagination transcended her life, and the books are still worth reading.

I love her history books. I got them last year for ds who'd loved Cue for Treason.
Interestingly Cue for treason and The Players Boys set are quite similar in both ideas and the characterisation of Shakespeare.

I recently came across a YA novel, Shakespeare's Apprentice, by Veronica Bennett, which had a similar theme to The Player's Boy, and really enjoyed it; like TPB there were real historic characters who had been members of the company, Court figures, etc. Interesting to compare the two (of course I consider TPB far superior!).

loved those books. Nicola was my favourite marlowe

Bridget have you also read Cue for Treason?

It's one we read at school, and I loved so got my own copy and when I read APB I was struck by how similar their character of Shakespeare was. And the plot has some similarity, both being about Treason. I wondered if they'd read each others' book.

No I haven't read Cue for Treason, Witchend, in fact haven't read anything by Geoffrey Trease. I'll look for a copy.