Gentlemen and Players ~ anyone reminded of Turbulent Term of Tike Tyler?

[flubba]

Just finished the former, and loved it.

I read the Turbulent Term of Tike Tyler about 30 years ago and it still impresses me for the same reason.

Anyone else read them both and been amazed and embarrassed that you were so easily duped by them?

I have read them both, and whilst I grasped the gimmick in Turbulent Term early on, I didn't spot it in Gentlemen & Players so quickly, and I was hugely irritated by it in the Joanne Harris book. I thought it was stretching the idea too far the way it was done. But then I don't much like Joanne Harris books generally.

Classes in primary schools should still read Turbulent Term - a real classic.

I agree that TTTofTT should be read still, I loved it (but didn't guess it at all and was gutted that I'd been duped) - I was only about 8 though I think.

I was surprised how different Gentlemen and Players was to Chocolat (which I enjoyed), and another one (about blackberries??) which doesn't stay in my mind at all. I enjoyed it though.

Yes - very much reminded. And no, I didn't guess the twist either time!

Weirdly, one of Gene Kemp's other books, Charlie Lewis Plays for Time, took up residence in my brain at an early age and I still think of it from time to time.

I've made my DH start Gentlemen & Players too; I want to see if he susses it before I did.

Not read Charlie Lewis Plays for Time - may well raid the kids' section of the library and see if they have it :)

I spotted the con quite early on.

When a writer consistently avoids certain common words - including certain pronouns - it begins to come over a bit stilted here and there, and when it's sustained over a long period it goes beyond coincidence, iyswim. I've recently read another book that uses the same trick and I sussed that one out quickly too - the misdirection seemed obvious to me.

I didn't notice it at all