Read Just William for the first time

Last night, I read Just William to some friends as a bedtime story. One of the friends had been talking about how great the stories were for most of the night, and I just couldn't resist and my maternal - pffff! riiiiiight - instincts told me, I should read a bit out to them. So I read William goes to the picture . My first impresssion of the reading, was 'this is not a kid's book'! I mean, the story was, of course, but the language was so elaborated that I thought to myself, that I would never had read a book like that when I was a little girl. But then, as I continued to read in my very latinized american accent, I began to identify the Rishmal Crompton's genius at writing. The language was all part of it. It was the way he wanted his audience to understand William's character: a mixture of innocence, ignorance and cockiness. Absolute genius. Then I thought – without interrupting the reading – that perhaps at that age I would never have deducted the idea that the author was using a linguistic device. But you get the feel of it. You always do, even if you cant explain it. And that is the power of writing, and that is the power that writers have. I want to work on that. I want to be that.

Will I?

(As a side note, I must apologize….Richmal Crompton as it appears, was actually a woman! oh silly me)

: 24 May 2005 10:14 |  Tags: Ratings And Things |  Comments (3) |  Report a problem