Steve wrote (about Biggles): > Some of the earlier books contain some ethnic, racial and national > stereotyping very common in the world of their day, causing some to > be banned from libraries, etc. in recent years.
On stereotyping, Nevil Shute is another author whose works are quite dated. A lot of stereotypes, particularly of women's place in society. One of his books also had as a main character a man is is one-eighth Australian Aborigine, an octaroon, who says he "will probably never marry, because women don't like the colour thing." The same goes for a lot of Enid Blyton - The Famous Five in particular. Anyone read No. 9 (Five Fall Into Adventure) or No. 14 (Five Have Plenty Of Fun)? They meet a gypsy girl, Jo, but don't like her because she "smells funny" and is dirty. She became much nicer once she'd been given a bath! And far more socially acceptable (though not on their "level") once she'd been "adopted" by their cook's sister. Speaking of Famous Five, if you get a chance, watch the Comic Strip parodies of the Famous Five, "Five Go Mad In Dorset" and "Five Go Mad On Mescalin" in which Aunt Fanny is a "screaming nymphomaniac" and Uncle Quentin is an "incurable homosexual". Comic Strip includes Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmonson, Jennifer Saunders (actually married to Edmonson) and Dawn French. Hilarious stuff. > Trivia - I just watched the great NZ movie Heavenly Creatures again, > which features Kate Winslett and her friend reading Biggles books > and "flying" through the garden. One of my favourite films gets yet another mention - and there's that Peter Jackson again! Hell ____________________________ "To have great poets, there must be great audiences too." - Walt Whitman [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hell's Personal Photo Page: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~hell/main/personal.htm Visit the NBLs (Natural Born Losers) at: http://www.nbls.co.nz
