Eva Ibbotson

Right, dancing around the edges of some things that really bothered me, myntti asked if Star of Kazan was a good place to start with Eva Ibbotson, and I said I'd answer here, as her second biggest fan around these parts (bowing to generalblossom), and then she can kick in with thoughts if she feels like it, and .... well, it sounds like fun anyway. Not that I'm setting myself up as an expert or anything, just trying to answer the question!

Clearing my throat portentously, I'll launch in by saying that Eva Ibbotson writes in three very different styles: children's fantasy, children's non-fantasy (a newish departure for her) and adult (which she seems to have stopped writing). Somewhat ignorantly, I'd have thought The Secret of Platform 13 was probably her most famous, but that's of the older children's stuff (i.e. the fantasy ones), as The Star of Kazan seems to be getting quite a lot of attention. This earlier fantasy is a lot of fun - she often does the trick of turning things on their head, with the evil enchanter or witch turning out to be the hero/heroine, and certainly never really evil. She's also surprisingly political sometimes (not a conservative, or I very much doubt I'd be a fan!), and there's a sketch of a harpy who's so clearly Margaret Thatcher - even before you see the illustration - I was gobsmacked! But she doesn't preach. Of those early fantasies I've read The Secret of Platform 13, Which Witch, The Great Ghost Rescue, and Dial-a-Ghost. My favourite is probably TGGR, but there's something wonderful in each of them. Just don't expect a lot of angst or deeply meaningful ponderings on the meaning of life, the universe, etc., as you won't get it!

Then there are her adult books (also older), to which I was introduced by generalblossom's kind gift of A Company of Swans, which in turn encouraged me to grab A Countess Below Stairs and Madensky Square at our fair. Talked about those here already, but just to sum it up again - these are old-fashioned, lovely, warm books. Predictable, but in a way that just gives you the pleasant anticapation of finding out how things are going to work out, rather than the usual predictable=bad way.

Finally, her newer children's books; I'm definitely not an expert on these, as I've only read The Star of Kazan. Younger daughter read Island of the Aunts and Journey to the River Sea, and liked both, but generalblossom reported not liking Journey to the River Sea much (leave this to her to explain again). Having only read her children's fantasies, I was very taken aback at the beginning with Star by the way Ibbotson wrote an unabashedly old-fashioned story, with villains and dreadful boarding schools and super-loyal friends, but it all somehow works - often, for me at least, for the same reason her adult books work - there'll be a character who's so quirky, in an unexpected (often funny) way, or who breaks out of a mould, or just acts with such kindness, that you think you'd just love to meet them. Or you just like the world created. Or something. She's also wonderful at settings.

So - with myntti probably not having a clue how I'm answering her question, which, I guess, I haven't answered at all, I'll leave it for now. ;)