Malcolm Saville - Lone Pine Club, etc.

[John Pickup]

Yes, that is the site I was referring to, Nigel. Thanks for posting the link.

[Kate Mary]

Split from another topic.


At last! I'm reading Home to Witchend by Malcolm Saville, the twentieth and final Lone Pine book. I read my first Lone Pine about 1964 or 65, so it has only taken just over half a century to get through the whole series. Back in the 1960s they were Armada paperbacks, now I have a complete set in Girls Gone By, a lovely uniform edition to grace my bookshelves.

[Chrissie777]

Kate Mary, could you please tell me more about them?
Are they adventure books with baddies like in many of the EB books?

[Kate Mary]

Hallo Chrissie,

The Lone Pine stories are probably the sort of adventure books you are looking for, but even in the recent Girls Gone By editions some titles have gone out of print and they often command high prices on the second-hand market. Here's a link you may find interesting.

http://www.collectingbooksandmagazines.com/saville.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kate.

[Courtenay]

Thanks for that link, Kate Mary — I had seen the Lone Pine books mentioned many times on these forums but was hoping for somewhere with a quick blurb of each book. I might get into them one day too, if I ever get through my already too long list of books-I-must-read!

Interesting to see one of the books, Rye Royal, is set where the title suggests — I had a lovely visit to Rye just last week! It would be a great location for a mystery or adventure story.

[John Pickup]

I've got the complete set of Lone Pine books in the Girls Gone By editions too, Kate Mary. I found Home To Witchend rather slushy and my least favourite of the series. It would be interesting to hear your views.

[Chrissie777]

Hallo Chrissie,the Lone Pine stories are probably the sort of adventure books you are looking for, but even in the recent Girls Gone By editions some titles have gone out of print and they often command high prices on the second-hand market...

Thank you for the link, Kate Mary, I will check it out.
The only Malcolm Saville stand-alone book that I've read so far (and several times) is "Treasure at the Mill" which was also filmed in 1956 by CFF.
I still have to read "The Ambermere Treasure" (bought 2 years ago from amazon.co.uk) which has been filmed for British TV, but is unfortunately not available on DVD.

[Chrissie777]

Interesting to see one of the books, Rye Royal, is set where the title suggests — I had a lovely visit to Rye just last week! It would be a great location for a mystery or adventure story.

I believe that Norman Wright stated in his FF non-fiction book that Rye was EB's inspiration for Smuggler's Top.

[Kate Mary]

I agree with you John, Home to Witchend is rather slushy. Saville focuses more on the David and Peter romance than on the action of the story. It is a children's adventure novel after all! I'm just a couple of chapters from the end and the action has only just got going, earlier in the book the most exciting happenings were spotting an old enemy in a market and the twins witnessing a water explosion (whatever that is). Having all six of the older Lone Piners pair up stretches credibility somewhat. On reading the introduction by Viv Turner I think Saville knew he'd painted himself into a corner especially with the Jon/Penny romance which is why they have only a cameo appearance as do Tom and Jenny. That said I'm enjoying the book but it doesn't come close to earlier Lone Pine titles. It's not surprising that such a long series has one book where inspiration is flagging a bit, what is remarkable is that Malcolm Saville mananged to maintain a high level of writing throughout the rest of the series.

[Rob Houghton]

I'm afraid I find all the Lone Pine books sluggish and hard to get into - and I know Julie does too. I've tried reading various books from the series - Mystery at Witchend, Not Scarlet But Gold, Seven Whitre Gates and The Gay Dolphin Mystery and have given them all up half way through because they are so slow and didn't grab my attention at all.

These are books I've wanted to like ever since my sister had a few of the paperbacks in the 1970s, but they just don't work for me at all!

[Tony Summerfield]

It is interesting that Collins, who published all the later Lone Pine books, didn't even rate this last book as being a worthwhile hardback and simply consigned it to being an Armada paperback.

[Daisy]

I'm afraid I find all the Lone Pine books sluggish and hard to get into - and I know Julie does too. I've tried reading various books from the series - Mystery at Witchend, Not Scarlet But Gold, Seven Whitre Gates and The Gay Dolphin Mystery and have given them all up half way through because they are so slow and didn't grab my attention at all.

These are books I've wanted to like ever since my sister had a few of the paperbacks in the 1970s, but they just don't work for me at all!

I have read and enjoyed the whole series more than once so I know what you mean about a slow start Rob but I do read more quickly than you seem to, so maybe I get through the preamble sooner! I read some of them as child (well, teenager) and I do remember struggling with Seven White Gates. Reading it many years later I understood it better.

[Rob Houghton]

I would say, of all those I've read or attempted to read, I enjoyed Seven White Gates the most. I think the main reason I find the books so slow is the length of the chapters. I prefer shorter chapters that make you want to read 'just one more' but the chapters in these books are just too long.

I also find it a struggle to identify Peter as a girl. Strange, considering that I'm okay with George being a girl, but I don't associate the name Peter with a girl in any way.

[Moonraker]

I also find it a struggle to identify Peter as a girl. Strange, considering that I'm okay with George being a girl, but I don't associate the name Peter with a girl in any way.

Would you also struggle with a Samantha being called Sam? Our neighbour's daughter is called Jacqueline, but always called Jac - again, sounding like a boy's name. I have never considered anything odd about Petronella being called Peter and it should be remembered she never wanted to be a boy, like Georgina.

[Rob Houghton]

Maybe that's why - we are constantly reminded that George wants to be a boy, but we have to keep reminding ourselves that Peter is a girl. Whenever I read a Lone Pine book (or attempt to!) I can't picture Peter as a girl - I have to keep on altering my preconceptions every time I read 'she'.

Of course, if I could get into the books and read more than halfway through one of them, I'd probably get used to it, but I find them totally uncompelling, despite wanting to enjoy them!