J Meade Falkner - Moonfleet

[Boodi 2]

At present my husband is reading "Moonfleet" by J. Meade Falkner, which he bought for our son many years ago but never got around to reading. He is really enjoying it, as it is the sort of literature he likes, being a great 'fan of Treasure Island and similar. He was so enthuastic about it that last night we discovered a BBC 1984 TV series on You Tube and watched the first three episodes! When I did a search for the book I was interested to note that the story is set in Dorset and Corfe Castle and Carrisbrooke Castle are mentioned.

[Lucky Star]

I read this years ago and remember it as being a terrifically exciting story. Yes it is set all along the Dorset coastline and does indeed have a similar feel to Treasure Island. I must read it again actually.

[Wolfgang]

It makes me wonder if Chris de Burgh's "Moonfleet & other stories" was based on that... I have to research that when I find the time.

[timv]

I read 'Moonfleet' when I was about eleven, and found it really thrilling; it is one of a number of adventure stories in the 'Treasure island' genre designed for Late Victorian boys and probably inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's books, most of which have sunk without trace. Luckily 'Moonfleet' had a paperback edition in the 1970s, probably Puffin Books, which is how I came across it. It was especially relevant to me as my parents had used to live in Weymouth, a few miles from the real West Fleet village which was the inspiration for the one in the book; the former Fleet Manor nearby (Judge Maskew's house in the book) is now the 'Moonfleet Hotel' and there is a photo of me aged about twelve posing outside it. The hotel is off the main road from Weymouth to Abbotsbury.

The book was based on a real village, as above, which was declining in the eighteenth century when the book was set and is now empty; it was a fishing village on the landward side of the huge Chesil Beach shingle bank, aka 'Moonfleet Beach', with a lagoon cutting it off from the sea. The church survives, and the 'Fleet' (the name for the lagoon) stretches all the way down the coast to Portland near Weymouth; the seas here are as dangerous as in the book and the roar of the surf sucking at the shingle in a gale is very loud. The 'Moons' after whom it was named were the real life Mohune family, who owned the manor house in medieval times in real life, and I have wondered if Enid went round it or read the book and used the name 'Moon Castle' in her Secret series as a tribute to the storyline. Part of the book is set at the Tilly Whim caves near Swanage, where the hero hides out when the revenue men are after him as a suspected smuggler, so there is a Blyton connection; the thrilling escape from the customs officers on the beach at the foot of the 'Hoar Head' cliffs is based on the real life beach and cliff path at White Nothe headland, East of Weymouth. I have stood at the top of the path and taken a look, but never dared to tackle it; and I know the Carisbrooke Castle well site too.

The episode referred to in the book of the Parliamentary commander of the castle accepting a diamond from the captive King Charles I to let him escape and then betraying and intercepting him is invented, but it is correct that the King tried to get out of a window in the outer castle wall (which really exists) while the guards were bribed to look the other way and the commander heard about it beforehand and had the guards changed and the window sealed up.

[Boodi 2]

Thanks timv, that background information is fascinating and I will pass it on to my husband. I also thought of "Moon Castle" and wondered if Enid Blyton was influenced by "Moonfleet"!!!

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

By pure coincidence, I was looking at the map last night and planning a walk around Moonfleet church and along the edge of the Fleet.

Moonfleet is my favourite book. Teacher read it to us when I was age 9 and I was so enthralled I even put my Blytons down to listen (by this stage I was well practised in slipping a Blyton between the pages of a maths book...)

As an adult, I have taken the motto around the backgammon board for my own;
As in life, so in a game of hazard, skill will make something of the worst of throws

For my birthday treat last month, family and ex Ginger Pop Staff went aboard a (short) Tall Ship for a sail around Portland Harbour. The ships name - Moonfleet

Viv

[Wayne Pyer]

I read this book fairly recently, thanks to a friends recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Anita Bensoussane]

It makes me wonder if Chris de Burgh's "Moonfleet & other stories" was based on that...

I'm absolutely certain that it was.