When I first read this book - long, long ago, far, far away -it used to be my favorite adventure book too. I found the story fast paced, and like Zaidi said, thrilling. I swallowed every implausible detail of it, hook, line, and sinker. So what happened? Well, I grew up, and reading it decades later, I do feel it is less stellar than the others in the series. It is not my least favorite though - that spot is reserved for mountain, but there are much better books in this series.
zaidi wrote:I hope I didn't repeat a thread as i am sure that i searched about it but no topic was named this way.
There is the Adventure series readathon thread, but that is a ginormous thread.
zaidi wrote:I felt immensely sorry for Gussy. I think the others were little mean to him they could've tried helping him .
I agree with you completely on this. I remember discussing this on another thread about Lucian in the
Ship of Adventure. The the four kids were really mean to him too. For some reason the four adventurers seem to think it perfectly ok to bully kids whom they don't like. But kids that age are often nasty to each other - as I am sure you are aware Zaidi. Aren't kids your age, in your school, like that too? Disliking some kids for no apparent reason, and teasing them, and often giving them hell? I find the behavior of the adults more unforgivable though. I think both Bill and Allie should have been more welcoming and more understanding of a child in Gussy's circumstances, and should have got the four pests to fall in line. Unfortunately, they acted more like the children themselves.
zaidi wrote:One thing I was very astonished at was when Gussy was being disguised as a girl , Pedro's mum slapped him . She should have a great deal of respect for him, isn't it? He was a prince.
Perhaps she was one of the socialist revolutionaries from the days of the Russian revolution, who helped shoot the Tsar of Russia.
But your point is well taken. In reality, I doubt if most people would treat an heir to a throne like dirt, whatever their politics; and especially not if you are earning a living on the lands of the aforementioned heir! In real life, I expect Pedro's mother would have cut a deal with the Prince - a comfortable existence for herself in exchange for his life.