Imo the farm family were manipulative toward Betsy. It's been a while, so I don't remember all the instances (I was trying to enjoy the story, which was very well written, so I tried not to look too closely). They didn't tell her in advance that they wanted her to go to school the first day. They made a fool of her about the city street paving; other near abusive things like that. The ending with Aunt Whatsit was very well done, though.
Another of that "child gets reformed" genre was Burnett's THE SECRET GARDEN. At least, it started out that way. Mary was 'spoiled' by having a maid in India, the English mansion servants wouldn't go along, she was exposed to the healthy peasant family -- but she ended up reforming the whole mansion household, good for her. (Invalid in a dark room gets cured by opening the curtains was another trope of the time.) (Suddenly I'm thinking of COLD COMFORT FARM, and sounding like Rushthatspeaks.)
I didn't know Nesbit wrote grownup books either. Must read. For grownup stuff of the period, try LADY WINDEMERE'S FAN. Wilde's fairy tale was good too.
Try the very first, TARZAN OF THE APES, unabridged. Perhaps after PRISONER OF ZENDA.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-07-09 11:43 am (UTC)Another of that "child gets reformed" genre was Burnett's THE SECRET GARDEN. At least, it started out that way. Mary was 'spoiled' by having a maid in India, the English mansion servants wouldn't go along, she was exposed to the healthy peasant family -- but she ended up reforming the whole mansion household, good for her. (Invalid in a dark room gets cured by opening the curtains was another trope of the time.) (Suddenly I'm thinking of COLD COMFORT FARM, and sounding like Rushthatspeaks.)
I didn't know Nesbit wrote grownup books either. Must read. For grownup stuff of the period, try LADY WINDEMERE'S FAN. Wilde's fairy tale was good too.
Try the very first, TARZAN OF THE APES, unabridged. Perhaps after PRISONER OF ZENDA.