Posted in Autobiography & Biography, tagged dogs on 22/02/20152015| 2 Comments »
Rosemary Sutcliff, historical novelist and author for children, was once asked whether, as a writer of children’s books, she particularly liked children. Rosemary Sutcliff said:
I like a child or a dog or an adult according to their merits. I am prone to like more dogs on a percentage basis.
Posted in Dawn Wind, Novels, Stories & Books, tagged dogs on 01/04/20142014| 2 Comments »
Rosemary Sutcliff said to the Radio Times in 1977: “I like a child or a dog or an adult according to their merits. I am prone to like more dogs on a percentage basis”! Dogs also feature in many of her books. Katherine Langrish, fantasy novelist, wondered if “perhaps Rosemary wrote about dogs as a way of owning them …?”
In Dawn Wind finds Dog, a young war-hound, by moonlight on the ruins of a battlefield:
… it was something alive in the cold echoing emptiness of a dead world. It stood with one paw raised, looking at him, and Owain called, hoarsely, with stiff lips and aching throat: ‘Dog! Hai! Dog!’ … [It] came, slowly and uncertainly… once it stopped altogether; then it finished at the run and next instant was trembling against his legs. He was a young dog; the beautiful creamy hair of his breast-patch was stained and draggled, and his muzzle bloody in the moonlight… ‘Dog, aiee, dog, we are alone then. There’s no one else. We will go together, you and I.’
Posted in Autobiography & Biography, Criticism, Reviews, Research, Awards, tagged books, dogs, writing on 24/03/20142014| Leave a Comment »
Around 1962 Margaret Meek wrote a monograph about Rosemary Sutcliff, only a decade or so into a writing career that was to last for another 30 years. She spoke of Rosemary choosing names “with a poet’s care”:
Rosemary Sutcliff’s magic has certain recognizable elements; the names of the characters are chosen with a poet’s care, the dogs have a central place and are characterized with the loving attention children recognize and approve. The villains, such as Placidus in The Eagle of the Ninth and Allectus in The Silver Branch are acidly etched, although there is more reliance on traditional enmity and feud than on personal evil to provide the dark side. Episodic characters, singly or in groups, have a miniaturist’s clarity of outline. Pandarus, the gladiator with his rose in the battle, Galerius the surgeon, the garrulous household slaves, soldiers at a firelit cockfight or warriors at a feast, all are equally memorable.
Others more involved in the developing action, commanding officers, wise men of the tribes, outcasts, especially Guern the Hunter, Evicatos of the Spear and Brother Ninnias, have a legendary quality. Tradui the Chieftain at the making of New Spears, Bruni, dressed in the war gear of a Jutish hero dying as the wild geese fly south, blind Flavian, killed at the hands of marauding Saxons, all carry a dignity and heroism that link this series of tales with the legends Miss Sutcliff loves to tell. Indeed, part of the difficulty in evaluating the achievement of these books comes from the thickly woven texture which is as closely wrought as in many adult novels of quality.
(First posted 30 March, 2010; revised, 24 March, 2014)
Posted in Autobiography & Biography, Rosemary Sutcliff’s Diary, tagged dogs on 19/06/20132013| 2 Comments »
June 19th Monday. Over to Burgess Hill , Joan and I in absolutely blistering heat and returned with the most enchanting (? & naughty) old bitch, tiny, pretty & gay & loving, and obviously intelligent. Called Flash, which we are in process of changing to Sophie. Basty very doubtful, but less hostile than I had suspected at this stage. (more…)
Posted in Rosemary Sutcliff’s Diary, tagged dogs on 14/06/20122012| Leave a Comment »
June 14th Tuesday. The most glorious sunny day for the start of Ascot week. M came for the afternoon, and I took her into the sitting room for tea and to watch the second part of it on TV. (Having taped the first part for watching after supper). Thought she would never go! Barny seems quite over his bad patch. Quiet and sleepy but no more so than he always is in hot weather.
Posted in Rosemary Sutcliff’s Diary, tagged dogs, health on 13/06/20122012| Leave a Comment »
June 13th Monday. Ray took Barny down for his second injection. Mr Skelton very pleased with him. He seems rather sleepy but quite at ease, and thoroughly enjoying his food again. Agnes, new chiropodist lady came to do my toes. Knows her job and seems a nice soul.
“An impish … irreverent writer of genius” (The Guardian)
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