Reviews

Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome

daja57's review against another edition

5.0

For my money this is the second best of the twelve books in the Swallows and Amazons series. The setting is the Lake in the north again but there is a drought and rather than sailing they are prospecting for gold on the fells. There is a full cast of Swallows (John, Susan, Titty and Roger), Amazons (Nancy and Peggy) and Ds (Dick and Dorothea). This book, which won the inaugural Carnegie Medal in 1936, has carrier homing pigeons, water divining, charcoal making, gold mining and panning, and the ever-present threat of a single spark setting the entire fell alight. It is excitement from start to end. Each of the large cast of characters is well-drawn and most of them have pivotal parts to play in the plot. One of the great things about the S&A books is they are stories in which the heroes are exposed to potentially life-threatening situations in enormously realistic settings.

This is a book in which the excitement never flags.

humbird's review against another edition

4.0

Unlike so many other children's book series that all start sounding the same once you get past the first few volumes, Ransome's stories continue to be new and fresh with each new adventure. In part this is because he mixes up the characters and the settings. In this account, sailing doesn't enter into the plot at all except as "we only have so much time because once the parents get here we'll have the boats."

In this account the Swallows, Amazons, and D's once again show great ingenuity, dedication, hard work, and resourcefulness as they pursue their scheme to keep Uncle Jim at home--if he actually ever gets there. Such a refreshing look at what children are capable of when they are left to themselves to create their own enterprises and fun on top of a firm foundation of good character and trustworthiness. Today's children are so often sold short.

Another source of delight in Ransome's books is how each member of the party brings his or her own unique gifts that greatly enhances the overall capabilities of the group and each is valued and respected in the role each fulfills, from Nancy's instigations to Susan's voice of reason and Dick's scholarly pursuits, each member is a valued contributer in every adventure. Even Titty comes into her own in this book by taking valuable leadership when faced with an emergency when none of the elders are around as once again the Swallows and Amazons (and the D's) save the day. Swallows and Amazons Forever!

mharrison13's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

My kids (5-10) and I really enjoyed this audiobook, and they are eager to continue this series. 

jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition

3.0

Arthur Ransome started this series in a straightforward way, with a bunch of children holidaying in the Lake District, all keen on sailing and adventures. OK, in [b:Swallows and Amazons|6903112|Swallows and Amazons|Arthur Ransome|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1290475998l/6903112._SY75_.jpg|231599] they sailed and had adventures. One might have expected the series to continue with more of the same. But he seemed desperate to avoid repeating himself, so the subsequent books either left the Lake District or mostly avoided the subject of sailing, despite the fact that his characters remained keen on both.

These efforts to change the subject were sometimes very successful and sometimes not, and this novel is one of the less successful ones, in which they all decide to go mining for gold in the hills of the Lake District—a fairly hopeless endeavour, and not one that they seem to enjoy very much.

This is not a bad story, and it has its moments. In particular, it ends quite well. But much of the story is frankly a bit dreary compared with other books in the series, and on rereading I sometimes skip over parts of it. It provides the background to [b:The Picts and the Martyrs|2356409|The Picts and the Martyrs|Arthur Ransome|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328278674l/2356409._SY75_.jpg|2363175], which is a much better story, the climax of the series. You can read [b:The Picts and the Martyrs|2356409|The Picts and the Martyrs|Arthur Ransome|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328278674l/2356409._SY75_.jpg|2363175] without having read this, but then you won't fully understand who Timothy is or what he's been doing.

doxamully's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

trongary's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

persey's review against another edition

3.0

With this book, the series has edged a little too far into the preposterous for me. On the one hand, the dowsing, the blast furnace and so forth and on the other, too many hair’s breadth escapes from serious danger or death, where earlier books seemed more reality based. I’m also not hugely fond of Dorothea and Dick, although I acknowledge that Dick was a necessity to this plot. Still the same independence and ability to problem-solve that make the series so compelling.

kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition

5.0

Swallows, Amazons, and "the D's" (Dick and Dorothea) are determined to find gold in the hills above their lake before Captain Flint returns from South America. The young mining company begin camping up in the fells and searching old caves for gold, while a severe drought has the locals worried about potential fires. The children have three homing pigeons that are trained to take messages from their camp back to Mrs. Blackett, letting her know the progress of the fledgling mining company. The Swallows are dismayed to discover that a rival miner, dubbed "Squashy Hat", is creeping about the fells, spying on their expedition and generally being a nuisance. It becomes a race to find the gold and stake their claim before Squashy Hat can ruin all their plans! But in the end, it will be the pigeons that make all the difference.

Once again, I adore every character in this book! The plot keeps me interested no matter how many times I read it.
I especially love Dick in this sixth volume. The others really rely on him to be the knowledgeable one of the group, but in this story they especially respect his book smarts, and they even call him "Professor". He takes that responsibility seriously, and feels that he mustn't let them down.
Then I love seeing the way Dorothea is so proud of her brother, and is gratified to see the others accepting and admiring him.
John and Nancy are such a great team, leading their crews through any sticky situation. And as always, the wonderful Susan is the one who holds the entire group together.

Wonderful book! I love every moment!

katekat's review against another edition

4.0

Growing up the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome was one of my favorite series. When I decided to re-read it as an adult I was worried that it would not stand the test of time. I was delighted to find that in general found it just as enjoyable now as I did as a child. The characters, writing style and adventures are great and I truly enjoyed the series.

briarfairchild's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0