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mat_tobin's review
5.0
From his very first stories for children, Denys James Watkins-Pitchford (or B.B.) has written about the natural world and resonate with his naturalist's passion for wildlife and the countryside. Published in 1944, Brendon Chase is no exception. The story tells of three brothers, from a wealthy family, who wish nothing more than to live in the forest (chase) on the edge of the family estate rather than be steered off to boarding school. As the Summer holidays comes to a close and their Aunt begins preparations for their trip to school, the two eldest boys busily prepare to hide in the forest and live off whatever nature puts in their path. Cue the beginning of a grand adventure that many of us can only dream of.
What the boys learn whilst in hiding in the chase over the Summer months and beyond is more than I think I have learned in a lifetime and if I had been a young child reading this then I would have found it more magical and beguiling than any high fantasy novel. It is a beautiful adventure made richer by B.B.s own excellent drawings.
Beautifully written with a host of characters right out of a high-Dickens novel, Brendon Chase is an absolute marvel. Whilst I am lucky to have lived a life close to that of the boys growing up, with regards to their play with and exploration of the natural world, I wonder what the children of today might make of it. I would hope it open them to the wonders of a world that is never too far away - no matter how urban their setting.
What the boys learn whilst in hiding in the chase over the Summer months and beyond is more than I think I have learned in a lifetime and if I had been a young child reading this then I would have found it more magical and beguiling than any high fantasy novel. It is a beautiful adventure made richer by B.B.s own excellent drawings.
Beautifully written with a host of characters right out of a high-Dickens novel, Brendon Chase is an absolute marvel. Whilst I am lucky to have lived a life close to that of the boys growing up, with regards to their play with and exploration of the natural world, I wonder what the children of today might make of it. I would hope it open them to the wonders of a world that is never too far away - no matter how urban their setting.
scaifea's review
3.0
Three brothers, staying with their aunt over school holidays, get fed up with her strict rules and decide to run away to the eponymous woods. With the help of an old hermit also living in Brendon Chase, they manage spectacularly well and stay on for several months.
Think My Side of the Mountain (the boys' part of the story) meets the country-living characters in Jeeves & Wooster (as an example, there's a particularly funny scene in which the local constable goes for a swim and the boys hide his clothing in the vicar's car while the vicar, all unwitting, chases butterflies with his net).
Think My Side of the Mountain (the boys' part of the story) meets the country-living characters in Jeeves & Wooster (as an example, there's a particularly funny scene in which the local constable goes for a swim and the boys hide his clothing in the vicar's car while the vicar, all unwitting, chases butterflies with his net).
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