Thursday takes her practical test in 'Shadow - the sheep dog', right ? The copy in the Library is described as a 'thin volume', which is what I would expect of a typical Enid Blyton book. I have three children's books in front of me, averaging around 170 pages.

So I was surprised when Thursday enters 'Shadow' at page 231. This seems to be fairly close to the end, but all the same, it suggests a far thicker book than I had expected.

I've never seen a copy of 'Shadow - the sheepdog' - perhaps Jasper has a copy with those page numbers. And although the UA of W Cat says it was published by Collins in 1950, I did a check today on an Enid Blyton site, which lists it as published by Newnes in 1942. Perhaps the Cat (or Jasper), has a later edition ?

Fair point, but then Jane Eyre was a damned sight thinner until Thursday instigated a whole new ending taking up more space. I reckon the size of a book has nothing to do with the number of pages.



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

A quick troll to Amazon reveals that the board bound Collins edition of 1969 has 184 pages. Older editions are listed as collectors items, including a hardback Collins 'illustrated by G W Backhouse'; no page numbers are given, but if we assume full-plate illos, it may well be more than 184.



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I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

Plus the type sizes tended to be larger then...

Larger print for younger readers, to make reading easier because they're less accustomed to looking at text? Makes sense.

Re the illustrator's surname, you do all know what a 'Backhouse' is (or can be, anyway...) don't you?

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"This was willed where what is willed... can get rather silly."

As in Mr. J Schitt's sneakier brother Brik?

ROFLOL nice one Alison!!! Had to look twice before I was convinced you really HAD just written that! Hee!

I had to get rid of my shadow. It stopped doing what I was doing....

That's right ("Chuckle" :-).

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"Thes wys wellad whara whyt es wellad... cyn gat rythar sellu."

Eek! A speling vyrus!

Run for your fife! Move away from the aria!

Butt don't panache. Phile out inn a borderly fasten.

Squeezy hoar you two say, you've knobbly got a pictionary handy.

Gun I say! Fun as last as moo can....

And fetch me a carrot! Noooooo........

Hear yew goo:





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"I've often said that the difference between British and American SF TV series is that the British ones have three-dimensional characters and cardboard spaceships, while the Americans do it the other way around."
--Ross Smith

I asked Jasper about 'Shadow the Sheepdog', in Leeds. He does have a copy and indicated that it was over 1" wide, which I would not describe as a 'thin volume'.
And I guess he must have read this thread, because he looked at me intently and said "So you're the troublemaker....."


Just doing my job :)

wasn't it you who also raised the issue of the multiple shirt?



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

I'm not sure what you're talking about, so I guess not.

I absolutely adored the Shadow the Sheepdog scenes--that bit with the tea and the emotion junkie townspeople had me laughing for ages. I read loads of Enid Blyton as a kid, but I never ran across this one.

One thing confused me...Miss H instructs Thursday to buy the pigs at double the going rate, but she buys them at treble the rate with the same pre-cut check. Anyone else find this odd?



Post Edited (07-20-03 22:00)

I hadn't noticed that ! Must go and check.

Regarding the publishing of Shadow the Sheepdog, in the non-Nextian Universe in which I'm typing this message it was indeed originally published by George Newnes Limited in 1942. I have beside me my mother's copy of the first reprint of the first edition printed in 1943. With some illustrations by Lucy Gee it clocks in at a whopping 188 pages.
I would guess that Jasper only had access to a later edition (probably the mentioned Collins 1950 ed.) which has more pretty pictures and therefore more pages.
Alternatively, he may have just felt that he had better things to do with his time than check the exact number of pages in the original edition of the book - don't we all?!

Evidently....



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Maybe Thursdays copy had lots of big pictures. And yes, I did notice that about the price of th pigs. Confused me a bit, too...