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Product Description
Book Description
First published in 1941, and written when the author was a teenager herself, this book follows the success of seven talented and resourceful children who renovate a disused chapel and form The Blue Door Theatre Company. The Swish of the Curtain has enjoyed enduring popularity over the years with readers of all ages, and it remains a timeless inspiration to any young reader with a passion for the performing arts.
Longwater Books are delighted to be able to reissue this previously hard-to-find classic in its entirety in a new paperback edition.
Longwater Books are delighted to be able to reissue this previously hard-to-find classic in its entirety in a new paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is my favourite book in the whole world... however I am lucky enough to own the original and have spent the last 16 years searching for and finally owning Golden Pavements, Maddy Alone and Blue Door Venture - I am still trying to trace the last book - Maddy Again. This book however is the later version which has been butchered so that the Bishop no longer gives the children 'a hand full of silver' but rather a 'five pound note'. Whole chapters have been missed out (especially the one in which Lynette plays the Virgin Mary for a school nativity) and words that have changed their meanings censored ('there was an orgy of shaking hands'). I think that the publishers should restore the book back to its original glory and realise that a classic novel - even a childrens one - should be preserved.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've just re-read this childhood favourite and forty years on I loved every page. It was unbelievable to learn that the author, Pamela Brown, was only 14 when when she wrote this classic. This latest edition comes with recommendations from two of our theatrical dames - Maggie Smith and Eileen Atkins. I hope the publishers will re-release the four sequels although this first book is by far the best.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The story describes a group of children aged between 8 and 12 (but who seem much older) who discover a disused church and receive permission to turn it into a smart little theatre and produce their own plays. The plot, simply put, is a different take on a rather conventional tale of winning against the odds. It is however the style in which Brown charmingly describes life in Fenchester that appeals most and turns this book into a re-readable classic, rather that a run of the mill triumph-over-adversity tale.
Her style may seem rather antiquated to some, harking back to a rather more innocent period of time, where being a 'drug fiend' means nothing more sinister than taking more than one aspirin. The story is narrated on the whole in a slightly tongue in cheek manner, especially when it comes to the ever present Mrs Potter-Smith(or 'Mrs Smither-Pot' as Maddy names her), a delight for anyone who knows any Women's Institute stalwarts, as she steamrolls through the book as breakneck speed towards her final public humiliation in the play competition. Brown discovers new ways to describe conventional settings , as when a snowy Christmas walk home is very 'peace-on-earth-goodwill-unto-men-ish', so capturing the mood of that magical chestnut-munching moment.
This is a book for anyone who used to (and still does?) dress up and dream that one day they too will be onstage bringing Shakespeare to life in front of an enraptured audience, so that once they have finished, the audience will rise up unbidden from their seats and clap and clap, knowing that a kiss of the hand and a radiant smile in response is all that is required.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Swish Uncut!
I have copy of this from my youth (with a picture of the BBCtv cast circa 1980 on the front!). This was one of my favourite books as a child. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Eve
The original is best!
I first heard of The Swish of the Curtain when it was on Chidren's hour, I devoured every word and could hardly wait for the next episode. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. M. J. Darke
looking back
It is more than 50 years since I first read these books but I am amazed about how much I remember .... Read more
Published 19 months ago by bookworm
Don't want your daughter on the stage? (then don't buy this book..)
I wonder whether any child who read this at the right age (10 and upwards, I would think) would not want to work in the theatre. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Quanglewangle
the swish of the curtain
I first read this book when I was about 10 - loved it then, love it now. The Swish of the Curtain - what a wonderful title for a book.
Published 20 months ago by Jane Gyamfi-sarkodie
Swish of the Curtain
I have bought this item for my daughter for Xmas 2009 so she doesn't know she is getting it as yet. I remember reading this book as a child and watching the series of the... Read more
Published on 8 Nov 2009 by Cat Woman
a very pleasant story
a fantastic time to grow up in. just as i remember childhood. a time to be free and use your imagination in all sorts of ways. Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2009 by Diana Mahoney
Unabridged!
I'm talking about the blue paperback version! I wasn't sure when I bought it, but it's completely unabridged, and packed with details that are missing from the ancient ex-library... Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2009 by Alder
wow!
so there i am staring at the book doubtfully. i read the first chapter and just keep reading until i reach the end. the next day, i ask my mum for the next one. Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2008
A jolly good show!
Written when Pamela Brown was just 14-years-old, this novel will make you nostalgic for a childhood you did not have. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2008 by S.M. Gidley
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