Poldark Saga - Winston Graham discussion
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Continuing the saga--what if?
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TANYA I BELIEVE THAT A 13TH BOOK WOULD BE WONDERFUL! One of the Blogs last week was collecting questions for a Q & A for Debbie Horsfield, largely about Season Two, HOWEVER, I posed a question/request:" NOT for your immediate future, however, since you are the person most intimately involved with the familiar thoughts, and motivations of Winston Graham’s beloved characters, would you consider writing a sequel? If anyone alive thoroughly “knows” these characters, it is YOU! In Mr. Graham’s final short story for SCRYFA, edited by Simon Parker, “Meeting Demelza” he did leave the door open for further writings.GRAHAM: “I have to live in a temporal world. When I die…”:
DEMELZA: “Shall I die too?”
Graham: “It depends. On other people.”
For the readers around the world, the possibility of an authentic final book would allow a farewell to the family so many people have come to love.
An epilogue where Ross and Demelza are enchanted by the activities of their great grandchildren. The accomplishments of their children and grandchildren. The lives of the Enys, the Geoffrey Charles Poldarks, and even Georgie. The Poldarks had flourished in this new century. A final look at Ross and Demelza’s enduring love. Their union strengthened by time, shared crisis, financial reversals and successes, nearly unbearable losses, and scarred knees; always knowing their bonds were unbreakable. Then two coffins in the Sawle churchyard placed next to Julia and Jeremy. Bright hollyhocks surround the polished granite headstone “Quid Quid Amorn Jussit Non Est Contenmnere Tutum”
Please do consider the possibility of becoming “the other people.”
I agree that some sequels are very good. Earlier this year, I found a sequel to BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, called "BRIDESHEAD REGAINED Continuing the Memoirs of Charles Ryder" by Michael Johnston. It was not an authorized book, but I found that for the most part the phrasing and cadence was that of Evelyn Waugh.
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But I would definitely be giving them a read. x
Granted you are reading someone else's idea of how the story should continue but it's nice to have someone else's insight to how they interpreted the books.
Some of the fanfics are really very good.
ANN thank you for the information, I had no idea that these even existed. Some continue the blanks in the books but others are based on the POLDARK series. Interesting1
I would love to see a prequel, Ross's early years causing all sorts of bother with the excise men etc and living with his father and Jud. And when and where he first meets Elizabeth (I believe she was only 14) and what happened in the summer house! and ending when he leaves for America. This would make a great book (or tv)' D’you remember that day in your father’s garden when you slipped away from them and met me in the summerhouse? That day you said—’
‘You forget yourself,’ she whispered, forcing the words out.
‘Oh no I don’t. I remember you.’
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I agree, that would fill in the back story so well!
I finished Bella Poldark last night, and followed it with a Poldark's Cornwall chaser. As I read articles about Winston Graham's life, I was surprised to see that he published Bella when he was 92. Something that struck me about Bella was how many different genres it passed through, more than the average Poldark novel. It occurs to me that perhaps someone else helped write this novel, someone who was a fan of BJ & the Bear. ; ) Could a ghost writer have helped Graham complete Bella Poldark? In interviews, Graham said he never wanted to write one kind of novel, and perhaps I underestimate his talents. I enjoyed all of the Poldark novels, and the last two were, in my opinion, as well done if not better than the middle books in the series. Maybe I want to believe that someone out there helped write this, and thus, there can be more Poldark books. (New to this group and not sure where this question belongs.)
Fiona, I feel the same way about the Poldark books. They were written over a period of 50 years and I just can't imagine another person writing a book that would measure up. I'm not a fan fiction reader.
FIONA & MARTHA - AGREE Fan Fiction regardless of the earnestness and no matter what the original books and themes were, to my taste never have the same magic or phrasing. I have read a few but found they were not worth my time...
I must admit that I would be interested in stories about Henry and Geoffrey Charles' children as adults, even little Georgie Warleggan. I would want them taken up, however, many years later after Ross & Demelza are gone. I don't think I would enjoy another author's interpretation of Ross & Demelza. It would be interesting to see how the next generation deals with the "sins of the fathers."
MARA I SECOND YOUR INTEREST AND WOULD LOVE TO FOLLOW THE 'CHILDREN.' I TOO WOULD PREFER NOT TO READ A STRANGER'S CONCEPT OF DEMELZA AND ROSS...
Victoria wrote: "MARA I SECOND YOUR INTEREST AND WOULD LOVE TO FOLLOW THE 'CHILDREN.' I TOO WOULD PREFER NOT TO READ A STRANGER'S CONCEPT OF DEMELZA AND ROSS..."
My fan-fiction is probably an in-between story; the feud with George is still going on and Jeremy is a toddler.
Samantha - You might get that with the next TV series. It's supposed to cover the missing years.
Tanya wrote: "Play my "what if" game!What if the Graham family were willing and what if a good writer were interested, would you want to read new stories in the series? A new author has recently picked up the "..."
After the publication of 'Meeting Demelza' WG wrote a short story which is effectively an epilogue to 'Bella Poldark'. It has not been published but can be read at The Courtney Library in Truro. The papers I saw there showed that WG was preparing this for publication. It really does tie up loose ends and provides a much better ending to 'Bella' than the book does. It highlighted for me that any further stories after this would inevitably focus almost entirely on the younger people - Cuby, Clowance and Edward, Henry and Caroline and Dwight's children. It's a great pity this short story has not been published as it might lessen the thirst for more Poldark stories. All great things have to come to an end and if they go on too long the existing ones become spoiled I think.
I would love to be able to read those papers! To me Bella seemed very unfinished and there were many loose ends. Like what did Clowance make of her life? How about Drake and Morwenna? The death of Valentine seemed so senseless (he did after all have half of Ross's genes, the whole nature vs nurture question I suppose) and Jeremy's was sooooo sad and shocking.I have read this series twice and loved all of them, to have a different author take on the Poldarks could be dicey. I don't know of any new authors who have made a success of this. Anyone know how Sophie Hannah is succeeding or not with Hercule Poirot?
What if the Graham family were willing and what if a good writer were interested, would you want to read new stories in the series? A new author has recently picked up the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and in 1991 there was a sequel to "Gone with the Wind" not written by Margaret Mitchell. Anne McCaffrey's son Todd worked on her last Pern books with her and has continued the story since her death. Ditto with Frank Herbert's son Brian and the Dune stories.
Do you think it's better to accept the end of a series with the author's death, or would you give a change in authorship the benefit of the doubt?