Swallows, Amazons and Coots: A Reading of Arthur Ransome by Julian Lovelock (review)

Swallows, Amazons and Coots: A Reading of Arthur Ransome. By Julian Lovelock. Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 2016.

Julian Lovelock's study provides, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the entire Swallows and Amazons series from a literary studies perspective. Lovelock not only holds the professional distinction of being editor of the Arthur Ransome Society's journal, Mixed Moss; privately, he also shares with Ransome a love of boats, the English countryside, and childhood holidays filled with adventure. This personal rapport provides not only astute academic analysis of Ransome's novels but also a sensitive understanding of their continuing relevance.

The Swallows and Amazons series consists of twelve novels for children, written between 1930 and 1947; never out of print, the books constitute one of the cornerstones of classic children's fiction and epitomize the celebration of innocence and wholesomeness that characterizes the so-called golden age of children's literature. At the same time, however, Ransome's unique experiences as a journalist, war correspondent, and sometime agent of MI6 brought to the series an undercurrent of serious social and political commentary. Swallows, Amazons and Coots contextualizes Ransome's work within both its publication and readership histories and modern literary criticism. Lovelock explores the unique combination of social and historical events, personal experiences, and historical perspectives that went into the creation of each volume, teasing out the complex themes and contradictions that make the novels unique and enduring.

Biographies of Ransome abound, as do critical examinations of his work; this, however, is the first critical volume devoted exclusively to the series, and unlike previous critical approaches to Ransome's work, Lovelock's avoids "biographical reductionism" (xi). In fact, throughout his study, Lovelock is careful not to allow his obvious enjoyment of the series and his admiration for Ransome as a writer to overshadow the complexities and controversial nature of the latter's themes and characters within a modern critical context. This multifaceted approach to Ransome's work results in a volume that is both critical and sensitive, offering food for thought to enthusiasts and critics alike. Most importantly, Lovelock clearly demonstrates the continuing relevance of the series, justifying its inclusion in the children's fiction canon.

The tone of the volume is set by the introduction, in which Lovelock contextualizes the study in terms of his own life and experiences, not only as a scholar, but also as an avid boatman, as a lover of the English countryside, and as a child. His style is engaging as well as readable and effortlessly conveys his passion for the subject matter. The introduction provides a brief background to Ransome's life, filling in the biographical detail that Lovelock is so careful not to dwell upon throughout the rest of the book: the novels are shown as products of Ransome's experiences as a journalist, a war correspondent, an estranged father, and a husband, but at the same time Lovelock makes clear that these details are merely a backdrop for deeper and more complex issues. After providing a helpful list of recommended titles for further reading on Ransome's life, the study moves on to a chapter-by-chapter exploration of each novel in turn. The installments appear in chronological order; each is analyzed in terms of the context not only of time and culture, but also of literary scholarship. In chapter 1, for example, Lovelock draws attention to the literary ties existing between Swallows and Amazons, Robinson Crusoe, and Ransome's father's A Short History of England, applying postcolonial critique alongside discussion of contemporary perspectives. Central to each discussion is the idea that Ransome's novels, far from being the conservative icons that they appear to be, may in fact have served to subtly challenge the pervading attitudes of his time.

Key themes throughout Lovelock's study include Ransome's nostalgia for the fast-disappearing traditional English rural lifestyle and landscape, his flirtation with Bolshevik politics, the changing role of women in his time, and the colonial undercurrents running throughout the novels. Like many classics of children's literature, these books...