The New Moon With the Old

This story of a family of four close,interesting young semi adults named Carrington provides lessons in life for us all . As each sibling is launched into the big world they find themselves in the lap of some luxury quite by accident. It seems they are handsomely rewarded for taking a few risks. Each of the characters,the cautious older brother Richard , the confused and timid older sister Clare, the interesting budding author Drew and imaginative teenaged Merry, all find a way to "grow up" with the help of the "older" generation.In fact most of "older generation" consisting of their father, Rupert Carrington, a near crook, helpless Aunt Winifred and hired governess -assistant Jane as well as the family " pick ups" along the way have some growing up to do of their own. This is another semi-comic English novel for young adults that isn't as popular as Dodie Smith"s "I Captured the Castle" but is worth reading by young and old. The Title" The New Moon With the Old" gives you an inkling of the plot as the" New Moon" Carringtons are helped along by rather wealthy" Older Moons" that drift into their orbits as they leave home. It is also a book that seems to beg for a sequel. Everyone ends up in a "bed of roses" except maybe Jane but there are possibilities even there. Will the perfect scenario painted by the author continue for a lifetime? The story isn't great literature and issues are all played out rather too neatly but the hinted at struggles to come should make a more meaty story.

I first came to know Dodie Smith when I read I Capture the Castle in high school. It became my favorite book, and I re-read it at regular intervals, with love and affection.It's hard to get copies of all of Smith's books, so I was thrilled I could read her other novels on Kindle. (I do have some copies but they are worn and I don't want to ruin them further).While I don't know if any of her novels will touch I Capture the Castle, which has a special place in my heart, I'm thrilled to say that I greatly enjoyed The New Moon With the Old. It started similarly to me, Dome House reminiscent of the castle, and her writing/style is similar, but the stories are very different. This is not a story of young love, but of young discovery. A great story of four siblings thrown out of their comfort zone and into some bizarre and some funny situations. I liked all of the Carrington's stories, but I liked Clare's and Merry's much more than Drew's. I also found it so different to read a Smith book set in a later decade - TV, buses; it all seemed so much more modern and was a treat.I consider reading a great author a blessing and I truly admire Dodie Smith. She provided my favorite book to me, and if The New Moon With the Old is any indication, I think I will enjoy some of her other works as well. I'll take them slowly though, as I know there aren't very many. But I am very happy these are available and I greatly look forward to reading more.

This book is so terrible I do not even want to give it away. I am considering burning it; that is how awful it is. I enjoyed "I Capture The Castle" immensely, and expected more of the same from the author of "One Hundred and One Dalmatians." I could tell it was the same style and language as these previous books, and I have no doubt it was written by the same author. However, it is completely amoral and hints at an agnosticism akin to Ayn Rand. To save curious souls grief, I will summarize how it ends.Warning: Contains spoilers!A secretary falls in love with an employer she has only met twice. She knows her affection will never be reciprocated, but is resolved to serve him with a dog-like devotion even after she discovers he is a criminal. The employer flees the country, leaving his children to fend for themselves. He admits to avoiding the responsibility of raising them as he and his wife "cared too much for each other" to give any love to their children. The eldest son gets into an affair with one of his father's old flings. The eldest daughter becomes the mistress of a wealthy married businessman who is twice her age. The younger son takes on a job as companion to an elderly lady who has dependency issues. He himself does not engage in immoral behavior, but approves of his older sister's affair as they appear to be "perfectly in love." The youngest daughter causes a wealthy lord to fall in love with her, making him believe she is an adult although she is only fourteen. When the lord discovers the deception, instead of recoiling in horror, he suggests to his mother that they adopt her and pay for her schooling until she is of age to be married.I think there is a reason none of Dodie Smith's other books became bestsellers. She crossed the line on moral values when she went into adult fiction and the result was repulsive.

I picked up Dodie Smith's "I capture the castle" by chance and I totally fell in love with this amazing story teller. In "The new moon with the old" Dodie Smith takes you to this fantasic world in which everything is possible. Four rather spoiled young siblings are suddenly faced with reality when their father, who takes little interest in them other then keeping them in the lap of luxury, is charged with fraud and flees the country.The book describes the adventures of each young sibling, the youngest being 14 and the oldest in his early twenties, as they venture into the world.Their adventures are truly amazing and would strain credibility if Dodie Smith were not such an incredible storyteller who keeps you interested and takes you along the fantastic ride. By book's end you are left longing for more.It's a pity that Dodie Smith's books are so hard to find but they are certainly worth the search.

I enjoyed 'I Capture the Castle' and was looking forward to this as a consequence. However, I found that this lacked the charm and becoming eccentricity of the other book. I found the first part gripping but once the children all started out onto their 'adventures' (being loved by everybody and gaining riches) I felt indifferent about seeing things unfold.It is a light tale, with no twists or turns, the characters are not complicated or well-developed. The whole thing becomes a farce, as the characters comment - one character screeches to a halt outside the house whilst another sneaks out of a back door. It was a light and easy read but not that 'charming' and I doubt I will read further into Dodie Smith's back catalogue after this. I think that Stella Gibbons does this kind of thing better and would recommend her in preference if you are looking for breezy, charming, witty and lightly sketched.

This was the first of Dodie Smith's novels for adults that I read in my teens. I still like it. It describes perhaps outdated moral values which match the setting. The story line is improbable but the characters draw one in. This novel is in a class of literature which is much overlooked and actually, I think, difficult to achieve: the well-written, positive and pleasant novel. It is much easier to write about doom and disaster and to make disagreeable characters interesting, than to write about the mundane and the pleasant. There are trials in the novel but mostly things turn out well, if people behave properly. Such a relief! Having said that, the novel would be uninteresting if the writing were not good.

Disappointed in this really. I loved " I capture the Castle" which was more narrative driven. This seemed rather like a collection of character studies loosely linked by virtue of birth. Was it originally published as a weekly column in a paper I wonder? It reminds me of Alexander Mcall Smiths Edinburgh block of flats tales in its format. It is very much of its time and seems quaintly dated in its ideas and outlooks. As a foray into the lives of the shabby genteel in the middle of the last century it was interesting.

I loved I Capture the Castle and was a bit disappointed by this. Nevertheless, it is beautifully written as few modern novels are, evocative and engaging if a bit implausible at times and reliant on the old 'deus ex machina' to resolve the sub plots.

I came to this book impressed by the author's reputation. I was very disappointed with what I found. This is chicklit. Subject matter and style Enid Blyton.