Shelf Control #185: The Rescuers by Margery Sharp

Wednesday, the 18th of May, and time for Shelf Control once again! Shelf Control is a weekly feature hosted by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies, and celebrates the books waiting to be read on your TBR piles/mountains. To participate, all you do is pick a book from your TBR pile, and write a post about it–what its about, why you want to read it, when you got it, and such. If you participate, don’t forget to link back to Lisa’s page, and do also leave your links in the comments below as I’d love to check out your picks as well!

While I have a couple of Margery Sharp’s titles for adults waiting on my TBR as well, which I’m as much looking forward to reading, this week’s pick is from her well-known children series (which Disney has also had its version of), The Rescuers (1959). English author Margery Sharp who has written across a range of genres, books for adults, children, mysteries and plays, was born in 1905 in Salisbury. Having spent part of her childhood in Malta, she returned to England and was educated at Bedford College and also spent a year at Westminster Art School. She started publishing stories in Punch at 21 and her first novel, Rhododendron Pie was published in 1930.

This week’s pick, The Rescuers was written in 1959 for an adult audience but soon became popular with children. In this story, we come upon the Prisoners’ Aid Society created as an international organisation of mice to brighten the lives of prisoners. In one meeting of the society, they are informed of the case of a Norwegian poet imprisoned in the Black Castle. Miss Bianca, pet mouse to the ambassador’s son, Nils, a brave mouse she recruits and Bernard, a pantry mouse who has fallen in love with her set off on a rescue mission. They must break into the prison and face the jaws of Mamelouk, the jailer’s Persian cat, before effecting a dramatic rescue!

I didn’t know this one as a child but a friend had recommended it to me years ago, though I ended up getting a copy only quite recently. I love the sound of this story, and the fact that it was originally written for adults intrigues me, because so were another set of favourite stories, the Just William books. Not only does this sound fun and a lovely read, but it would be interesting to see which elements appeal to one now vis-a-vis those that would have as a child.

Have you read this one or any others in the series (there are nine in all)? How did you like them? Which of Sharp’s adult books are among you’re favourites? Looking forward to you thoughts and recommendations.

Lisa’s pick this week is Daphne du Maurier’s The House on the Strand, a book which centres on time travel–to medieval Cornwall, of course. This piques my interest and I must remember to look it up for the next DDM week.

Cover image and description via Goodreads; author info from wikipedia

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