Do you hear it's very close

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Listen, it's very close (original title: Carrie's War ) is a children's book by Nina Bawden , the UK from the publisher 1973 Victor Gollancz Ltd. appeared. It is set in Wales during World War II and is about two evacuees , Carrie and her younger brother Nick.

action

Carrie Willow and her brother Nick are evacuated to Wales during World War II . They live with the bullying Mr Evans and his gentle but weak sister whom they call "Aunt Lou". The children befriend another young evacueee, Albert Sandwich, who is staying with Mr. Evans' other sister, the dying Mrs. Gotobed. They also befriend the relative of Mrs. Gotobed's husband, Mister Johnny Gotobed, who has Infantile Cerebral Palsy , and their housekeeper, Hepzibah Green. The housekeeper tells the kids about a curse on the family that affects a skull in the library. According to legend, the curse takes effect when the skull is removed from the house.

Later, their mother comes to visit, but the children say nothing about their dislike of Mr. Evans, as they would like to stay there. Carrie's birthday is finally here and Albert kisses her on the cheek and she is overjoyed because of it. Mrs. Gotobed ​​passed away afterwards. The children believe that Mr Evans stole their will so that Hepzibah and Mr Johnny can be expelled from his late sister's house. Then Carrie throws the curse-laden skull into the horse's trough. Aunt Lou meets an American soldier named Major Cass Harper and enters into a relationship with him, which she keeps a secret from her brother, who would not approve of it. Mrs. Willow sends a letter telling them to come home, so they are trying to reveal truth about the stolen will. Aunt Lou at this point went on to marry Major Harper. Thirty years later, Carrie's children return to find out that Hepzibah, Mr. Johnny and Albert are still alive and that the fire started when Mr. Johnny played with matches. Mr Evans died after a few weeks of grief and loneliness over his sister's departure for America.

Awards and nominations

In 1993, Do you hear, it's very close ( Carrie's War ) won the Phoenix Award , which is presented annually to books that were originally published 20 years earlier without having received a major award, in this case 1973.

Film, television or theater adaptations

You hear, It's Very Close was adapted twice for television by the BBC under the original English-language title Carrie's War , the first time in 1974 and then again in 2004. In the original version from 1974, Juliet Waley played as Carrie and Rosalie Crutchley as Hepzibah. In the later version of 2004 ( aired in the United States on PBS - Masterpiece Theater in 2006), Keeley Fawcett portrayed Carrie, Alun Armstrong Mr. Evans, Geraldine McEwan played Mrs. Gotobed, Eddie Cooper Albert Sandwich and Pauline Quirke Hepzibah. The more recent Version is available in English on DVD distributed by Acorn Media UK .

There was a theatrical adaptation of the novel theater, which runs at Sadler's Wells, in 2006-2007 and the play also ran successfully on the West End with Prunella Scales June - September 2009. The production opened in the fall of 2010 with Brigit Forsyth and Hannah Waterman in the lead roles a major tour of the UK.

Web links