Book Review: Worrals in the Wilds

[osprey_archer]

W. E. Johns’ Worrals in the Wilds kicks off soon after the end of World War II. Worrals and Frecks, demobbed, have taken a flat together as they look around for something to turn up. Then something does turn up, in the form of Worrals’ devoted beau Bill Ashton, who asks Worrals to marry him, receives a firm refusal (to Frecks’s evident relief), and the heads off into the wild blue yonder to run a plane service for his uncle, a gold prospector in Africa who has, perhaps, finally struck the mother lode.

(This book is exactly what you would expect from a W. E. Johns book set in Africa.)

However, after sending a single letter, Bill goes missing. Concerned by his disappearance, Worrals and Frecks sink all their savings into an airplane and fly to Africa in search of him… only to find more wild animals than you can shake a stick at, hostile tribesmen (also helpful tribesmen), and a pair of even more hostile businessmen who will stop at nothing to buy the mine right out from under Bill’s uncle!

Nonstop adventure! A lot of wild animal encounters! Johns is torn between pointing out that most wild animals won’t attack you just for funsies and a deep yearning for some hunting, which culminates in Worrals heroically shooting a man-eating lion as it charges her. Frecks is deeply alarmed by the wildlife but steadfast in her loyalty to Worrals, culminating in a night hike through the jungle to fetch help when Worrals is taken captive. (Frecks in the most relatable character in Johns, although when I say “relatable” I absolutely mean “I can only hope that I could suck up my terror and behave with similar heroism.”)

Also some amazing damsel-in-distressing by Bill Ashton, who is Sir Presumed Dead in this book. You will be unsurprised to learn that he survives, and asks Worrals to marry him again, having come to at exactly the right moment to see Worrals arrive in a stolen airplane to save the day. How could he help but swoon?

I’m curious if the last book will end with Worrals accepting Bill’s proposal. It would provide a pat ending to the series, but it’s hard to imagine Worrals ever giving up her life of adventure, plus of course what about Frecks? Well, we’ll see! There are still four books to go… and I’m delighted to inform you that the next one is already available! Worrals and Frecks head to Australia in Worrals Down Under.

Comments

[regshoe]

Oh, I do hope Worrals sticks to her refusal of Bill! Him being a damsel in distress in this book does sound fun, but the life of adventure and Frecks are both very important.

I like the sound of all this wildlife—especially Johns being torn between accurate anti-sensationalism about the frequency of wild animal attacks and love of the drama they provide :D And I know what you mean about Frecks <3

[osprey_archer]

If I were writing these books, I would end with Worrals and Frecks on the cusp of their next great adventure! Bill can still hang out in the background as an occasional sidekick and sometimes damsel-in-distress. Will Johns follow this sterling path? We can only hope.

[edwardianspinsteraunt]

I haven't yet sampled the Worrals books, but this sounds like great fun! Biggles in Africa was the first Biggles book I read in my teens, and I remember keeping track of how many times Biggles and his friends narrowly escaped death within the first sixty pages. Death by lion? Check. Death by leopard? Check. Death by crocodiles? Check. Death by hostile tribespeople *sighs*? Check. And so on...Johns definitely seems to default to the same scenarios when writing about Africa, and they're not always good ones.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, Johns definitely recycles scenarios, some for specific settings and some of which can be slotted into any setting. It helps explain how he managed to write 200 odd books in his life.

[philomytha]

I have this waiting on my Kindle, and now there’s another one already! I love Bill as damsel in distress, I seem to remember he plays that role a bit in one of the war books too? And Worrals can’t abandon Frecks and Adventure for Bill!

Johns does love his menacing wildlife. I was just rereading No Rest For Biggles, which is exactly what it says on the tin, and I think there were four separate rhino-related dramas just in that book :-D

[osprey_archer]

I mainlined the first four Worrals books so close together that I can't actually remember if Bill damsels in one of them, but it sounds like something that certainly COULD have happened.

Yes, there are some rambunctious rhinos in this Worrals book, too! Clearly Johns had Heard Things about rhinos.