Deconstructing Wiliam From Christina M. Brodie Sir: I would advise
anyone to read The Water Babies or Just William for themselves and ignore Philip Hensher's comments about 'coprophilia' and 'sexual obsession' — which are, among other things, terribly passé (Books, 28 August). For those to whom, after following the above advice, the `meaning' of the books is still obscure, let me explain it thus: The Water Babies is a serious tale about a boy who grows up and his changing personal philosophy. The William books are, by contrast, a series of comic tales about a boy who never grows up, and his relatively static personal philos- ophy. This explanation, admittedly succinct, is the long and the short of it. I would not wish to spoil the reader's enjoyment of the books by over-analysis.
Christina M. Brodie Vine Cottage, Nortons Wood Lane, Clevedon, Somerset
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