Hi Esther. The series you probably saw on TV was set on the Norfolk Broads and was based on two of the later books "The Coot Club" and "The Big Six" and did not use the main characters from the original story. (There are 12 books in all, written between 1929 and 1960 something) The Swallows and Amazons books were indeed written for kids and the writing style reflects this. I live in the lake district where some of the series are set and Arthur Ransome certainly captures the feel of the location and the period of history. Would you like them as an adult? Well, I found myself smiling at the rather dated English middle class 'isn't everything jolly nice?' attitude that pervades throughout the stories. Childhood is idealised and the characters are rather Enid Blyton. I doubt children today would identify with the world and people Ransome portrays. But for all that, and even though I was reading them to get a feel for the characters, I enjoyed the refreshing simplicity of the stories. I think, then, that if you enjoyed the series on TV you will like the books even now. Jack