To wonder why MNHQ still haven't given us our Chalet School topic?

[TheObligatoryNotQuiteSoNewGirl]

Because we probably shouldn't still be hanging out in AIBU, four (or is it five?) threads later.

I've been reading all the lovely transcripts, and although I started Prefects yesterday, I don't want to finish it, because it's the last one! :-(

I think George and Ann were designed to appeal to different types of girls. The tomboys who liked climbing trees and hated wearing dresses would relate to George, the feminine girls who liked playing house would relate to Ann.

That's probably true Vintage. I can remember an arguement debate with dsis, who said she couldn't see the point in Anne, she did nothing, and George was so much better a character. And I, who'd always identified with Anne, was really surprised that anyone thought George was the one to identify with, Anne did the things I would have loved to do. Set up a home in a cave? Great! Set off after criminals? No thanks!

What I did notice a few years back was an interview with Gary Russell, who played Dick in the FF 70s version. He wanted to be Dick from the ofset, which really surprised me that someone would feel that because Dick is clearly the second boy, he's like Julian, but a poor second at everything. Anne and George are very different characters, which Julian and Dick aren't.

I totally identified with Ann as a child, and while I enjoyed reading about George I never related to her at all. I was the type of girl who loved being allowed to help with the cooking, or hold somebody's baby and wasn't a bit sporty or outdoorsy. George would have totally despised me

But the Chalet School would have approved.

Me too Vintagejazz
I did loads of tomboyish things like tree climbing because my parents wanted boys and approved of boyish behaviour, but I really envied Anne. I was neither sweet nor pretty, but I would have liked to be.

I think there were lots of Tomboyish girls at the Chalet school - and not all of them had to be Tom Gay. There was plenty of room for girls like me who hate sewing and playing with dolls, but din't want to be boys either, but did like some more "boy like" activities. For example the young Joey, who cuts Jigsaw puzzles at hobby club.

Actually now I'm rereading the later books, it is very hard as an adult to see Nancy Wilmot and Kathy Ferrars relationship as anything other than a pretty openly Lesbian one. (And not in the nudge nudge about two women living together, way.)

Re head of middles, I think the job is invented for Corney in New House - the middles are all stuck together in St Clare's along with Jo et al, and Corney gets the job as head of middles for those occasions when the actual prees are having meeting etc in the original chalet. St Something or Other

Oh, I love Corney. She was my favourite Middle ever.

In reunion do they give any reason for Amy and Margia not being there? Surely they are "older" girls than Corney?

But having Head of the middles in New House makes sense to be invented out of thin air. Because for the first time the middles are separated from most of the prefectship. It does not make sense reinventing it for M-L.

Actually now I'm rereading the later books, it is very hard as an adult to see Nancy Wilmot and Kathy Ferrars relationship as anything other than a pretty openly Lesbian one. (And not in the nudge nudge about two women living together, way.)

I agree - exactly what I thought.

As for Famous Five, I always thought Anne was soppy but George too tomboyish. But then that was ruined for me when I saw Five Go Mad In Dorset...

I think that I identified with Titty from Swallows and Amazons the most! In the books, Nancy and Peggy were too in your face for me, and Susan was too mumsy.

One day I'll stop re-reading children's books.

I always reckon a good children's book can be enjoyed by anyone....I have no intention of stopping reading them!!!!!

That's why I love having a dd who enjoys me reading aloud to her, I get to re read all my favourite children's books, although I haven't had the courage to read her Goodnight Mr Tom as I'm not sure I could get through it without bawling my eyes out. I think I might read Daddy Longlegs to her next, one of my favourites.

Although thinking about it, I've never actually stopped reading children's books, I even did the children's literature course through the Open University, but reading them to dd means I can at least tell people what I'm reading.

(Re-)inventing anything whatsoever makes perfect sense if Mary-Lou is involved, DeWee. Don't blaspheme so loudly, she'll end up saving your life and then you'll have to be resentfully grateful forever. (Please nobody correct me on this - I would prefer to think that Kathie is silently seething, and has not seen the light of "it's only Mary-Lou".)

I had a slightly opposite way round thing about Kathie and Nancy - as an open-minded and unquestioning child, I totally read that as an openly lesbian relationship (likewise Nell and Hilda). It's only as an adult that I realise this is one - valid - interpretation, but that women can also have completely single lives and deeply important emotional relationships which are 'just' friendships. I haven't revised my opinion on Nell and Con though. There is no non-lesbian possibility there, in my mind.

I haven't reread the Famous Five since childhood, so this is hazy, but I don't remember much being able to identify with either Anne or George. I wonder if that might be down to what I suspect is a weaker level of characterisation in Blyton's work, or if it's simply that, like mummytime, I'm somewhere in the middle of that tomboy/domesticated girl continuum, and can't see myself in either.

I do recall identifying somewhat with boring, over-responsible Len. And with Grizel, who I didn't really understand but there was something about the way she stands so awkwardly at odds with the rest of the world that resonated for me, I think.

I seem to recall quite a lot of bits where George is not allowed to accompany Julian and Dick on exciting midnight adventures just because she is a girl. Anne always says with a shudder that she'd rather die than go, and Julian and George always have the argument that ends in George having to stay behind. I once read a critique of Enid Blyton's work that said that all the bits where they go underground represent EB's second marriage and preoccupation with sex/the womb etc. I shall see if I can find the book! I do think it's weird that they all go 'oh look, a very narrow tunnel that you can just squeeze through. Let's explore, in pitch darkness! What do you mean, we might get stuck?' I was much too claustrophobic and scared of the dark to do anything like that as a child.

Nell, what about Head Girl as a book to represent the series? It's a Tyrol one, it's got Jo as a younger child, it's got Grizel, it's got Corney, it's got oodles of drama with near-deaths from snowball fights, hotel fires, the madman kidnapping first Robin and then Cornelia, and it's also got the more serious side with that whole passage about someone 'falling asleep, to wake with God'. Failing that, Rivals and Eustacia are both amongst my favourites.

Ooh! That may well be a really good idea, Cheddar - it certainly ticks a lot of boxes. I shall have a quick re-read. I think the choice has to be between that and Exile now, but I'm still v open to votes or alternative suggestions!

Was there really that much hidden depth to Blyton's work? As I say, I've not reread anything of hers since relatively early childhood and I've no real desire to, but my general impression is of very churned out, formulaic plot-driven stuff. Wasn't she producing something mad like 8000 words a day? Interesting...

Do you know what though, in an impossibly ideal world, I think I'd prefer one of the books with Miss Annersley as headmistress. When does she become head? Is it not until New/United?

I vote for my own personal favourite, New House as a good starting book. I am obviously biased, since it was one of the first I read (there were about 5 of them in a class library when I was in Primary School, and I spent the whole year re-reading them), but it's still a Tyrol one, the school is more established but still has that family feel in it, there's all the middles-on-the roof shenangegans (or however you spell it) with Baby Voodoo, some Matron suppression, and of course the classic life-saving incident with Anne-the-flower collector. All in all, a quintessential Chalet book.

What about Three Go, Nell? It starts well and gives a good sense of the CS immediately post-war. Though there is a bit of Maynard worship...

My 6 year old has The Faraway Tree books and though the ideas are good the writing is awful! Yeah, probably not much depth

I think I saw Anne as approved of because I hated her and anything domesticated so any positive comment was blown out of proportion. Not that I was a classic tomboy either but given the choice between washing up and climbing trees and the trees (still!) win every time.

My favourite CS books depend on my mood and change all the time!

Please, please, please could I have a transcript link? I miss my 13 hardbacks; they were ebayed during a hard winter when the snow came early. I am a proper Chalet girl. I called DS after Joey's dog.

AHEM

I realise I'm going back to around Monday thanks to the dodgy wifi of La Belle Fence, but did some girls up thread talk of dodging head girl-ship?

Is it too much to ask of you, who have had such happy times at school, to give us your best work in your final terms?

And begin at the beginning, always

I re read the CS in exile tonight. As always, the end had tears streaming down my face.

The end of exile is a bit of brilliant writing. Always makes me cry.

I think I've cried in almost every book. but the one that still gets me teary even when just thinking about it is Antonia Forest's Autumn Term where the family are at home and are gleefully recounting to Giles all Nicola and Lawrie's mishaps and Nicola can feel she's about to cry and does... every time that gets a lump in my throat!

Finished Challenge yesterday and cried when Evelyn Ross' mum had a bad turn and Nancy Wilmot was less than empathetic sending her back to lessons. I welled up.