AIBU To Think That The Plots Of The Chalet School Books Were Really Improbable

[TheShellBeach]

.................................such as Prince Cosimo, the endless kidnappings, all the train crashes/bus crashes/car crashes/plane crashes/boat sinkings hang on a minute, were there any boat sinkings

Okay, I've just remembered that there were a couple of near misses with boats when the CS was on the island. Joey was nearly flung overboard once (a missed opportunity for EBD to get rid of her IMO) and there were probably others.

Anyway - all aboard and ahoy there.

That’s a plot from one of the original Trebizon books but it’s not particularly mad I don’t think. It’s a kid who is up against Sue for a music scholarship and is trying to make Sue feel sorry for her and pull out of the competition. But Trish knows that Sue’s father’s business is going down the pan and she needs the scholarship rather than it just being a nice thing for the prestige.

Books do need SOME plot but it’s not a mad Ruritanian kidnapping.

I haven’t read Trebizon books for decades but somehow all that was crammed into my brain.

Ah yes, that all makes a lot more sense! It somehow lodged in my memory too but I'd exaggerated all the details to make it seem totally ludicrous. I looked it up earlier and now realise the random trivia quizzes were separate from the scholarship. I didn't read that much Trebizon because they were a bit dull, but I was probably a bit too old when I discovered them. I think you have to either be a bit younger than the characters to really enjoy school stories - either that or middle-aged and eager to take the piss.

I remember that Trebizon book. I think Trish falls out with Sue at one point because Sue doesn't know why Trish is so set on her winning the scholarship.

The Trebizon books I think are just as far-fetched in their own was as the Chalet ones. Not least having Rebecca as a Wimbledon hopeful with actually relatively little playing!

However I enjoyed them too.

That made me think of Captain Pugwash.
And, for some reason, of Noggin The Nog.
I realize that this ages me tremendously.

The Trebizon books have a certain charm and they have a modern feel (well, the 1980s is modern by my standards). My main criticism is that they feel under-written compared to others of the genre, and I agree with pp that Rebecca was unrealistically brilliant at tennis.

What on earth do you expect from a children's book of that era. You're not wrong but the question is unreasonable and absurd.

Maybe the kidnapper was a Chalet School Girl gone bad? But no matter how evil she became she couldn’t shake off industrious habits like knitting or drinking creamy milk?

As for Miss Bubb, she was not an ardent supporter of Guides so she clearly deserved everything she got and more.

I'm seriously impressed at the level of detail you all recall, and I used to devour those books! Now all I remember is that Joey always got 'brain fever' - or am I getting confused with Mallory Towers?

I'm the one who suffers brain fever when I read about Joey and her breeziness.

It's more of a fond observation than a serious question, I think.

We pretend to decry it, but really we love the implausibility of the Chalet School plots on these threads.

Well that's me telt, as we say in Scotland.

I really liked Trebizon because it did feel more grounded in my familiar world. The Chalet girls never seemed to have much concern for the academic stuff whereas Rebecca agonised about it all a lot. Even the Blyton lot have some angst over School Cert!

I used to be obsessed with CS. I was then packed off to be an international boarder (we lived abroad) and I can't tell you what a let down it was. Most exciting event was when we had flashers outside the common room and our house mistress went out with her black lab and let it loose on them.

If EBD had focused on the academics, her completely insane ‘we won’t bother to actually teach you the languages but two thirds of your lessons will be in them’ ethos would be shown up. You’d have to have girls worrying about failing because they haven’t understood the 1/3 of the science or history or geography taught in German for example.

AIBU to think my daughter being taught for vital public exams in a language the (expensive private) school knows she doesn’t speak is not acceptable?

I agree! At least I hope so.

What about getting on a wrong train a la Peggy Bettany, and spending a night in a strange man's house because you chatted to his daughter? And subsequently, he's the long lost cousin of your headteacher!

It’s also strange they had enough food in the house for them and the right number of spare rooms…

The CS staff did not seem to think the whole thing even slightly unusual.

Seriously though, did you open the book and expect it to be plausible? Wouldn't you rather read King Lear if you need to feel it isn't straining your credulity - no wait....

Lawks

Honestly, it's light hearted!

I was looking forward to a new thread 🤣. I'm too new for the old ones. In fact, it was the one over Christmas that prompted me to join!

I've read them all.
I know exactly what to expect when I open a CS book.
I'm still actively collecting them, actually.

Then stop acting surprised like EBD owed you something believable! She was anticipating a school girl reader out for a good time not a long time when she threw together those plots. No thoughts of worthy, critical collectors were in her mind!

Presumably Hamlet should be given the same once over as it is at least in the canon and subject to higher levels of scrutiny?

You're a fan of fiction for school girls, not a literary critic raising a rueful eyebrow at Exit, Pursued by a Bear. EBD simply wasn't writing for you and probably wouldn't be able to fathom why you're buying her books. You're free to do so of course, it's just odd to pour focus and cash into something you don't love. Like a model train enthusiast who finds model trains twee - just why. Unless you're going to say that you actually have a deep seated affection for the books? If so why not talk some about it?

I loved the Highland Twins. Wildly, madly exciting to read Gaelic in such an English book. Second sight, linty eyes, full highland dress... ALL the tropes!

I've just started to read it again.
Maybe it contains the least likely plot of them all..............

Wow. Talk about spectacularly missing the point of a thread.

To be fair to Joey she was breast feeding triplets, no wonder she wanted a nap. Anyway, this delicious fruit drink - does anyone have a recipe?