A Genius at the Chalet School (and Chalet School Fete)
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#1: A Genius at the Chalet School (and Chalet School Fete) Author: Rachael,  PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2004 9:40 am

Hope you don't mind me doing this as one book but the pbs are a bit thin and pathetic on their own, IMHO! There is no summary Starters for discussion: Fave / worst scenes? First impressions of Nina? What do you think of the Rutherfords and how they handle her? Thoughts on the Hilda Jukes episode? Joey's input?

 

#2:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2004 12:43 pm

Favourite scene: Nina writing 'Welcome to Cecilia' because it seems to seal her belonging to the CS world. Least favourite: probably the amount of trouble Hilda gets in for the accidetn in the gym. OK, she was careless but to have several people lay into her, when she's probably feeling rotten about it already seems unfair - especially as part of the accident seemed to be because Nina wasn't standing in the best position. First impressions of Nina: I felt sorry for her. It seemed like she hadn't led a 'normal' life, then her father dies and she goes to relations she doesn't know at all. Although her behaviour could be seen as selfish, I think it's more just not having learnt how to get along with others and a lot of it is down to grief. The Rutherfords: I really like them. It seems like they all do the best they can to understand and to help Nina, even when she isn't prepared to meet them halfway. Hilda Jukes: see above. I think too much is made of it. I can understand it not being resolved quickly, but at least half the pb of Genius seems to be devoted to what is really a relatively minor incident. Joey's input: funnily enough, this didn't make much impression on me! Unless there's more of it in Fete - haven't read Fete for a while, but have read Genius recently. And I agree with Rachael that the pbs are a bit thin individually!

 

#3:  Author: Katarzyna, Location: Preston, Lancashire PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2004 12:45 pm

Ok, might as well start this one off Fave / worst scenes? - difficult because these two books really don't stand out for me in the whole series. My favourite would probably have to be ML anticipating what Nina would say when she discovered the welcome to Cecily had been printed in the Chaletian. Worst - well not scene really but the whole oh look we've found Nina a relative who just happens to be connected, in a round about way, to the CS!! First impressions of Nina? - can't help thinking that she is such a one sided person, music is everything, that as a character she is highly unrealistic. For me i think Nina is one of the first "wooden" characters that become so prevalent in the later books. What do you think of the Rutherfords and how they handle her? I don't think they handle her grief at the loss of her father well at all but then they probably weren't expecting to ever have to take her in. The three girls attitude towards her is reasonable. Thoughts on the Hilda Jukes episode? Yet another small accident blown out of proportion as the new cs girl holds a grudge and is eventually bought round by the school/Joey/ML (insert as required). Joey's input? More than necessary, as usual! Surely the school could quite reasonably have dealt with things without Joey having to stick her nose in! Question - Is it reasonable that any school would accommodate that amount of musical education even if a pupil did show exceptional talent?

 

#4:  Author: caz, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2004 12:51 pm

Katarzyna wrote:
Question - Is it reasonable that any school would accommodate that amount of musical education even if a pupil did show exceptional talent?
Probably not, but the school already accommodates lots of pupils with delicate health: not many other schools would just drop lessons for a day skiing. So they're less rigid about the timetable than 'normal' schools. And most new Seniors seem to have specialised timetables: new girls always discuss with the Head or Miss Dene which subjects they will and won't take. (Must have been a nightmare for Rosalie!)

 

#5:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2004 4:43 pm

I've only read Genius, I really liked the scene when Nina meets the school on her way home from Italy (maybe that was because M-L wasn't there though!). I like it when people meet for the first time and the chalet girls were all so nice and welcoming to her (although what else do you expect from chalet girls!). I really hated the fact that Joey was always going on about how Nina was a genius and was different from everyone else. She made that point at least twice and it really annoyed me! I thought the Hilda Jukes incident was blown out of propportion, she did do something wrong but there was no need for everyone to be horrible to her.

 

#6:  Author: Donna, Location: Liverpool PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2004 4:59 pm

This is another one of those books that hasn't made that big an impression on me - except for the fact that Fete as a separate book must be the worst waste of paper ever! what was the point in splitting Genius - it wasn't exactly the thickest book in the world anyway?! Fave scene - I actually like the scenes which show Nina engrossed in her music - those written about Nina at the piano can almost make me hear the music. Worst scene - actually, pretty much the whole of Fete. I really did think that book was pointless! I like Nina - I think she's a credible portrayal of a genius - that's if you believe she is actually a genius. Ok, at first she's just a sulky schoolgirl, but I can understand that, given the circumstances in which she is introduced. She does take the mourning for her father too far, and she is a little too self-possessed - but the Rutherfords (understandably) don't treat her in the right way. As someone else said, the Hilda Jukes incident was blown up out of all proportion - it wasn't entirely her fault, and considering she was well known for being clumsy, it seems to be asking for trouble to allow her to leap-frog Nina! As for Joey's input - for a change, I think this might have been the best thing for Nina. there are very few people who would understand everything she was going through, and her desire to dedicate herself completely to music, but Joey had a similar (though not on the same scale) thing with her writing, and could maybe understand that a little bit more. The mistresses obviously had a whole school to be concerned with, and the fact that there was someone there for Nina especially would have helped her a good deal.

 

#7:  Author: Rosie, Location: Huntingdonshire/Bangor PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2004 1:42 pm

I always feel very sorry for Hilda here - it was an ACCIDENT, she felt bad enough as it was after, by herself, she didn't need it rubbing in! I can understand Nina's response though, because she is so deeply engrossed in her music. Another thing that gets me is that Hilda is said to be 'tactless' because she apologises! How does that work? I like the train scene too, it's nice to see the CS girls interacting with outsiders Nina seems one-dimensional as a character, her whole being is based on music, whereas Margia has other aspects to her, which I like more.

 

#8: genius Author: mohini, Location: india PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2004 5:27 pm

I liked both the books. Though EDB does stress on problemms created by some particular girls. Margot is forgiven a lot but others are punished

 

#9:  Author: Ruth, Location: Lincolnshire, England PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2004 2:27 pm

I like both books. My most favourite scene would have to be 'Welcome to Cecily'. Least favourite scene: The accident in the gym. I think Nina is portrayed as a real person - genius does often make people seem wooden and distant. Out of the two I like Genius best- but I also like the way Elizaveta turns up again.

 

#10:  Author: Catriona, Location: South Yorkshire PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2004 7:20 pm

I haven't read them recently but I know I find the Armada Genius the most badly edited book of all time - it SO annoys me that Nina is the first of the CS schoolgirls (apart from her siblings) to see Cecil yet she isn't born until CS Fete! I also felt sorry for Hilda - being overweight and not very athletic myself, I still have horrible memories of leapfrog in primary school - it was something I could just never do so I do feel she was unfairly treated. (And let's face it, have you ever been asked, when applying fora job/university place, how good your leapfrog skills are? It's just not important!!!) *Imagines the look on most 14/15 year old girls' faces if asked to leapfrog as part of their PE lesson in 2004*

 

#11:  Author: claire, Location: South Wales PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2004 7:47 pm

Why does it annoy you that Nina saw her first? It wasn't planned that way

 

#12:  Author: Catriona, Location: South Yorkshire PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2004 8:04 pm

It doesn't annoy me that Nina saw her first - I am just annoyed that her birth is announced in CS Fete, which doesn't make sense. *Note - must go and re-read Genius and Fete so I know what I am talking about*

 

#13:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2004 8:08 pm

This was the cock up in the first pb edition of genius, where they put in the extra chapter with Nina's tea at freudesheim. it was corrected in the later pbs, and she doesn't then meet Cecil til she's actually born!

 

#14:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2004 8:16 pm

Does the chapter still exist then, or is it in Fete now???

 

#15:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2004 8:20 pm

It still exists, but Jo no longer introduces Nina to Cecil, when she hasn't been born

 

#16:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2004 8:24 pm

I see, that you make more sense, thanks Vikki, I've always been confused by that

 

#17:  Author: claire, Location: South Wales PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2004 9:08 pm

No wonder I didn't have a clue what you were talking about as I have the white spine versions so haven't got the error

 

#18:  Author: pim, Location: St Andrews (right next to the beach) PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2004 12:05 am

Um, can't comment on Fête as I appear to have left it in Manchester and only brought Genius up. Grr. Anyways, I always felt really sorry for Hilda after the accident. Leapfrog's a crazy game, or it always was when I played it (someone always got injured) and these things happen in such games. Nina really bugged me at first, but then again being having the musical talents of a dead duck myself I guess I can't even begin to imagine how she felt about her music. Although I do like the Rutherfords and thought they handled her well by trying to be realistic with her. That's all I can remember for now.

 

#19:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2004 10:42 am

I have this in HB as one book so don't have the annoyances of the error and the second book. It is not the highest up my list of favourite booka nd it is a while since I read it but I quite like Nina and can empathise with her being pitchforked into a houseful of relatives she didn't know especially December in a huge North of England housr pre central heating after living in Italy brrr. The accident in the gym one of things in life I suppose, I was never any good at leapfrog either. Also find the meeting with Winifred very contrived especially when quelle surprise her husband is related to Nina and musical into the bargain.

 

#20:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 8:44 pm

I'm going to be controversial and say I enjoyed Fete as a book, albeit a very small book, in its own right. Saying that, there were several things that bugged me. Winnie Emburey being family of Nina's was a coincidence, but what really annoyed me was Winnie's reaction on the boat when seeing the Chaletians. She only went to St Scholastikas, and as an older girl probably won't have bonded too much with the Chalet girls, and especially the staff, and yet she's treating them like the most important people in her life and inviting them to stay with her. I also find it strange that Cecil is originally called Mary Cecilia, as most of the girls are called Mary, and that the short is going to be Cecily, but then in later books she is called Cecilia Marya after Robin and the short is Cecil.

 

#21:  Author: claire, Location: South Wales PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:14 pm

Wasn't one of the mistresses she saw Nancy Wilmot - who was a Saint herself?

 

#22:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:23 pm

caz wrote:
Probably not, but the school already accommodates lots of pupils with delicate health: not many other schools would just drop lessons for a day skiing. So they're less rigid about the timetable than 'normal' schools. And most new Seniors seem to have specialised timetables: new girls always discuss with the Head or Miss Dene which subjects they will and won't take. (Must have been a nightmare for Rosalie!)
I often felt that EBD was writing the 'ideal' school which could cope with delicate/genius girls and throw the timetables to the winds to get in a days skiing. It was part of the attraction of the CS. How many of us remember sitting in a classroom feeling fidgety because it was a glorious day outside and then freezing/soaking in weather not fit to be out in? Wouldn't it have been lovely! I've only read it in HB so quite confused also with the errors in PB Shocked

 

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