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#1: A Future Chalet School Girl Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:57 am
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Another holiday story this time, the last of the Tyrolean holiday books.

Melanie Lucas comes to Switzerland with her aunt and uncle and is invited on holiday with the Maynards, as she is recuperating from the chicken pox and is to attend the Chalet school in the fall. Minnie the Minibus is presented. Melanie has a good time, but suffers from jealousy when the three Rs arrive and are treated as part of the family, and runs off into a thunderstorm. The Maynards meet up with Irma Ancozky (remember her?), and they discover that Melanie is the long lost relative of Jeanne le Cadoulec, in spite of rampant EBDisms.

Any opinions and comments on Joey and Jack's parenting style? Is Melanie a likeable character or spoiled brat? Does her connection the le Cadoulec's make sense or is it contrived?

#2: Author: Rowena, Location: NE England

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 2:14 pm
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This was the last Chalet book I read, it took me a while to get hold of a copy. Sadly it turned out not to be particularly memorable, which says it all really Confused

I do remember feeling positively ill at the jam omelette!!
The only other thing I really remember is being horrified at them putting the babies to sleep in hammocks slung across between the seats of the minibus as they trundle along mountain roads! Surely even years ago this wasn't seen as a sensible idea!!!

#3: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 4:00 pm
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I thought that discovering the connection with the le Cadoulecs was totally gratuitous and really very silly. It was as if no-one could go to the CS unless they had some connection with its past - we'd already found out that Ruey was related to the Rosomons, and then later it turned out that Adrienne was related to Robin. & with Mélanie it just added nothing to the storyline Rolling Eyes

!

Whilst I'm moaning, why did Irma Ancoczky's married name have to be von Rothenfels, when there was already an Irma von Rothenfels (Paula's sister/ the von Eschenaus' cousin)? That really confused me at first!

Having said all that, I quite like the book otherwise. I love the journey to Tyrol in the minibus when all the kids are squabbling over who sits where and saying that they feel sick - it's such a realistic family scene and it's nice to see all the Maynard boys for once. Mélanie is a bit of a pain, but so are a lot of people - I certainly was! - at that age, and being packed off on holiday with people she hardly knew can't have been easy.

& it's so nice to be back at the Tiernsee ....

#4: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:24 pm
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I must admit I didn't like the way that Joey browbeat the triplets into saying that they were OK about Melanie coming with them. Basically she made all of them feel guilty about wanting to just be family and made to feel they didn't have a choice. Margot, at least, recognised exactly what she had done.

The link with Jeanne seemed a little superfluous and totally unneccessary - don't know why EBD wanted everyone inter-related.

Didn't like that such a big deal was made about Len running off to find Melanie - yes she should have told someone where she was going but the girl was trying to help another - Calling her into Jack's Study seemed a little OTT

#5: Author: Clare, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:37 pm
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I liked the 'homey' atmosphere of the book - it was nice to see the entire tribe together and hear more from the boys. The family scenes were so natural.

I thought Melanie's jealousy was over the top, the way it just sprung up because with the Richardson's arrival it was "the first time she had been on her own." However, I suppose that is sufficient trigger for jealousy depending on the person.

There were some bits I was surprised by - Melanie asks something about the flight from Austria, and Joey bites her head off in response (can't remember quote, but that's how I understood it). I felt sorry for her as she wasn't to know about the effect it had on Joey - she'd not long known her!! I agree with Lesley over Jack's treatment of Len, very harsh considering she went to find Melanie. And what was the nonsense Jack spouted about teenagers should not want to spend time on their own??

The connection to the le Cadoulec's was ridiculous. Especially when Irma notes it because of the way Melanie waved her hand. By the end of the series I get very tired of all the amazing connections between characters. Not needed!!

#6: Author: Lulu, Location: West Midlands, UK

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:03 pm
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This was one of my first Chalet School books (School At, Jo of, Theodora, Trials - the fifth, apparently!), and so I've always had a bit of a soft spot for it.

I find it very similar to Joey and Co., to be honest. Even in both is a line that jars. In Joey and Co., Ruey asks what Con would be doing with a Spanish name, as she's English, and in Future, one of the triplets asks why Mélanie has a French name when she's English. I suppose that it's natural of the time, but it strikes me as decidedly Anglo-centric, and jerks me out of the book just as much as some of the more racist terms EBD used. (And it's clearly not unheard-of - Jacynth Gabrielle Lambert is mentioned, but what about her namesake, Gay? Her name was French, if it came down to it, and she'd have been born in the late 1920s?)

Although this is Mélanie's book, after the first few chapters, I do think that the focus moves very much onto Joey and her family, which is a pity as I really like Mélanie. I think that she's very human - her jealousy is very irrational, and I don't like the confrontation with Ruey (particularly the conclusion - suddenly they're best of friends? Unrealistic.), but I can understand how it all built up. She's a teenager who's unexpectedly had to leave her home, be thrown in with a bunch of people she's never met before, get used to sharing her life with dozens of other children, is apart from both her parents and her guardians, and is probably a different sort of person from Len, Ruey, et al.

She's mature enough to know that she needs to be alone, but doesn't go about it the right way, and is told off for it - and made to feel that she's in the wrong for wanting to be alone! That, I think, is wrong, and really makes me dislike Jack.

Is there actually an Irma Ancockzy? I always rather thought that she was Irma von Rothenfels and EBD just got confused, and wondered why Paula wasn't mentioned. On reading it over, I'm assuming that she isn't, as there's no indication that she's heard from Marie recently.

Oh, and were large families so common in those days? It's most obvious when Irma and Joey first meet. Joey has eleven, Marie has six, Frieda has six, Simone has four, Irma has four (and presumably one on the way?)

#7: Author: Rowena, Location: NE England

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:34 pm
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Quote:

Oh, and were large families so common in those days? It's most obvious when Irma and Joey first meet. Joey has eleven, Marie has six, Frieda has six, Simone has four, Irma has four (and presumably one on the way?)

I always just sort of assumed it was because they were all Catholics and so left the number of the children in Gods hands.

#8: Author: Kate, Location: Ireland

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:39 pm
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Rowena wrote:

Quote:

I always just sort of assumed it was because they were all Catholics and so left the number of the children in Gods hands.

So did I.

Also it never appeared that unusual to me. My mum is one of eleven (no twins or triplets!), my dad was one of six (one set of twins!), my best friend growing up is one of six (eight if you count two babies who died...) and my best friend in college is one of ten. There are three in my family, but that's quite small.

I was born in 1985 and my parents were born in the 1950s, so we're not exactly contemporary, but we are all Catholic. Wink

#9: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:20 pm
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This book is a bit of a let down after the dedication - "To PHYLL who has kept on asking for a story about the people of the country like the first Chalet books." We don't actually get to see the local people, and EBD can't even get the Pfeiffens' name right.

I wonder why no-one consulted Melanie's parents over whether she should board at St Katherine's or go to Switzerland with her aunt and uncle. And when she goes to Switzerland, she ends up going to boarding school anyway, without, as far as one can tell, any reference to her parents who will presumably be paying the fees.

I was sorry that EBD killed off Jeanne le Cadoulec. She was one of those on the escape from the Tyrol in Exile - it seems a shame that she should have died so soon after.

I think Irma's married name is an EBDism. She didn't realise that the reason 'Irma von Rothenfels' came to mind so easily was that she'd already used it. Irma's husband presumably isn't one of Marie's cousins, or she'd have known and told Joey that Irma was living at the Chalet.

I liked the little incident of Con visiting Irma. It was nice to see Con out and making friends on her own - and being treated as an adult by Irma.

Jay B.

#10: Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:56 am
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Irma Ancokczy was mentioned in the Tyrol books - she was a senior middle at St Clare one term, but it's just a passing reference.

I also find the random relationships and connections in the Swiss books to be a bit much. I can see a girl being sent to the school through family connections, or a recommendation from an old girl, but in the latter books we have:

The Richardsons, who turn out to be distantly related to Daisy's husband, but disconnected though an estranged relative and several deaths.

Melanie, who is directly related to Jeanne le Cadoulec, but separated from the school by various deaths (and in contradiction of previous mention of the le Cadoulec family history).

Adrienne Desmoines, who is distantly related to Robin through Robin's father, although Robin strongly resembles her mother and Adrienne resembles Robin, and Robin just happens to be the nun that rescues her. Again, the relationship is hidden because of family estrangements and several deaths.

Erica Standish, who is dumped on Joey as an official ward, in spite of the fact that Joey has been out of contact with her mother for 20 years and has no idea of Erica's existence, and Erica's mother had no idea where Joey was living or even that she had married. It's okay, however, because Erica happens to run past Joey on one of her rare trips to England, and recognises her in the street.

Samatha and Samaris, who are very distantly related to each other, with contractictions within a single book over how the relationship occurs. The relationship is discovered, apparently, because their first names are vaguely similar, and was not known due to various family estrangements and deaths.

-----

I sympathise with the triplets in this one. Joey springs Melanie on them, not by saying that she's coming, but by asking and then when the girls express doubts she makes them feel guilty for wanting to have a vacation with just family. Then they need to entertain a younger girl, who goes of in a jealous snit when Ruey arrives, and get Len into a good deal of trouble when the latter tries to rescue her from a dangerous stunt. Then Len, who is frequently chastised for trying to be too contientious, expresses doubts at being made a prefect the following year, as she's much younger than the other girls, but is made a prefect anyways.

#11: Author: Pado, Location: Connecticut, USA

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 1:24 am
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Given that Joey in one of the early Tirol books complains that she wants to vacation with "just family" - meaning I think Madge and maybe the Robin - it seems a bit much for her to later complain about the triplets having the same sentiments.

#12: Author: wheelchairprincess, Location: Oxfordshire, UK

Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:15 am
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I read the transcript of this over the weekend and I enjoyed it.

But, the relationships between everyone annoy me as several other people have said. I know there is this whole six degrees of seperation idea (and we talked about this at work and it seems to be true) but EBD really took it too far and I'm not sure what, beyond the closure which Joey seems to like and seems to comfort Melanie's family, it brought to the story.

I enjoyed the Maynard's all together and thought it very typical of them. Lime green and cream really made me laugh but I did think the book as a whole didn't live up to my expectation of it given the words in the dedication about showing the people of Tyrol.

On the whole it is a good book but I was slightly disappointed.

#13: Author: Loryat,

Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:50 pm
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I just read a transcript (instead of doing work for uni) and quite enjoyed it. Melanie seems nice enough, and I like all the family interactions. The connection with Jeanne le Cadoulec is anoying though - I don't understand why she had to be killed off in the first place - and find it unbelievable that in a school where everyone is as close as in the CS, no-one would have known that she was dead so soon after leaving school.

Poor Len! Why does she get forced into being a prefect?

#14: A Future Chalet Girl Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 1:25 pm
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Quote:

Poor Len! Why does she get forced into being a prefect?

I don't know. It's never addressed in the next book which is Fued as far as I'm aware. This was on of the last books I read Of EBD and I had no idea Len didn't want to be a prefect. I also thought Joey was mean about the girls not wanting an outsider to come away with them on holidays. She really seemed to put the emotional guilt on them at times

#15: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:50 am
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Rowena wrote:

I do remember feeling positively ill at the jam omelette!!

Apologies for dragging up an old topic, but I had to share this. I found a lovely book in a second-hand book shop called Over Tyrolese Hills by F. S. Smythe. It was published in 1935 and includes the following paragraph:

Quote:

We dined in a little gastzimmer which had at one end the usual scalloped green stove. The food was not elaborate and the cooking was severely plain, but both were good. Veal cutlets were followed by jam omelets and coffee.

So clearly EBD didn't make those up - I can only imagine she partook of them at least once!

#16: Author: Lulie, Location: Middlesbrough

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:18 am
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My Mum had jam omelettes when she was living in France and Germany and apparently they were quite nice. They can't have been that bad as my mother doesn't really have a sweet tooth and has to be in the mood to eat eggs!!!

#17: Author: Mia, Location: London

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:59 am
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EBD didn't make them up, Antonia Forest uses them too and I've eaten them, my grandmother used to make sweet omelettes, they just taste like egg custard tart without the pastry.

#18: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:49 pm
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I think jam omelettes appear in the Peter Wimsey books too. I seem to recall Bunter making one, but can't recall which book, and don't have time to look for it now.

Jay B.

#19: Author: alicat, Location: Wiltshire

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 1:26 pm
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It's Strong Poison, it's how the murderer administers the arsenic (slips some into a cracked egg, then makes a jam omelette which he and the victim eat, only he's been taking arsenic secretly to immunise himself - clever eh!)

sweet omelettes are lovely and still eaten today - well in my house, i learnt how to make them when on a french exchange in the 80s so I suppose they are still eaten in france too

if anyone fancies a go this is the method I was shown: start making your omelette, then when the bottom is cooked turn carefully, quickly add jam or actually I like honey or even Nutella, which is what my french family used (this was a real delicacy to me then, no-one I know had heard of it until we went to france) and spread, then roll the omelette and serve.

but you can do it by just dropping sweet stuff (apple puree is good, so is cherry pie filling) into the middle of a partly cooked omelette and finishing it under the grill

yum yum

actualy one of the reason i like EBD's books so much is that you get such yummy descriptions of food, even if it is all very fattening. does anyone know how to make the 'fluffy golden potato balls' she goes on about such a lot?

#20: Author: Katherine, Location: London, UK

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:30 pm
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alicat wrote:

actualy one of the reason i like EBD's books so much is that you get such yummy descriptions of food, even if it is all very fattening. does anyone know how to make the 'fluffy golden potato balls' she goes on about such a lot?

Deep-fry balls of mash? Mmmmm.

#21: Author: Lulie, Location: Middlesbrough

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:43 pm
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alicat wrote:

actually one of the reason i like EBD's books so much is that you get such yummy descriptions of food, even if it is all very fattening. does anyone know how to make the 'fluffy golden potato balls' she goes on about such a lot?

I always imagine them to be like the frozen "Pommes Noisette" we sued to buy as students. I have no idea if they're still available or not, but it may be worth a look.

#22: Author: Caty, Location: New Zealand

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:07 am
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Mashed potato (dripping with butter) and scooped out like a scoop of ice-cream?

#23: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 2:25 pm
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Potatoes cut into balls with a melon baller, then fried in butter, I think.

#24: Author: skye,

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 6:00 pm
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Jennie wrote:

Potatoes cut into balls with a melon baller, then fried in butter, I think.

Dipped in batter or rolled in seasoned flour before either shallow frying or deep frying.

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