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Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
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Author:  Róisín [ Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:40 am ]
Post subject:  Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
Nina Rutherford, our Genius, comes to the Chalet School as a 15 year old orphan whose father has just died. Her cousin, Sir Guy Rutherford, is taking care of her when they run into some Chaletians and he subsequently decides to enrol Nina. When she arrives, the staff fit the schedule around her musical needs. There is an accident with Hilda Jukes where Nina refuses to forgive Hilda for causing her to miss a few days' practise.

Alix Rutherford becomes ill and moves to the Platz to recuperate. In April, Joey gives birth to Cecil, and Nina composes a welcome song for the baby's arrival home. It turns out that old Scholastika girl, Winnie Silksworth, is living in Montreux and has a distant connection to Nina.

So! How did you like this book? Do you always read them as separate in the paperback, or as one in the hardback/transcript? Do you like Nina? Is she a realistic portrayal of a genius? Do you think that the Rutherfords treated her fairly when she was under their care? What did you think of the way that Nina treated Hilda Jukes? What about the comments on how much weight Winnie has gained? Was Mary-Lou right to submit Nina's manuscript without her knowing?

Please raise any issue you like to discuss below, in relation to A Genius at the Chalet School. :D

Next Sunday: A Problem for the Chalet School
Author:  JS [ Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:53 pm ]
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I haven't read it in a one-er, as it were, and actually read Fete before Genius in paperback as a kid, which was a little confusing.

I'm not sure how realistic Nina is as a genius - I don't think I've ever known any (sorry to any of my friends/acquaintances if you think you are!). I certainly accepted her as a realistic character when I read it first. She's not a wholly sympathetic character (unlike Jennifer in School By the River, who is also supposed to be a genius, or Margia who graduated from being the school genius to just someone with talent!) which I thought was quite reasonable too.

I thought the scenes where the Rutherfords tried to deal with having a strange (in both senses) child coming into their menage were well done - possibly more realistic than some other fiction instances. There was neither out and out enmity nor a smooth transition. It was also nice - and quite realistic - that they were brought together through Alixe's illness.

Not sure what I thought of Mary Lou submitting the manuscript to the mag, but there was a precedent - Miss Maynard (I think) helped herself to a story of Joey's for the first ever Chaletian. Maybe the moral is that if you don't want your work published, you shouldn't leave it lying around (something from which some of our leaky MPs/civil servants could learn a lesson!).

I'll leave it to others to discuss the Hilda instance - and Joey's butting in...
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:14 pm ]
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I quite like Nina - I don't know anyone who's a genius :lol: but her single-mindedness and the way it makes other people nervous seem quite realistic - and at least she's a bit different. The long-lost relative thing is slightly silly, but at this stage it isn't happening in every book so I can cope with it.

The remarks about Winnie's weight aren't very nice - it seems to be all they notice about the poor woman!

BTW. why on earth do Alison Rutherford's sisters call her "John" for short at the start of the book? If anyone ever called me "John" they would live to regret it :twisted: :lol: !
Author:  jennifer [ Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:07 am ]
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I rather like this book, particularly when compared with the previous one.

I think Nina is a good portrayal of someone who is a prodigy, but has been raised in a very focussed environment. It's basically been her, her father and her music, and nothing else. I like the way the Rutherfords want to do what is best for her, but don't understand her. They have good points - a fourteen year old, even a genius, needs a good, well rounded education, but she understands how much dedication is needed for her music.

I also like the understanding but firm way the school deals with her. They accommodate her needs, but also make her recognize that she needs to consider other, non-genius, people's needs.

Meeting Winnie Silksworth on the boat and finding she's relative to Nina through her husband is a bit much, though.
Author:  snowmaiden [ Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:17 am ]
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I always liked this book too. I liked Nina as a character, and particularly liked the scenes at the Rutherford's home when they are trying to get used to her. I always thought Sir Guy was particularly amusing, especially when Nina appears in full mourning, and Lady R was very kind in setting up the music room for her.

I don't know any geniuses either but thought EBDs portrayal of Nina was pretty realistic, I think mainly because she had obvious faults that went along with her genius status. It also seems as though EBD knows a LOT about music and the study of it - she certainly seems to describe all the necessary components accurately and be aware of the life of the concert pianist.


The Hilda incident - hmmm. Not sure how I feel about that. I think a genius type probably would feel as though life was over if they got a hand injury - don't some musicians insure their hands?! Think the way they all blamed HIlda for what was really an accident was a bit much though.
Jo butting in - well, I think I'll leave that to someone else....

And the coincidences - as Alison said, not too irritating yet, but does seem to confirm that you can't possibly become a 'proper' Chalet girl without being related to an Old Girl.

All in all, I rather like this one.
Author:  jennifer [ Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:38 am ]
Post subject: 
snowmaiden wrote:

The Hilda incident - hmmm. Not sure how I feel about that. I think a genius type probably would feel as though life was over if they got a hand injury - don't some musicians insure their hands?! Think the way they all blamed HIlda for what was really an accident was a bit much though.
Jo butting in - well, I think I'll leave that to someone else....


I think it's realistic from Nina's perspective - she's been taught that music is everything in her life, and even a small setback such as missing a day or two of practice is a major calamity she doesn't know how to handle.

The condemnation of Hilda is a bit much, though. If Nina's hands are that fragile, she shouldn't be playing leapfrog! Hilda is a big, klutzy girl, and there's only so much paying attention will help that in the middle of an athletic activity (speaking as a natural klutz).
Author:  Jennie [ Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:55 am ]
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I think that Nina is portrayed well, not necessarily as a genius (and BTW, who gave Jo Maynard the right to pontificate about genius?) but as a girl who had always been intensely focussed on music, ad who had had very little to do with anyone of her own age before, and who, on her father's death, experienced the loneliness of losing someone who understood her, ad had been her chief companion.

As for Hilda Jukes, she was quite a silly girl who had already received several warnings about her carelessness during the PE lesson. Yes, Nina went overboard in her reaction towards Hilda, but knowledge of Nina's talent was widespread in the school, and Hilda perhaps needed Nina's continued anger as a wanring to be more sensible in the future.
Author:  Tara [ Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:20 pm ]
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I've always liked it (only read the hb). The fact that EBD understood about music really shows, and Nina's reactions are very realistic (and, satisfyingly, less than perfect). I like the way Miss Annersley deals with Nina after the Hilda incident, really making her think through her reaction and realise that there are other important things in life. I think the school comes out of this well, they give Nina lots of support and encouragement, but try to help her attain a balance as well.

I suppose her music is a last link to her father, as well.
Author:  Pado [ Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:26 pm ]
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I think Nina's response is very realistic - I know several musicians (none that I would describe as genius level) who are all extremely careful about hand care. The slightest injury can have a quite severe effect, and I would imagine that Nina, as an isolated young student, would be even more likely to jump to the worst possible scenario than would someone with a more balanced background.

It's really not the lack of several days practice but the potential for long term damage that drives her response, I think. These days, she'd probably just sue Hilda.
Author:  Sugar [ Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:18 am ]
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is this where the cuts in Armada are wonky and EBD wrote an extra chapter for Fete and Cecil is born twice?
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:39 am ]
Post subject: 
It is indeed!
Author:  JS [ Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
These days, she'd probably just sue Hilda.


That made me laugh - don't know why as it's actually rather sad.

I think it was probably the loss of practice as well as the possibility of longterm damage which upset Nina. And again, that's quite realistic. I know keen runners who go up the wall at the thought of missing several days and they are most certainly not genius (or even competitive athlete) level.
Author:  JayB [ Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
It wasn't all that long since Nina had lost her father and had to go and live with strangers in a strange country and then another lot of strangers in another strange country when she went to school. She must have felt as if her music and her practice routines were the only familiar things she had left to her. It's not surprising that she was very distressed at having them taken away, if only for a few days.
Author:  moiser30 [ Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:35 am ]
Post subject: 
I love this book but In some way's it makes me feel sad everytime I read it, it makes me think about what I would do if things I liked doing I couldn't do no more.
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:41 am ]
Post subject: 
Welcome to the CBB and congratulations on your first post, moiser30 :D !

That's a really interesting point. Not being able to do something you'd set your heart on is quite a common theme in GO books - people sometimes have to abandon career plans to care for relatives, or because of financial setbacks, or else because of accidents as could possibly have happened to Nina - but it's not really explored in the CS books, except very vaguely in the case of Grizel's dad stopping her from becoming a PT teacher.
Author:  moiser30 [ Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:45 am ]
Post subject: 
Alison H wrote:
Welcome to the CBB and congratulations on your first post, moiser30 :D !

That's a really interesting point. Not being able to do something you'd set your heart on is quite a common theme in GO books - people sometimes have to abandon career plans to care for relatives, or because of financial setbacks, or else because of accidents as could possibly have happened to Nina - but it's not really explored in the CS books, except very vaguely in the case of Grizel's dad stopping her from becoming a PT teacher.


thanks for the welcome

I know how it feels to not be able to follow your dreams so I felt for her straight away and I know how hard it is to take it in.
Author:  LizzieC [ Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
I've been rereading this so I could join in the discussion. I'm not terribly far yet, but was struck by something so I thought I'd bring it up here. If it's not appropriate, let me know and I'll start a new topic in Anything Else.

In Genius EBD has the school changing the living arrangements so that all girls are based in house dormies, there are several new matrons to deal with the houses, and the most startling thing for me was the move to house common rooms (which must surely have led to lots of half full common rooms) which the girls then use to entertain the girls from other houses twice a term. EBD seems to lay this out as a permanent change, but apart from the house dormies I don't remember most of these arrangements being mentioned again. Do we know when she dropped most of these and was it mentioned in the books? What do/did you all think of these ideas? I'm inclined to think she dropped large parts because they weren't practical to her purposes. It's much easier to have the whole of a form shown to plan an evening than a fraction of a form.
Author:  Róisín [ Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:51 pm ]
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You know, I don't think a character like Nina would ever show up in The School by the River which makes me think that Nina is how EBD thought that music *shouldn't* be done (if you can say that TSBTR is EBD's idealised everything about music, which I think it is).

What I love about this book is the home scenes in the Rutherfords. Even though the war is over etc, there is something very very 1920s about their lifestyle: the way that they break for cocoa mid morning, or the promises that Nina makes to Guy's wife about the fire being lit. Seems like EBD absorbed a view of the home life of the aristocracy sometime in her late teens (maybe through a visit?) and never lost that.
Author:  Elle [ Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
Alison H wrote:
BTW. why on earth do Alison Rutherford's sisters call her "John" for short at the start of the book? If anyone ever called me "John" they would live to regret it :twisted: :lol: !



Something I have always wondered too!

I like this book, especially the meeting with the School at the start. I think it is one of my favourite books in the series.
Author:  Ela [ Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:14 pm ]
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I've recently read this in full, in the GGB version, and found it interesting, since I'd never read Fete. I really like Nina (though have to wonder at her being tagged as a genius - even if Joey's comments about Nina's "one-sidedness" are actually quite accurate), and sympathise with her single-mindedness. The school adapts itself well to her needs, as well as showing her that a degree of outward-looking is required for a healthy life. One thing that did strike me while reading is Nina's thoughtfulness and courtesy to other people, that, in retrospect, make her reaction to Hilda's clumsiness seem over-the-top. She thanks Miss Dene for taking the trouble to draw up a special timetable (which thanks Miss Dene brushes off rather brusquely by saying that it's her job); she buys a pretty bangle for Alix as a sort of welcome present; she buys a big box of chocolates for Miss O'Ryan and asks her to share it with the other mistresses who've been doing escort duty on their trip to Vevey and Geneva (and again is slightly rebuffed, though her thanks are sincere).

I think that it was quite in character for Mary-Lou to have submitted Nina's work to the magazine, though she was right that Nina wouldn't ever have considered it. I did like reading about M-L's trepidation when she realised that it had been accepted, and wondering how Nina was going to react. I guess I would have reacted in the same way - initial impulse to be annoyed, later gratitude!

I did like the description of the panto, though more for Clem's performance as the bad fairy Nettlesting than because of the spoonerisms (unfunny) or the japes of the horse.

It was also good to read about the origin of the Rutherfords' reason for being on the Platz in later books, and their slightly uneasy relationship with Nina, given their general lack of understanding of her music. I even liked the bit about the Emburys being Nina's cousins, since I didn't think that was all that unlikely (unlike Adrienne's relationship with the Robin). Agree with Alison and others about the comments about Winnie's weight being a bit unkind - wouldn't Nancy have recognised her earlier? They can't have been that far apart in age.
Author:  Loryat [ Fri Sep 26, 2008 3:02 pm ]
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I have only read the two disjointed halves of this book and don't remember them too well, so apologies if I make any mistakes.

I think Nina is a nicely presented character whose attitude is certainly realistic when you think that she's been living alone with her music addicted dad and practising to the exclusion of everything else. Whether or not she was a genius I think her behaviour is convincing, and the fact that she is very talented just adds to her single mindedness IMO.

I think the Rutherfords (who are all quite well developed characters) and School's reactions to Nina are also quite nicely handled, especially when the whole Hilda incident arouses the schools dislike of Nina (IIRC). I think Nina's original reaction to Hilda is very understandable and justifiable, and her continued anger is certainly understandable. Nina as well as being a genius has never really had to consider anyone besides herself before.

I approve of Joey's butting in in this context. Mary-Lou (IIRC) actually asks for help or at least brings the subject up, and I think Joey's reseponses help to sort out the situation.

I can't remember much else. I have the pbs which have Cecil being born twice, and would quite like to read them in full. I think Nina's idea to write a song for Cecil is a sweet one, showing that she's thinking more of other people (as do her reactions to the news of Alixe's illness). One random Q though - how old is Hilda supposed to be in this book? Surely far too old to be in Nina's form?

All in all, I think this is an above standard CS. Nina is an unusual heroine in that she never entirely conforms (being a genius, it's allowable) and her gradual adaptation from single minded genius to a more aware, open minded girl is well written I think.

Edit: I do think it's nice that Nina discovers some more musical minded relations, even if they do turn out to have a distant connection to the CS.
Author:  Maeve [ Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:37 am ]
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I have just re-read this for the first time in years, having recently received my GGB copy :) and am liking it a lot for many of the reasons mentioned above.

What strikes me about the Hilda incident, is not the extremeness of Nina's reaction, but that of everyone else! Miss Burnett, Miss Annersely, her own form (with "brutal frankness) and Miss Lawrence all lay into her, till it's no wonder that she cries
Quote:
until she was fit for nothing but Matron's care.

Then, when Joey hears the story, she comments "ruthlessly" that if Hilda has finally learned not to be heedless, it's all to the good.

If I was Hilda, I'd be writing my parents asking to go home! After all, she's apologized immediately she hurt Nina, and Miss Burnett and Miss Annersley having told her off, I would have thought that would be enough.
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:41 am ]
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She did get a rough time, didn't she? It was a sheer accident: it's repeatedly made clear that Hilda, although she is "heedless", would never hurt anyone deliberately. Had the accident happened to anyone but Nina then it wouldn't really have been a big deal, and it was just bad luck that the person who was hurt was someone obsessed with playing the piano.

The CS is very inconsistent like this sometimes - Hilda gets a far harder time of it than did some people who caused much worse accidents and in some cases did so on purpose :( .
Author:  moiser30 [ Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:10 pm ]
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I love this book, I like everything about it the beginning is a bit sad :) but otherwise it good.

I like how Nina wants to just do music but through the book she decides to try different things and she likes to play games and stuff like that.
Author:  Nightwing [ Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:16 am ]
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I reread this book recently and wondered rather at EBD's portrayal of genius. As a kid I rather took it for granted after reading Enid Blyton's depiction of the genius musician in her St Claire's series. In retrospect, Nina is by far the more realistic character of the two! :D

I do wonder, though, if there are other girls who could almost be counted as geniuses if you're going by Nina as the stock an standard definition. Joey by her own admission is merely talented, but what about Con? She's portrayed as aloof, and when she's in the middle of writing something she is no use to anyone until she's finished.

I wonder if the main difference between her and Nina is that Con has always been made to pursue other things than just her writing, and that given the large Maynard family Joey could hardly spend the time with her gifted daughter the way that Nina's father spends with her.
Author:  MJKB [ Sun Oct 26, 2008 10:48 pm ]
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I guess commenting unfavourably on a person's weight in the 'fifties was perfectly acceptable. If the series was being written today by a Jaqueline Wilson type we'd have chronic bulimics and anorexics.
And poor Hilda Jukes. How did she survive the Chalet School? She is heckled and harrassed by pupils and teachers alike in 'Genius, basically for being too heavy and clumsy' her tongue is nearly bitten in two because a Mistress has a headache and can't stand the sound of her giggling in 'Fete (I think) and blamed for having a bookend flung at her by Margot Maynard in 'Triplets!
Author:  JayB [ Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
I've just re-read this for the first time in many years. I like it a lot. I like the train journey, and the scenes at the Rutherfords' home. Nina is a believable, complex character - I think EBD does a good job at showing her singlemindedness, and how that could cause conflict with others, and how Nina developed over the course of the book. Eustacia was equally singleminded and unused to the compnay of people her own age - it's interesting that Nina is portrayed far more sympathetically.

Mary Lou is quite low key (for her). She is far less domineering than in the earlier Swiss books, and I think this book is better for it. It's good to see more of Vi, Barbara, Verity and some of the others.

I like it when the School meets up with old friends, but I thought there were too many coincidences with the Emburys. Not only did Winnie happen to be on the same boat as the School party, her husband happens to be a cousin of Nina's, and Alix Rutherford happens to be a patient at Winnie's sister's hospital. And how could Nancy be so wrong in her estimate of Winnie's age? If they were at St Scholastika's at the same time, she must know how old Winnie is.

And on the old friends theme, it's good to see Elisaveta again. But why do we never see her younger daughter at the School, when Jose is a fairly major character?

EBDism - suddenly Nan Herbert's father is editor of a scientific journal? In Changes it was a fairly significant plot point that he was a clergyman!
Author:  Miriam [ Tue Dec 09, 2008 10:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
Quote:
And on the old friends theme, it's good to see Elisaveta again. But why do we never see her younger daughter at the School, when Jose is a fairly major character?


Sounds like the same pattern as Daisy and Primula. To give EBD the benefit of the doubt, Jose only appears as a character within the final few years of the books. Maybe her younger sister (whose name I can't remember) would have become more of a character when she was older if the series had gone on long enough.

Quote:
EBDism - suddenly Nan Herbert's father is editor of a scientific journal? In Changes it was a fairly significant plot point that he was a clergyman!


Clergymen don't earn much. Maybe he needed a second job on the side... :|

I think a big difference between Nina and Eustacia was that Eustacia was involved in a very academic discipline, requiring a lot of intellectual work, but very little involvement with people and emotions. Nina was equally dedicated, but to music, which requires a lot of emotional sensitivity.

She had also travelled a lot and met a lot of different people, while Eusatcia had been baisically isolated in her house in Oxford. We don't see Eustacia's parents, but the impression given is that they were rather cold and intellectual, not given to emotional displays. Nina's father seems to have been much more emotional - he fell in love, had a row with his father, went off and married etc. I think it is implied that Nina's mother was Italian, which in the realms of GO literature means emotional. Altogether, I can see alot of reasons why Nina would be a lot better at people and interactions generally than Eustacia was.
Author:  Kathy_S [ Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
JayB wrote:
EBDism - suddenly Nan Herbert's father is editor of a scientific journal? In Changes it was a fairly significant plot point that he was a clergyman!

Possibly EBD is harking back to Victorian times, when a large proportion of scientists were also clergymen? It's not impossible even today.

(What, EBD forgetful? :lol:)
Author:  Mel [ Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
Doesn't Jo suddenly become bosom buddies with Winnie, though she hasn't thought of her since schooldays? I know she goes there later on, on a long visit to help out, taking most of her own tribe with her. Frieda, in Berne is rather neglected.
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
Ah, but Winnie had seven sons and Frieda only had two. Jo obviously had Winnie's boys in mind as potential future partners for her many daughters.

I think EBD forgot about Frieda. And Gisela and Gottfried were supposed to be moving to the Platz at one point, but never did. It's a shame: I've got nothing against Winnie but I'd much rather have seen more of someone like Frieda whom we "knew" much better.
Author:  Loryat [ Thu Dec 11, 2008 6:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
Actually I think EBD does this quite a lot, especially when it comes to mistresses who were once pupils. For example Miss Wilmot becomes a major character when she was only in a couple of books as a pupil, and girls who were major characters like all the Quintette members just fade out to be ritually mentioned every few books. :(
Author:  Mel [ Thu Dec 11, 2008 6:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
Yes, she seems to be mining a rich seam of ex-St Scholastica pupils i.e. Nancy, Winnie and Maisie Gomme, when I would have loved to see Ilonka, Elsie or any of that group again.
Author:  Nightwing [ Thu Dec 11, 2008 7:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: A Genius at the Chalet School
Perhaps EBD wanted to develop new characters but felt that she needed to stay within her own trope of bringing back characters who were familiar - hence we have an influx of characters who had previously been introduced but never really developed.
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