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Books: the Chudleigh Hold Series
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4344
Author:  Róisín [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Books: the Chudleigh Hold Series
Now, I haven't read these myself, so if anyone could raise some discussion points, I'd be very grateful :D

There is a summary of the books here. The 'official' Chudleigh Hold Series consists of Chudleigh Hold (1954), Condor Crags (1954) and Top Secret (1955). Linked to them, and forming just as much of a series, are Fardingales (1950) and The Susannah Adventure (1953). This is one of those series that could have been written by JMB - EBD says in Gay that Joey is thinking of writing out Gillian's story as a book.

It's been said that these books are where EBD strayed into 'adventure' writing - and that many fans dislike the books because of this. Do *you* like/dislike the books? Do you think she 'does' adventure as well as she does school? Do you appreciate the backstory of Gillian Culver - or do you think it chimes in well with the CS Gillian?

Please join in below :D

Next Sunday: Peggy of the Chalet School
Author:  LizzieC [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books: the Chudleigh Hold Series
Róisín wrote:
Next Sunday: Peggy of the Chalet School


Where does The Chalet School and the Island slot in then? :?
Author:  Travellers Joy [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 6:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
I really enjoyed Chudleigh Hold, surprisingly - I wasn't expecting to! Of the others, I've only read Condor Crags, and as it follows the adventures of one of the male characters (Hawk?), I wasn't all that interested, but I'm not sure if that was EBD's failure to write good adventure, or me preferring a female protagonist. (Though I do seem to remember thinking the plot highly unlikely.) Chudleigh Hold is also fairly unlikely, but I was caught up in the story nevertheless.
Author:  JayB [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 6:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
I read Top Secret a while ago and found it a pretty good read. It didn't seem like EBD at all - with the exception of one little give away phrase, it's not at all her usual style. I wonder if she'd have been more successful with her thrillers if she'd published them under a man's name, or a gender-neutral name. Top Secret would probably appeal more to boys than girls, but boys were unlikely to buy a book by a woman author best known for writing about a girls' school.

The plot is rather silly of course, but no more so than many adventure/thriller stories published for children around the same time - most of Malcom Saville's plots wouldn't bear too close examination.

Where I think EBD succeeded is in the characters. Top Secret really disproves the theory that EBD couldn't write men. The book has a huge cast, only one of whom is a woman, and she is an old lady of 83. There isn't a schoolgirl in sight.

I love the Penroses, especially Freda and Phil. I wish EBD had written more about them - I'd love to have read Freda's story, from the time she was young girl in England. She's probably unique in EBD-land - a successful business woman whose preference for business over being a wife and mother is presented in a positive light.

And in Freda and Phil EBD has two people who were very elderly by the standards of the time, yet still healthy, active, forceful. A welcome corrective to the way some other authors (I'm looking at you, EJO) portrayed old age.

And isn't Rex Penrose just about the most attractive man EBD ever wrote? Too dashing for any CS girl, I think.
Author:  Maisie [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
I have just finished reading this series in order, so good timing for the discussion :-) I have always been a fan of the action/thriller/adventure genre and these stories work very well for me. My favourite is Chudleigh Hold, but I do find it very difficult to reconcile the characters of Gill Culver and Crumpet Chudleigh - they really don't seem the same person at all.

I think the plots do get a bit thin later on in the series - Fardingales is good but I found The Susannah Adventure rather repetitive - and very confusing with all the to-ing and fro-ing across the channel! The Condor Crags Adventure was really very silly, but Top Secret was back on form again, some great characterisation.

I did find it a little annoying that may of the unrelated male and female characters had to end up married though, in true EBD form :?

All in all, very enjoyable though!
Author:  miss_maeve [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:19 am ]
Post subject: 
JayB wrote:
with the exception of one little give away phrase,


I've never read this series at all, but I'm going to make a guess at the giveaway phrase - would it be 'still, grey and to all appearances dead', by any chance?
Author:  Caroline [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:37 am ]
Post subject: 
I've only read Chudleigh Hold of these - waiting for GGBP to publish the others!

I did enjoy it - lots of action and vivid characters.

There were quite a few plot holes and things not followed up which annoyed me, though - I found it more distracting, somehow, in this book than I do in the CS when EBD mentions something as being of great significance / mystery and then never returns to it / explains it again...
Author:  JayB [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:33 am ]
Post subject: 
miss_maeve wrote:
JayB wrote:
with the exception of one little give away phrase,


I've never read this series at all, but I'm going to make a guess at the giveaway phrase - would it be 'still, grey and to all appearances dead', by any chance?


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

This is it -

Quote:
...he had lain limp and, to all appearances, unconscious, ever since they had put him there...
Author:  JS [ Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
miss_maeve wrote:
JayB wrote:
with the exception of one little give away phrase,



I've never read this series at all, but I'm going to make a guess at the giveaway phrase - would it be 'still, grey and to all appearances dead', by any chance?




This is it -

Quote:
...he had lain limp and, to all appearances, unconscious, ever since they had put him there...

Thanks for that lunchtime giggle - bad day otherwise!

I've only read Chudleigh Hold and quite enjoyed it - don't know what I'd have thought about it if I'd read it as a child, though.
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