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#1: Relationships: Janie & Julian Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 6:31 pm
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Janie Temple and Julian Lucy were friends from the early teenage years, after the Temple sisters moved to Guernsey in The Maids of La Rochelle. Janie was at that stage being brought up by her two sisters. Julian was a couple of years older (I think) and was from Guernsey, attending the local school there as a day boy. Janie has always been described as quaint and puckish looking, with a funloving, clever personality - Julian is extremely handsome, dark and taciturn, although underneath his quiet exterior was a teasing, boyish nature. Both remained youthful in outlook after their marriage. They became engaged when Janie was just 18 and were married three years later, moving into the Temple's old La Rochelle home for the first year of their married life, as described in Janie of La Rochelle.

So, did you always expect this couple to end up together? What are your opinions of their relationship? Did they get engaged too young? Do you think that Janie had had ample opportunity to meet other men before her engagement? What do you think of the way that Julian bought the La Rochelle cottage without consulting Janie? What did you think of the much-described wedding day, and Janie's insistence on old-fashioned glamour? Any thoughts on their honeymoon - was it portrayed very innocently/ is it realistic or of its time/ did its depiction suffer because of EBDs lack of experience in this area? Finally, what did you think of the way they worked together as husband and wife and the parents of their long family (their six children are Julie, John, Betsy, Vi, Barney and Kitty).

And anything else you would like to say about the relationship between Janie and Julian - go forth and discuss! Very Happy

#2: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:53 pm
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I love Janie and Julian's wedding Very Happy

. I like the chat between Janie and Elizabeth beforehand as well. I wish EBD'd written something similar for Joey and Jack's wedding - insofar as the circumstances allowed - instead of just not writing about it at all. They did get engaged very young, but they were engaged for quite a while before getting married, and they both mixed quite a lot with other people so I've never found it worrying in the way I find Len getting engaged to Reg so young worrying. The honeymoon is rather sweet - and given the time at which EBD was writing and the audience she was writing for I don't think she could've really written much "else" Wink

.

I've always rather liked Julian - and I think I've always liked the idea of the plain-ish girl getting the good-looking guy, which probably shows that I am very shallow Embarassed

- but I was never very impressed with his decision to buy La Rochelle without consulting Janie! OK, he meant it in a really nice way, but even so.

#3: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 12:53 pm
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Alison H wrote:

I was never very impressed with his decision to buy La Rochelle without consulting Janie! OK, he meant it in a really nice way, but even so.

That never bothered me purely because the two had been looking at houses together and Julian knew how much Janie adored La Rochelle. I thought it was a lovely surprise for her and not one she would have minded. Personally if my husband went and bought my all time favourite house to live in as a surprise I would be touched that he thought of buying it and remembered how much I loved the house.
I love these two together and how they interact. I actually perfer their relationship to Jack and Joey as its more equal. Yes Jack and Joey are friends but Joey is too emotional that Jack is continually having to nurse or sedate her as she isn't emotionally strong whereas Janie is a lot more grounded. I always loved how in Seven Scamps Julian only got involved in the practical joking on Mr Eltringham purely because Janie did. he really seemed to go out of his way to try and impress her!

#4: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 1:58 pm
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I've always felt that Janie and Julian have a far more equal partnership in their marriage than any other pair of marrieds that EBD produces.

Jack & Jo never quite live up to all the hype, with Jack working all the hours that god sends, and Jo always being pampered and dosed. With Madge and Jem, Jem is definitely in charge, the master of the house and the marriage, in fact, far too many women become doormats and baby machines.

Elizabeth Ozanne for one, she had to be the strongest, the leader when their father died, but once she married Paul, that was it, she seemed to detach herself from everything, even seeming uncaring about her children's misbehaviour, just smiling at everything, or almost everything.

And Anne Chester's misfortunes when they lost their money was wimpish. As a young woman, she had to shop, cook and clean, but she doesn't seem to do much when they lose their money, though Barbara must have taken up a lot of time, but she managed to spoil her thoroughly and turn her into a little tyrant.

Janie and Julian however, though Julian behaves like the lord and master on occasion, do appear to talk and have a real relationship, consulting each other, and talking. They do seem to understand each other as well, perhaps because they had known each other for years before they married, but there is a depth in their relationship which is missng from other marital descriptions.

As for his buying La Rochelle without Janie knowing, I think he knew how much she loved the cottage, and bought it before anyone else could snap it up. A stout, well-built cottage was a much better bet than a bungalow, less flimsy and easier to heat, so I can't blame him for buying it.

#5: Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:11 pm
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I always found Janie's insistence on a big, glam wedding dress and accessories, a bit out of character. Or actually, I've never been able to decide whether it *is* out of character, or if it shows her to have a multi-faceted personality Laughing

When they are 'courting' I get the feeling that Julian does a lot of things he doesn't really want to do (like going out on the Island) just to fall in with Janie. I think this takes away from his own personality a bit, and I'd like to see her falling in with his style a bit more, to balance things out. I don't think we see it, but I'd like to think this happened after they were married since it didn't seem to before.

#6: Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:13 am
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I haven't read Maids of La Rochelle, but I get the impression that we see more of the getting to know each other/falling in love/courting phase than we do most other couples.

In the CS books most romances are of the pretty mistress meets handsome doctor during school mishap type. He looks at her interestedly, and three chapters later they are engaged. Even in Jack and Joey's case, they interact mainly as family friend/younger girl until right before their engagement.

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