Books: Joey and Patricia
Select messages from
# through # FAQ
[/[Print]\]

The CBB -> Formal Discussions

#1: Books: Joey and Patricia Author: jenniferLocation: Taiwan PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 8:06 am
    —
Joey and Patricia: A Reunion in Guernsey is a short story/novellete by Helen McClelland, who wrote Visitors for the Chalet School. It is set in the gap in Exile, and concerns a meeting between Joey and Patricia Davidson, who has come to Guernsey on vacation. It can be obtained at the
Transcripts Site.


Patricia has been studying medicine, and is struggling with the problem of marrying the man who loves her and having to give up her career. She is also a proponent of homeopathic medicine, and demonstrates its worth during the trip. At the same time, Joey is struggling with the decision to convert to Catholocism.

What do you think of this story? Do you think it fits in well with the rest of the series, and the story in the second half of Exile? What about the introduction of homeopathic medicine, and its place in the story?





[/url]

#2:  Author: ibarhisLocation: Dunstable PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:23 pm
    —
Not sure if I'm being stupid but the link doesn't seem to be taking me anywhere useful.

#3:  Author: KathrynWLocation: London PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:47 pm
    —
The link takes me to Raya's site where all the transcripts are hosted. There is more detail about the site here

#4:  Author: ibarhisLocation: Dunstable PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 1:18 pm
    —
thanks

#5:  Author: jenniferLocation: Taiwan PostPosted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:18 am
    —
I wasn't too fond of this fill in. Basically, it felt like an advertisement for homeopathic treatment with a Chalet School story tacked on around it. The tone felt off too - in Visitors, Patricia's desire for a career fell within the bounds of things discussed in the series and time, while in this story it felt very late twentieth century in tone and morals, both in the medical stuff, and in the career vs marriage part, which I found rather jarring.

#6:  Author: Alison HLocation: Manchester PostPosted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:00 am
    —
I wish EBD had covered this time period - I don't like there being a gap in the middle of Exile! - but I didn't really like this story: it just doesn't quite fit in, IMHO!

#7:  Author: BillieLocation: The south of England. PostPosted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:43 pm
    —
I liked it, but it sounded very much Helen McClelland and not EBD in style and tone. It seemed much more of a drabble than a fill-in if you get my drift; an OK story but didn't slot in. Rather fragmented too, I thought. The thing with Joey contemplating turning Catholic seemed to be thrown in when she remembered it rather than woven in neatly. I also found the "I wonder if married ladies will be able to work in future" grated a bit, because it seemed a bit too knowing - rather like in Visitors talking about the possibility of colour photographs and the "many years later" bit with the girl singing "Silent Night" in German in the hospital during war time. Like Jennifer, I suppose I'm saying it was too obviously written more recently set in the past.

#8:  Author: Kathy_SLocation: midwestern US PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:13 am
    —
I enjoyed the scenery and glimpses of Jo & Jack, and sympathized with the career-marriage dilemma, but didn't really warm up to Joey and Patricia. Partly it's just that there's not enough room in a short story. Partly I agree that the writing doesn't especially evoke the era. However, mostly I just can't compartmentalize my scientific training well enough to swallow Patricia's blanket endorsement of homeopathy. Maybe if it were set in the 1800s, or were a fantasy novel. Sorry!

#9:  Author: JayBLocation: SE England PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:33 am
    —
I didn't really care for this. It was competently enough written, but I felt there was too much focus on Patricia, and too little on Joey, and hardly any mention of any other CS characters. If this had been an EBD story, there would have been at least one chapter catching us up on everyone's news. Because of that, it didn't really feel like part of the series, and especially not like a story taking place in the middle of Exile.

I'd have liked to see more about Jo and Jack settling in to married life, too, and Jo getting to grips with housekeeping. (I know they've been married a while by this point, but since EBD doesn't show us their early married life, I think HMcC could have given a few hints).

While I thought Patricia struggling to choose between marriage and career was realistic for the time, I thought the homeopathy aspect was an unnecessary complication - and too easily solved, with the deus ex machina godfather. And I didn't like the idea that Patricia got her place because of her godfather's influence rather than on her own merits.

Overall, though, I didn't really care enough about Patricia and her problems. I'd rather read a story with the focus on the characters we already know.

#10:  Author: ibarhisLocation: Dunstable PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:50 pm
    —
Kathy_S wrote:
Patricia's blanket endorsement of homeopathy. Maybe if it were set in the 1800s, or were a fantasy novel. Sorry!


Is it so very far from Dimsie? That was written in 1930s I think (certainly the 20s)

#11:  Author: CarolineLocation: Manchester PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:03 pm
    —
Well, no.

But Dimsie is an advocate of herbs as medicines, which is pretty mainstream (as well as being very traditional - many of our modern pharmaceuticals are derived from plants) by comparison with homeopathy - which, personally, I find nonsensical and scientifically bonkers.....

#12:  Author: LizzieCLocation: Canterbury, UK PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:16 pm
    —
ibarhis wrote:
Kathy_S wrote:
Patricia's blanket endorsement of homeopathy. Maybe if it were set in the 1800s, or were a fantasy novel. Sorry!


Is it so very far from Dimsie? That was written in 1930s I think (certainly the 20s)


I would say that the major difference is the way it is handled. This seems more like a story about Homeopathy than a story about Joey and Patricia, which grates somewhat. It makes it feel like the sole reason for the story is to promote Homeopathy, rather than as an incidental aside that is mentioned in the course of the story. If the way I have put it makes sense... Embarassed

#13:  Author: ibarhisLocation: Dunstable PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:24 pm
    —
Fair enough - I was just interested because the later Dimsies are very pro-homeopathy.

#14:  Author: CarolineLocation: Manchester PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:11 pm
    —
ibarhis wrote:
Fair enough - I was just interested because the later Dimsies are very pro-homeopathy.


But they aren't - I can't think of a single reference to homeopathic medicine in Dimsie. She's a herbalist, not a homeopath - those are two very different things....

Confused Confused Confused



The CBB -> Formal Discussions


output generated using printer-friendly topic mod. All times are GMT

Page 1 of 1

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group