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#1: Books: Jo Returns to the Chalet School Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:14 pm
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There is a synopsis here done by Leahbelle. Published in 1936. The term before this was Joey's last at school but now she is down from the Sonnalpe for a visit. An outbreak of illness at Die Rosen forces her to prolong the visit and to pass the time while she is there, she stands in as a temporary mistress and also begins her first writing attempt. Polly Heriot is the New Girl of this book and she starts the term in a bad way before settling down.

Do you like this book? How realistic is Polly's background and upbringing - can she have been so sheltered from modern life? Do you think that Matron was right to be so harsh with Joey about her first book? Is the beginning of Joey's career as authoress realistic - one bad MS and then straightforward from there with a publishing deal? Are you moved by Mlle's illness? This is the book where Dick and Mollie return to India, leaving their youngest with Madge again - Jackie and Bride join Peggy and Rix in the Die Rosen nursery - how did you find this when you first read it in the book?

There is lots going on in this book, please feel free to discuss whatever you like in relation to Jo Returns to the Chalet School Very Happy

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

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:03 am
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If only Matron had been there for EBD later in the series....

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

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:26 am
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I loved Polly as a character, she was always a favourite and I didn't find her too unbelieveable and certainly not for the times. I was disappointed to have another book about Jo not because I don't like her but because I wished we could have heard more about the others. Frieda also came to help out and only lasted a few days due to her mother hurting her ankle and I think it was a shame EBD didn't let us see more of the others. That's actually my complaint for the whole year after Joey left is that she was around too much at the school and overshadowed the characters. She also came accross Corney in this book and told her she was childish and should grow up just because she was in a bad mood and Corney asked her what was wrong, which I thought was rude.

I loved how they dealt with Mademoiselle's illness and thought it was good to see how much the girls loved Mademoiselle, though I wish EBD hadn't killed her off, but despite having a school in Austria EBD is very anti other countires-she rarely has a foreigner as a main character and I guess she wanted an English Headmistress.

Overall though I did like the book, but but my over riding thought there was too much Joey in it.

#4: Author: Liz K, Location: Bedfordshire

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:34 pm
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Fiona Mc wrote:

I loved how they dealt with Mademoiselle's illness and thought it was good to see how much the girls loved Mademoiselle, though I wish EBD hadn't killed her off, but despite having a school in Austria EBD is very anti other countires-she rarely has a foreigner as a main character and I guess she wanted an English Headmistress.

I don't know if I'm being exceedingly stupid here but what EXACTLY was wrong with Mademoiselle? Did she have heart problems or something?

#5: Author: Tan, Location: London via Newcastle Australia

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:39 pm
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I thought it might have been cancer myself, but I don't think it is really made clear.

#6: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:38 pm
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I think it was cancer, in those days they couldn't perform heart operations because they hadn't perfected the techniques for doing open-heart surgery.

This book is not one of my favourites, in fact it's where I really begin to dislike Jo. She was tolerable when she was at school, but she is fr too omnipresent in this book. It would have been much better for the prefects to have coped with the midnight acting by themselves, instead of Jo turning up and taking charge.

BTW: did you realise that she went to bed that night without cleaning her teeth?

#7: Author: Liz K, Location: Bedfordshire

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:33 am
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Jennie wrote:

BTW: did you realise that she went to bed that night without cleaning her teeth?

Ewwwwwwwwwwwww.

And didn't she have to have fillings in this book????

#8: Author: Laura V, Location: Merseyside

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:49 am
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This book is actually one of my favourites (which is strange considering that Jo is probably my least favourite character!). I think it works for me because we get to see Jo's first attempts at writing which most likely reflect EBD's own personal experiences. Madamoiselle's illness is so well written and seeing how the school copes is one of the most interesting areas for me to read (though I do wish EBD had written more about Corney and Madamoiselle's relationship!). I also enjoy seeing Dick and Molly again (we never see enough of them!) and meeting Polly for the first time (another character sadly overlooked by EBD). Overall I give this one a thumbs up Very Happy

#9: Author: JackieP, Location: Kingston upon Hull

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:33 am
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Jennie wrote:

It would have been much better for the prefects to have coped with the midnight acting by themselves, instead of Jo turning up and taking charge.

Is this in this book...? I could have sworn that it was in either New or Gillian... *confused*

JackieP

#10: Author: Loryat,

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:23 pm
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I think it was New/United myself. And in fairness to Jo, she only got involved in that by accident and did her best to take a back seat - the prefects wanted more help than she gave them.

I love this book, it's one of my all time favourites. I especially love the insights into Joey's writing experiences, and all the wee details about the staff that we get. Thought Mademoiselle's illness was very touching, and the way everyone responded. The bit where they all sit up waiting to hear news after the operation is one of the best bits in CS, IMO. I also liked Polly. It was a shame we didn't get more of her, but she was one of the girls whose careers are interrupted by the war. Maybe if it hadn't be for that we'd've got more of her.

#11: Author: Mel, Location: UP NORTH

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:17 pm
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I think EBD does well to find enough to keep Jo at the Chalet for a whole term, but it is hard on the other girls, with Jo getting a great part in the Christmas play - again. We never really see much of what is going on lower down the school, though I too like the parts about Jo's writing. When Mdle is ill, I think this is the first serious illness in the books and she doesn't recover enough ever to return to the school. When Jo is ill, we know that she will recover. That part is done well. There is a wonderful EBDism on p.73 of the hardback
'There was twinkle in Miss Annersley's brown eyes.'

#12: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:04 pm
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I found the reaction to Mlle's illness very moving. It was very sad, but I suppose Mlle wasn't really a strong enough character to be Head long-term so it seemed a good way of writing her out.

I didn't read the books in order first time round but, if I had done, I think I'd've been disappointed that Jo reappeared at the school straight away, rather than characters like Margia, Evvy and Corney being allowed to take over the story.

#13: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:02 pm
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That's what I would have liked to have seen, more of the life of the school, not Jo Bettany going back there.

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

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:55 pm
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Jennie wrote:

That's what I would have liked to have seen, more of the life of the school, not Jo Bettany going back there.

*lol* Perhaps rather difficult in a book called 'Jo Returns to the Chalet School'. Wink

#15: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:36 am
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Laughing

Yes, it does rather do what it says on the tin, doesn't it? It's All About Jo.

I've always rather loved this book. It was one of the very first ones I read - I had a copy with that awful paperback cover of Jo in an improbable miniskirt, burning the first draft of her book.

I like the fact that this book is basically about Jo giving something back to the school. There is plenty of incident, Polly is lovely (I wish we had seen her as Head Girl...), Mademoiselle's illness adds drama, and Jo is a random mix of almost-grown-up-but-yet-still-school-girl-really in a way that seems completely natural to me considering she is only turning 18 in this book. Really, in today's terms, she has left school a year early....

Jo's writing success does come rather easily, I suppose, but this is GO fiction and she is the heroine of the story! Very Happy

#16: Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:49 am
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That is what I love about this book - the insight into the process of making a school story. I love that Jo fumbles around with her writing, that she isn't sure about what she is doing - in that sense, success wasn't immediate (but came extremely soon after Laughing

). If I were to pick a favourite book just based on what stage of life Jo is at, this one would probably be it.

#17: Author: Rosalin, Location: Swansea

Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:49 am
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I've got a soft spot for this book. As a child I had all of the first twelve (Lintons and Rebel in two paperbacks) and I desperately wanted to know what happened next, but Jo Returns was out of print and I couldn't find a copy anywhere. I was absolutely thrilled when I spotted a copy in a friend's bookcase.

For me it marks the end of Jo's plausible involvement with the school. I agree that life on the Sonnalpe would be dull after everything she was used to and visiting the school for a bit gives her some interest. The whole 'can't go home because of quarrantine' is a fairly standard plot device, but it is a solid reason for her staying at the school. From New onwards her involvement feels much more contrived to me, and she really starts to be annoying. Although in Exile, as it isquite different to the rest of the series, it seems more natural having her involoved.

The thing that has always stood out for me in this book is the half term. The sheets and pillowcase party was one of those episodes which I could clearly visualise, and I loved the accident with the Robin's halo and hair. It seemed a lot less contrived than some of the accidents which happen. And then following on from that you get Mademoiselle's illness - the happy times and the sad ones coming together. I'd already read Exile when I first got hold of Jo Returns, so I knew that ultimately there was no happy ending.

As far as Dick and Mollie go, I never really questioned them leaving their children at the Sonnalpe. I still think it was an acceptable thing to do, certainly at that time. Madge might not have had enough attention to go round with so many children there, but they had a generally happy upbringing, which is more than can be said for a lot of children who's parents are around. Better to live with an aunt and uncle in a safe environment (health wise, not politically) than stay with your parents and end up like the Venables boys.

#18: Author: Tamzin, Location: Edinburgh

Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:24 pm
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Caroline wrote:

I had that one too! However I just bought a hardback copy of the book last week and now my old pb of "Jo Returns" is going a begging! If anyone would like it please pm me. It's listed as having "frequent minor cuts" although I believe that there is actually a snippet of conversation ADDED to the p/b - when Jo is giving Polly her first history lesson???? Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Anyway it's first come, first served I'm afraid if anyone wants the book. I don't particularly want any cash for it but if you live somewhere like Outer Mongolia (by which I mean likely high postage costs) then I might ask for a bit towards the cost. However when I sent another CS p/b to a CBBer it only cost £0.70 or so to send the parcel so I doubt I will need to ask for postage costs.

Tamzin

#19: Author: Hannah-Lou, Location: Glasgow

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 3:47 pm
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I like how we see Jo becoming an adult, and the problems she has with it, like putting her hair up, getting used to calling the staff by their first names, and being called "Miss Bettany" by younger people. Also, it's nice to see her first private tuition lesson, and how nervous she is about it.

Quote:

Is the beginning of Joey's career as authoress realistic - one bad MS and then straightforward from there with a publishing deal?

I don't think it's that unrealistic, after all the bad manuscript isn't the first thing she's written; she's been writing bits and pieces for years. But then, I'm not a writer!

Quote:

I don't know if I'm being exceedingly stupid here but what EXACTLY was wrong with Mademoiselle? Did she have heart problems or something?

I always thought it was cancer too. Didn't they do an operation but it was too late?

#20: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:19 pm
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They couldn't operate because her heart was too weak to take the strain of an operation, but it was never made clear exactly what was wrong with her.

#21: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:25 am
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Wasn't it the second operation they couldn't do - the one in New? She has an operation in Jo Returns - almost immediately after being taken from the school to the Sonnalpe:

Quote:

Jo turned to the telephone. ‘Madge!—what’s that?—Just arrived, you say? How has she stood it?—No; I suppose they can’t, yet—What?—Oh, Madge! That’s horribly soon! Will she be able to stand it?—Yes; I suppose it’s best to get it over. You’ll let us know, won’t you.—You know how worried we all are.—Right! We will! Good-bye!’

She rang off, and faced Miss Annersley.

‘Yes; they are going to operate at once,’ said that lady gently. ‘I think we’ll have Prayers now, Joey. Everyone has come, I think.’

Her heart is very weak afterwards, but she pulls through. Later we learn that she has a relapse - Miss Annersley tells us at the start of New CS:

Quote:

When I got to the Sonnalpe, I found that two days after the School broke up Mademoiselle had had a return of pain and sickness. They got her over that, but it came again, worse than before. When she was better the doctors had a consultation, and they now say that the mischief is more extensive than they had thought. If she could stand it, they would operate again, and a second operation would certainly put everything right. But her heart is too weak. All they can do is to mitigate the trouble as far as possible with injections and other treatment. This will prolong her life, probably for years; but they cannot cure her. And she must always, as I said, be regarded as an invalid.

Have to say, I'd always assumed it was cancer of some sort, though I'm not sure what type would cause symptoms of sickness in the way EBD describes or what type could be mitigated by injections and other treatment in the 1930s, but I can't think what else could explain things at all.

#22: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:51 am
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Hadn't Mdlle been having migraine-type headaches in the run up to her illness? Presumably they were a symptom of whatever it was.

Maybe by injections, EBD meant morphine or similar. Possibly she didn't have any particular illness in mind, because she didn't know enough herself, and her readers wouldn't know or care about the specifics anyway.

#23: Author: Maeve, Location: Romania

Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 12:02 pm
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I think this is one of my favourites - I had the mini-dress edition also Smile

It´s very much a Tyrol book, which always seems so much the best part of the series. And I liked seeing Jo in this transition period between school and adulthood. Her attempts at writing are interesting to read - I can´t help thinking it must echo EBD´s own experience - and I also like the scenes in the staffroom when she is co-opted into teaching.

Although Mdlle had always been a fairly quiet character, I always quite liked her - she was kind of the parent figure for both of the Bettany girls in my eyes - and I found the account of her illness quite moving -perhaps even more so on re-reading as I know how it´s all going to end.

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