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#1: Books: The Chalet School and Richenda Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 4:03 pm
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I think it's Richenda's turn Smile

There's a PB vs HB comparison here and a synopsis here.
So, is Richenda's father right to send her to the school? Does he have a leg to stand on? How much did you want to kill that little brat who squirted stuff in her eyes? This is Mary-Lou's first term as Headgirl - how does do? Other events: Joey is seriously ill and has an operation in England and Odette Mercier is desperately homesick.

Last edited by Róisín on Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

#2: Author: Therill,

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 5:03 pm
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This is one of the ones where Joey's butting in makes sense - with the half term punishment. That was a lousy thing for her father to do; even if I can half understand his attitude to her handling of his priceless collection. It does take a while for parents to realise their kids have grown up, and neither of them was precisely any good at communicating. As for the brat - shoot him at dawn! Wink

#3: Author: DramaPrefect,

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 5:28 pm
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That little brat is evil! I'd have squirted it in his eyes to see how he liked it! Evil or Very Mad

#4: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 5:52 pm
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The brat was absolutely evil! An adult who'd done that would've been locked up for assault/ABH. Richenda is quite interesting in that she decides she's going to enjoy school to spite her father, rather than being anti-school like some new girls are. It's a shame that she doesn't really feature much later on -once her friend Sue arrived at the CS they seemed to go off on their own and not form part of the Len/Ted/Ros group, and her friendship with Con got forgotten as well because EBD didn't seem to want Con to have any friends!

It's also interesting that she's from a Quaker family - it seems to be assumed that all British Protestant girls are C of E (there's never even any reference to people being Scottish Presbyterian) and I wonder what made EBD decide to mention that the Frys weren't.

One of the better Swiss books - just a shame that it seems to be kind of on its own because Richenda doesn't feature much later on.

#5: Author: little_sarah, Location: London next academic year, Manchester when I want some home comforts!

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 6:56 pm
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For once, this is a book I've actually read recently so I can comment!
I thought that Mary-Lou and Joey both seemed much less overbearing than in other books, and that the usual butting-in comes across as a justified attempt to be helpful.
I also wondered a bit at the way that Richenda's religion was brought up- I can't think of any other girl who was singled out as being from a non C of E Protestant Church (I can't think of the word I mean here!).
As for that boy- what a brat!

#6: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 7:45 pm
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I wonder if the reason Richenda is Quaker is because of her surname? That EBD plucked the surname out of the air (as you do!) and then realised the ramifications of the surname Fry.

Overall I do like this book - Professor Fry is an idiot - not quite in the same league as Professor Richardson but certainly an idiot. I can understand him sending Richenda to school, but the Half term thing just sounds like vindictiveness and cruelty. "Well as she's sending me horrible formal letters and hasn't apologised I'll just spoil her life then."

While I do think Joey's intervention was far gentler than the norm, I still felt that it wasn't really Rikki's fault - her father was the one that had to change his attitude.

As for that brat - he, his mother and his father should have been prosecuted - nasty family!!!!

#7: Author: Mel, Location: UP NORTH

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 8:52 pm
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I always enjoy Richenda as she starts off as a possible new major character, but then fades away. I like the ceramics background - new for EBD - and the Quaker link too.

#8: Author: Tara, Location: Malvern, Worcestershire

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 10:00 pm
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I 'did' Richenda for the GGBP encyclopaedia not long ago. Their choice, not mine, but I'd forgotten how much I liked it. Richenda's enthusiasm for her ceramics is lovely (tho' I might have got a bit hot under the collar if she'd been messing about with my priceless artefacts, too!), and I like the fact that she's going to make them her career - and that Prof Fry, idiot tho he is in some ways, gave her the vase in the end.

Junior is a seriously mishandled youngster. Another spoiled brat who's a danger to the community, part of EBD's 'how to be a good parent' thread!

It reminded me of how darn good she is. I was so absorbed in the story that I kept forgetting I was supposed to be doing something with it!

ETA I think Joey does realise Prof Fry is the one at fault, she's horrified by his attitude, but she's also seriously worried by R's feelings towards him, and that's the bit she can do something about. She does have 'words' wqith Prof when she finally meets him. I also appreciated how it's Miss A who stays with R in hospital, for once Jo doesn't take over.

#9: Author: ibarhis, Location: Dunstable

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 10:24 pm
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It was always one of my favourite of the later books; I loved the Quakers and the ceramics, in fact I think I became interested in ceramics (not professionally but looking at them in museums etc) originally because of Richenda.

I think I read it at about the same time as I discovered Elfreda Vipont.

Gosh, what a long time ago!

#10: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 4:06 am
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Ricki's adaptation to the school is one of my favorite "new girl" story lines. Her realization that she's gone from just trying to show her father to reacting defensively when Odette is critical of the CS, is particularly fine. Overall, the Richenda story line ties the book together so well that the typical episodes don't read episodically, if that makes sense. The "accident" (Accident??? That was assault!) at the end doesn't ring quite as true to me, though the happy ending is of course desirable. Was anyone else rather shocked at the idea of using oil to treat ammonia burns? Wouldn't that just seal the caustic inside and make matters worse?

I also agree that Joey's at her best in this volume. I enjoy the snapshots of family life, and this is one of the volumes that keeps me from accepting the view that, because she has help, Jo doesn't pull a full load in the household. She's critical to its wellbeing. On the Richenda front, I like the way that Joey, while clearly livid about Mr. Fry's behavior, still couples her fine vocabulary on his iniquities (rambustious crocodile Laughing

) with concern that the man's driving his daughter away. The balance between the "it cuts both ways" speech and the fabulous end run on the Valais trip is perfect.

#11: Author: Mel, Location: UP NORTH

Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 11:27 am
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I find the inevitable new-girl-has-accident one of the best and most original. For once it isn't to do with falling and limbs broken, bruised and so on and no heroine doing the rescuing. Very well written too, as when I first read it I wasn't sure that Rikki would be all right. Why did Rikki fall from EBD's favour? She was all set to be a close friend of Len's. Also in Trials when talking with Naomi she is mentioned as a well-meaning but not very sensitive girl.

#12: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 11:30 am
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Mel wrote:

Why did Rikki fall from EBD's favour? She was all set to be a close friend of Len's. Also in Trials when talking with Naomi she is mentioned as a well-meaning but not very sensitive girl.

Think she had this genetic problem - not being related to the Bettany/Russell/Maynard clan or a Mary Lou. Wink

#13: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 1:02 pm
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Hi. This is my first post here, although I've lurked for some time.

I like Richenda. I think the Quakerism and the ceramics give her a more interesting background than most other new girls.

I think Prof. Fry never should have been a parent. He tells Miss A. that Richenda has outgrown Nanny, but it doesn't seem to occur to him that he might take a hand in her upbringing, except to administer discipline. They don't seem ever to spend time together doing father/daughter things, and Richenda's reached the age of fifteen and made quite detailed plans for her career without him knowing anything about it.

That said, he was clearly right in that she needed a better education than she was getting, but he was wrong in how he went about it.

This is one of the times I get annoyed with EBD's fetish for nicknames. Richenda is a lovely, unusual name, yet she has to be Ricki.

As for Junior, I think this is one occasion it would have been appropriate for Jem to administer a sound thrashing, since the little brat was probably too young to be prosecuted.

Jay B.

#14: Author: catherine, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 8:33 pm
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I liked this book but I always felt that the storyline with Odette was under-developed. It would have been lovely to see Miss Annersley having a reassuring talk with her or providing a shoulder to cry on. I liked the way that we got to see Kathie Ferrars becoming a more confident teacher.

#15: Author: Kate, Location: Ireland

Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 11:08 pm
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Is Richenda pronounced as Richenda or Rishenda, does anyone know?

#16: Author: Michelle, Location: Near London

Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 11:23 pm
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I assumed it was Rishenda because someone suggested she call herself "Shendy", not "Chendy". It's not in any of my names books, though, and I've had a quick look on Google and failed to find it. I'd like to know the pronunciation too!

#17: Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 4:13 am
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I like this book - Richenda is unique in her determination to enjoy her punishment and her interest in ceramics. Her father is an idiot - yes, Richenda was in the wrong in handling valuable antiques expressly against orders, but telling a child that she's being exiled from her home because she's bad is just likely to make her more resentful, and trying to keep her miserable at school is even worse.

He strikes me as someone who is parenting in isolation - he seems to have no clue about how kids that age think or feel, and no idea what an appropriate response to bad behaviour is, he's just randomly making up parenting techniques out of thin air and assuming that they will work because he says so.

In Odette it's nice to see someone for whom the injunction to 'buck up and enjoy yourself' *doesn't* work. She's miserably homesick and lonely and nobody seems to have any idea what to do about it.

#18: Author: Maeve, Location: Romania

Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 9:41 am
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I do like Richenda - she seems one of the more well-defined characters, with her passion for ceramics and the way she decides to enjoy her punishment and best her father.

Which is why her reaction (or maybe it's EBD's) to Joan Baker rubs me so wrong. She doesn't just find Joan off-putting or unattractive, but she communicates her feelings in a way that hurts Joan.

Quote:

“Then what do we do?” Richenda persisted.
“Oh, just mooch about for the time being until the gong sounds for Frühstück,” Joan Baker butted in to say.
“I see. Thank you,” Richenda replied, the old coldness back in her voice and manner. She was a fastidious young woman and so far she had no liking for this girl with her assured, rather sophisticated air and her cheaply pretty face.
Joan flushed

I also feel a bit sorry for Sue Mason, having to read in a letter that her best friend's new friends have changed her name. Richenda does ask,

Quote:

How do you like it?

but only after already stating,

Quote:

I’m ‘Ricki’ for the future

Not that Sue should have the final say, but if I was the friend at home, I think I might feel a bit second class that this name change has been accomplished without me.

#19: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 10:03 am
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Maeve wrote:

...Which is why her reaction (or maybe it's EBD's) to Joan Baker rubs me so wrong. She doesn't just find Joan off-putting or unattractive, but she communicates her feelings in a way that hurts Joan.

"... She was a fastidious young woman and so far she had no liking for this girl with her assured, rather sophisticated air and her cheaply pretty face."

And yet elsewhere in the book Joan behaves very well - when she volunteers to help Miss Wilmot get the girls across the flooded stream. She shows courage and levelheadedness - exactly the qualities a 'real Chalet school girl' should have - but that is never acknowledged. Everyone judges her by her appearance and dismisses her as 'not one of the School's successes.'

Jay B.

#20: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 8:49 pm
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I have to agree that Joan & Betty should have gotten more credit for ferrying smaller girls across the flood. After all, it was scary enough to give Kathie Ferrars a crisis of conscience for allowing it. (Somehow, when I first read Nancy's reassurance on that front, I was sidetracked from the girls to wondering how Miss A would have responded to the "you goop!" and "shrimp" epithets. Laughing

)

#21: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 8:50 pm
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That's one of the drawbacks of this book. Richenda is praised for being courageous, as are many of the other girls, but Joan is still condemned for her background. Give a dog a bad name and hang him - which is something that ought not to happen at the CS.

#22: Author: arky72, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 9:44 pm
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Kate wrote:

Is Richenda pronounced as Richenda or Rishenda, does anyone know?

I assumed it was Richenda, and that it was a feminine varient of Richard.

#23: Author: Mia, Location: London

Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 10:09 pm
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Lesley wrote:

I wonder if the reason Richenda is Quaker is because of her surname? That EBD plucked the surname out of the air (as you do!) and then realised the ramifications of the surname Fry.

We were looking at the Newsletters today and in that EBD writes that Richenda is 'an old, Quaker name', so I think she did intend R to be so.

#24: Author: Mary, Location: Sussex University

Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 2:49 pm
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Richenda is one of my favourites- book and character. She has such a well rounded character, and EBD manages to avoid the extremes she does with others like Stacie or Thekla. She's also one of the triplets lovely set of friends, which I like generally. As a group of books, I like all those ones about their friends, although they do get a bit dull as they get to the end.

I can't help but feel that Junior was a bit too horrendous. What kind of child would find some random liquid, fill a water pistol with it, and then deliberately shoot it in some unknown girl's eyes? That's just ridiculous! Her father is a bit of a mad one as well. Having said that, he does just have extreme moments. Maybe he was written as a kind of impulsive person who would send his daughter off to school/fly to Austria.

#25: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:06 pm
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I'm not trying to defend Professor Fry, I think he was really out of his depth when bringing up a daughter, especially when she keeps going into his ceramics room and picking up his priceless vases.

Part of the problem is that he is as stubborn as his daughter proves to be.

#26: Author: Lulie, Location: Middlesbrough

Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:35 pm
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Mary wrote:

I can't help but feel that Junior was a bit too horrendous. What kind of child would find some random liquid, fill a water pistol with it, and then deliberately shoot it in some unknown girl's eyes? That's just ridiculous!

Judging by the reports in our local paper, one of Teesside's delightful bunch of children would do that exact thing. In fact it would probably be quite mild in comparison to some of the things they get up to.

#27: Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 10:28 pm
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Lulie wrote:

Mary wrote:

I think one of the shock value factors in Junior's case was that he was from the upperclass, rather than from a lowerclass JoanBakerish situation, where it would have been more acceptable somehow. Or expected.

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

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 8:10 am
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This was one of the first Chalets that I owned and I must have read it at least 10 times!

I really liked Richenda quite a lot. I could understand her stubborness on the train trip, cos let's face it, her father's explanation of boarding school was not ideal.

I liked the friendship she developed with Len, although I must say I did get a bit annoyed at how Len seemed to always make friends with the new girls and no mention was made of her friendship with Rosamund.

I was sorry that Richenda started to appear less in the later books. There was a brief mention made of her strong character when Margot started to interfere with Con and Len's friendships in Theodora.

#29: Author: Lolly, Location: Melbourne

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 2:14 pm
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arky72 wrote:

Kate wrote:

Is Richenda pronounced as Richenda or Rishenda, does anyone know?

I assumed it was Richenda, and that it was a feminine varient of Richard.

I knew a girl whose sister was called Richenda and she pronounced it Rishenda. I'm afraid that the Chalet School was the first thing I thought of when I heard of it but apparently it is a very old name Wink

#30: Author: Karry, Location: Stoke on Trent

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:24 pm
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Acxcording to Google, Richenda was one of Elizabeth Fry's children, so a very old pedigree

#31: Author: Clare, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 4:50 pm
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I really liked this book - I remember reading it in year 7 in our silent reading English lesson, and then my teacher told me she wanted me to try more 'adult' literature (and recommended R.L. Stine!! Rolling Eyes

I was already reading Lyn Andrews at home, didn't think she'd approve of that in school though).

I think Richenda is a good character, and enjoy the way she decides to make the most of school and get all she can out of it.

Like Catherine, it would have been nice to see the Odette story more developed. I remember the drabble someone wrote about her self harming - so moving, and clearly rooted in this book.

#32: Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 9:06 pm
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I think Odette is one of the most interesting figures in the series. She has a proper backstory - unusual for a character who wasn't central to the plot of a particular story at that stage in the Swiss books - which is introduced in Richenda and then referred to again in both Trials and Jane. Having said that, her character never seems to develop; every time she appears there is reference to her being a 'watering-pot sort of creature' as Con puts it and rarely anything more. Even in Jane, by which time she has been at the school for 3 years, she is mentioned as having a 'naturally tragic' face.

In Richenda , Odette is essentially a plot device, contrasting with Ricki and showing the reader how Ricki readily falls in with school life. It strikes me as strange that EBD continues to feature her in the next few books without giving her any more depth. She never becomes a 'real Chalet School girl' but we never learn why this is - surprising, given her friendship with Con who is a major character. In many ways the School fails her, but she is a failure of a completely different type from Betty Wynne-Davis or Thekla. I wonder if EBD originally planned to do something more with her but eventually let the idea slide. In many ways she's something of a wasted opportunity.

#33: Author: Frogize, Location: Perth, Western Australia

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:14 pm
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Kate - I had a friend at work named Richenda, and she pronounced it Rishenda. I think it's a lovely name, too - much nicer than Ricki.

#34: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:12 pm
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Coming to this rather late Embarassed

I first read this as an adult and was really disappointed with the way that Quakerism was mentioned and then completely sidelined. Poor Richenda hardly even went to Meeting at home, but had to go with Nanny to the CofE church. I do wonder if EBD actually knew anything at all about Quakers - she seemed to think that the introductory piano playing at school prayers was similar to the silence of a Quaker Meeting Confused

Certainly in the late 1950's there should have been a regular children's group at most Quaker Meetings where they would stay in for some of the silence and then go and have organised activities, so there was no reason why Richenda should have been part of her local Meeting.

Prof Fry certainly didn't behave in a Quaker way - a rather important thing is "no violence" Rolling Eyes

(although in fairness I do know of Quakers of Richenda's era who were physically punished by their parents).

I think the lack of "proper" Quaker input really spoiled this for me - I was so excited about finally getting hold of a copy (bought in about 1991 in Colchester while at a Quaker weekend!) and then when I read it, I was really disappointed. Having read all the really positive comments on here, I think I need to give it another go and ignore the "Quaker bits" Very Happy

The Quaker Richenda that I knew pronounced it Rishenda

#35: Author: Loryat,

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:24 pm
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I just got this and I really enjoyed it. I know some people have problems with the quality of the Swiss books, and I haven't really read enough of them to judge, but I think the books that show the triplets growing up are some of the strongest in the series. I definitely enjoyed this better than Peggy, Shocks or some of the other later Welsh ones.

I like Richenda as a character (have to say I read it pronouncing it Rich-enda and totally preferred Ricki - though Rish-enda is nice) though I don't like the way she behaves on the train to Rosamund and the others. She's quite rude, and she does it again to Joan and some others later on. (In fairness to EBD, I don't think we were supposed to approve of her behaviour to Joan). Once she gets settled in though, she is very likeable. However, I love how we get to see Ros 'sheepdogging', even if Len takes over later. I also think it's sweet that Richenda doesn't ditch her old best friend for the superior Chaletians.

Richenda's father's attitude is understandable. It doesn't matter how much she's attracted to ceramics, she shouldn't be going about picking up priceless objects without permission. (Especially if she actually broke something once, which apparently she did in the hardback). His treatment of his daughter is unkind, but I get the feeling he's supposed to be one of those people who just can't help being distant. I like how Richenda is shown her father's pov, as this is a good idea of Joey's. While Prof Fry was mainly in the wrong, if Richenda sees his pov as well as her own, she's more likely to warm to her father. And Joey makes sure he gets a telling too. (And so does Nanny).

The little boy is horrible. For once the overbearing characters are sympathetic when they give him and his mother a good telling! Also it was an unusual type of accident and we saw the repercussions later, as with Stacie, instead of more or less immediate recovery (as with Mary-Lou, for example). Also, it was nice that the accident wasn't Richenda's fault as is usually the case with the newbies.

I love it when one of the girls asks Richenda is she's descended from 'Elizabeth Fry, the great prison reformer'. So random!

#36: Author: Tamzin, Location: Edinburgh

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:12 pm
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I read this one recently and agree with a great deal of what has already been said.

I would definitely have liked to see more of the Ricki/Odette/Con trio as all 3 of them are not typical sports-mad Chalet Girls. Con was always my favourite character when I was little and she remains so now - when I read "Ruey" and found out that she didn't care so much for sports and getting into teams as the other Maynards I knew that I was justified in my favour! I too have a strong vivid imagination which can send me off into dream worlds for weeks on end and has been a solace to me through all sorts of horrid times. I'm also known for blurting things out as I think them without any tact - although it used to surprise me to hear this when I was younger! Mind you I have Margot's temper and selfishness too although I hope I've curbed my responses a little over the years. As my dear old Mum says my initial reaction to anything is always pure selfishness but usually my conscience can be relied on to make me re-think my priorities. The trouble is that the lack of tact I just mentioned means that everyone knows about the selfish reaction I had to start with! Self-control has been a bitter path to tread....... Embarassed

Anyway to get back to the subject :- I hope that if she'd been developed more Ricki, like Con and Odette would never quite have allowed herself to be re-shaped into the mould of "Generic Chalet Girl number (insert number here). Con's imagination and storytelling absolved her from that as it would always be the most important thing in her life (or I assume so because that is how my own talents in that direction have always been to me). Odette never lost her homesickness and her tendency to be emotional and that was quite against the CS exhortation to be a strong, helpful woman not a spineless jellyfish. Ricki presumably could have been so interested in her ceramics and her chosen career that she never quite attained the dubious privilege of turning out like Len or OOAO or Jo.

The other thing I've often wondered about this book is why my hb copy is a slightly smaller size than usual and has a pattern on the cover instead of the usual plain blue? I've also often wondered why "Changes" had a green cover. Any insights?

Tamzin

#37: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:19 pm
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Tamzin wrote:

Ricki presumably could have been so interested in her ceramics and her chosen career that she never quite attained the dubious privilege of turning out like Len or OOAO or Jo.

That's quite right. In Wins the Trick, when they're talking about ML giving up her career to look after Doris, Ricki says she could never give up working with ceramics - but backtracks somewhat in the face of the disapproving reaction of the others.

Jay B.

#38: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:29 pm
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Tamzin wrote:

The other thing I've often wondered about this book is why my hb copy is a slightly smaller size than usual and has a pattern on the cover instead of the usual plain blue? I've also often wondered why "Changes" had a green cover. Any insights?

Tamzin

I *think* this is because it was probably an ex library copy and it had to be rebound due to falling apartness. I had a copy of Althea like that. I know it was discussed somewhere on here a while ago - but it could have been in one of the auto delete forums

#39: Author: Caty, Location: New Zealand

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:27 pm
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I reread this recently and remembered why I never read it much. It seems so out of step. In it, the storyline suddenly switches from Mary-Lou as a main character to the triplets and OOAO hardly is mentioned. Then in the next book, the entire focus is back on Mary-Lou, while in Theodora it's a mix. To my mind Richenda should have come after Theodora. It niggles at me, when there's not a natural progression in central characters.

#40: Author: Cath V-P, Location: Newcastle NSW

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:47 pm
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I reread this fairly recently...and it struck me that EBD rather bought into the mad (or at least misguided!) professor thing didn't she? Professor Fry is about the only one I can think of who doesn't seem to die or disappear as a result of following his career; Professor Benson dies of overwork, Professor Trelawney is killed as a result of his career (ok, I concede an occupational hazard not of his making here!) Professor Richardson - mad space scientist, need I say more? And Professor Fry is not shown as a particularly likeable person although Richenda disobeys an order, deliberately, and not for the first time. This is the man's working environment, filled with valuable fragile objects - it would be like her wandering into a laboratory and meddling with an experiment! Having seen the result of that sort of thing here (caused by general staff at the university I hasten to add), I guarantee the results would be extremely similar!

The real problem is that Professor Fry doesn't understand his daughter at this stage in her life, and is at a loss as to how to deal with her. He does acknowledge the problem and he does love her, but as they are such similar people, they misunderstand one another in the same kind of way and their estrangement grows.

#41: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:58 pm
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I think I can forgive Professor Fry for most things - after all Rikki does disobey a strict order and is nearly responsibly for dropping a priceless work of art. Sending her to the Chalet School so she can get a better education and can learn a little more about getting along with others is all to the good. but where he really fails as a parent and a human being is to not only insist she have no half term treat - but then writes to her and tells her she is having no treats as she has been sent to the school to be punished - did the man want his daughter to hate him? Shocked

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

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:35 am
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JayB wrote:

Maeve wrote:

But isn't there always kids at school that regardless how much they've changed, there's just something about them that doesn't gel with you and Joan did have very different interests than almost all of them. And I don't see anywhere Joey or the school ever says that she isn't a sucess, that falls entirely on EBD.

Any this was one of the books I read as an adult and I was glad to get more of the triplets and their friends. Theodora was one of the earlier books I had read about them so I always saw Ricki as Con's friend not Len's and was always a bit surprised when Len seemed to becoming buddies with her.

I think shortening her name is something that happens at school and after. my name gets shortened to Fi often enough and I'm not a big fan of it despite agreeing with Enid Blyton when she said in one of her books that you give nicknames to people you really like and are friends with not just anyone, so Richenda's could have seen it as being a part of the group and making friends and that they genuinely liked her enough to give her a matey Ricki. Someone does it in Challenge with Evelyn by calling her Evie with that attitude in mind.

#43: Author: Loryat,

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:35 pm
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I like Richenda because I really like the group of girls to which the trips belong. IMO much better characters than Mary-Lou's gang, for example.

I was also surprised though, to see Len and Richenda so friendly. When exactly does Richenda become Con's friend? Or does EBD just randomly change her mind about who she's friends with?

#44: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:13 pm
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Len and Ricki don't seem to be close for long. Len pals up with Ted and (again) Rosamund, and once Sue Mason - Ricki's best friend from home - starts at the CS Ricki and Sue spend most of their time together and both fade into the background.

The references to Ricki being "a great friend of Con's" are mainly in Theodora, IIRC - but we never actually seem to see Con and Ricki becoming friends, and it doesn't seem to last. Con seems to be allowed to be friends with Ricki and Odette very briefly, and then goes back to being a loner - Joey makes a nasty comment to Hilda in one of the later books about how Con's never really had a close friend Sad

#45: Author: Mia, Location: London

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:41 pm
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I thought Con and Richenda become friendly when they go to collect milk from a farm during one of the expeditions - I think in Richenda?

Richenda was the second book I read and I found Richenda a really odd little character in it, I didn't like her much I have to say, but can't really put my finger on why.

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

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:42 am
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Alison H wrote:

Joey makes a nasty comment to Hilda in one of the later books about how Con's never really had a close friend Sad

I can't say I ever saw that as a nasty comment. I felt Jo was sad that her daughter was denied the positive things about having a close friend.

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

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:22 am
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KB wrote:

Alison H wrote:

Joey makes a nasty comment to Hilda in one of the later books about how Con's never really had a close friend Sad

I can't say I ever saw that as a nasty comment. I felt Jo was sad that her daughter was denied the positive things about having a close friend.

I agree I never saw it as being nasty but I do think it's sad that Joey doesn't see Ricki as being Con's friend despite the fact Con did invite her as her chosen friend to spend Half term at Freudeshiem in Leader and Odette is described as being Con's friend in Ruey. It just shows Joey never really got to know her daughter particularly well to find out important details like that. I know when I was a Nanny, I knew all the kids I cared for friends and social circle. She only ever wants to see Con as a dreamer and doesn't seem to let her become more than that and so I think its sad-Joey who was so friendly with everyone else misses out on truly knowing her daughter

#48: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 5:53 am
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Con seems to have been short-changed by most during the series - she is forever being described as speaking before she thinks yet, in this, as in many things, she is following Joey, who remained very tactless in some ways. Also, like Joey, Con had a knack of seeing to the heart of a problem. In many ways she was far more her mother's daughter than Len.

#49: Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:23 am
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Lesley wrote:

Con seems to have been short-changed by most during the series - she is forever being described as speaking before she thinks yet, in this, as in many things, she is following Joey, who remained very tactless in some ways. Also, like Joey, Con had a knack of seeing to the heart of a problem. In many ways she was far more her mother's daughter than Len.

I'd noticed that too. Con is imaginative, creative, dreamy, good at English but not math and is much more perceptive than Joey is at the same age.

Len's perception is more lauded, perhaps because she tends to notice the things that adults want her to notice, and perhaps because she also had a tendency to want to hide problems - at age 3 she's already covering for Margot, and she's doing the same thing at 15 - hiding her sister's behaviour from those who should be dealing with it.

Both Joey and Con are tactless - Joey as an adult is as bad as Con as a teen, but Joey has the brashness and selfconfidence to shrug off criticism or censure and plow through anyways. Con is shyer and more sensitive to other people's reactions, and possibly retreats more into her own imagination when she gets slapped down by her family or the mistresses.

Actually, I think all the triplets are shortchanged. Con is the moony dreamy one who has no friends, and pays no attention to what is going on around her, and is often ignored for the other girls. Margot is the bad girl - she's repeatedly described as selfish, sarcastic, vengeful, immature and lazy. But it's her parents who spoiled her as a kid, and they and her mistresses who keep shaming her for not being as good as her sisters. And Len always has to be the contientious, responsible, well behaved, a natural leader, and is saddled with way more responsiblity that her triplets. She's not even allowed to have any faults more dire than over contientiousness.

#50: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:48 am
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Fiona Mc wrote:

KB wrote:

Alison H wrote:

Joey makes a nasty comment to Hilda in one of the later books about how Con's never really had a close friend Sad

I can't say I ever saw that as a nasty comment. I felt Jo was sad that her daughter was denied the positive things about having a close friend.

But as a reader, I don't really see Ricki or Odette as being Con's particular friends. Ricki's real best friend is Sue, and Odette is a shy lonely girl who Con befriends a bit, more out of sympathy than anything else.

I'd say Jo was pretty much spot on, except that I don't think Con would think there was anything for her mother to be sad about in her lack of a best friend. I certainly don't get the sense that Con thinks she missed out on anything - never having had a best friend group in the way that Joey did, she probably doesn't know what she's missing. And anyway, with triplet sisters, a huge family of siblings and family adoptees and her storybook people, she probably doesn't need best friends in quite the same way that Jo did - Jo having been a rather lonely child before Madge started the school.

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