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School novels for grown-ups
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=7955
Author:  JellySheep [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 1:08 pm ]
Post subject:  School novels for grown-ups
Hello.
I'm trying to find school novels for grown-ups, as I've read The Land of Spices, Frost in May, The Moth Diaries, No Talking after Lights, Prep (which I didn't like), The Lake of Dead Languages, School's Out, The Rehearsal. Does anyone know of any others they'd care to recommend? I quite like to read something from time to time that bridges the gap between CS-type fiction and "grown-up" books.
Thanks
Rebecca
Author:  JB [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 1:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Do you like crime novels? Val McDermid's Report for Murder is set in a girls' boarding school and I have others in a similiar setting.
Author:  cestina [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 1:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
An early Gladys Mitchell is set in a women's PT college: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/gladys-mitchell/laurels-are-poison.htm. It's one of the ones that is still available at a reasonable price. I remember being told once by a nurse who trained in the 1950s that they were controlled in the nurses' home exactly as if they were at boarding school. Same applied to PE colleges judging by this book.

And one of Angela Thirkell's books - The Headmistress (1955) has a school background though it's not a school story as such.
Author:  Emma A [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 1:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
cestina wrote:
An early Gladys Mitchell is set in a women's PT college: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/gladys-mitchell/laurels-are-poison.htm. It's one of the ones that is still available at a reasonable price. I remember being told once by a nurse who trained in the 1950s that they were controlled in the nurses' home exactly as if they were at boarding school. Same applied to PE colleges judging by this book.

Josephine Tey's Miss Pym Disposes is also set in a PT college - another mystery novel. Another of Gladys Mitchell's books - Tom Brown's Body - is set in a boys' boarding school (that one's been very recently reissued).
Author:  JS [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 1:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Agatha Christie's Cat Among the Pigeons is set in a boarding school :)
Author:  wheelchairprincess [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris is set in a school. It's a brilliant book with a wonderful twist. But I forget if it's a boarding school or not.
Author:  fraujackson [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Well Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George is set in a boys' boarding school. (There's an early John Le Carre mystery in a boys' school as well, which I enjoyed, but can't remember the title - I think it's Call for the Dead, but can't swear to it.)

If you want something a bit darker, there's The Child Manuela/Maedchen in Uniform by Christa Wolf - you find out how Thekla got to be that way.

I'm just reading A Proper Education for Girls by Elaine Di Rollo, which isn't exactly a school story, but close, and it's brilliant fun.
Author:  ivohenry [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
D E Stevenson - Charlotte Fairlie, about a headmistress - first half of book is set in the school. There's also a strong romantic element, and much of the second half of the book is set on a smalll Scottish island. There's also Susan Pleydell - Summer Term, recently reprinted by Greyladies.
Author:  cestina [ Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Just remembered another Angela Thirkell with a school setting - Summer Half. And Demon in the House is a delightful story of a small boy (who can later be found wandering in and out of some of the other books as he grows up, including possibly Summer Half - my copies are in England so I can't check)
Author:  Saffronya [ Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Brilliant idea, Rebecca! I've written all these down and will see if I can get copies. Could you tell me a bit about the books you mentioned as i haven't heard of them?
Lis
Author:  JellySheep [ Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Certainly! I have copies of all of them except Prep (gave it away), School's Out and The Rehearsal, but of these the town library has copies.
The Land of Spices (Kate O'Brien): convent school story, set in Ireland. Deals with the stories of Anna, a pupil, and her struggle to fulfil her potential and be accepted, and Reverend Mother's story. Background of Irish politics too. It was banned in Ireland but for something very mild!

Frost in May (Antonia White): Another convent story, which deals with the school life of Nanda, who comes from a convert background. It is quite bleak in a controlled way.

The Moth Diaries (Rachel Klein): description in its own thread.

No Talking after Lights (Angela Lambert): Story set in a 1950s boarding school, with three parallel protagonists: a new girl trying to fit in, the headmistress's past and a mistress with anger management issues.

Prep (which I didn't like): A small-town girl gets herself into an elite boarding-school, and progresses through the four years. It's rather an American teen novel.

The Lake of Dead Languages(Carol Goodman): A former pupil returns to her old school as a mistress. Tragic events from her schooldays come back to haunt the school, as murders ensue. Quite good for suspense, though I did figure out what was going on.

School's Out Novel set in a contemporary French secondary school, told from the point of view of a new teacher, who is concerned that his class have something strange about them.

The Rehearsal (Eleanor Catton) Experimental novel set in New Zealand, partly at a girls' day school where one of the pupils has had a relationship with a teacher, partly at a drama school. The two narratives fuse towards the end.
Author:  Saffronya [ Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Thanks!
Could I borrow No Talking after Lights and The Lake of Dead Languages if you are coming to the Oxford Gather on Sunday? I'm going to go and read the thread on the Moth Diary to see whether I fancy reading that or not.
Lis
Author:  JellySheep [ Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
I can bring No talking after lights, but The Lake of Dead Languages is at my parents', and they're away, so getting hold of that would take a bit longer. It is quite a good read though.
Author:  Saffronya [ Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Thanks, Rebecca! Hope the weather clears for Sunday or we will be getting drenched going round the books shops!
Author:  Robert Andrews [ Thu Jun 10, 2010 3:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
If you like or can stand 1980's SF you might want to try Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. Much of the story is set at a co-educational Government-run boarding school for gifted children, and includes it's fair share of school story elements such as mentorships, rivalries, pranks, athletics (laser tag!), and rival houses (called, in the book, "Armies", with a student as commander, i.e. head girl or boy), but the overall theme is not about school per se. It's also the first book of a longer series, the majority of which are not school stories.

The author is a devout Latter-Day Saint (Mormon), and, depending on your interpretation, may contain hints of doctrine or practice from that faith, though it isn't overt or preachy.
Author:  Pado [ Thu Jun 10, 2010 8:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Ender's Game has appealed to everyone in my family, and we have widely divergent reading tastes.

I started Prep but got browned off and never bothered to finish it.

A Separate Peace has a school setting, although I'd classify that as teen rather than adult lit.
Author:  KathCampbell [ Fri Jun 11, 2010 12:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Set in a school. Different but an amazing read.
Author:  cestina [ Fri Jun 11, 2010 7:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
KathCampbell wrote:
Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Set in a school. Different but an amazing read.

Oh I remember this one. I found it a very difficult book to read.....didn't they have it as book of the week once on the BBC?
Author:  Catrin [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
SOmeone mentions Greyladies further up the thread, I happened across it today and it seems to be a specialist book publisher which publishes solely the type of book you're after. I'm not very good at links but hopefully it is herehttp://www.greyladiesbooks.co.uk/pages/st.html
Author:  JB [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Grey Ladies don't solely publish school stories for grown ups, although they have published some that would fall under that heading.

They also publish vintage crime novels and adult novels by writers who are more known for their children's/GO books eg Josephine Elder and Noel Streatfeild writing as Susan Scarlett.
Author:  tiffinata [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Theres a parody hanging around called 'first term for Ziggy' (or something like that)
Reminds me a bit of those 'Barry Trotter' parodies
Author:  Cath V-P [ Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
I have a spare of that - picked it up at Lifeline book sale last week - definitely for adults....
Author:  JellySheep [ Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
I read The Wishing Game by Redmond (forename escapes me) last week. It's about bullying in a 1950s boys' school and how the oppressed deal with it, and a growing friendship which becomes more disturbing. It does the atmosphere of oppression and increasing menace rather well, though one has to be immune to shouting capitals and multiple exclamation marks. It is quite dark, so not really for the faint-hearted.
Author:  Mel [ Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
There's Friendly Fire by Patrick Gale which is set in a modern upmarket co-ed school.
Author:  KathrynW [ Sat Jul 17, 2010 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
I quite liked 'Prep' which hasn't got very good reviews on this thread! Not in the league of 'The American Wife' (which the author's most recent - and excellent - novel) but I found it quite an enjoyable read and it get me interested for a 3 hour plane journey back from holiday.
Author:  Mia [ Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
JellySheep wrote:
I read The Wishing Game by Redmond (forename escapes me) last week. It's about bullying in a 1950s boys' school and how the oppressed deal with it, and a growing friendship which becomes more disturbing. It does the atmosphere of oppression and increasing menace rather well, though one has to be immune to shouting capitals and multiple exclamation marks. It is quite dark, so not really for the faint-hearted.


Patrick Redmond. Might be a bit too scary for you, darling.
Author:  lizarfau [ Sun Jul 18, 2010 1:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
The Beach Road by Sarah Diamond is set in a comprehensive in the 1990s. It's about a friendship between two girls that goes very wrong. I can't say any more without giving away spoilers, but it's an interesting, dark thriller.
Author:  Mia [ Sun Jul 18, 2010 9:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Mia wrote:
JellySheep wrote:
I read The Wishing Game by Redmond (forename escapes me) last week. It's about bullying in a 1950s boys' school and how the oppressed deal with it, and a growing friendship which becomes more disturbing. It does the atmosphere of oppression and increasing menace rather well, though one has to be immune to shouting capitals and multiple exclamation marks. It is quite dark, so not really for the faint-hearted.


Patrick Redmond. Might be a bit too scary for you, darling.


LOL sorry - thought this was Liss's thread for asking about university novels!!
Author:  RoseCloke [ Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
JS wrote:
Agatha Christie's Cat Among the Pigeons is set in a boarding school :)


I second this :) Although a Poirot book the story centres mostly on the school and (I think) some parts of Europe. The detective only turns up in the last part of the book. I really enjoyed it, although it's been some years since I last read it and I read it concurrently with the CS books so drew some parallels with characters. I don't know if they stand up under adult scrutiny (I was twelve or so), but I definitely remember thinking the Prince (? some kind of noble anyway) at the start of the book was a lot like Elisaveta's father.

There are good school threads running through the murder mystery, including jealousies between girls and mistresses and the inevitable forbidden fiction line :) Quite a bit, as far as I can remember, is told from the point of view of a perceptive teenage pupil. If I recall correctly, she doesn't always jump to the correct conclusions, but as a seasoned Christie reader/adult you can see what she can't.
Author:  Emma A [ Tue Jul 20, 2010 7:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Death at the Opera, by Gladys Mitchell, is largely set at a progressive coeducational school - it's one of her Mrs Bradley whodunnits (though if you watched the Diana Rigg-starring TV version of this, you won't recognise a single thing!). There's a lot of interesting stuff on the relationships between the staff, though the reader rarely sees the pupils, and Mrs Bradley is always fun to read...
Author:  Elder in Ontario [ Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
I'm glad I'm not the only one puzzled by the Diana Rigg-starring TV series of Mrs. Bradley mysteries - I watched Laurels are Poison, which someone mentioned much earlier in this thread, and one of my favourite Mrs. Bradley mysteries, re-read I don't know how many times - and thought the TV version bore almost no resemblance to the book aside from the names of the characters!!
Author:  cestina [ Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Elder in Ontario wrote:
I'm glad I'm not the only one puzzled by the Diana Rigg-starring TV series of Mrs. Bradley mysteries - I watched Laurels are Poison, which someone mentioned much earlier in this thread, and one of my favourite Mrs. Bradley mysteries, re-read I don't know how many times - and thought the TV version bore almost no resemblance to the book aside from the names of the characters!!

Well I guess that isn't really surprising when one considers the appalling miscasting of the main character! Just take a look at Diana Rigg in the part images and then read any description of Mrs Bradley as "small and reptilian" - several to be found here

Almost as appalling a miscasting as Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett.....(steps back hastily in case there are any fans of this terrible P&P version out there :shock:
Author:  Len [ Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: School novels for grown-ups
Lady of Letters by Josephine Elder, and published by Grey Ladies is an enjoyable school story for grownups, at least in the schoolmistress phase of the protagonist's life.

Incidentally, one of the things I love best about the CS books, and that sets them apart from, say Enid Blyton, is that they're so appealing to adults, owing to the amount EBD focuses on her adult characters and their concerns.
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