The CBB :: View topic - Gerry Goes To School

#1: Gerry Goes To School Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 2:26 pm

For those of you who haven't read this and would like to juat a reminder that it is available as a transcript here Favourite/Worst scenes? How do you think Gerry adapted to her new life both at home an at school? Do you think Gerry's problems with Jill are realistic? What do you think of the Trevennor Family? What do you think about EBD's portrayal of a day school? What do you think of Gerry's appearence in Rivals? How does this book rate as EBD's first? And anything else!

#2: Author: Miriam, Location: Jerusalem, Israel

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:12 pm

I didn't actually realize that it was her first when I read the trancript, but one could say it brings up a lot of the themes that she tends to repeat (at least in the CS), still why change a winning formula? She has the slightly different new girl moving in, and annoying someone lese in the family/form by making friends with another person, and then they are reconciled by an accident in which one saves thje other, and end up best friends. I found the family confusing, and felt that there were too many who were never properly introduced. It could be becuase I can't get so involved in a computer screen as I can in the book, but I found it hard to keep track of who evryone was, and kept meeting more people popping up unexpectedly. The romance at the end seemed very sudden, though that could have been me not picking up on clues. Initialy, the name Gerry Challoner kept tugging at my mind, and I was unable to place it. It was only when the book was seriously discussing her music that it suddenly clicked that this was Grizels friend from Rivals. I think we got a glimpse of how she grew up, but no real insight into her character that was not very clear from her pportayal in Gerry.

#3: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:15 pm

I can't help thinking that Gerry would probably have found it harder to adapt, than she seems to do. She seems to settle in with very little trouble, and when it's such a huge change from her past life, it doesn't quite ring true. I think the clash with Jill was realistic. It must have been strange for the Trevennors to suddenly have a stranger living with them, it's only natural that SOMEone wouldn't get on with her. I have to admit to having a soft spot for this one. It was finding a copy of this on the Smiths website that started me back on the CS books. I had my pb's, but didn't realise they were abridged, and when I got this and saw the ad for FOCS I decided to join, and then found the Chaletian, and the CBB after I followed a trail of links from the FOCS website... And that was that. Now I'm addicted and a lot poorer! Embarassed

#4: Author: Lulie, Location: Middlesbrough

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:15 pm

Umm...right, OK here goes!! Favourite/Worst scenes? I can't think of a favourite scene off hand, but the worst scene has to be Jill falling through the ice. Maybe this is because I first read Gerry when FOCS published it, so I was already familiar with EBD's favourite line... How do you think Gerry adapted to her new life both at home an at school? I think she adapted marvellously. Really, when you think about it, she was brought up as a mid-Victorian child, when it was really the mid 1920s(?) with all the social upheaval and changes that had happened in the interim. To my way of thinking it was as if she had come into what was then the modern world through time travel. I'm surprised that she didn't have more problems than she did. Do you think Gerry's problems with Jill are realistic? Yes. After all, even if you are one of a large family, or perhaps that should read especially, somebody is still bound to feel jealous of a newcomer. Especially of a newcomer who has so much attention showered on them. I'm surprised that more people weren't sympathetic to Jill. and her feelings. What do you think of the Trevennor Family? I like them, on the whole. I do wish that EBD could have written believable small children though! Perhaps that's the way small children were at the time though - *note to self: ask Grandpa!* What do you think about EBD's portrayal of a day school? In some ways it seems to be a boarding school without the boarders, in others I think it's a good portrayal. I don't know how accurate it is, as I went to a comprehensive in the 1980s/90s, which is worlds away from a 1920s day school! What really sticks in my memories is the rushing for the train at the beginning and end of the day. The girls, when they do this, are so like my friends that got the school bus, which goes to show that not much changes in some ways! What do you think of Gerry's appearence in Rivals? I didn't link her with this book, even when I knew of its existence, and even after I had read it. In Rivals she is just another English girl who Grizel had met at music school and invited on holiday with her. How does this book rate as EBD's first? I think it could be ranked up there with some of her best. Not quite her best, but it is her first and, with everything, you learn as you go. Definitely not a disappointing read!! And anything else! I wish Gerry didn't disappear quite so completely from the books. I liked her as a character.

#5: Author: MissPrint, Location: Edinburgh

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:41 pm

Obviously, cold water is a much more serious thing at the Teirn See, as in Gerry, thre's just a cold, and in Rivals we have rheumatic fever, pneumonia and near death. I got lost with all the Trevennors, and felt that a few could have been omitted, and we wouldn't have missed them. But I do like Gerry, it's the first of the La Rochelles, and the La Rochelles are instant sunshine for me. I love them. And I generally hate romances, but the La Rochelles are such chaste romances that I actually enjoy them. I wish more had been made of Gerry Challoner in Rivals, as I'd have liked to see how she turned out.

#6: Author: Trish, Location: Australia

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 10:04 am

Wow what good timing! I reread this over the weekend without knowing it was going to be discussed this week. Favourite/Worst scenes? Favourite... hmm... I can't actually think of a particular scene right now, though as a whole I definitely enjoyed it. Worst - Definitely the proposal. It came out of nowhere! How do you think Gerry adapted to her new life both at home an at school? Way too easily! She really should have had more trouble adapting and her classmates realistically should have had more trouble adapting to her. At least the Trevennor's were taken aback a bit at first. Do you think Gerry's problems with Jill are realistic? Definitely. As others have said with that many people in the house someone was bound to resent some stranger waltzing in, especially when she was well liked by others in the family. What do you think of the Trevennor Family? I like them but there's way too many of them! I felt like I didn't get to know any of them at all except for Paul, Peggy, Nell, Jill and Mrs Trevonnor. Every one else just confused me. Peggy and especially Paul were also just a little too good to be true. What do you think about EBD's portrayal of a day school? I wish we got more school scenes! Otherwise there was a lot of similiarities between it and her boarding school stories, especially with the middle's strike. What do you think of Gerry's appearence in Rivals? I read this before Rivals so I liked seeing her there. I just wish she'd appeared more in it. How does this book rate as EBD's first? It's pretty good and a lot better than some of her later ones (New Housemistress for example). It's the only La Rochelle I've ever read unfortunately and I'd love to read some of the others (are there any transcripts anywhere?). Anything Else? That falling through the ice scene... I nearly killed myself laughing when I read THAT line. Funnily enough it reminded me less of the scene in Rivals (heh must be something about Gerry and people falling through ice) and more of the scene in Little Women when Amy falls through after fighting with Jo.

#7: Re: Gerry Goes To School Author: JackieJ, Location: Kingston upon Hull

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:24 pm

Read this last night, so here goes Very Happy

Favourite/Worst scenes? I think my favourite scene was where Gerry was asked to join the secret society. As for worst, I did think that the fight between Jill and Gerry seemed to be made out to be more serious that it actually appeared to be, although that's probably because of my more modern viewpoint. How do you think Gerry adapted to her new life both at home an at school? She seemed to adapt well, although maybe a little too well! I expected more problems than actually appeared. I think a sudden change in your upbringing to that extent would take longer to get used to. Do you think Gerry's problems with Jill are realistic? Yes, because sadly you do get people like Jill, who will decide straight away that they don't like someone and who won't back down easily from that position. Plus I think a lot of people would react like Gerry did, make it plain that they don't care, which I imagine is a guiling as EBD describes. What do you think of the Trevennor Family? I got confused as to which were girls and which were boys (okay, I think that was mainly Cecil as I'm used to Joey's Cecil!). But they seemed a good bunch, especially, Peggy, Nell and Paul. (oh, and Larry too) What do you think about EBD's portrayal of a day school? It seemed fairly consistent with other school stories that I've read. Although the fagging issue, which played such a big part, wasn't something that I expected, as I've always had the idea that it was (a) more a boys school thing and (b) more a boarding school thing. But I guess you learn something new every day. What do you think of Gerry's appearence in Rivals? As I read Rivals first, Gerry was a completely new character to me when I first read it, although I may have to think further about the character now when I next re-read it. Although does anyone else find it ironic that both books with Gerry in have a rescue from an icy body of water due to unwise skating? How does this book rate as EBD's first? I'd say that it was a good effort for a first book, with some well-rounded characters (most of them weren't, but that was really because the length of the story didn't give time to explore them more). But it's good to see some things that appeared in the later stories first cropping up here. I'm mainly thinking of 'still, grey and to all appearances....' here. And anything else! Don't think so. JackieJ

#8: Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 10:12 pm

I'm another who has a very soft spot for this, although I'm one of the lucky ones who have it in HB- got it for 4 quid too! Very Happy

I always think of Gerry as a proto-type for Verity/Jacynth/Nina type character- Verity and Nina in particular. I like the adults in this and I like Gerry herself. In fact I' think I'll re-read! Re the strike- that's used in a good number of books in this period. 'Dimsie goes to school' is the best example I can think of, and I think there's a Christine Chaundler that also uses it as a device. Now, 20th c history is NOT my forte- does anyone know if strikes were a particularly prominent aspect of life in the 1920s? If so, and given that, by and large, the school authorities always disapprove of such action in the books, it is almost possible to view this as prescriptive literature. On the other hand, since striking is a form of socio-economic protest, you could also claim that these authors are heightening schoolgirl awareness of these matters. I wonder how many readers at the time would have made the connection between schoolgirl strikes in the books and 'real' strikes? And what they thought? That's an area I would dearly love to investigate as a historian.

#9: Author: Donna, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 11:12 pm

I also like the book a lot, although I've only read it once and therefore can't remember much in detail. I do think it was extremely good for a first book, and I love the whole La Rochelle series.As for Lisa_T's question about strikes - yes, they were quite an important part of life in the 1920s - apart from the General Strike in '26, there had been lots of minor (well, relatively minor) strikes up to that point, all over mainland Britain. After the General Strike they sort of died out a bit - the government had had rather a shock and did not want a repeat. How much those minor strikes would have filtered into schoolgirls' consciousness in RL, I don't know - especially those schoolgirls we tend to come across in GO fiction. The General Strike however, while being too late to have influenced EBD when writing Gerry, had wide reaching effects, and that would certainly have made impression on young people, even then.

#10: Author: frog,

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:38 pm

I haven't read this for a while, but I thought that Gerry and her cousin, the older boy who was interested in her music were being set up for a future relationship, in the style of fanny in mansfield park i think. otherwise it read as a school girl`s attempt at a book

#11: Author: Sarah_G-G, Location: Sheffield (termtime), ? any other time!

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 6:52 pm

I liked this and tend to think of it almost as a cross between Chalet School and Little Women for some reason! I think it's the skating accident and then the proposal at the end that makes me think of Little Women, although in this case the proposal really did seem to come out of nowhere. It was as if EBD decided she wanted a happy ending with a wdding and found two random people who were old enough to be able to! I always wanted to see more interaction between Jill and her twin (I've forgotten his name- Larry? or Bear or something?) as in this book the male members of the family are actually around so I thought we'd see more of their influence, especially as I think we're told the twins are close.

#12: Re: Gerry Goes To School Author: auntie karry, Location: Stoke on Trent

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:28 pm

[quote="Ally"]For those of you who haven't read this and would like to juat a reminder that it is available as a transcript here wibbles *but there is nothing there!* I have just been on Raya's board, and the only transcript is the Girls of the Hamlet Club. Does any one know what has happened?

#13: Author: Kate, Location: Ireland

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:34 pm

It's working for me, Karry...

#14: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:36 pm

Karry, are you registered on Raya's site? If so, you have to log in, and then go to 'library' and then to 'non CS books by EBD' . If you aren't registered then you need to register, and wait til raya approves you. Hope this helps!

#15: Author: JackieJ, Location: Kingston upon Hull

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:36 pm

Have you registered and logged in karry. You have to do that to access all the transcripts. JackieJ

#16: Author: auntie karry, Location: Stoke on Trent

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:42 pm

duh! Thanks Jackie, Vikki and Kate! I usually have an automatic log-in, so didnt bother to check. It has worked this time. ETA I am glad, cos Problem has just been posted, and I havent read this one uncut.

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