The New House Mistress
The CBB -> Book Discussions
#1: The New House Mistress Author: Rachael,  PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:08 pm

Please discuss here:

 

#2:  Author: Kate, Location: Ireland PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:13 pm

I have this in HB. Smile One of my few!!

I thought this book was only okay - it's veeeery predictable and really far-fetched and contrived. I liked the characterisation and the descriptions, but the plot was very thin and a little annoying. It's funny that while in the CS "hero-worshipping" is frowned upon, while here it forms an entire basis for a story.

Still, though, it's distinctively EBD, so it's worth a read. Smile

 

#3:  Author: Joey, Location: Cambridge PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:31 pm

I too was disappointed by this. The general standard of behaviour, and the girls' attitudes, were way below those of the CS. It's still well written and worth reading, but if it wasn't by EBD I probably wouldn't keep my copy. I don't so much mind the excessive hero-worship - though it's below EBD's usual plot standard, other writers such as Brazil, Chaundler and Norling use it - but there are a few too many coincidences.

 

#4:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:28 pm

Like Joey and Kate I was disappointed with this (and glad I hadn't paid very much for it). It's also a rather short 97 pages.

The coincidences are completely unsubtle even by EBDs standards Shocked

However now I've got it I'm not about to sell it, and it is very definitely an EBD book

 

#5:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:50 pm

I agree that the behaviour of the girls is certainly rather less than that at the CS, but in some ways they seemed more realistic - there are occasions when the majority of CS girls seem to be unnaturally good. Having said that, this isn't one of my favourite books and I agree that it is very short.

 

#6:  Author: claire, Location: South Wales PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:34 pm

I think y can tell it's EBD's first book, and she definately matures afterwards in writing.

 

#7:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:17 pm

But it wasn't her first book. Gerry Goes To School was her first, in 1922. New House-Mistress wasn't published until 1928.

 

#8:  Author: claire, Location: South Wales PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 10:27 pm

I thought I read somewhere that new house mistress was the first she wrote? Oh, well.
So School at was written earlier than this - it's so much better

 

#9:  Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:12 pm

I wasn't too fussed on this one either, but I think it was my first EBD HB (back in the days before I realised there was a difference). I only paid 75p for it too!

 

#10:  Author: Kat, Location: Swansea PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:14 pm

Not cricket - tedious, drab and totally predictable.

Find it hard to believe that EBD values such different characteristics (the whole worshipping thing) between her books.

I mean, with her La Rochelles, CS's, Lorna etc - they tend to have the same distinct traits - being sporting, not being soppy, that kind thing, yet in New House Mistress EBD doesn't seem to find them important aspects of a schoolgirls attitude. Why the big difference?

Overall, I'm glad I've read it (as with any EBD Laughing) but I wouldn't go out of my way to improve my copy.

 

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