cyphomandra: fractured brooding landscape (Default)
I've been reading pre-1950s school stories for years (predominantly British or Commonwealth) and find them soothing, in similar ways to detective stories and other strongly formulaic genres; some transcend the form, some exemplify it, some have occasional good bits and some fail completely (there's also the entertainingly bad form). I do find them interesting as social history as well, in terms of what's expected and what isn't, although attitudes and expectations can sometimes be a bit difficult to calmly accept (class particularly in these ones, although gender sometimes gets a little bit of consideration).

Margaret Biggs, The Blakes come to Melling (re-read). )
Margaret Biggs, The new prefect at Melling (re-read) )
Margaret Biggs, Last term for Helen (re-read). )
Margaret Biggs, The head girl at Melling (re-read). )
Margaret Biggs, Summer term at Melling (re-read). )
Margaret Biggs, Susan in the sixth (re-read). )
Margaret Biggs, Changes at Melling. )

Angela Brazil, The youngest girl in the fifth. )
Angela Brazil, Monitoress Merle. )

Dorothea Moore, Tenth at Trinders. )

Helen Barber, A Chalet School Headmistress (re-read) )

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, Janie Steps In. )
cyphomandra: fractured brooding landscape (hare by durer)
I think this leaves me with about 27 books to write up, two of which are definitely on my list for best I've read all year and so are taking me longer to write about than they did to read (possibly a slight exaggeration, but I'm certainly spending more time procrastinating about writing them up than I did reading...).

Marjorie Williams, The woman at the Washington zoo. )

Neil Shusterman, Unwind. )

Angela Bull, Wayland's keep. )

Ruth M Arthur, On the wasteland. )

Christopher Isherwood, Prater violet. )

Helen Barber, A Chalet School headmistress. )

William Sleator, Boltzmon! )

Caroline Stevermer, A scholar of magics. )

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cyphomandra: fractured brooding landscape (Default)
cyphomandra

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