If only my school had been this much fun - Enid Blyton's St Clare's trilogy (and more) (Enid Blyton in general)

Member Name: sandemp

Product:	Enid Blyton in general
Date:	22/04/05 (231 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A fun look at school life in times gone by

Disadvantages: May seem a little old - fashioned

I've previously written about my favourite series of books written by Enid Blyton, and I thought I'd tell you all about a hardback book that was bought for me by my ever-loving parents for my tenth birthday. Before I start, I don't think this book is available new any more, but you may be able to find it in a second-hand (or charity) shop, or at a boot sale or even a jumble sale (are these still held anymore?).

The book in question is The St. Clare's Trilogy, which has a bright yellow cover and contains the first three books in the St. Clare's series, which is about Pat and Isobel O'Sullivan and their fun and misadventures at boarding school.

The three books contained in the trilogy are :

The Twins at St. Clare's
The O'Sullivan Twins
Summer Term at St Clare's

They cover the twins first year at the school, and form an enchanting look at how young girls were seen in a time long before I was born.

---The Characters---

There are a lot of characters in the book, the majority memorable, but a few that are less so, but among them most girls will find someone that they could either empathise with or know someone whose just like them. And here are how I saw (and still see) the some of the characters in no particular order :

--The Twins--

Pat and Isobel O'Sullivan are of course the main characters, after all the first two books are named after them. Although they don't start off as particularly nice well-rounded young ladies they soon start to show their nicer sides. They are sensible, fair-minded and above all "jolly good sports" with a sense of honour that seems severely lacking in this day and age. But I'm not saying they're goody-goodies, they definitely have their mischievous side, and join in with the many pranks and midnight feasts that their form holds.

--Alison O'Sullivan--

The twins air-headed cousin, joins the school in the second book. A shallow, weak girl, who cares more about outside appearance than the person inside, Alison seems to be everything that the twins are not. And yet somewhere deep inside there is a good, strong, "good sport" waiting to get out, if only she'll give herself a chance.

--Doris Edwards--

I loved the character of Doris, she would have been such fun to know. Useless at her lessons and absolutely dreadful at French, Doris is a natural mimic with a great sense of humour. She's clumsy, has a terrible memory but everybody loves her and tries to help her scrape through her exams. (even her exasperated teachers).

--Pam Boardman--

I always felt just a little bit sorry for Pam, a quiet, amazingly bright girl who is a year younger than the rest of the form. The most amazing thing was her friendship with Doris, which was one of the most touching relationships in the books.

--Carlotta--

Wow, I'd have loved to be Carlotta, so wild and carefree. Although she is the daughter of a well-to-do gentleman, she's been brought up anything but. Her wild hair and Spanish name give clues to her upbringing. All I can say is I thought she is a wonderful character.

--Roberta (Bobby) Ellis--

Bobby is the obligatory tom-boy, with short hair, sunburnt skin, hatred of schoolwork and love of tricks, it's easy to see why she quickly becomes popular. But will she learn that life is not all fun and games??

--Mam'zelle--

This is the only teacher that really stuck in my mind and is how I always imagined French teachers would be (until I actually had one). Short, dumpy, naive and often the victim of pranks, Mam'zelle can't understand the English sense of honour as much as she tries. Although she has a wicked temper, it's normally short lived and she nearly always seems to see the funny side. And her concern for her pupils knows no bounds, basically I would have loved to have a teacher like her.

---The Storyline---

The story begins with Pat and Isobel being told that they were to be going to St Clare's and not the posh school they wanted to go to. To say they are unhappy at this decision is a bit like saying that the North Pole is a little bit chilly, and they decide that as they are going to be miserable so will everybody else. Once at the school their stand-offish behaviour soon earns them the nickname "the Stuck-up Twins", but as much as they want to dislike the school they soon find they can't, and begin to join in all the activities of their form.

Now that is as much of the story as I'm going to tell you, but the book is filled with tales of their pranks, midnight feasts, adventures and the ups and downs of life in a girl's boarding school in the '50's.

---The writing style---

The writing style is engaging and even if the circumstances are now a little irrelevant, they are still fun to read. As a child I was enthralled, and desperately tried to persuade my parents to send me to boarding school, so I could have that much fun. Each of the characters are brought to life in such a way that I can still imagine them now, some 20 odd years since I first read the books. That, I could write about those that I have without consulting the book itself, surely is testament to the skilful way in which they were written.

There are a few words that you might need to explain to your child when they read these books, such as lacrosse (a game that from what I can gather is a little like hockey but with nets on sticks), but even this is explained a little as the books progress. Otherwise the writing style is simple enough for younger readers of perhaps 9 years and above to enjoy.

---A bit Outdated---

Even when I read these books they were outdated, but it never spoilt my enjoyment. OK, so I would never have called my parents "Mummy" and "Daddy" at fourteen, and the girls never seemed to think about boys, but I enjoyed the more naïve feel. You may find your child asking why things only cost a penny, or what a guinea is, but use it as a mini history lesson.

Some of the moral ideas may however seem a little strange, after all how many children would understand the concept of being a "good sport", not many I bet. But at the end each book, the girls had learnt moral lessons that were easy to pick up on. IE. It's better to work hard and make something of your life, or the fact that if you boast you will get caught out eventually. And these lessons are as important today as when the book was set.

There are some criticisms that Blyton's books are sexist and promote stereotypical ideals of how girls should be, but I don't understand these criticisms at all. Yes some of her characters were little airheads, who only wanted to look pretty, but there are some very strong female characters, that behave in a way that is completely non-stereotypical, and isn't that how life still is today a mix of all kinds of character.

---Who is it suitable for?---

The St Clare's series, along with Mallory Towers is firmly aimed at girl's, and although I imagine they were originally aimed at teenagers, I would say that in this day and age they are now suitable for much younger children, say from about 9 upwards. My reasoning behind this, is that girls seem to grow up much quicker now, and the younger girl is more likely to empathise with the characters. Saying that I still enjoy reading the stories occasionally just for the great memories it brings back.

---My Opinion---

I loved this book as a child, and it shows, the book is now very dog-eared and has definitely seen better days. When reading it I would be transported back to "olden days" so that I could join in the adventures with the Twins and their friends. My sister and I even held a midnight feast after one reading, which was unfortunately not very successful, crumbs in the bed do not make for a comfortable sleep.

I must say here that I did not read this book once, or even twice but many, many times and enjoyed it every single time. I feel a bit sad that I'm now told old to admit that I still enjoys these stories, but am redeemed by the fact that I can read them with my 9 year old daughter, who is nearly as delighted with the characters as I am.

I personally can't recommend this book enough, both to those that want to get nostalgic over the books they read as a child, and those that want to introduce the delights of St Clare's to a younger generation. They may be set in the '50's but the St Clare books are genuinely timeless classics and now I'm going to spend the night dreaming of midnight feasts, ginger pop and lacrosse.

---Technical bits---

My copy is now very old, and no longer seems to be available, but you can buy the complete St Clare's series from Amazon at 3.99 per book, which is still pretty good value.

---The Series---

The complete St Clare's series is :

* The Twins At St Clare's
* The O'Sullivan Twins
* Summer Term At St Clare's
* Second Form At St Clare's
* Claudine At St Clare's
* Fifth Formers At St Clare's

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