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sonofthunder's review
3.0
A delightful children's book! Not a classic by any means, I still much enjoyed reading this, just for its simple innocence and beauty. Not sure if I'll seek out the rest of the series (there are heaps of these books!), but you know what? I'm still grateful for a chance to read a book that has a simple beauty to it, as this one did. One of the main reasons I loved this book as well? It was written back in 1925 and so was a delightful window to all types of mid-20s British slang which I had no idea existed until now! Such a fantastic window into a very different time (almost 100 years ago now). And perhaps I would resonate more if I was a young schoolgirl, but alas I am not and so I must appreciate from afar. This book is not deep or written at a high-level but for all that, I still enjoyed reading a classic British boarding school story (set in the lovely Austrian countryside!). Sometimes I think I would have enjoyed the boarding school experience. At other times, I definitely affirm I would not!! This book swayed me towards the former thought.
kjx's review
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Adorable, inaccurate, total flight of fancy. A world away from today in so many ways. Upper middle class 1920's families with a side order of English interpretations of European folk. I adore these books - real escapism. Total brain candy with a few curve balls as the series progresses - just wait till you get to the Chalet School in Exile.
annettenis's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
smallish_bear's review
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
rusty37's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent
marzhare's review against another edition
4.0
Having read (and thoroughly enjoyed) Malory Towers and St. Clare's as a child, I wanted to give this series a try when I heard of it!
I couldn't help but constantly compare it to Enid Blyton's books, so I will base my review on that:
- (Spoiler-free) Story: a recently established boarding school in the Austrian mountains, and how things go for everyone there during the first term. That's pretty much it. It is simple, but very cosy. I grabbed this book during stressful times, and it really helped soothe me for that reason.
- Theme: if I had to say what the theme is... perhaps it would be the fact that not everyone is what they seem to be, and we all carry our own burdens in life. Additionally, you will see lots of references to life during the 20s, when this book was written. The way people viewed the world was quite different, and it shows (and not just on the slang terms, which are... topping!).
- Setting: this is where the book differs from Blyton's the most. The school is newly established, and it's not a castle, but a little chalet surrounded by mountains. The characters are an international bunch as well, and there are some sections where they travel, describe their surroundings, and share bits of history and cultural nuances, which I enjoyed (always bearing in mind that some are quite dated).
- Characters: now here is where I found the greatest drawback -- the book introduces a huge cast of characters (there's an endless stream of new girls coming to the school), and by the end I was still confused as to who was who. You do get to know the main characters, but some of the others have very similar names and they are only mentioned in passing, so I couldn't develop a clear image of them. I imagine they will be further developed in later instalments, but it's still very puzzling.
And that's it!!
TL;DR: Nice comfy read, helped ease my anxiety, but confusing cast and some dated references
I couldn't help but constantly compare it to Enid Blyton's books, so I will base my review on that:
- (Spoiler-free) Story: a recently established boarding school in the Austrian mountains, and how things go for everyone there during the first term. That's pretty much it. It is simple, but very cosy. I grabbed this book during stressful times, and it really helped soothe me for that reason.
- Theme: if I had to say what the theme is... perhaps it would be the fact that not everyone is what they seem to be, and we all carry our own burdens in life. Additionally, you will see lots of references to life during the 20s, when this book was written. The way people viewed the world was quite different, and it shows (and not just on the slang terms, which are... topping!).
- Setting: this is where the book differs from Blyton's the most. The school is newly established, and it's not a castle, but a little chalet surrounded by mountains. The characters are an international bunch as well, and there are some sections where they travel, describe their surroundings, and share bits of history and cultural nuances, which I enjoyed (always bearing in mind that some are quite dated).
- Characters: now here is where I found the greatest drawback -- the book introduces a huge cast of characters (there's an endless stream of new girls coming to the school), and by the end I was still confused as to who was who. You do get to know the main characters, but some of the others have very similar names and they are only mentioned in passing, so I couldn't develop a clear image of them. I imagine they will be further developed in later instalments, but it's still very puzzling.
And that's it!!
TL;DR: Nice comfy read, helped ease my anxiety, but confusing cast and some dated references
naomi_reads_books's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mimima's review
3.0
I don't remember reading these as a kid, but they have been a lovely discovery as an adult.
spectacledbear's review
5.0
This book is the first of the long-running and ever-popular Chalet School series. I love the Chalet School books and read a lot of them when I was younger. I was really looking forward to revisiting this one - but I'm not sure I've ever read it before!
(The edition here isn't correct - my copy is hardback, though has this cover. I think it's a Chambers reprint.)
(The edition here isn't correct - my copy is hardback, though has this cover. I think it's a Chambers reprint.)