Elinor Brent-Dyer's Writing - Year 1926
Year: 1926
Elinor's age at time of publication: 32
Title(s): Jo of the Chalet School
Links to other works in the same year:
N/A
Links to other works in general:
The way the Robin arrives at school is not dissimilar to Gerry's arrival at the Trevennors (Gerry) where she is carried in, undressed and sleeps through it all
Joey getting sick from standing in a doorway has parallels with Jill walking the house at night insufficiently dressed, which makes her ill (Gerry)
Jo having to wear a pinafore is similar to the struggles Pat has with one (Heather Leaves School)
Country and morris dancing is also mentioned in Judy the Guide.
Elsie books get mentioned in Heather Leaves School and Judy the Guide
Guiding goes on to play a major role in Judy the Guide (obviously) as well as appearing in Heather, Carnation, Monica and Robins Make Good, all of which were written before WWII.
Jo, like many other of EBD's heroines, is shown to be weak at maths, mostly due to carelessness
The dose Madge supplies during the spring fever outbreak is very similar to the dose described in the Lost Staircase diary to cure the Plague (okay, so they both contain sulphur and other herbs, but it amused me nonetheless)!
The flood is reminiscent of the similar event in School By The River (shouldn't EBD's characters have learned not to build on the banks of waterways by now?!)
Madge's engagement reminds one a bit of the same event happening to Miss Catcheside (A Head Girl's Difficulties) in that it is arranged off-screen and then announced to the key characters as well as the reader with little hint that it was coming previously, unlike the engagement in They Both Liked Dogs, which is spelled out every step of the way
General Thoughts:
Jo of introduces a number of new ideas that EBD does not really use in other non-Chalet books: hobbies club, Shakespeariana, St Bernard dogs, a nativity play, etc. The much-lauded Christmas scenes also help to introduce her readers to another facet of continental life. Like its predecessor, it is made up of a series of short scenes and events rather than attempting to follow one or two characters through the course of the book. Of course, having so few characters means that almost all of them get at least a few key scenes across the title. It is the descriptions of location that remain a delight at this point in the series.
Elinor's age at time of publication: 32
Title(s): Jo of the Chalet School
Links to other works in the same year:
N/A
Links to other works in general:
The way the Robin arrives at school is not dissimilar to Gerry's arrival at the Trevennors (Gerry) where she is carried in, undressed and sleeps through it all
Joey getting sick from standing in a doorway has parallels with Jill walking the house at night insufficiently dressed, which makes her ill (Gerry)
Jo having to wear a pinafore is similar to the struggles Pat has with one (Heather Leaves School)
Country and morris dancing is also mentioned in Judy the Guide.
Elsie books get mentioned in Heather Leaves School and Judy the Guide
Guiding goes on to play a major role in Judy the Guide (obviously) as well as appearing in Heather, Carnation, Monica and Robins Make Good, all of which were written before WWII.
Jo, like many other of EBD's heroines, is shown to be weak at maths, mostly due to carelessness
The dose Madge supplies during the spring fever outbreak is very similar to the dose described in the Lost Staircase diary to cure the Plague (okay, so they both contain sulphur and other herbs, but it amused me nonetheless)!
The flood is reminiscent of the similar event in School By The River (shouldn't EBD's characters have learned not to build on the banks of waterways by now?!)
Madge's engagement reminds one a bit of the same event happening to Miss Catcheside (A Head Girl's Difficulties) in that it is arranged off-screen and then announced to the key characters as well as the reader with little hint that it was coming previously, unlike the engagement in They Both Liked Dogs, which is spelled out every step of the way
General Thoughts:
Jo of introduces a number of new ideas that EBD does not really use in other non-Chalet books: hobbies club, Shakespeariana, St Bernard dogs, a nativity play, etc. The much-lauded Christmas scenes also help to introduce her readers to another facet of continental life. Like its predecessor, it is made up of a series of short scenes and events rather than attempting to follow one or two characters through the course of the book. Of course, having so few characters means that almost all of them get at least a few key scenes across the title. It is the descriptions of location that remain a delight at this point in the series.