Hi Everyone! Today I’m chatting about one of my favorite premises in books: a child or group of children are sent away to live elsewhere: in a boarding school, an orphanage, or a workhouse. In Part 1 I mentioned some of my favorite "Happy" boarding school books. Today I'll be sharing two more aspects of that trope: 2. The serious, poignant or sad boarding school book and 3. The mysterious boarding school book where either a student solve some sort of mysterious question along the way, or an adult investigator steps in to solve a crime. Stay tuned for one more installment, where I'll discuss the gothic, suspenseful institution and the magical or paranormal boarding school book!
Hi Celeste! I love this series of videos that you are doing and learning so much from them! Thank you! The Sherlock Holmes and The Black Opal sound particularly interesting to me. I cannot wait for your next installment! This was so lovely to watch with my morning coffee - as I always say but so true! ☕💛. Have a lovely Friday!!
I read Good-bye Mr. Chips last year and absolutely loved it. Also, Shroud for a Nightingale was a favorite Dalgleish for me. Thanks for the great suggestions!
Thanks, Deea! I actually have filmed this video twice. The first time I was working from 11 pages of notes and wasn't satisfied with how it turned out, so I did the entire thing over again! Glad you're enjoying it! It was hard to articulate my feelings about Frost in May.
@@areadersalmanacwithceleste1366 I think you did quite well! I have another friend who felt the same way about the ending which is why I never picked it up, but still wanted to try White’s writing so I picked up the Lost Traveller.
@@novelideea Yes, I remember taking a poetry workshop with the poet Marge Piercy, and have never forgotten her advice: "sometimes the emotional truth and the poetic truth is much more important than the factual, autobiographic truth!" ie. the scooter may have technically been blue and the month was February, but to do poetic justice to the story, the writer says it was a red scooter, in January, and it started to snow. Whatever serves the narrative best and is the most evocative.
As I mentioned to you in a prior comment, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is my favorite girl schools novel. I love the movie too and love that Robert Stephens, Dame Smith's real-life husband is in the movie as well. I think their son actor Toby Stephens is a handsome combo of the couple. The song Jean brings me right back to my Jr. High years and reminds me also of my lovely mother. The song is so evocative especially when sung by Rod McKuen (in your clip) who wrote it. But I really like Jean sung by Oliver too. Also, I couldn't resist The Black Opal and found a copy right away. You had me at "1930's and 1940's fashions". You're making me spend money Celeste!! Hugs.
@@donnamacdonald2200 Okay, I have to say here that I have a bit of a crush on Toby Stephens and have mentioned him as Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre here on the channel! Yes, I love the version by Oliver, too. I can still see the cover for the Oliver album in my mind! Glad you found a copy of The Black Opal! They tend to be scarce and expensive, so I’m glad you found it!
There's always 'Jane Eyre' an autobiographical horrible boarding school experience, sadly Elizabeth and Maria, the eldest Bronte sisters maybe died as a result of the being at Cowan Bridge school, it certainly didn't help, hence we have Helen Burns and the immortalisation of Lowood.
Hi Clare! Yes! I'll chat about Jane next time! 😊 I'm including her with "Gothic Institutions"! Have you read Villette? I've ordered it, but wasn't sure if there's a school or institution in that . . .
@@areadersalmanacwithceleste1366 Sorry, ahead of you there! I've read 'Villette' along time ago, less about the teaching experience more about isolation as I recall.
I would give this book 3.5 stars. It's fun and it definitely fits the trope, so I felt honor-bound to include it, but I do struggle sometimes with Tey's writing style.
Hi Everyone! Today I’m chatting about one of my favorite premises in books: a child or group of children are sent away to live elsewhere: in a boarding school, an orphanage, or a workhouse. In Part 1 I mentioned some of my favorite "Happy" boarding school books. Today I'll be sharing two more aspects of that trope: 2. The serious, poignant or sad boarding school book and 3. The mysterious boarding school book where either a student solve some sort of mysterious question along the way, or an adult investigator steps in to solve a crime. Stay tuned for one more installment, where I'll discuss the gothic, suspenseful institution and the magical or paranormal boarding school book!
Mr Chips is a long time dearly thought of novel.🥰
Hi Celeste! I love this series of videos that you are doing and learning so much from them! Thank you! The Sherlock Holmes and The Black Opal sound particularly interesting to me. I cannot wait for your next installment! This was so lovely to watch with my morning coffee - as I always say but so true! ☕💛. Have a lovely Friday!!
Thanks for watching, Heather! These are a lot of fun to make. : )
I read Good-bye Mr. Chips last year and absolutely loved it. Also, Shroud for a Nightingale was a favorite Dalgleish for me. Thanks for the great suggestions!
@@michaelmccarty So glad you enjoyed Shroud For a Nightengale. I’m looking forward to it!
Also, I don't know why I chose to lean my face in so close to the camera, in this, LOL. New filming location? . . . 🤓
I had never heard of the Ruth Fielding books. That’s exciting to have a whole new series of vintage adventure books to get into! 💜
@@jessicaw1839 Ruth Fielding is a fun, very old vintage series! I love that her stories embrace events of that era, such as World War I. ☺️
Such a fab series. ♥️ Sipping peppermint tea while I listen🤗
Thanks, Deea! I actually have filmed this video twice. The first time I was working from 11 pages of notes and wasn't satisfied with how it turned out, so I did the entire thing over again! Glad you're enjoying it! It was hard to articulate my feelings about Frost in May.
@@areadersalmanacwithceleste1366 I think you did quite well! I have another friend who felt the same way about the ending which is why I never picked it up, but still wanted to try White’s writing so I picked up the Lost Traveller.
@@novelideea Yes, I remember taking a poetry workshop with the poet Marge Piercy, and have never forgotten her advice: "sometimes the emotional truth and the poetic truth is much more important than the factual, autobiographic truth!" ie. the scooter may have technically been blue and the month was February, but to do poetic justice to the story, the writer says it was a red scooter, in January, and it started to snow. Whatever serves the narrative best and is the most evocative.
As I mentioned to you in a prior comment, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is my favorite girl schools novel. I love the movie too and love that Robert Stephens, Dame Smith's real-life husband is in the movie as well. I think their son actor Toby Stephens is a handsome combo of the couple. The song Jean brings me right back to my Jr. High years and reminds me also of my lovely mother. The song is so evocative especially when sung by Rod McKuen (in your clip) who wrote it. But I really like Jean sung by Oliver too. Also, I couldn't resist The Black Opal and found a copy right away. You had me at "1930's and 1940's fashions". You're making me spend money Celeste!! Hugs.
@@donnamacdonald2200 Okay, I have to say here that I have a bit of a crush on Toby Stephens and have mentioned him as Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre here on the channel! Yes, I love the version by Oliver, too. I can still see the cover for the Oliver album in my mind! Glad you found a copy of The Black Opal! They tend to be scarce and expensive, so I’m glad you found it!
There's always 'Jane Eyre' an autobiographical horrible boarding school experience, sadly Elizabeth and Maria, the eldest Bronte sisters maybe died as a result of the being at Cowan Bridge school, it certainly didn't help, hence we have Helen Burns and the immortalisation of Lowood.
Hi Clare! Yes! I'll chat about Jane next time! 😊 I'm including her with "Gothic Institutions"! Have you read Villette? I've ordered it, but wasn't sure if there's a school or institution in that . . .
@@areadersalmanacwithceleste1366 Sorry, ahead of you there! I've read 'Villette' along time ago, less about the teaching experience more about isolation as I recall.
@@clarepotter7584 Thanks!
One of my favorites that is poignant, & has a mystery (more than one) is Abigail by Magda Szabo.
I also love The Little Princess by FH Burnett.
Thanks, Deea! I've never heard of Abigail! Need to look that up. I will be speaking a bit about Burnett in the next installment of this series. : )
I have an Antonia White on my shelf but not Frost in May.
I didn't know there was another book by White! BTW, Have you read Villette? I've ordered it, but wasn't sure if there's a school or institution in it.
@@areadersalmanacwithceleste1366 yes & yes! I like Jane Eyre much more, but Lucy is a teacher at a girl’s school in Villette village.
@@novelideea Ooh, good. Looking forward!
I have enjoyed Tey, but haven’t read Miss Pym.
I would give this book 3.5 stars. It's fun and it definitely fits the trope, so I felt honor-bound to include it, but I do struggle sometimes with Tey's writing style.