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The Marlows #1
Autumn Term
Twins Nicola and Lawrie arrive at their new school determined to do even better than their distinguished elder sisters, but things don't turn out quite as planned.
295 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
11 people are currently reading
1878 people want to read
About the author
Antonia Forest
18 books29 followersAntonia Forest was the pen name of Patricia Giulia Caulfield Kate Rubinstein. She was born in North London, the child of Russian-Jewish and Irish parents. She studied at South Hampstead High School and University College, London, and worked as a government clerk and a librarian. Best known for her series of novels about the Marlow family, she published her first book, Autumn Term, in 1948.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 23, 2022
I came across Sherwood’s review of this ages ago, and have been meaning to pick it up ever since; I’ve been in a rut and finally ordered it, hoping against hope that it would be good.
And it is - staggeringly so. It masquerades as a school story, and a compelling school story, at that - but this is about people: I’m trying to remember the last time I read a better-drawn flawed minor character than Lois Sanger, and I’m coming up blank. And her story ends with this - this - trust me when I tell you it’s brilliant:
There’s also Marie, and Pomona, and Ann - and Rowan - that scene where they tell their family about the Court of Honour, with distance and perspective and reason thrown in, is brilliant and satisfying, with the way it’s used to frame everything that has happened up to that point -
And then there’s Giles, who doesn’t have a character arc, and only shows up in the story to be supportive or not, in turns - in fact, does anyone have an arc? Lois doesn’t reform, the twins go through scrapes but don’t become different people, Tim certainly doesn’t change, Rowan is her impressive, implacable self all through the story…
This isn’t really a book about change or character arcs. It’s a slice of life: four months in the company of some extraordinarily drawn people.
I realize I haven’t said much about the book itself: it’s primarily a school story. It’s very, very British. And it’s excellent.
And it is - staggeringly so. It masquerades as a school story, and a compelling school story, at that - but this is about people: I’m trying to remember the last time I read a better-drawn flawed minor character than Lois Sanger, and I’m coming up blank. And her story ends with this - this - trust me when I tell you it’s brilliant:
Tim looked at her, slightly puzzled at her tone.And this, after the match, and Guides, and Jill, and agreeing to read in the play - ugh, it’s so good. And this is a minor character!
‘I don’t mean that we’re going to alter anything because you’re there. Only that they’ll feel happier about it - won’t they?’
‘I dare say,’ said Lois lightly. But she thought, with a faintly uneasy twitch of nerves, that Tim’s mental processes and her own were not unlike. And it was disconcerting and not too pleasant to hear it done aloud.
There’s also Marie, and Pomona, and Ann - and Rowan - that scene where they tell their family about the Court of Honour, with distance and perspective and reason thrown in, is brilliant and satisfying, with the way it’s used to frame everything that has happened up to that point -
And then there’s Giles, who doesn’t have a character arc, and only shows up in the story to be supportive or not, in turns - in fact, does anyone have an arc? Lois doesn’t reform, the twins go through scrapes but don’t become different people, Tim certainly doesn’t change, Rowan is her impressive, implacable self all through the story…
This isn’t really a book about change or character arcs. It’s a slice of life: four months in the company of some extraordinarily drawn people.
I realize I haven’t said much about the book itself: it’s primarily a school story. It’s very, very British. And it’s excellent.
Read
November 29, 2015I don't know how I managed never to discover Forest when I was younger, but I'm glad to find her now. She was recommended to me by some friends on-line, and four books kindly sent to me by a friend in England. They are hard to find here—I don't know why the heck they are not in constant print. At the front introduction of one, an old friend of hers speculates that critics scorned her for her first book being a 'school story'—a type that fell into disrepute earlier in the twentieth century, due to its extreme popularity, and the almost rigid storylines and character types so many writers churned out. (George Orwell had some fascinating—and excoriating—things to say about School Stories in some of his posthumously published essays. I happen to think school stories are fascinating, and have studied them rather a lot, but this is not the place to get into that.) Anyway, out of 14 books, apparently only 4 are considered school stories, if I got that right.
In Autumn Term, Forest does not pay any attention to accepted character types or storylines. You cannot predict what will happen—her characters are distinct, even the minor ones. Her prose is beautiful.
In Autumn Term, Forest does not pay any attention to accepted character types or storylines. You cannot predict what will happen—her characters are distinct, even the minor ones. Her prose is beautiful.
November 9, 2007
Thank you Constance for introducing me to this very memorable book/series. You've provided an abundance of book pleasure; you’ve read so many children’s books that aren’t esoteric, but were unknown to me and apparently to many others as well! Hope I can acquire/borrow all the books about the Marlow family; I see that they’re not easily found.
I have a feeling this first book might end up being my favorite. The author is a terrific storyteller and has created engaging characters. (And, like Madeleine L’Engle, I enjoy stories about 12 year old girls. I did when I was 12 and I do now.)
I so wish I had read this book when I was 12 or thereabouts. Would have been a good cozy comfort book for me at the time. I’ve always been fascinated with twins, and I’ve always wanted sisters & to be a part of a large family, and I could have really used this book for vicarious gratification. Even reading it as an adult, I did not want to put it down.
It’s a very well written book, although the word negligently was a tad overused in my opinion – only mentioning because it was so noticeable to me: it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.
I loved how all the girls, including the twins, had very distinct personalities. I appreciated both the twin bond and how they also quarreled with one another. I correctly guessed some of what was coming up in the plot, something I don’t think I’d have done reading it as a kid, but that did not make reading the book any less satisfying for me.
Note: Never again will I be so smug by informing my friends what deprived childhoods they had because they had not read some of my favorite childhood books. Since I’ve been a member of Goodreads, I have discovered many children’s books that I somehow missed reading when I was a child. This is one. Betsy-Tacy another. Suspect I’ll find many more.
P.S. I got one with a different cover, and, as usual, I prefer the cover of the book I read.
I have a feeling this first book might end up being my favorite. The author is a terrific storyteller and has created engaging characters. (And, like Madeleine L’Engle, I enjoy stories about 12 year old girls. I did when I was 12 and I do now.)
I so wish I had read this book when I was 12 or thereabouts. Would have been a good cozy comfort book for me at the time. I’ve always been fascinated with twins, and I’ve always wanted sisters & to be a part of a large family, and I could have really used this book for vicarious gratification. Even reading it as an adult, I did not want to put it down.
It’s a very well written book, although the word negligently was a tad overused in my opinion – only mentioning because it was so noticeable to me: it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.
I loved how all the girls, including the twins, had very distinct personalities. I appreciated both the twin bond and how they also quarreled with one another. I correctly guessed some of what was coming up in the plot, something I don’t think I’d have done reading it as a kid, but that did not make reading the book any less satisfying for me.
Note: Never again will I be so smug by informing my friends what deprived childhoods they had because they had not read some of my favorite childhood books. Since I’ve been a member of Goodreads, I have discovered many children’s books that I somehow missed reading when I was a child. This is one. Betsy-Tacy another. Suspect I’ll find many more.
P.S. I got one with a different cover, and, as usual, I prefer the cover of the book I read.
August 10, 2016
I wish I hadn't given out all those five-stars now, because Autumn term now needs its own, six-star grading. When I was a girl, everybody had read Enid Blyton's school stories, and a few people had then moved on to the Chalet School and Trebizon. But I was the only person I knew who had read Antonia Forest. And whenever I tried to persuade somebody to read Autumn Term, they'd say no thank you, they'd already read the Malory Towers books and this book would just be more in the same vein. NO! You might as well compare Malory Towers to To Serve Them All My Days. All school stories are not the same.
In Autumn Term, all the characters are real, and the events wholly believable. That alone puts it head and shoulders above most other school stories. But most of all it is just beautifully written. Read and enjoy. And then start hunting for all the others.
In Autumn Term, all the characters are real, and the events wholly believable. That alone puts it head and shoulders above most other school stories. But most of all it is just beautifully written. Read and enjoy. And then start hunting for all the others.
October 18, 2023
Reread in 2023 - this really sets the bar for school stories for grown-ups. The characterization is excellent but what struck me this time around is how cruel this world can be - not a single hug, even between family members, and empathy is seen with suspicion, bordering on sentimentality. I loved how different all the siblings are. This has classroom drama, guiding, a play, and the writing is incredible. I wish they were easier to find.
Original review in 2013 - Oh wow! Antonia Forest's writing is so unique and wonderful, she really gets into her characters' qualities and flaws, it goes much further than anything I've read before in terms of characterization. None of her characters are entirely likable and all in all, Autumn Term is a hard sell - it's so much about the tiny interactions and the details, much more than about grand school things (though there's a good deal of that as well). Her novel is so realistic I'm inclined to say she really subverts the genre in a thought-provoking, challenging way. Brilliant writer and though the Kingscote world isn't fluffy and comfortable and encouraging (like, say, the Chalet School is, or even Trebizon), it delivers so much in terms of family dynamics, how a young girl copes with failure, how actions are defined by character and the other way around, that I can't help but think this is a cut above the rest. Wonderful read and such a shame the rest of the series is so expensive!
Original review in 2013 - Oh wow! Antonia Forest's writing is so unique and wonderful, she really gets into her characters' qualities and flaws, it goes much further than anything I've read before in terms of characterization. None of her characters are entirely likable and all in all, Autumn Term is a hard sell - it's so much about the tiny interactions and the details, much more than about grand school things (though there's a good deal of that as well). Her novel is so realistic I'm inclined to say she really subverts the genre in a thought-provoking, challenging way. Brilliant writer and though the Kingscote world isn't fluffy and comfortable and encouraging (like, say, the Chalet School is, or even Trebizon), it delivers so much in terms of family dynamics, how a young girl copes with failure, how actions are defined by character and the other way around, that I can't help but think this is a cut above the rest. Wonderful read and such a shame the rest of the series is so expensive!
January 20, 2019
You know you're going to enjoy a book (or at least I do) when characters chide one another with "Don't be an ass." Forest's writing is straightforward and engaging, and she caught me up in the adventures of the Marlow twins right out of the gate.
I am so pleased to have found this series and look forward to reading more of it.
I am so pleased to have found this series and look forward to reading more of it.
November 16, 2015
We enjoy reading school stories together but after a promising start I'm afraid I started skipping large parts that we found boring, arguing ect. These parts perhaps had lost their meaning with time because we couldn't quite see what there was to argue about. We did enjoy some detailed descriptions of girl guiding which was very interesting to see how different it is today.
June 25, 2022
read a while back and i remember that it was one of my favorite books, so tempted by the recent reviews to re-read the ones i have again.
February 13, 2008
When my mother was getting her master's degree, one of her professors heard about my interest in school stories and introduced us to this amazing author. This is the first of her books about the Marlow family, and begins with Nicola and Lawrie Marlow setting off for their first term at boarding school. Kingscote is a school with more dimension than Malory Towers or St. Clare's, and the Marlows are a family you will enjoy.
July 31, 2012
Incredibly good. One of the best school stories I have ever read, hands-down. It captures the anguish and intensity of being 12, in which every setback and humiliation looms as a huge tragedy. As a result, it is incredibly emotionally effective. The characters are astonishingly well-rounded, complex and believably flawed for a book that never really steps outside known school story formulas (new girls want to become successes, make a lot of blunders, but show hidden talents and triumph at last)and really likable even though they are awful at times. The dialogue is fantastic. Without being original at all in content, it is still in a different class altogether than most school stories.
I really wish the later books in the series were freely available!
I really wish the later books in the series were freely available!
October 17, 2023
I wish that I had discovered these books when I was a girl. I would have loved them. Reading this one as an adult ,I was impressed by the quality of the writing. Each character is a distinct individual, with their own strengths and weaknesses. Although the book concentrates on the youngest Marlow sisters, Lawrence and Nicola, the personalities of the other Marlow girls and their older brothers are all well -rounded. It is a series that I shall try to read more of .
August 26, 2019
Lawrence and Nicola Marlow, twin sisters and the youngest of a large family, are excited to finally be attending Kingscote, the same boarding school as their older sisters. But with Karen as Head Girl, Ann a Patrol Leader with the Guides, Rowan a talented athlete, and Ginty immensely popular, the twins feel that they will have to do something spectacular to uphold the family honor. Things don't go quite as planned however, and the girls find themselves in one scrape after another. Luckily, they have a good friend in "Tim," the headmistress's niece, and a schoolmate in the Third Remove...
I have been curious about the British school-story for some time now, and have followed my friend Constance's reviews with interest. Antonia Forest's work having been particularly recommended to me as an excellent example of the genre, I was lucky enough to find someone willing to loan me a copy. Thanks Lisa - I might not have read this otherwise!
I enjoyed Forest's portrayal of both the family and school dynamic, and was fascinated by many of the little details. Characters use unfamiliar slang - they "bag" things, rather than claiming them. The word "ass," here used to mean "fool," appeared quite frequently, which was a little disconcerting at first, even though I quickly realized that it wasn't considered a curse word, or something inappropriate for children. The class rivalries, between Tim and the twins and Pomona and Marie, were entertaining, and the final sequence involving the play was very involving. All in all, Autumn Term was a charming first novel, and my only complaint lies in the fact that the sequels are so difficult to come by!
I have been curious about the British school-story for some time now, and have followed my friend Constance's reviews with interest. Antonia Forest's work having been particularly recommended to me as an excellent example of the genre, I was lucky enough to find someone willing to loan me a copy. Thanks Lisa - I might not have read this otherwise!
I enjoyed Forest's portrayal of both the family and school dynamic, and was fascinated by many of the little details. Characters use unfamiliar slang - they "bag" things, rather than claiming them. The word "ass," here used to mean "fool," appeared quite frequently, which was a little disconcerting at first, even though I quickly realized that it wasn't considered a curse word, or something inappropriate for children. The class rivalries, between Tim and the twins and Pomona and Marie, were entertaining, and the final sequence involving the play was very involving. All in all, Autumn Term was a charming first novel, and my only complaint lies in the fact that the sequels are so difficult to come by!
November 2, 2024
I flew through this one and my only regret is that I didn’t take my time to savour it!
Autumn Term is the first book in Antonia Forest’s Marlow series, which follows the Marlow girls as they make their way through school at Kingscote boarding school.
It’s Nicola and Lawrie Marlow’s first term at Kingscote. With four older sisters already at the school, there’s nothing to worry about. They know what to expect, or at least they think they do!
What the twin girls forget to account for is that they are not their sisters. The girl’s first term is full of scrapes, misunderstandings, arguments, and lowered expectations. An added complication is that their oldest sister, Karen, is Head Girl! There is also the occasional unexpected victory and one in particular which caps the term off nicely.
This is the second Antonia Forest I’ve read (Attic Term was the first) and I was again struck by how mature the writing is. This book is intended for children, but there is nothing simplistic about the character development or the relationships in this book.
A while back I revisited a book that I remembered liking when I was a child, but rereading it now I was struck by the simplistic language and poor character development. I greatly enjoy Antonia Forest’s writing, in part, because while writing for children, she manages to not talk down to them.
I especially enjoyed the bits about Nicola and Lawrie joining the Guides (so much scope for getting into trouble there!) and planning a school play, as well as the opening chapter on the way to school. These girls get into so much trouble, when they are trying so hard to be the best they can be! It makes these two, very different twins, endearing to read about, not to mention entertaining!
Autumn Term is the first book in Antonia Forest’s Marlow series, which follows the Marlow girls as they make their way through school at Kingscote boarding school.
It’s Nicola and Lawrie Marlow’s first term at Kingscote. With four older sisters already at the school, there’s nothing to worry about. They know what to expect, or at least they think they do!
What the twin girls forget to account for is that they are not their sisters. The girl’s first term is full of scrapes, misunderstandings, arguments, and lowered expectations. An added complication is that their oldest sister, Karen, is Head Girl! There is also the occasional unexpected victory and one in particular which caps the term off nicely.
This is the second Antonia Forest I’ve read (Attic Term was the first) and I was again struck by how mature the writing is. This book is intended for children, but there is nothing simplistic about the character development or the relationships in this book.
A while back I revisited a book that I remembered liking when I was a child, but rereading it now I was struck by the simplistic language and poor character development. I greatly enjoy Antonia Forest’s writing, in part, because while writing for children, she manages to not talk down to them.
I especially enjoyed the bits about Nicola and Lawrie joining the Guides (so much scope for getting into trouble there!) and planning a school play, as well as the opening chapter on the way to school. These girls get into so much trouble, when they are trying so hard to be the best they can be! It makes these two, very different twins, endearing to read about, not to mention entertaining!
February 14, 2015
I grew up on Enid Blyton, especially Malory Towers , and the boarding school genre has always been a favourite of mine. But Antonia Forest's boarding school novels are in a genre of their own.
It all starts fairly predictably - twins going to a new school, expecting glory, team success and shooting that last goal in the Big Match just as the whistle blows for time. Saying things don't work out quite as planned doesn't even start to do justice to this brilliantly written book, with its dry narration, well developed characters, and - something Blyton never managed - doubt in the reader's mind whether it will all work out or not (The Cricket Term is even better at this).
Most of Forest's books are now out of print and go for around £50 on eBay - Autumn Term however is easily available online for around a fiver. Very highly recommended, and essential reading for anyone who likes the schoolgirl, hockey sticks or boarding school genre. Forest is probably my favourite children's writer - not a bad recommendation given that I still read several children's books a month. It's research. Cough.
(Update February 2015: Btw, I've put together a guide to Antonia Forest fanfic if anyone would like to take a look: written to acknowledge the first-class AF fanfic out there, and to share it with those who haven't seen it yet. I hope no-one minds that I'm sharing it in reviews of some other AF books here - my motives are altruistic, I do most horribly swear.
A Reader's Guide to Antonia Forest fanfic.
Enjoy!)
It all starts fairly predictably - twins going to a new school, expecting glory, team success and shooting that last goal in the Big Match just as the whistle blows for time. Saying things don't work out quite as planned doesn't even start to do justice to this brilliantly written book, with its dry narration, well developed characters, and - something Blyton never managed - doubt in the reader's mind whether it will all work out or not (The Cricket Term is even better at this).
Most of Forest's books are now out of print and go for around £50 on eBay - Autumn Term however is easily available online for around a fiver. Very highly recommended, and essential reading for anyone who likes the schoolgirl, hockey sticks or boarding school genre. Forest is probably my favourite children's writer - not a bad recommendation given that I still read several children's books a month. It's research. Cough.
(Update February 2015: Btw, I've put together a guide to Antonia Forest fanfic if anyone would like to take a look: written to acknowledge the first-class AF fanfic out there, and to share it with those who haven't seen it yet. I hope no-one minds that I'm sharing it in reviews of some other AF books here - my motives are altruistic, I do most horribly swear.
A Reader's Guide to Antonia Forest fanfic.
Enjoy!)
October 31, 2007
I read this book quite a while ago on Constance's recommendation--if only more of Antonia Forest's books were available here! I always search them out when I'm in the UK. A great girls' school book--and thanks again, Constance!
November 4, 2024
A lively and entertaining story about the Marlow sisters and their day-to-day life at boarding school during the autumn term.
This is my first experience reading a book by Antonia Forest and I really liked it. This Girls Gone By edition is informative and fun to read, though I do wish my newly published edition hadn’t arrived damaged and also that the print was larger.
But, besides that, I was definitely interested in the adventures of Nicola, Lawrie, Ginty, Ann, Rowan and Karen. Mostly, the reader follows the twins, Nicola and Lawrie and how they adjust to a new school (Kingscote) with new friends, new experiences and finding out more about themselves.
Looking forward to reading more!
This is my first experience reading a book by Antonia Forest and I really liked it. This Girls Gone By edition is informative and fun to read, though I do wish my newly published edition hadn’t arrived damaged and also that the print was larger.
But, besides that, I was definitely interested in the adventures of Nicola, Lawrie, Ginty, Ann, Rowan and Karen. Mostly, the reader follows the twins, Nicola and Lawrie and how they adjust to a new school (Kingscote) with new friends, new experiences and finding out more about themselves.
Looking forward to reading more!
January 29, 2008
This book rubbed me the wrong way at first. I thought it was silly to have two main characters in a boarding school book with FOUR older sisters (and two essentially off-screen brothers). One might have thought it would have been wiser to reserve a younger sister for future addition. Also, it annoyed me that EVERYONE had a freaky British nickname. I mean, there was no Balmy Fotheringay-Phipps, but STILL. Pick a name. Seriously, there was this huge expositional introduction of characters and plus you had to remember everyone's nutty mannish nickname.
Also also, the cold-fishishness of the Marlow parents disturbed me. I was never certain if the parents and/or older siblings actually liked our protagonists.
That said..boy, am I annoyed that the sequels aren't in print.
Also also, the cold-fishishness of the Marlow parents disturbed me. I was never certain if the parents and/or older siblings actually liked our protagonists.
That said..boy, am I annoyed that the sequels aren't in print.
March 28, 2009
The plot is standard "going away to boarding school". The characters, however, are very lively and much more interesting than the standard issue. The play-within-the-book is well described and involving, and the whole very nicely done. Another I wish I'd read when I was 12, though I'm glad I had an opportunity to read it now- thanks to Abigail!
April 1, 2008
AF is probably one of the most underrated children's authors ever. Her school stories are filled with depth and sophistication missing from most other entries in the genre. Her family stories are even better.
Want to read
September 4, 2008British boarding school drama that I missed when I was young and a boarding-school-drama addict. Thanks, Constance!
November 13, 2009
Absolutely the greatest schoolgirl book I have ever read. I am looking forward to "Attic Term" if i can get it away from Pansy and Sophy
January 22, 2021
Written in 1948 and set in an exclusive school for girls, it's hard to imagine a book further from my current reality, and thus this was truly excellent escapism. Forest's story is excellent: I have never read a school novel in which the characters have such depth, or are so believable. Lawrie and Nicola, twins, are the final members of their family to join the school: their four older sisters have been there for years, and distinguished themselves greatly. So Lawrie and Nicola plan to be just as impressive members of the school, but of course all their plans go array. The plot doesn't matter much, but the engaging, funny children, and the cosy mixture of adventure and mundane, make for a truly enjoyable read.
May 16, 2025
This is a criminally under-rated and under-printed series (it was out of print for many years and again now I believe). Even back in my pre-teens, when I had a liking for boarding school stories, I understood that these were much more intelligent and nuanced than the likes of my other favourites, Enid Blyton's Malory Towers, and Anne Digby's Trebizon series. My five star rating is a genuine five stars (not like the Blyton books I've given 5 stars on my 'Blyton' scale) - it doesn't even remotely compare.
Rereading this one now as an adult, I am so impressed by how alive and rounded all the kids feel, how nuanced their behaviour is, and how cringily familiar some of what they feel and how they behave is despite in literal ways being a world away from my own school experience. There's even some bullying from the protagonists, but Forest doesn't explicitly offer any clear opinion on that or even come-uppance (yet), we're strictly in the viewpoints of our protagonists, and they don't fully realise the impact of how they treat their peers (yet), other than . Just how it was in real life - it's embarrassingly familiar. It's also different to the way Enid Blyton's holier-than-thou bullying characters are written - in Blyton's books, the bullying is warranted and not viewed as such, the bullied need their "corners knocked off" and so on - but here, it's clear as an adult reader that Forest is just writing the way it is, not the way she thinks it should be, and that her protagonists are not supposed to be perfect. .
I find the relationship between the twins fascinating. Two very different characters, who understand each other deeply, but who don't always converse in direct words, nor are they interested in the same things; but you absolutely believe they are twins whose lives are entwined, due to growing up very closely together. The interplay between the two of them and Tim is also cleverly done (especially given I know what is coming in the rest of the series). Even an antagonist, Lois Sanger, is intriguingly rounded too, and I find it so interesting that the authorities at school are also not perfect, demonstrated by the Guides drama.
And then the play at the end - we did musicals at my secondary school, my very favourite aspect (and probably only truly enjoyable other than friendships) of school and the picture Forest paints of that experience was like going back in time to my own experiences of that.
What's more (and if I recall correctly this comes into play more in later books), there is the backdrop of Nicola's interest in the Navy, and historical and literary references peppered here and there. I remember she gets into falconry later, too. I am so frustrated that I only have the four school-based books - the others about the Marlows set outside the school are hard to find and expensive on such as eBay. I will keep hunting, though! I remember when I was reading the school stories as a kid/young teen that it felt like stuff happened between the books - when I discovered as an adult that there were other books in the series, that suddenly made sense!
Rereading this one now as an adult, I am so impressed by how alive and rounded all the kids feel, how nuanced their behaviour is, and how cringily familiar some of what they feel and how they behave is despite in literal ways being a world away from my own school experience. There's even some bullying from the protagonists, but Forest doesn't explicitly offer any clear opinion on that or even come-uppance (yet), we're strictly in the viewpoints of our protagonists, and they don't fully realise the impact of how they treat their peers (yet), other than . Just how it was in real life - it's embarrassingly familiar. It's also different to the way Enid Blyton's holier-than-thou bullying characters are written - in Blyton's books, the bullying is warranted and not viewed as such, the bullied need their "corners knocked off" and so on - but here, it's clear as an adult reader that Forest is just writing the way it is, not the way she thinks it should be, and that her protagonists are not supposed to be perfect. .
I find the relationship between the twins fascinating. Two very different characters, who understand each other deeply, but who don't always converse in direct words, nor are they interested in the same things; but you absolutely believe they are twins whose lives are entwined, due to growing up very closely together. The interplay between the two of them and Tim is also cleverly done (especially given I know what is coming in the rest of the series). Even an antagonist, Lois Sanger, is intriguingly rounded too, and I find it so interesting that the authorities at school are also not perfect, demonstrated by the Guides drama.
And then the play at the end - we did musicals at my secondary school, my very favourite aspect (and probably only truly enjoyable other than friendships) of school and the picture Forest paints of that experience was like going back in time to my own experiences of that.
What's more (and if I recall correctly this comes into play more in later books), there is the backdrop of Nicola's interest in the Navy, and historical and literary references peppered here and there. I remember she gets into falconry later, too. I am so frustrated that I only have the four school-based books - the others about the Marlows set outside the school are hard to find and expensive on such as eBay. I will keep hunting, though! I remember when I was reading the school stories as a kid/young teen that it felt like stuff happened between the books - when I discovered as an adult that there were other books in the series, that suddenly made sense!
March 2, 2015
Autumn Term is the first book of the Marlow chronicles by Antonia Forest. The Marlows are a large family of six girls (Karen, Rowan, Ann, Ginty and the twins Nicola and Lawrie) and their brothers (Giles and Peter). The stories centre mainly around the adventures of the youngest in the family, the twins, as they follow their elder sisters to Kingscote boarding school, but other titles in the series describe what happens to the family during school holidays. At the time of writing this review, I have only ever read the school stories: Autumn Term, End of Term, The Cricket Term and The Attic Term.
In Autumn Term, Nicola (actually perceived to be the main character) and her twin Lawrie have much to live up to. On coming late to Kingscote, they discover their older sisters are famous for being in the top classes of their respective years - Karen is head girl - and it comes as a massive shock to the twins to find out their schooling isn't up to scratch; after the entrance test they are placed in Third Remove, with the 'dunces' as Ginty puts it. There they make friends with Thalia 'Tim' Keith, the headmistress' niece, who flouts school rules and doesn't care about her own educational shortcomings. The three become friends, though it is soon apparent that Lawrie and Tim are becoming close and Nicola is left very much on the sidelines. As well as ending up in Third Remove, the twins have other problems to overcome: their conflict with Marie, a girl in their form keen to cause trouble for them, and with Lois Sanger, a contemporary of elder sister Rowan, who has no time for the Marlow family, full-stop.
I love Forest's style of writing. She focuses mainly on the characters of the girls and there is humour as well as a hint of sarcasm in many of the verbal exchanges. Though this first book was written in the late 1940s, there is nothing dated about it and it has aged well for modern day readers.
In Autumn Term, Nicola (actually perceived to be the main character) and her twin Lawrie have much to live up to. On coming late to Kingscote, they discover their older sisters are famous for being in the top classes of their respective years - Karen is head girl - and it comes as a massive shock to the twins to find out their schooling isn't up to scratch; after the entrance test they are placed in Third Remove, with the 'dunces' as Ginty puts it. There they make friends with Thalia 'Tim' Keith, the headmistress' niece, who flouts school rules and doesn't care about her own educational shortcomings. The three become friends, though it is soon apparent that Lawrie and Tim are becoming close and Nicola is left very much on the sidelines. As well as ending up in Third Remove, the twins have other problems to overcome: their conflict with Marie, a girl in their form keen to cause trouble for them, and with Lois Sanger, a contemporary of elder sister Rowan, who has no time for the Marlow family, full-stop.
I love Forest's style of writing. She focuses mainly on the characters of the girls and there is humour as well as a hint of sarcasm in many of the verbal exchanges. Though this first book was written in the late 1940s, there is nothing dated about it and it has aged well for modern day readers.
June 22, 2013
If you are used to school stories like Enid Blyton's and Elinor M Brent-Dyer's, you might find this a welcome change of pace. This painfully observant book about boarding school and the inner lives of young women is at times sarcastic, bitingly witty, thought-provoking, and touching.
Nicola is one of my favorite girl protagonists. While I am certain I would have been scorned by her and the other self-assured Marlows. I love getting into their world and experiencing the embarrassing realistic observations about the lives of girls and young women. Antonia Forest writes with such precision and skill that I find myself nodding in recognition of truths that I have never noticed before.
This is the first book in the series, and The Marlows and the Traitors is next, in which the Marlow girls and their brothers have an adventure outside of the school setting.
Nicola is one of my favorite girl protagonists. While I am certain I would have been scorned by her and the other self-assured Marlows. I love getting into their world and experiencing the embarrassing realistic observations about the lives of girls and young women. Antonia Forest writes with such precision and skill that I find myself nodding in recognition of truths that I have never noticed before.
This is the first book in the series, and The Marlows and the Traitors is next, in which the Marlow girls and their brothers have an adventure outside of the school setting.
June 9, 2011
I really enjoyed this, and wonder how I could have missed it during the whole boarding-school frenzy we all went through as 10-year-olds. (I loved the midnight feasts at St. Clare's and Malory Towers!) Antonia Forest's book is a little older than Enid Blyton's though, and also shockingly brutal - or maybe I didn't realise all those times when girls in Blyton stories shunned the inevitable outcast, that they were really bullying her in a way that could have led to graver consequences than lip-trembling and a teary outburst.
There is also some casual littering and lying in this book, which is realistic and seems aimed at an audience that can better discern between right and wrong, than those inclined to be 'cracked' about female seniors.
There is also some casual littering and lying in this book, which is realistic and seems aimed at an audience that can better discern between right and wrong, than those inclined to be 'cracked' about female seniors.
October 8, 2011
I had this recommended to me because I mentioned loving books that take place at boarding schools, and fortunately the recommendation was spot on :-) I loved reading about Nick's and Lawrie's antics in Third Removed and especially thought the description of the play extremely well done - that is EXACTLY how it feels... right down to the melancholy and "day after blues". I think Antonia Forest must have had experience with acting herself, to be able to describe it so well.
A lovely cozy book, and the perfect accompaniment to a lazy afternoon.
A lovely cozy book, and the perfect accompaniment to a lazy afternoon.
December 4, 2011
whattay discovery this book was! A boarding school story, but SO different from Blyton's malory towers/st clare's series, though I didn't expect it to be. the characters are much more human, there is less judgement, less morality, less preaching. Though all the essentials are there, midnight parties and whatnots, but there is also much more. now if i could only find the sequel.
December 17, 2015
I love Antonia Forest. Her school stories are full of real people, and things do not always work out for them. This is the first of the stories about the Marlows, concentrating in the main on the youngest, twins, Laurie and Nicola, and their adventures at school. Great antidote to the saccharine sweet version available elsewhere.
April 20, 2010
Good fun, more a 3 1/2 star book though. None of the characters were particularly loveable, but I found their adventures to be thrilling to read about! Would read more in the series if they came my way, but am not going to begin a massive hunt for them.
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