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Chalet School - Complete
Juliet of the Chalet School
Juliet of the Chalet School covers the Christmas term between Jo of the Chalet School and The Princess of the Chalet School.
301 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 5, 2015
A fill-in which is so Chalet School, it's practically EBD. New girls who are secretly related to each other, Grizel marching around being bossy, some excellent pranks, a terrific storm, snow-blindness and ski-ing, bronchitis ... this is good stuff.
Of course, this isn't real EBD, so the bonkersness rating is very low indeed. But at this stage in the series, that's not really a criticism. And it is certainly superior to EBD in at least one respect, the quite masterful summing up of the Christmas play as follows:
...from the moment the girls, clad in simple frocks of white silk, filed on to the specially constructed dais to sing the first madrigal, until the closing notes of 'Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning', the audience was enthralled.
And that's it. So much better than the line by line description, punctuated with the lyrics of carols, that we usually have to plough through.
Juliet herself makes a convincing transformation in this book, from somewhat drippy to confidently authoritative. EBD herself neglected Juliet a bit, mostly seeming to use her as a plot device in the Tyrol books and then shuffling her off into marital obscurity (her husband is a barrister rather than a doctor). So it's good to have Juliet here in a starring role.
But my favourite character in this book is the newly-arrived Miss Wilson. Her character is brilliantly caught - she's exactly as she is in later books, except with no experience. It takes exceptional talent to do that sort of back-charactering convincingly. Full marks.
Of course, this isn't real EBD, so the bonkersness rating is very low indeed. But at this stage in the series, that's not really a criticism. And it is certainly superior to EBD in at least one respect, the quite masterful summing up of the Christmas play as follows:
...from the moment the girls, clad in simple frocks of white silk, filed on to the specially constructed dais to sing the first madrigal, until the closing notes of 'Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning', the audience was enthralled.
And that's it. So much better than the line by line description, punctuated with the lyrics of carols, that we usually have to plough through.
Juliet herself makes a convincing transformation in this book, from somewhat drippy to confidently authoritative. EBD herself neglected Juliet a bit, mostly seeming to use her as a plot device in the Tyrol books and then shuffling her off into marital obscurity (her husband is a barrister rather than a doctor). So it's good to have Juliet here in a starring role.
But my favourite character in this book is the newly-arrived Miss Wilson. Her character is brilliantly caught - she's exactly as she is in later books, except with no experience. It takes exceptional talent to do that sort of back-charactering convincingly. Full marks.
May 29, 2024
Another wonderful fill in.
In many ways this book shows how hard it was for Jo, not haivng a home per say and having to not only live in the school all the time but having her sister as Headmistress and well as a sister. There are times that Madge forgets that she is Jo's sister.
It was good to see Juilet come into her own and prove that she is a good Head Girl. Loved seeing her confidence come through.
In many ways this book shows how hard it was for Jo, not haivng a home per say and having to not only live in the school all the time but having her sister as Headmistress and well as a sister. There are times that Madge forgets that she is Jo's sister.
It was good to see Juilet come into her own and prove that she is a good Head Girl. Loved seeing her confidence come through.
July 7, 2011
5 stars not so much for being brilliant fiction but for bring an excellently written chalet school fill in. Bravo!
January 9, 2026
Juliet of the Chalet School is yet another of the many "fill-in" books written to add to the Chalet School series by Elinor Brent-Dyer. Caroline German does an exceptional job writing "Juliet". It is very true to the series; one would not know it wasn't an original EBD, which is the highest praise there is when trying to mimic a prolific and well-loved author. Then, too, there are heartwarming episodes that brought me to tears, and reliance upon God is a subdued but running thread throughout the book, as is the case in many EBD books (particularly the later ones). The development and additional back story to many of the Chalet series' favorite characters is well done and a delight.
The book includes a forward with very helpful explanations, and a meticulously researched and correlated afterword which helps to align many of the characters, storylines and dates into some sense. Chronologically "Juliet" fills in between "Jo of the Chalet School" and "Princess of the chalet school".
Story synopsis: Juliet Carrick, with a rough start at the Chalet school due to her unfortunate home life, is designated Head Girl after the much-beloved Gisela Marani graduates. She doesn't feel up to the challenge (as is the case for many of the Head Girls in the series), and takes some time to find her footing. With the help of Madame, the Headmistress, she soon learns and grows and becomes a real help to the girls, especially those who find themselves in difficulty.
There is the usual EBD fare of day excursions with some untoward happenings (this time, weather-related), and illness hits several girls (the Robin in particular). Grizel, as Games Prefect, runs into trouble with her harsh handling of the girls but learns some valuable lessons. There are the usual Middle hi-jinks, trouble between BFF's Margia Stevens and Evadne Lannis, and plenty of references to the delicious Tyrolean food. We see the arrival of Miss Wilson, and learn how she got her nickname of "Bill". Added in is a mystery between two new girls which Juliet is a factor in resolving.
The book includes a forward with very helpful explanations, and a meticulously researched and correlated afterword which helps to align many of the characters, storylines and dates into some sense. Chronologically "Juliet" fills in between "Jo of the Chalet School" and "Princess of the chalet school".
Story synopsis: Juliet Carrick, with a rough start at the Chalet school due to her unfortunate home life, is designated Head Girl after the much-beloved Gisela Marani graduates. She doesn't feel up to the challenge (as is the case for many of the Head Girls in the series), and takes some time to find her footing. With the help of Madame, the Headmistress, she soon learns and grows and becomes a real help to the girls, especially those who find themselves in difficulty.
There is the usual EBD fare of day excursions with some untoward happenings (this time, weather-related), and illness hits several girls (the Robin in particular). Grizel, as Games Prefect, runs into trouble with her harsh handling of the girls but learns some valuable lessons. There are the usual Middle hi-jinks, trouble between BFF's Margia Stevens and Evadne Lannis, and plenty of references to the delicious Tyrolean food. We see the arrival of Miss Wilson, and learn how she got her nickname of "Bill". Added in is a mystery between two new girls which Juliet is a factor in resolving.
May 29, 2025
Very good facsimile of EBD's writing and a great addition to the fill ins!
August 16, 2007
Not one of the best fill-ins, but an okay read nonetheless.
September 15, 2023
Really enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews