Girls' High

by Barbara Anderson

Its a new term at the girl's high school and in the staffroom and classes life is beginning again. For Carmen, Sooze, Margot and the rest of Babara Anderson's wonderfully memorable characters, it's a time to reflect on the often hilariously conflicting demands of lovers, supervisors, friends and enemies. Here is a novel whose razor-sharp dialogue, wit and compassion reveal a writer of prodigious gifts.

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I try to ignore ratings on Goodreads - especially for New Zealand authors - Kiwis often seem to be very hard on their own!

Unfortunately the low ratings for this book are completely justified. It was hard to believe the same author wrote the awesome Portrait of the Artist's Wife only a year later.

My disappointment isn't altogether the late Ms Anderson's fault. The blurb on the back of my copy includes;

For Carmen, Sooze, Margot and the rest of Barbara Anderson's wonderfully memorable characters...

Rightly or wrongly, this gave me the idea that the book was mainly going to be about the three women named above - Carmen did receive more page time than anyone else. But they weren't really the main characters. & most of them were not 'wonderfully memorable', as the book was more like a series of vignettes & I did wonder if some of them were creative writing exercises roughly meshed into a book.

Speech was handled three different ways - mainly;
—Oh don't you start

Then one scene each for - like a play (although I could see the reason for this, it was still kind of annoying)
Tamp Yes. Yes she would be.

& one scene with indirect speech.
Miss Tamp said was there any further business

It was jarring & didn't flow well.

Anderson does have a way with scene setting descriptions. For example;

Slim as a bluebell Una hops behind Brock on his Matchless and they are up, up and away, her arms tight about him as they lean helmetless into the well-cambered curves of the Bay.

& it was fun reading forgotten kiwisms like 'grotty' & 'hacked off' & I was nostalgic for Reizenstein's bread. But if this book doesn't appeal to a Kiwi of my age (older), who loves 20th century fiction & New Zealand literature, I just can't imagine who it will appeal to.

https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is badly written and the first few chapters are mindless and boring. Probably the worst book I’ve read for a few years or more!
Don’t waste your valuable reading time and go for something good!

[The Twins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just could not get into this book. I found all characters unremarkable, could barely remember any names until 3/4 through the book.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Form: Physical

I really enjoyed the reading experience of this one! I liked how each chapter focussed on a different character and you just see snippets of their stories. It felt like a moment in time and I enjoyed not knowing everything about the characters for once. I did find the beginning a bit confusing but I got into the swing of things pretty quickly. The large cast of characters were at times hard to remember but I was able to sort my way through it by looking back to the first chapter as a cheat sheet.

I am so happy Victoria University Press decided to republish this because I wouldn’t have known it existed otherwise!

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Wellington, New Zealand in the late 1980s. A great depiction of the time. I loved the Kiwi vernacular.

[Robbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good writing style, a little hard to understand at times, but worth your while.

[Georgie · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I thought this book was, was the smallest part of what it actually is.
Not for me, thanks!