tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post4446344417033868226..comments2024-03-28T12:00:55.653-07:00Comments on FURROWED MIDDLEBROW: Reading diary: ELINOR M. BRENT-DYER, RITA COATTSFurrowed Middlebrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-84506061258159665502018-01-10T13:33:21.118-08:002018-01-10T13:33:21.118-08:00I'm glad you enjoy the CS books and hope by no...I'm glad you enjoy the CS books and hope by now that you have been able to read them all. I'm another that is lucky enough to own the entire series in HB, after much searching and a fair bit of spending - though not as much as you might expect.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00356343192166945179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-73463160259795608012016-02-26T06:26:03.897-08:002016-02-26T06:26:03.897-08:00I think you might be mixing her up with Nesta Gran...I think you might be mixing her up with Nesta Grant or Elizabeth Tarrant, which are both Leyland pseudonyms, along with Sylvia Little. Rita Coatts has been thoroughly identified, there are surviving photos of her, and I even had an email from her granddaughter a while back. So hard to keep all of these authors and their pseudonyms straight!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-43402287243852699862016-02-26T06:07:22.518-08:002016-02-26T06:07:22.518-08:00I have only just come across your blog and was rea...I have only just come across your blog and was reading the piece about Rita Coatts. No one seems to have pointed out that Rita Coatts was the pseudonym of a well known male writer: Eric Leyland. He also wrote girls' stories as Sylvia Little.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-38436553336072052392015-08-08T14:58:33.917-07:002015-08-08T14:58:33.917-07:00Despite my devotion to EBD - many of whose later b...Despite my devotion to EBD - many of whose later books I am old enough to have been given as Christmas presents as they were published - I think that Antonia Forest is the very best writer of this genre.<br /><br />She may not have written very many books but those that she did are pitch perfect, especially the school based ones. And The Ready-Made Family....Cestinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03050699324845479257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-19640234457939125762015-08-08T13:30:50.259-07:002015-08-08T13:30:50.259-07:00I read one Antonia Forest (Autumn Term) when it wa...I read one Antonia Forest (Autumn Term) when it was reissued in paperback a few years ago - eh..............<br />Probably just as well that they didn't bring out more at the time or I might have bought a few more that I wasn't enthused about - I know I didn't keep the book. BUT, Scott, don't let that keep you from adding to the TBR list (oh, as if!) TomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-19606890508156314052015-08-08T11:43:58.995-07:002015-08-08T11:43:58.995-07:00It's odd, Frances, I read an Antonia Forest qu...It's odd, Frances, I read an Antonia Forest quite a while back, but it was before I was really properly interested in school stories--I don't know what inspired me and I wasn't that excited about it. But I imagine now that I have an interest in the genre I would feel differently. I've always heard enthusiastic recommendations of her work, so will have to add her back to my TBR list!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-68932269836946806172015-08-06T23:58:15.828-07:002015-08-06T23:58:15.828-07:00P.S. Meant to sign the previous comments about Ant...P.S. Meant to sign the previous comments about Antonia Forest etc - FrancesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-22762403494490877742015-08-06T23:57:10.840-07:002015-08-06T23:57:10.840-07:00I grew up with the abridged versions but have to a...I grew up with the abridged versions but have to admit that I much prefer the GGB ones. I notice that they are reprinting some of the ones they have already reprinted (if that makes sense) so there are sometimes second chances to get them at more reasonable prices.<br />Have you read Antonia Forest? She had a long publishing career but began in 1948 with a school story. Her main series looks at the Marlow family (both at home and at school) and I love it. I am not the only one, and Sims and Clare praise her highly. Excellent writing and characterisation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-2830880800568887142015-08-06T07:41:25.168-07:002015-08-06T07:41:25.168-07:00For what it's worth, Vicki, I've heard tha...For what it's worth, Vicki, I've heard that some people who grew up with the abridged versions find the unabridged ones a bit foreign, like having new scenes tacked in to the classic stories they're used to. So perhaps we can cling to that for comfort! (But I'm skeptical.)Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-59645162986283727912015-08-06T07:38:56.557-07:002015-08-06T07:38:56.557-07:00Oh, Ann, I (and probably the other commenters on t...Oh, Ann, I (and probably the other commenters on this post) am green with envy that you have the complete set! It must have taken a lot of time and determination to acquire them all, but how lovely they must look on your bookshelves!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-42626017586570504982015-08-06T07:36:56.000-07:002015-08-06T07:36:56.000-07:00It was great fun to read, Karen. And the cover is ...It was great fun to read, Karen. And the cover is so adorable, I love having it on my shelves. It's sad that owning a full set of unabridged Chalet School books requires a lottery winning!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-76068684411105317962015-08-06T07:35:30.220-07:002015-08-06T07:35:30.220-07:00Sorry to have tantalized you! It's such a popu...Sorry to have tantalized you! It's such a popular series, and has been so influential, you would think that GGB, or another publisher, would want to have all of them in print so that new readers could discover them and older readers could collect them again. But alas! I'm happy that GGB is at least putting a few more copies of them out there.Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-11256192246979511842015-08-06T05:17:01.172-07:002015-08-06T05:17:01.172-07:00I fear that I read almost all abridged ones as a c...I fear that I read almost all abridged ones as a child, so would love to revisit them someday in their original form (esp. my/everyone's favourite, 'Exile'). I send up a prayer to the book gods that their circulation will increase!skiourophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08200877834536477400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-17065005309771544892015-08-06T02:12:15.082-07:002015-08-06T02:12:15.082-07:00I've loved these books for more than 50 years....I've loved these books for more than 50 years. After many years I managed to get them all in hardback editions but have still been buying the GGBP ones for the introductions and extra short stories that are often included.AnnPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-81494317558679893172015-08-05T07:12:23.288-07:002015-08-05T07:12:23.288-07:00I'm so glad the Coatts turned out to be worthw...I'm so glad the Coatts turned out to be worthwhile! And I too have struggled with the Chalet School books - I read them when I was young and this was the heavily edited versions. I really would like to have a complete, uncut set - but I think that's really somewhat unlikely unless I win a fortune!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-88895608319676766362015-08-04T11:36:43.139-07:002015-08-04T11:36:43.139-07:00I had no idea that my paperback of The School at t...I had no idea that my paperback of The School at the Chalet was heavily abridged! And I was so delighted when I found it, too. I saw the ebooks but I ran into the same problem with the fine print -- a pity. But it is pleasant (if tantalising) to read someone appreciating them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com