Given a scholarly, vague and forgetful Prefect for the ill-reputed Middle School, the Three and a half-ish stars.
School Story Type: Madcap Schoolgirl.
Given a scholarly, vague and forgetful Prefect for the ill-reputed Middle School, the Middle School monitress, Penelope, decides to reform her form with the help of her self-appointed "prefects", her best chums. Given that Penelope is not exactly a model schoolgirl herself--it's beyond me why she's monitress in the first place--her gang's efforts to bully the form into line only cause more chaos.
The plot is predictable enough: ill-advised attempts to improve things, followed by rebellion by other girls, pitched physical skirmishes and predicaments and furious mistresses and seniors. Detention and punishments inevitably follow, including the fairly barbaric one of being locked in a cupboard for half an hour a day. But you know all will be well in the end, and Penelope and her "prefects" will win out.
The girls often seem too young and idiotic for their age, and there is a precoccupation with stockings and suspenders, including trying to wrestle them off each other to put the seams straight, which feels quite strange out of historical context. All the manic energy is a bit tiring after a while, too, and I found myself wishing Penelope was just a wee bit more self-reflective, and that her schoolfellows had a wee bit more personality. But these are fairly minor complaints.
All in all, this is an amusing and sometimes sparkling example of the madcap schoolgirl subgenre....more
When you asks someone their favourite Enid Blyton school story, two times out of three they will name In the Fifth at Malory Towers (1950). There's a When you asks someone their favourite Enid Blyton school story, two times out of three they will name In the Fifth at Malory Towers (1950). There's a magic to it, even coming right near the end of a popular series.
The girls are putting on a school pantomime, and there is drama offstage more than off. Vain competition for the role of Cinderella between the fluffy Gwendoline Mary and her even more ghastly mirror image Maureen; clashes of power between the uncooperative but brilliant Alicia and the hard, domineering Head of Form Moira; and protagonist Darrell desperately trying to hold things together and make a success of the play she and the musical Irene have created.
And then there are the anonymous hate letters Moira keeps receiving...
It all comes together beautifully. Moira, with her twisted relationship with her younger sister, and her clinging, self-sacrificing yet vaguely scary friend Catherine, are wonderful addictions to the crew. The intensity is high, the atmosphere vicious and suspicious, and only meek Mary Lou and tomboyish Bill really seem completely apart from all the spite and power playing.
Glorious, glorious stuff. And the knowledge that Darrell will triumph beautifully in teh name of friendship and hard work keeps it all from being too dark.
And of course, darling Mam'zelle Dupont plays the most marvellous trick on her bad, bad girls.
Hold it Darrell, while we slip away. It is your own great moment. There'll never be another quite like it...more
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