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The Chalet School #1
The School at the Chalet
When Madge Bettany sets up a school in the Austrian Tyrol, her sister Joey is among the first pupils. From small beginnings, it grows rapidly, enjoying all sorts of exciting adventures and mishaps.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1925
59 people are currently reading
2,616 people want to read
About the author
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
163 books111 followersElinor M. Brent-Dyer was born as Gladys Eleanor May Dyer on 6th April 1894, in South Shields in the industrial northeast of England, and grew up in a terraced house which had no garden or inside toilet. She was the only daughter of Eleanor Watson Rutherford and Charles Morris Brent Dyer. Her father, who had been married before, left home when she was three years old. In 1912, her brother Henzell died at age 17 of cerebro-spinal fever. After her father died, her mother remarried in 1913.
Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.
In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.
In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.
When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.
Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.
During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.
Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.
In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.
In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.
In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.
When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.
Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.
During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.
Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.
In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
August 16, 2015
Well, I've reread about ten of these today (not going to rate them all, thinking of your poor feeds), and I've only got about twenty in the series, which must contain over fifty books...
I tend to divide the copies I've got into two sets. The first set is the beginning of the school, which is a boarding school that Madge Bettany, all of twenty-four years old, starts in the Austrian Tyrol, while her sister Joey becomes one of the first students. It's entertaining, particularly the obsession with slang. If you've ever read any British boarding school stories, nothing about these will surprise you: lots of emphasis on honor and the prefect system and pranks and proper behavior. The series is also a weird mix of cosmopolitan (students from all over Europe, even a few Americans) with casual misogyny and asides that smack of racism, which honestly isn't the oddest thing in old-school British boarding school stories.
The second set takes place some fifteen or twenty years later, when Madge and Joey and a bunch of former students, of course, have children attending the school. The stories aren't really new there, but again, I grew up with stories like these, and they have a certain charm nevertheless. And it's fun reading about the school now that it's so established!
I don't know how the books deal with the two world wars that take place during the time these stories take place. There are references to the school moving to either northern England or Ireland for a few years, but I can't quite figure out during which books, or if the books even cover it with any specificity. Mostly, the stories feel like they take place in a bubble, where old-fashioned living and schooling are predominant, everyone marries happily, and all their children come back to the school - this despite countless illnesses and rows and kidnappings by any number of crazed people. It's classic melodrama, but it's fun anyway.
I tend to divide the copies I've got into two sets. The first set is the beginning of the school, which is a boarding school that Madge Bettany, all of twenty-four years old, starts in the Austrian Tyrol, while her sister Joey becomes one of the first students. It's entertaining, particularly the obsession with slang. If you've ever read any British boarding school stories, nothing about these will surprise you: lots of emphasis on honor and the prefect system and pranks and proper behavior. The series is also a weird mix of cosmopolitan (students from all over Europe, even a few Americans) with casual misogyny and asides that smack of racism, which honestly isn't the oddest thing in old-school British boarding school stories.
The second set takes place some fifteen or twenty years later, when Madge and Joey and a bunch of former students, of course, have children attending the school. The stories aren't really new there, but again, I grew up with stories like these, and they have a certain charm nevertheless. And it's fun reading about the school now that it's so established!
I don't know how the books deal with the two world wars that take place during the time these stories take place. There are references to the school moving to either northern England or Ireland for a few years, but I can't quite figure out during which books, or if the books even cover it with any specificity. Mostly, the stories feel like they take place in a bubble, where old-fashioned living and schooling are predominant, everyone marries happily, and all their children come back to the school - this despite countless illnesses and rows and kidnappings by any number of crazed people. It's classic melodrama, but it's fun anyway.
September 18, 2021
A further revisiting of another favourite childhood series, which (slang aside) is holding up surprisingly well for a 95 year-old. There's something appealing about English school stories - especially ones that unfold amid the Austrian alps. Take a pinch of Enid Blyton, a shake of Noel Streatfeild, sprinkle with ‘The Sound of Music’ and you're nearly there.
September 4th, 2021: Yet another revisit with a view to reading as much of the complete series that I own. So far I’ve always got up to No. 4!
September 4th, 2021: Yet another revisit with a view to reading as much of the complete series that I own. So far I’ve always got up to No. 4!
January 16, 2019
Originally published in 1925, Elinor M. Brent-Dyer's The School at the Chalet is the first entry in one of the most popular British school-story series ever to see print, a series that ran for over forty years, and eventually grew to include close to sixty titles. As an American reader who had only recently become aware of the school-story, a genre that never really took hold in the United States, I had been looking about for a copy of this for some time, when I was lucky enough to happen upon this facsimile reproduction of the original edition, with cover art by Nina K. Brisley. Sadly, Brisley's four interior plates are not included in this Armada paperback, but the original text, as it existed prior to the 1967 revision, is whole and complete.
The story of Madge and Joey Bettany, two sisters who must find a way to support themselves when their brother Dick is stationed in India, it follows their adventures as Madge sets out to start a girls' school in the Austrian Tyrol, thus providing employment for herself and schooling for Jo. With the assistance of their long-time companion Mlle. La Pâttre, as well as the housekeeper/cook Frau Pfeifen, the Chalet School is soon up and running, attracting a range of students, both local and international.
The remainder of the book is centered on the day-to-day exploits of the students, particularly the tensions arising from the misbehavior of Juliet Carrick and Grizel Cochrane, whose rebellious antics create a number of confrontations with the prefects and headmistress. All is happily resolved by the end, of course, but it is still a pleasure getting to the conclusion. While certainly not what I would describe as a particularly gripping children's novel, The School at the Chalet is a pleasant and entertaining read, with a charming international character that no doubt accounts for its broad appeal. I myself was inspired with a desire to read further - in the unabridged versions, of course!
Addendum: Having just reread this, for a group discussion in the girls' school-story group that I run, I have to say that I was more conscious of Brent-Dyer's use of national stereotypes - from the emotional French to the obedient Austrians and Germans - this time around. I also was very much bemused by her characters' explanation of WWI (caused by the Prussians, apparently), although I imagine this would, regrettably, have been an idea current at the time of publication (1925). On the other hand, Brent-Dyer is clearly also trying to combat a certain kind of nationalism, in making her Head Girl and Prefects non-English, and showing Grizel Cochrane's insubordination to be less than admirable.
Altogether, The School at the Chalet stands up to a second reading: I found it just as entertaining as the first time I read it, and appreciated the opportunity to read it with more attention to historical detail.
The story of Madge and Joey Bettany, two sisters who must find a way to support themselves when their brother Dick is stationed in India, it follows their adventures as Madge sets out to start a girls' school in the Austrian Tyrol, thus providing employment for herself and schooling for Jo. With the assistance of their long-time companion Mlle. La Pâttre, as well as the housekeeper/cook Frau Pfeifen, the Chalet School is soon up and running, attracting a range of students, both local and international.
The remainder of the book is centered on the day-to-day exploits of the students, particularly the tensions arising from the misbehavior of Juliet Carrick and Grizel Cochrane, whose rebellious antics create a number of confrontations with the prefects and headmistress. All is happily resolved by the end, of course, but it is still a pleasure getting to the conclusion. While certainly not what I would describe as a particularly gripping children's novel, The School at the Chalet is a pleasant and entertaining read, with a charming international character that no doubt accounts for its broad appeal. I myself was inspired with a desire to read further - in the unabridged versions, of course!
Addendum: Having just reread this, for a group discussion in the girls' school-story group that I run, I have to say that I was more conscious of Brent-Dyer's use of national stereotypes - from the emotional French to the obedient Austrians and Germans - this time around. I also was very much bemused by her characters' explanation of WWI (caused by the Prussians, apparently), although I imagine this would, regrettably, have been an idea current at the time of publication (1925). On the other hand, Brent-Dyer is clearly also trying to combat a certain kind of nationalism, in making her Head Girl and Prefects non-English, and showing Grizel Cochrane's insubordination to be less than admirable.
Altogether, The School at the Chalet stands up to a second reading: I found it just as entertaining as the first time I read it, and appreciated the opportunity to read it with more attention to historical detail.
September 26, 2010
This is a well written, well paced, and engaging story, the first of many in a long series about a boarding school in the Austrian Tyrol. I’m really glad that I got an unabridged copy, a facsimile reproduction of the original edition.
I was interested in the characters and one of my favorite things about them and the story was how the girls of all nationalities had read English boarding school stories and had ideas about how their new school should comply. As a fan of orphan and quasi-orphan books, I was in literary heaven with this one. There was quite a bit of adventure in this story as well, and I’m sure I’d have been utterly engrossed had I been introduced to this at age 10 or so. The story is skillfully told with just the right amount of unusual occurrences and everyday life being described.
This book was originally published in 1925 and I’ve read many children’s books from that and earlier eras, but with this book I noticed quite a bit of outdated material, more than I’ve noticed in many other older books. While the girls who attend the school and for the most part get along are both local and international, and the sisters at the heart of the story are relatively well traveled, I found the many stereotypes jarring. There were blanket statements about people from various countries and areas, much talk of the hue of people’s complexions and their import on people’s character and personalities, much sexism, derogatory comments about fat people (even though the “regular thin” people seem to eat an awful lot), one character’s constant phrase of “honest injun” and such. The adjective plucky was overused, or at least it got to the point where I felt irritated. I did think some of the trials and tribulations of some of the students were not given the full weight they deserved. Re one of the many references to locations (and their peoples) I did laugh at the, I think unintentionally, funny line: “…whose parents wanted to go to Norway, and were not anxious to take their children on such a tiresome journey.” I must say I did often find myself in disagreement with what are considered to be people's positive or negative attributes.
However, despite all of this, I can see why this series has been so popular over the years. I might seek out the second book and others too if I can get unabridged editions. I really enjoy Joey and Madge and so many of the other characters, and I’m curious to know what happens to them; I would guess quite a bit given how many books follow this one. I read this book because it’s the October book selection for the Goodreads’ group: A Thrilling Term at Goodreads: The Girls' School-Story Group, a group that has quarterly group reads.
I was interested in the characters and one of my favorite things about them and the story was how the girls of all nationalities had read English boarding school stories and had ideas about how their new school should comply. As a fan of orphan and quasi-orphan books, I was in literary heaven with this one. There was quite a bit of adventure in this story as well, and I’m sure I’d have been utterly engrossed had I been introduced to this at age 10 or so. The story is skillfully told with just the right amount of unusual occurrences and everyday life being described.
This book was originally published in 1925 and I’ve read many children’s books from that and earlier eras, but with this book I noticed quite a bit of outdated material, more than I’ve noticed in many other older books. While the girls who attend the school and for the most part get along are both local and international, and the sisters at the heart of the story are relatively well traveled, I found the many stereotypes jarring. There were blanket statements about people from various countries and areas, much talk of the hue of people’s complexions and their import on people’s character and personalities, much sexism, derogatory comments about fat people (even though the “regular thin” people seem to eat an awful lot), one character’s constant phrase of “honest injun” and such. The adjective plucky was overused, or at least it got to the point where I felt irritated. I did think some of the trials and tribulations of some of the students were not given the full weight they deserved. Re one of the many references to locations (and their peoples) I did laugh at the, I think unintentionally, funny line: “…whose parents wanted to go to Norway, and were not anxious to take their children on such a tiresome journey.” I must say I did often find myself in disagreement with what are considered to be people's positive or negative attributes.
However, despite all of this, I can see why this series has been so popular over the years. I might seek out the second book and others too if I can get unabridged editions. I really enjoy Joey and Madge and so many of the other characters, and I’m curious to know what happens to them; I would guess quite a bit given how many books follow this one. I read this book because it’s the October book selection for the Goodreads’ group: A Thrilling Term at Goodreads: The Girls' School-Story Group, a group that has quarterly group reads.
May 6, 2020
How I long for the days when one could just decide to start a girl's school in Austria on a whim!
This is, I am told, a beloved series in Europe and as part of my continuing education in all things "girls adventure stories" related I figured it was long past time to cross the pond. I'm especially interested in this series because it began in 1925 and with over 60 books written over almost 50 years it chronicles, through fiction, a truly huge piece of volatile European history.
In a nutshell "The School at the Chalet" tells the story of two sisters, Madge and Joey Bettany. Twenty something Madge decides to start a girls school in the Alps partly to earn money but also to help her sickly sister young Joey (Alpine air being good for what ails you apparently). So that's what they do!
While I might be slightly baffled by the Lord of the Fliesesque behavior of British boarding school girls on the whole this is a pretty delightful series and I've got book 2 on the way as I type this. Looking forward to seeing how Bettany sisters make out!
This is, I am told, a beloved series in Europe and as part of my continuing education in all things "girls adventure stories" related I figured it was long past time to cross the pond. I'm especially interested in this series because it began in 1925 and with over 60 books written over almost 50 years it chronicles, through fiction, a truly huge piece of volatile European history.
In a nutshell "The School at the Chalet" tells the story of two sisters, Madge and Joey Bettany. Twenty something Madge decides to start a girls school in the Alps partly to earn money but also to help her sickly sister young Joey (Alpine air being good for what ails you apparently). So that's what they do!
While I might be slightly baffled by the Lord of the Fliesesque behavior of British boarding school girls on the whole this is a pretty delightful series and I've got book 2 on the way as I type this. Looking forward to seeing how Bettany sisters make out!
December 13, 2024
Loved these when I was growing up and they are still as magical as ever.
April 17, 2017
I read the entire Chalet school series when I was young. I read my first one when I was about 10 and continued till I was about 15. They described a time and a way of life that was completely alien to me and yet, just like Enid Blyton's depictions of a middle class upbringing in series like The Famous Five etc, - I loved these books. They were well plotted and in my eyes, populated with interesting, believable characters. They were a true escape and food for my imagination. Ms Brent-Dyer never patronised her readers - she expected them to be able to read and understand well written English and to have a broad understanding of history and geography. I guess the teacher in her was never far away and perhaps that's why the books were so popular with girls like me.
I re-read this - the very first Chalet school book just recently and was charmed by its ability to still evoke my childhood enjoyment. However, I will not be bothering reading the entire series again! Yes, the stories and situations are somewhat dated, but they were well written and very entertaining. I am pleased I was able to revisit my childhood so pleasurably. It is encouraging me to revisit many books that I have not read for decades!!
I re-read this - the very first Chalet school book just recently and was charmed by its ability to still evoke my childhood enjoyment. However, I will not be bothering reading the entire series again! Yes, the stories and situations are somewhat dated, but they were well written and very entertaining. I am pleased I was able to revisit my childhood so pleasurably. It is encouraging me to revisit many books that I have not read for decades!!
June 2, 2016
Published in 1925, this is very much in the tradition of Angela Brazil who wrote all those 20s school stories for girls, full of elongated line drawings, sport, doing your bit and bucking up. However, it's set in the Tyrol instead of the British Isles, as Joey and Madge (Jo and Meg?) have no money and their brother is off to serve in India. They plump for setting up a school in the Tyrol because it's cheaper than Britain and of course Jo is "delicate" and the mountain climate will do her good.
It is true that many girls of good family of the time had to make do with a governess, and perhaps a year or two at a boarding school which might have as few as a dozen students per term. These schools were often (usually) run by decayed gentlewomen; academic standards were the little end of it. The point was to be socially "finished," learn languages, and often to be off the parents' hands for a year or two.
The school starts with four whole students, one of whom is Joey, and three instructresses: Madge, Madame (for French) and Miss Maynard for mathematics. John Bull attitudes are applauded, and national stereotypes much to the fore: the French student is clingy and weepy, the English girls are brusque and hearty and hate emotional display, the Anglo-Indian student is rebellious, while the German girls are sensible and organised and hard-working. We are told that "only Prussians are rude". This was a time when most upper-class English girls spoke German--ww1 notwithstanding, the dear old Queen and her beloved Albert were still admired, and England still had ties with Germany, given that she was grandma to most of the royal houses of Europe.
There are many adventures, large and small, and of course a case of "brain-fever"; I've read of it before in 19th century novels. Apparently it involves being unconscious (in a coma?) for a week at a time. I found the ending a taste abrupt, but of course there's another installment to come.
It is true that many girls of good family of the time had to make do with a governess, and perhaps a year or two at a boarding school which might have as few as a dozen students per term. These schools were often (usually) run by decayed gentlewomen; academic standards were the little end of it. The point was to be socially "finished," learn languages, and often to be off the parents' hands for a year or two.
The school starts with four whole students, one of whom is Joey, and three instructresses: Madge, Madame (for French) and Miss Maynard for mathematics. John Bull attitudes are applauded, and national stereotypes much to the fore: the French student is clingy and weepy, the English girls are brusque and hearty and hate emotional display, the Anglo-Indian student is rebellious, while the German girls are sensible and organised and hard-working. We are told that "only Prussians are rude". This was a time when most upper-class English girls spoke German--ww1 notwithstanding, the dear old Queen and her beloved Albert were still admired, and England still had ties with Germany, given that she was grandma to most of the royal houses of Europe.
There are many adventures, large and small, and of course a case of "brain-fever"; I've read of it before in 19th century novels. Apparently it involves being unconscious (in a coma?) for a week at a time. I found the ending a taste abrupt, but of course there's another installment to come.
February 17, 2013
I think I must have read every one of these stories when I was young. I just loved the fact that it was set in a foreign country and the pupils had to speak different languages depending on the day of the week. I wanted so badly to be a pupil there!
October 20, 2019
2.5 stars
I usually enjoy stories set in boarding schools, and the idea of one such school set in the Austrian alps caught my interest. However, I was somewhat disappointed.
Characters
While I did like some of the characters, it was really hard to get to know anyone very well since it seemed like they were always adding new girls. The story also doesn’t focus on one or two girls so the reader could get to know them. There were many times when I had no idea how old the girls were. Sometimes they seemed older, and other times I was sure they were younger. Some characters seemed to pop up out of nowhere, and I spent time puzzling my brain over who they were and where on earth they had come from.
Setting
You would think that a story set in the alps would have some wonderful descriptions. A few times it does. Other times I wasn’t quite sure just where the girls were. And the solitary climb up the mountain? It felt rather vague and not dangerous at all except in one spot. And I never got an image of the chalet in my head during the entire book. I know it had an upstairs, and some bigger rooms, but that’s about it.
Other things
Sprinkled throughout the book are French and German words as though the author expected all her readers to be familiar with them. Yes, I know this story was first published in England and maybe everyone there knows the words, but to me they were jolting. I did recognize a few words, one of which was swearing. I also didn’t care for the almost constant British slang. Did girls really talk like that in the 1920s? Maybe, but it didn’t add anything to the story, in my opinion.
The drama in this book was somewhat overdone. I could give a list of the events that were unrealistic, or improbable, but I won’t bother.
Overall, the story was okay. It was kind of fun, but I didn’t enjoy it enough to really want to read the rest of the 62 books. I might read the next story someday.
I usually enjoy stories set in boarding schools, and the idea of one such school set in the Austrian alps caught my interest. However, I was somewhat disappointed.
Characters
While I did like some of the characters, it was really hard to get to know anyone very well since it seemed like they were always adding new girls. The story also doesn’t focus on one or two girls so the reader could get to know them. There were many times when I had no idea how old the girls were. Sometimes they seemed older, and other times I was sure they were younger. Some characters seemed to pop up out of nowhere, and I spent time puzzling my brain over who they were and where on earth they had come from.
Setting
You would think that a story set in the alps would have some wonderful descriptions. A few times it does. Other times I wasn’t quite sure just where the girls were. And the solitary climb up the mountain? It felt rather vague and not dangerous at all except in one spot. And I never got an image of the chalet in my head during the entire book. I know it had an upstairs, and some bigger rooms, but that’s about it.
Other things
Sprinkled throughout the book are French and German words as though the author expected all her readers to be familiar with them. Yes, I know this story was first published in England and maybe everyone there knows the words, but to me they were jolting. I did recognize a few words, one of which was swearing. I also didn’t care for the almost constant British slang. Did girls really talk like that in the 1920s? Maybe, but it didn’t add anything to the story, in my opinion.
The drama in this book was somewhat overdone. I could give a list of the events that were unrealistic, or improbable, but I won’t bother.
Overall, the story was okay. It was kind of fun, but I didn’t enjoy it enough to really want to read the rest of the 62 books. I might read the next story someday.
September 1, 2022
This was a real trip down memory lane. Reading stories that were favourites as a child is always an interesting experience as to whether they are how I remembered and if they have stayed as good as I first thought they were. I first read this book exactly twenty years ago while on holiday in North Yorkshire having found it in a second hand bookshop in Robin Hoods Bay. I loved it at the time and think most of it was probably read by torchlight long after I should have been asleep. Trying to find the rest of the books in libraries, charity shops and car boot sales followed for many years with varying amounts of success. Since that first reading I always wanted to go to the Chalet School! Most if not all the books are now out of print and it’s fair to say this book is very out of date (it was first published 97 years ago) yet I think that does add to it’s charm. The characters all go around saying things such as ‘jolly’, ‘topping’, ‘tophole’ etc (did people actually do that outside of girls school stories?!) and there are a couple of things that arguably would prevent it’s publication without some amendments now (in the later books Joey and a lot of the teachers are smoking it’s mentioned in passing as that was just the norm). However there is something that just shines through in the books. It might be the simplicity or the naivety or the author trying to unite different people (interesting and quite ahead of it’s time when you consider the times she was writing in especially during and through the world wars) or something else but it does work. Reading it again now I still really enjoyed it even if I did maybe view it all a bit differently. I was though slightly horrified to discover I am now older than Madge Bettany who I used to think was really old!!! Now I can’t believe she was only 24 in the first book, when I first read this I was a lot younger than Joey- scary!
February 4, 2015
“… condemmed to sitting and sewing name-tapes onto new stockings and gloves …” (p.12) brought back memories galore; though my stitching was onto articles such as gym shirts and hockey socks. I sometimes wonder if the harmless fun of certain schoolgirl pranks such as (p.148) vaselining the blackboards (or whatever is the best equivalent is on a whiteboard) ought to be positively encouraged nowadays, as a way of teaching what limits can be tested but must never be breached.
I’m horrified to read on Goodreads that this book was later abridged to comply with health & safety and political correctness; but there again I would have naturally been cautious of a Yorkshireman sharing fresh gooseberries on a train between (of all places) Boulogne and Paris: I’d have thought I’d stumbled into a “Two Ronnies” sketch!
The un-sentimentalised death of the parents of a pupil comes as a shock, though for me that acted as a very useful prompt to discuss (and be greatly reassured) with my own parents that what would happen were I and my siblings to be orphaned, .had all already been thought out.
I’m horrified to read on Goodreads that this book was later abridged to comply with health & safety and political correctness; but there again I would have naturally been cautious of a Yorkshireman sharing fresh gooseberries on a train between (of all places) Boulogne and Paris: I’d have thought I’d stumbled into a “Two Ronnies” sketch!
The un-sentimentalised death of the parents of a pupil comes as a shock, though for me that acted as a very useful prompt to discuss (and be greatly reassured) with my own parents that what would happen were I and my siblings to be orphaned, .had all already been thought out.
February 24, 2017
This is the first book in the famous Chalet School series. This is a fun book like Enid Blyton's St. Clares and Mallory Towers. Only things are much more nascent as school is being founded. So focus is on the young headmistress Madge and her attempts to start the school. Individual girls and their temperament, the inter personal dynamics is not given so much importance. Other than Jo, Madge's sister, only 2-3 of them even come across as characters with distinct personalities. In some ways intensity is much lower because a broad sweep of events are covered and across both inside and outside school. So the individual events just pass like specks. One good think though is the scenic settings near Innsbruck and introduction to local culture. This is something I could well relate with having lived in the vicinity of those places for over a year.
February 15, 2010
The first, and possibly the best, in the Chalet School series by the prolific Elinor Brent-Dyer. In this book, in order to make a living for herself and her delicate little sister Jo, Madge Bettanyt establishes a new school in the heart of the Austrian Tyrol. Despite their tenuous financial status, she is able to acquire a Tyrolean chalet capacious enough to house a small school without much difficulty. Despite this unlikely setup, the descriptions of the formation of the new school are detailed and homey. Starting with only one pupil (besides Jo), the school soon attracts new pupils and quickly becomes an educational force to be reckoned with. The combination of a British-type private school with immersion in three languages (English, French, and German, lots of outdoor activities, and simple, healthy food is apparently irresistible to well-to-do parents in the area. Soon the school is deservedly drawing pupils from all over Europe and even the Western Hemisphere.
April 14, 2011
I love the Chalet School. It's my big book crush of my life. Something about it is just so perfect and undying to me. This is one of the best books - and it's worth trying to hunt out an unabridged version if you can. Even if it's just to read the full scene of the Yorkshire man hitting on Madge in the train, it's worth it for that.
June 7, 2021
Topping! My eighth Chalet school read, and I finally read the first installment. Good background on how the school was set up, backstories of the early key characters. Plenty of japes, and tearful moments (Juliet's parents and the Grizel runnig away). Great fun.
June 26, 2024
Прелестная девичья книжка, в мире которой очень хочется жить.
February 29, 2020
24 year old Madge Bettany is looking for some way of supporting herself and her sister Joey and she hits upon the idea of starting a school in a chalet beside Lake Tiernsee in the Austrian Tyrol.
This was a trip down memory lane for me I remember loving the Chalet School stories when I was young and so when I spotted this book in a charity shop the first in the series I had to see whether it lived up to my memories of it.
To be honest I was quite surprised by its modern take on some things but obviously it is at times eyebrow raising at others especially when Dick, Madge’s brother says “I know she’s a jolly good sort, but women are so helpless! They ought to have a man look after them.” I did gasp out loud at that one! This was originally published in 1925 nearly 100 years ago and this novel spawned a series that Elinor M. Brent-Dyer wrote 65 books over 45 years - quite an achievement. It is interesting that there is included in the book a small story strand of the early seeds of racism between Frau Berlin a local woman the girls meet and clash with.
But I loved how the intricacies of friendship, the clashes of personalities and culture were interwoven into the story. Madge dealing with the new experience of being headmistress and treating Joey her sister who is also a pupil at the school the same as the other students whilst at the same time maintaining their closeness as sisters.
There is plenty of adventure and escapades through the story as the Chalet School increases its number of pupils some day girls and some as boarders those who embrace school life and others who struggle with being away from home. There are also the parents and the locals as well who are all part of the story.
This was a trip down memory lane for me I remember loving the Chalet School stories when I was young and so when I spotted this book in a charity shop the first in the series I had to see whether it lived up to my memories of it.
To be honest I was quite surprised by its modern take on some things but obviously it is at times eyebrow raising at others especially when Dick, Madge’s brother says “I know she’s a jolly good sort, but women are so helpless! They ought to have a man look after them.” I did gasp out loud at that one! This was originally published in 1925 nearly 100 years ago and this novel spawned a series that Elinor M. Brent-Dyer wrote 65 books over 45 years - quite an achievement. It is interesting that there is included in the book a small story strand of the early seeds of racism between Frau Berlin a local woman the girls meet and clash with.
But I loved how the intricacies of friendship, the clashes of personalities and culture were interwoven into the story. Madge dealing with the new experience of being headmistress and treating Joey her sister who is also a pupil at the school the same as the other students whilst at the same time maintaining their closeness as sisters.
There is plenty of adventure and escapades through the story as the Chalet School increases its number of pupils some day girls and some as boarders those who embrace school life and others who struggle with being away from home. There are also the parents and the locals as well who are all part of the story.
February 23, 2025
Of its time and the first of a very long series.
July 27, 2021
I listened to a Slightly Foxed podcast episode discussing boarding school series, and had to pick up the first of the British Chalet School books. Written in 1922, this is a remarkably well written children's book about an English boarding school in Austria. Of course it is quite dated, but far more cosmopolitan and open-minded than most books written in the 1920s (there are some residual resentment about Germans as the first world war had recently ended, and the local Roma people are exoticized, and of course England is the greatest Empire), but there is a lot to like as well. The girls are fully rounded characters with spirit and autonomy. Well managed, well written, and adventurous. Recommended.
June 1, 2015
A book for which, like many other readers, I have huge affection. The astonishing thing is not that so many people have read this, and then got sucked in to an entire Chalet world. No, the astonishing thing is that anybody could read this and go, well, that was OK, but I don't think I'm that fussed about reading any more.
Because EBD was really on top form when she wrote this. She seems to have settled down a bit, so instead of trying to cram in every idea she's ever had, in case she never gets another book published, she focuses on just two: starting up a school from scratch, and Being Abroad. I mean she lobs in an abandoned child, a night in a barn, some pranks, a cliff-edge rescue, and a train crash, but all for legitimate plot or character development reasons, and by school story standards (certainly by EBD standards) it's fairly restrained.
It's the characters which make it, though, even here when EBD has produced a reasonable plot. She quickly loses track of how many pupils there are (and indeed of how big the Chalet is and how time is passing) but her characters are bright and alive (even when they are dull and stolid, ie Eigen, or giving or receiving bizarre instructions around hairwashing). Not just the central characters either - EBD populates this book with schoolgirls, their families, peasants, random travellers, cads (well - a cad), Americans who say 'It's N G Nix on the movies stunt'(look, this is still an EBD book), gipsy musicians ... and they all waltz happily off the page and into your head and your heart.
The star of the book, though, has to be the location. EBD doesn't labour her descriptions but the beauty of the Tiernsee is simply unforgettable right from the start. When I finally visited Achensee a few years ago, it was like coming home, and although of course that was after several decades of reading and re-reading all the Tiernsee Chalet books, and many years of sighing over other people's photos, still, some of what I felt stemmed back to that very first introduction to Abroad which EBD gave me when I was a child. Who needs a magical kingdom hidden in a wardrobe when you can have a mountain-ringed lake in your mind's eye? With a school! A really friendly school with a pretty and kind headmistress!
What's not to like? I mean, I could be picky, and speculate on exactly how many industrial-sized jars of Vaseline one would need to cover two blackboards, but that would be churlish. This is just one of those books everybody should read - ideally at a point in their life when they have many hours hanging on their hands in which to read all the books which follow.
Because EBD was really on top form when she wrote this. She seems to have settled down a bit, so instead of trying to cram in every idea she's ever had, in case she never gets another book published, she focuses on just two: starting up a school from scratch, and Being Abroad. I mean she lobs in an abandoned child, a night in a barn, some pranks, a cliff-edge rescue, and a train crash, but all for legitimate plot or character development reasons, and by school story standards (certainly by EBD standards) it's fairly restrained.
It's the characters which make it, though, even here when EBD has produced a reasonable plot. She quickly loses track of how many pupils there are (and indeed of how big the Chalet is and how time is passing) but her characters are bright and alive (even when they are dull and stolid, ie Eigen, or giving or receiving bizarre instructions around hairwashing). Not just the central characters either - EBD populates this book with schoolgirls, their families, peasants, random travellers, cads (well - a cad), Americans who say 'It's N G Nix on the movies stunt'(look, this is still an EBD book), gipsy musicians ... and they all waltz happily off the page and into your head and your heart.
The star of the book, though, has to be the location. EBD doesn't labour her descriptions but the beauty of the Tiernsee is simply unforgettable right from the start. When I finally visited Achensee a few years ago, it was like coming home, and although of course that was after several decades of reading and re-reading all the Tiernsee Chalet books, and many years of sighing over other people's photos, still, some of what I felt stemmed back to that very first introduction to Abroad which EBD gave me when I was a child. Who needs a magical kingdom hidden in a wardrobe when you can have a mountain-ringed lake in your mind's eye? With a school! A really friendly school with a pretty and kind headmistress!
What's not to like? I mean, I could be picky, and speculate on exactly how many industrial-sized jars of Vaseline one would need to cover two blackboards, but that would be churlish. This is just one of those books everybody should read - ideally at a point in their life when they have many hours hanging on their hands in which to read all the books which follow.
January 20, 2021
A charming story about the interwar lives of a down-on-her-luck middle class Englishwoman and the girls she comes to teach, The School at the Chalet is in many ways a traditional tale in the boarding school genre.
While the book has a few cringe-worthy moments regarding our contemporary ideas of political correctness, it has many redeeming features, including strong female protagonists making lives of their own, (mostly) free from the influence of men.
With pranks, dangerous mountain climbs, arguments amongst the girls, and a loving relationship between young school founder Madge and her little sister and pupil Joey, the book has a bit of everything you’d expect from the ‘school story’ genre. However it is unusual in its cosmopolitan feel; the school being made up of girls from all over Western Europe including Italy, England, Austria, and France. The inclusion of multilingual conversation is particularly effective and makes the book stand out alongside its contemporaries. There is also the often fanciful but nonetheless charming backdrop of rural mountain life and wonderful glimpses into European cities and towns as they were in the 1920s. Because I often travelled in Europe and visited the German Alps several times in my own childhood, I found the descriptions of the alms particularly nostalgic and it left me hankering for crisp mountain breezes with a hint of snow in the air.
I would recommend The School at the Chalet for fans of The Famous Five, Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, and other school series such as Mallory Towers. The writing is good quality, the plot well paced, and the language used does not condescend in the way some other children’s books can. The narrator, (Shelly Baines in this RNIB recording) has an era-appropriate, clear voice, and brings life to the European girls with accented English.
The verdict: 🥄 🥄🥄🥄
[I read this book as a part of The 52 Book Club 2021 Challenge, for prompt #1 - A book set in a school]
While the book has a few cringe-worthy moments regarding our contemporary ideas of political correctness, it has many redeeming features, including strong female protagonists making lives of their own, (mostly) free from the influence of men.
With pranks, dangerous mountain climbs, arguments amongst the girls, and a loving relationship between young school founder Madge and her little sister and pupil Joey, the book has a bit of everything you’d expect from the ‘school story’ genre. However it is unusual in its cosmopolitan feel; the school being made up of girls from all over Western Europe including Italy, England, Austria, and France. The inclusion of multilingual conversation is particularly effective and makes the book stand out alongside its contemporaries. There is also the often fanciful but nonetheless charming backdrop of rural mountain life and wonderful glimpses into European cities and towns as they were in the 1920s. Because I often travelled in Europe and visited the German Alps several times in my own childhood, I found the descriptions of the alms particularly nostalgic and it left me hankering for crisp mountain breezes with a hint of snow in the air.
I would recommend The School at the Chalet for fans of The Famous Five, Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, and other school series such as Mallory Towers. The writing is good quality, the plot well paced, and the language used does not condescend in the way some other children’s books can. The narrator, (Shelly Baines in this RNIB recording) has an era-appropriate, clear voice, and brings life to the European girls with accented English.
The verdict: 🥄 🥄🥄🥄
[I read this book as a part of The 52 Book Club 2021 Challenge, for prompt #1 - A book set in a school]
January 4, 2010
I adored these books when I was a little girl, and I used to wish I could attend the Chalet School. It sounded like a dream, a boarding school for girls, studying in a foreign country, and plenty of outdoor fun.
I decided to re-read my collection this year, and even though I'm much older now, I still enjoy them. In this first book, Madge Bettany decides to open a boarding school for girls in Austria. Her younger sister, Joey, is her first pupil, and the Chalet School soon grows rapidly.
This book sets the scene for the many books in the rest of the series. I only wish I had all the books in the collection, since it's out of print now, the rarer books are tremendously pricey!
I decided to re-read my collection this year, and even though I'm much older now, I still enjoy them. In this first book, Madge Bettany decides to open a boarding school for girls in Austria. Her younger sister, Joey, is her first pupil, and the Chalet School soon grows rapidly.
This book sets the scene for the many books in the rest of the series. I only wish I had all the books in the collection, since it's out of print now, the rarer books are tremendously pricey!
April 1, 2021
The first of 58 school stories by Elinor Brent Dyer and my first time reading any of them. I some how missed the Chalet School series when growing up, but thanks to the wonderful Girls Gone By publishers I am catching up now! They are delightful stories, somewhat old fashioned in their ways, but delightfully quaint and moralistic.
May 2, 2022
A good start to this series. I always enjoy it no matter the number of times I have read it.
The characers are well written, I love the setting and the school setting is good.
If you like school stories, I would recommend this series to you.
The characers are well written, I love the setting and the school setting is good.
If you like school stories, I would recommend this series to you.
June 29, 2019
This didn't quite hold up to nostalgia. The 1920's slang was funny though.
July 23, 2024
The School at the Chalet was first published in 1925, and launched a series of over 60 books that would become classics of British young adult literature.
The story follows English 20-something Madge Bettany and her little sister Joey. They've lost both their parents, and their brother Dick is in military service. With little money, Madge comes up with the plan to sell their home and furniture in England, and buy a chalet in Austria where she will start a school. Joey has poor health, and the mountain air will benefit her, and it's a way to both educate her and support the family, Madge figures. The school is a fast success, and they soon have around 20 students, some boarders who come from England, France and Austria, as well as some local day girls.
The students are introduced rapidly and only a few have strong personalities, so it's hard to keep track of who is who. The first half of the book is also a bit of a slog, with little conflict to drive the story. It's more set up. But around the midpoint things pick up, and toward the end there's some life-or-death drama.
What was most interesting to me was the historical and cultural insight. First, there is both French and German throughout which is rarely translated for the reader. They do a little traveling, and a lot of places are mentioned that I wasn't familiar with, but a British reader in the 1920s perhaps would have known these places. The school is a British one, despite its location, and therefore there's a system of prefects and head girls who manage student discipline on a daily basis. It's also interesting to see the mix of students from different countries who speak different languages but are also bilingual and even trilingual.
Perhaps the most notable reflection of the period is when a few of the girls encounter a rude German woman who snaps at one of them for staring, and when she talks back, calls them English pigs. They keep crossing paths with this woman, and the vitriol builds, particularly on the German woman's part. This book was published just seven years after the end of World War I, and this is a reflection of the tension between England and Germany. But otherwise, there seems to be friendliness and harmony between different cultures.
There's also a prank war that spans a few chapters, and the types of pranks weren't any we'd use today. Spreading sherbet on the sink so the water bubbles when the sink is filled. Coating the chalkboards with Vaseline so they can't be written on. Putting brushes in a girl's bed. I still don't get this last one, what kind of brushes? Hair brushes? Scrub brushes? Is it that they tickle her feet alarmingly when she gets in? Wouldn't she notice the lump? Speaking of beds, they also seem to strip the beds every day on waking, and hang the plumeau over the balcony. I looked up plumeau and got "feather duster," but it seems to be part of the bedding. Maybe a down comforter that they air out? This is one of the occasional references to daily routine that the reader would know, but I couldn't follow. But this sort of thing is why I like reading vintage fiction, the details that seem unremarkable to the author, but are so foreign to a modern reader.
The story follows English 20-something Madge Bettany and her little sister Joey. They've lost both their parents, and their brother Dick is in military service. With little money, Madge comes up with the plan to sell their home and furniture in England, and buy a chalet in Austria where she will start a school. Joey has poor health, and the mountain air will benefit her, and it's a way to both educate her and support the family, Madge figures. The school is a fast success, and they soon have around 20 students, some boarders who come from England, France and Austria, as well as some local day girls.
The students are introduced rapidly and only a few have strong personalities, so it's hard to keep track of who is who. The first half of the book is also a bit of a slog, with little conflict to drive the story. It's more set up. But around the midpoint things pick up, and toward the end there's some life-or-death drama.
What was most interesting to me was the historical and cultural insight. First, there is both French and German throughout which is rarely translated for the reader. They do a little traveling, and a lot of places are mentioned that I wasn't familiar with, but a British reader in the 1920s perhaps would have known these places. The school is a British one, despite its location, and therefore there's a system of prefects and head girls who manage student discipline on a daily basis. It's also interesting to see the mix of students from different countries who speak different languages but are also bilingual and even trilingual.
Perhaps the most notable reflection of the period is when a few of the girls encounter a rude German woman who snaps at one of them for staring, and when she talks back, calls them English pigs. They keep crossing paths with this woman, and the vitriol builds, particularly on the German woman's part. This book was published just seven years after the end of World War I, and this is a reflection of the tension between England and Germany. But otherwise, there seems to be friendliness and harmony between different cultures.
There's also a prank war that spans a few chapters, and the types of pranks weren't any we'd use today. Spreading sherbet on the sink so the water bubbles when the sink is filled. Coating the chalkboards with Vaseline so they can't be written on. Putting brushes in a girl's bed. I still don't get this last one, what kind of brushes? Hair brushes? Scrub brushes? Is it that they tickle her feet alarmingly when she gets in? Wouldn't she notice the lump? Speaking of beds, they also seem to strip the beds every day on waking, and hang the plumeau over the balcony. I looked up plumeau and got "feather duster," but it seems to be part of the bedding. Maybe a down comforter that they air out? This is one of the occasional references to daily routine that the reader would know, but I couldn't follow. But this sort of thing is why I like reading vintage fiction, the details that seem unremarkable to the author, but are so foreign to a modern reader.
January 13, 2022
Having read (and thoroughly enjoyed) Malory Towers and St. Clare's as a child, I wanted to give this series a try when I heard of it!
I couldn't help but constantly compare it to Enid Blyton's books, so I will base my review on that:
- (Spoiler-free) Story: a recently established boarding school in the Austrian mountains, and how things go for everyone there during the first term. That's pretty much it. It is simple, but very cosy. I grabbed this book during stressful times, and it really helped soothe me for that reason.
- Theme: if I had to say what the theme is... perhaps it would be the fact that not everyone is what they seem to be, and we all carry our own burdens in life. Additionally, you will see lots of references to life during the 20s, when this book was written. The way people viewed the world was quite different, and it shows (and not just on the slang terms, which are... topping!).
- Setting: this is where the book differs from Blyton's the most. The school is newly established, and it's not a castle, but a little chalet surrounded by mountains. The characters are an international bunch as well, and there are some sections where they travel, describe their surroundings, and share bits of history and cultural nuances, which I enjoyed (always bearing in mind that some are quite dated).
- Characters: now here is where I found the greatest drawback -- the book introduces a huge cast of characters (there's an endless stream of new girls coming to the school), and by the end I was still confused as to who was who. You do get to know the main characters, but some of the others have very similar names and they are only mentioned in passing, so I couldn't develop a clear image of them. I imagine they will be further developed in later instalments, but it's still very puzzling.
And that's it!!
TL;DR: Nice comfy read, helped ease my anxiety, but confusing cast and some dated references
I couldn't help but constantly compare it to Enid Blyton's books, so I will base my review on that:
- (Spoiler-free) Story: a recently established boarding school in the Austrian mountains, and how things go for everyone there during the first term. That's pretty much it. It is simple, but very cosy. I grabbed this book during stressful times, and it really helped soothe me for that reason.
- Theme: if I had to say what the theme is... perhaps it would be the fact that not everyone is what they seem to be, and we all carry our own burdens in life. Additionally, you will see lots of references to life during the 20s, when this book was written. The way people viewed the world was quite different, and it shows (and not just on the slang terms, which are... topping!).
- Setting: this is where the book differs from Blyton's the most. The school is newly established, and it's not a castle, but a little chalet surrounded by mountains. The characters are an international bunch as well, and there are some sections where they travel, describe their surroundings, and share bits of history and cultural nuances, which I enjoyed (always bearing in mind that some are quite dated).
- Characters: now here is where I found the greatest drawback -- the book introduces a huge cast of characters (there's an endless stream of new girls coming to the school), and by the end I was still confused as to who was who. You do get to know the main characters, but some of the others have very similar names and they are only mentioned in passing, so I couldn't develop a clear image of them. I imagine they will be further developed in later instalments, but it's still very puzzling.
And that's it!!
TL;DR: Nice comfy read, helped ease my anxiety, but confusing cast and some dated references
October 7, 2022
A delightful children's book! Not a classic by any means, I still much enjoyed reading this, just for its simple innocence and beauty. Not sure if I'll seek out the rest of the series (there are heaps of these books!), but you know what? I'm still grateful for a chance to read a book that has a simple beauty to it, as this one did. One of the main reasons I loved this book as well? It was written back in 1925 and so was a delightful window to all types of mid-20s British slang which I had no idea existed until now! Such a fantastic window into a very different time (almost 100 years ago now). And perhaps I would resonate more if I was a young schoolgirl, but alas I am not and so I must appreciate from afar. This book is not deep or written at a high-level but for all that, I still enjoyed reading a classic British boarding school story (set in the lovely Austrian countryside!). Sometimes I think I would have enjoyed the boarding school experience. At other times, I definitely affirm I would not!! This book swayed me towards the former thought.
June 8, 2020
Three stars for nostalgia! I loved these stories of a Englishschool in Austria when I was growing up in England in the 50s and 60s, and series like this made up much of my reading. I was not critical of them then in the same way that I am now. They rewrite history (the first world war was started by the Prussians), while not totally racist they certainly promulgate national stereotypes, such as the emotional French, the stiff Germans etc. And in the same vein, Madge is regretful that her Head Girl can't be an English girl as there isn't one available. It seems ironic that while teaching three languages (French, German and English) the main aim of the school seems to be to turn out young English ladies, with not a trace of slang about them! But I have found some for free on internetarchive.org so will probably read a couple more before giving up completely. They are not ebooks, but photos of original material, borrowable for two weeks.
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