Antonia Forest (1915–2003)
Author of Autumn Term
About the Author
Image credit: Courtesy of Sue Sims.
Series
Works by Antonia Forest
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Rubinstein, Patricia Giulia Caulfield Kate
- Birthdate
- 1915-05-26
- Date of death
- 2003-11-28
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University College, London
South Hampstead High School - Occupations
- children's book author
girls' school story author - Organizations
- Catholic Church
- Relationships
- Stern, G B (friend)
- Short biography
- Antonia Forest was the pen name of Patricia Giulia Caulfield Kate Rubinstein, born in London to an Irish mother and a father of Lithuanian descent. She was educated in London and started work on her first book for young people, Autumn Term, just after the end of World War II; it was published in 1948. She eventually wrote 10 novels featuring the Marlow family and the childrens' various adventures both at Kingscote School and at home, and a further two historical novels about their forebears, as well as The Thursday Kidnapping (1963), which is unrelated. She was a very private person and her identity was kept secret until after her death. Her books enjoy cult status and copies are eagerly sought-after today.
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK - Associated Place (for map)
- England, UK
Members
Reviews
The fourth entry in Antonia Forest's ten-book series devoted to the Marlow family, which alternates between school-stories and holiday adventures, End of Term is only the second to be set at Kingscote, and follows Lawrie and Nicola Marlow through the autumn term of their second year away at boarding school. The twins have moved up in the world, after being relegated to the somewhat ignominious Third Remove in Autumn Term, and are now a part of Lower IV A. Lawrie, whose passion for the show more theater has not abated, is looking forward to participating in the Christmas pageant, while Nicola, widely considered one of the best players in her form, hopes to be made captain of the junior netball team. Both sisters find their high expectations dashed however, when Lawrie is assigned to the "Crowd" in the play, and Nicola doesn't even make the netball team.
Many things have changed, since the twins' first term at Kingscote. To begin with, there are fewer Marlows attending, with eldest sister Karen off at Oxford, and Rowan training to be the manager at Trennels, the family estate inherited by Captain Marlow in Falconer's Lure. Loyalties have shifted, with Lawrie and Tim withdrawing into their own special friendship, and Nicola growing closer to Miranda West, and newcomer Esther Frewen. Forest is a master at mapping the complex relations between girls, whether sisters or friends, and her subtle depiction of changing patterns of alliance - those almost unconscious evolutions from friendship to not-quite-friendship, or from hostility to affection - is very well done indeed.
I also appreciated some of the discussion of religion, particularly the scenes in which the Jewish Miranda confronts her classmates regarding the Christmas play, wondering at their lack of spiritual involvement, or pointing out that all the original "characters" in the Nativity story were Jewish. Less appealing, I thought, were some of the discussions between Patrick Merrick and Nicola, regarding England's troubled sectarian history. I was all in Patrick's corner, as he spoke of seeing English history differently than most, always mindful, as a Catholic, of the torture and oppression brought to bear upon those of his faith. But when Nicola makes mention of Catholic atrocities, of people being burned at the stake, and is met with the offhand comment, "that was what you did with heretics then," I lost all respect for his position, and for Forest, who seems to have been arguing through him. I understand that she was a convert to Catholicism, later in life, so perhaps this explains her rather lopsided argument.
Leaving that one scene aside, I found End of Term entertaining, emotionally engaging, and intellectually involving. I'm excited to continue with the series, and glad that I didn't skip the non-school-story installments, as they added to my understanding of and appreciation for the story. show less
Many things have changed, since the twins' first term at Kingscote. To begin with, there are fewer Marlows attending, with eldest sister Karen off at Oxford, and Rowan training to be the manager at Trennels, the family estate inherited by Captain Marlow in Falconer's Lure. Loyalties have shifted, with Lawrie and Tim withdrawing into their own special friendship, and Nicola growing closer to Miranda West, and newcomer Esther Frewen. Forest is a master at mapping the complex relations between girls, whether sisters or friends, and her subtle depiction of changing patterns of alliance - those almost unconscious evolutions from friendship to not-quite-friendship, or from hostility to affection - is very well done indeed.
I also appreciated some of the discussion of religion, particularly the scenes in which the Jewish Miranda confronts her classmates regarding the Christmas play, wondering at their lack of spiritual involvement, or pointing out that all the original "characters" in the Nativity story were Jewish. Less appealing, I thought, were some of the discussions between Patrick Merrick and Nicola, regarding England's troubled sectarian history. I was all in Patrick's corner, as he spoke of seeing English history differently than most, always mindful, as a Catholic, of the torture and oppression brought to bear upon those of his faith. But when Nicola makes mention of Catholic atrocities, of people being burned at the stake, and is met with the offhand comment, "that was what you did with heretics then," I lost all respect for his position, and for Forest, who seems to have been arguing through him. I understand that she was a convert to Catholicism, later in life, so perhaps this explains her rather lopsided argument.
Leaving that one scene aside, I found End of Term entertaining, emotionally engaging, and intellectually involving. I'm excited to continue with the series, and glad that I didn't skip the non-school-story installments, as they added to my understanding of and appreciation for the story. show less
Eleven-year-old Nicholas Marlow, an ancestor of the modern Marlow family, whose school and holiday adventures Antonia Forest chronicled over the course of ten books, runs away from home in this engaging work of historical fiction, set in the later days of Queen Elizabeth's rule. Dismayed to learn he is no longer welcome at Trennels, because his older brother is expecting a child and his sister-in-law doesn't wish to be bothered with him, and facing a terrible punishment at his grammar school show more for repeating a statement made to him by that notorious atheist, Kit Marlowe, Nicholas joins Kit on his journey to London. When this new friend is killed, he finds himself in the keeping of Marlowe's patron, Lord Southampton, and then eventually given over to one William Shakespeare, to be his player's boy. Over the course of several years, Nicholas becomes more experienced in the world of the theater, determining that being a player (i.e.: actor) is what he wants to do with his life...
Originally published in 1970, The Player's Boy is the first part of a story that Antonia Forest had intended to be one novel. The publisher felt the tale was too long for a single children's book however, and so the story was split, with the second half being published in 1971 as The Players and the Rebels. I read the 2006 reprint edition from Girls Gone By Publishers, which included introductory matter from Hilary Clare and Sue Sims - co-authors of The Encyclopaedia of Girls' School Stories - as well as Laura Hicks, editor of Celebrating Antonia Forest. The historical background, details about William Shakespeare, and discussion of London during Nicholas Marlow's time, was all quite interesting. The story itself was immensely engrossing, and I found Nicholas a sympathetic hero. All of the details about the world of the theatre - the parts, the costumes, the rehearsals, the theaters themselves - were fascinating, as were the historical events occurring in the background. The dawning of the Age of Exploration - Sir Walter Ralegh is one of Nicholas' heroes - and the conflict between Catholic and Protestant in this period both inform the story, and the episode in which Antony Merrick, an ancestor of Patrick Merrick in the books about the modern-day Marlow family, ishung and then drawn and quartered, presumably for the sin of being Catholic, and consorting with a priest , was terribly moving. So too was the discussion between Nicholas and Will, about the question of religion, and which creed was in the right. I was surprised at Forest's evenhandedness here, as I found her somewhat biased in End of Term. All in all, a wonderful work of historical fiction, one that has me eager to pick up the second installment, The Players and the Rebels, in which Nicholas apparently becomes inadvertently involved in the Earl of Essex's rebellion.
Note: This review is of any earlier Girls Gone By edition. I now own a subsequent edition, which does not contain the Laura Hicks introduction. show less
Originally published in 1970, The Player's Boy is the first part of a story that Antonia Forest had intended to be one novel. The publisher felt the tale was too long for a single children's book however, and so the story was split, with the second half being published in 1971 as The Players and the Rebels. I read the 2006 reprint edition from Girls Gone By Publishers, which included introductory matter from Hilary Clare and Sue Sims - co-authors of The Encyclopaedia of Girls' School Stories - as well as Laura Hicks, editor of Celebrating Antonia Forest. The historical background, details about William Shakespeare, and discussion of London during Nicholas Marlow's time, was all quite interesting. The story itself was immensely engrossing, and I found Nicholas a sympathetic hero. All of the details about the world of the theatre - the parts, the costumes, the rehearsals, the theaters themselves - were fascinating, as were the historical events occurring in the background. The dawning of the Age of Exploration - Sir Walter Ralegh is one of Nicholas' heroes - and the conflict between Catholic and Protestant in this period both inform the story, and the episode in which Antony Merrick, an ancestor of Patrick Merrick in the books about the modern-day Marlow family, is
Note: This review is of any earlier Girls Gone By edition. I now own a subsequent edition, which does not contain the Laura Hicks introduction. show less
Nicholas Marlow, that runaway turned actor whose adventures as an apprentice to William Shakespeare were chronicled in Antonia Forest's The Player's Boy, returns in this second book, which picks up exactly where that previous volume left off. As Nicholas and the other Lord Chamberlain's players return to London, the young man continues in his friendship with Humphrey Danvers, a page in the service of the Earl of Southhampton. This friendship eventually involves Nicholas in the ill-fated show more rebellion of Lord Essex, as the sinister spymaster Robin Poley resurfaces, demanding that he inform on his friend. Determined not to betray Humphrey, Nicholas must also try to stay true to country and queen, discovering in the process that loyalty - whether to friend and family, to queen and country, or to God and church - is no simple thing...
Although published as two separate books, because Faber and Faber considered the story too long for child readers, Forest wrote The Player's Boy and The Players and the Rebels as one novel, something that becomes quite clear as the reader begins the second installment. Not only does the action continue on from exactly where it left off in the first volume, but there is also no real difference of tone or feeling, when it comes to the storytelling, or the depiction of the characters. Which is all to the good, in this reader's estimation, as both books are simply marvelous tales - immensely engrossing, emotional involving, ultimately thought-provoking. I read the Girls Gone By reprint edition of this, published in 2008 - the book was first published in 1971 - and I appreciated the introductory matter exploring the historical background and figures depicted in the story. Forest clearly did an amazing amount of research, before writing her tale, and the result is a story that feels both authentic to its historic period, and universally relevant, in its exploration of the human condition. I cam away wishing that Forest had had the time to write more historical work, as she clearly excelled at it. Highly recommended, to anyone who has read and enjoyed the earlier story about Nicholas and his adventures. show less
Although published as two separate books, because Faber and Faber considered the story too long for child readers, Forest wrote The Player's Boy and The Players and the Rebels as one novel, something that becomes quite clear as the reader begins the second installment. Not only does the action continue on from exactly where it left off in the first volume, but there is also no real difference of tone or feeling, when it comes to the storytelling, or the depiction of the characters. Which is all to the good, in this reader's estimation, as both books are simply marvelous tales - immensely engrossing, emotional involving, ultimately thought-provoking. I read the Girls Gone By reprint edition of this, published in 2008 - the book was first published in 1971 - and I appreciated the introductory matter exploring the historical background and figures depicted in the story. Forest clearly did an amazing amount of research, before writing her tale, and the result is a story that feels both authentic to its historic period, and universally relevant, in its exploration of the human condition. I cam away wishing that Forest had had the time to write more historical work, as she clearly excelled at it. Highly recommended, to anyone who has read and enjoyed the earlier story about Nicholas and his adventures. show less
The four youngest Marlows - twins Nicola and Lawrie, next-oldest sister Ginty, and youngest brother Peter - were spending their Easter holiday at the seaside with their mother, while work was being done on their home in London. St.-Anne's-Byfleet seemed like the sort of quiet fishing village where nothing ever happened, but when Nicola and Peter met up with one of Peter's Dartmouth instructors on a morning walk, only to be surprised and dismayed by his refusal to greet them, they knew they show more had stumbled onto something odd. And when their exploration of Mariners, a seemingly abandoned estate nearby, led them to stolen Naval papers, they set in motion a chain of events both thrilling and horrifying, in which they found themselves confronting a traitor...
The second of Antonia Forest's ten-book series devoted to the adventures of the Marlow family, The Marlows and the Traitor shifts focus after the initial Autumn Term, offering an exciting holiday adventure rather than a girls' school-story. This switch allows for a greater focus on family and sibling dynamics, with a larger role given to characters - such as Peter Marlow - who appeared only briefly in the first title. It also sets the standard for the rest of the books, which seem to be an eclectic mix of genres.
What particularly impressed me about The Marlows and the Traitor - thoroughly convincing me that Antonia Forest was no garden variety school-story author - was not that it was a suspenseful and highly readable espionage thriller for young readers (although it was certainly that), but that the author managed to create such complex characters. The children are rarely perfect little heroines, with Ginty funking it altogether, and devolving into a sobbing dysfunctional mess, and Lawrie being a rather self-involved and self-congratulatory ass, despite having had the smallest role to play. But it is Lewis Foley, the sometime amiable, sometime terrifying villain of the piece, that really stands out, and like the Marlow children themselves, I was struck by his good qualities, and found myself wishing he weren't a traitor. That Forest manages to evoke such feelings, without ever downplaying the seriousness of what Foley has done, is a true testament to her skills as an author.
All in all, an outstanding book, both as a stand-alone adventure, and an installment in the ongoing series. I was a little shocked at the casual (and solitary) use of the word "n*gger" - was this sort of thing still considered unexceptional, in 1950s Britain? - but save for that unfortunate blight, would whole-heartedly recommend this book. show less
The second of Antonia Forest's ten-book series devoted to the adventures of the Marlow family, The Marlows and the Traitor shifts focus after the initial Autumn Term, offering an exciting holiday adventure rather than a girls' school-story. This switch allows for a greater focus on family and sibling dynamics, with a larger role given to characters - such as Peter Marlow - who appeared only briefly in the first title. It also sets the standard for the rest of the books, which seem to be an eclectic mix of genres.
What particularly impressed me about The Marlows and the Traitor - thoroughly convincing me that Antonia Forest was no garden variety school-story author - was not that it was a suspenseful and highly readable espionage thriller for young readers (although it was certainly that), but that the author managed to create such complex characters. The children are rarely perfect little heroines, with Ginty funking it altogether, and devolving into a sobbing dysfunctional mess, and Lawrie being a rather self-involved and self-congratulatory ass, despite having had the smallest role to play. But it is Lewis Foley, the sometime amiable, sometime terrifying villain of the piece, that really stands out, and like the Marlow children themselves, I was struck by his good qualities, and found myself wishing he weren't a traitor. That Forest manages to evoke such feelings, without ever downplaying the seriousness of what Foley has done, is a true testament to her skills as an author.
All in all, an outstanding book, both as a stand-alone adventure, and an installment in the ongoing series. I was a little shocked at the casual (and solitary) use of the word "n*gger" - was this sort of thing still considered unexceptional, in 1950s Britain? - but save for that unfortunate blight, would whole-heartedly recommend this book. show less
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 14
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 1,636
- Popularity
- #15,700
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 43
- ISBNs
- 46
- Languages
- 1
- Favorited
- 11