Autumn Term

Oh wow! Antonia Forest's writing is so unique and wonderful, she really gets into her characters' qualities and flaws, it goes much further than anything I've read before in terms of characterization. None of her characters are entirely likable and all in all, Autumn Term is a hard sell - it's so much about the tiny interactions and the details, much more than about grand school things (though there's a good deal of that as well). Her novel is so realistic I'm inclined to say she really subverts the genre in a thought-provoking, challenging way. Brilliant writer and though the Kingscote world isn't fluffy and comfortable and encouraging (like, say, the Chalet School is, or even Trebizon), it delivers so much in terms of family dynamics, show more how a young girl copes with failure, how actions are defined by character and the other way around, that I can't help but think this is a cut above the rest. Wonderful read and such a shame the rest of the series is so expensive! show less

Lawrence and Nicola Marlow, twin sisters and the youngest of a large family, are excited to finally be attending Kingscote, the same boarding school as their older sisters. But with Karen as Head Girl, Ann a Patrol Leader with the Guides, Rowan a talented athlete, and Ginty immensely popular, the twins feel that they will have to do something spectacular to uphold the family honor. Things don't go quite as planned however, and the girls find themselves in one scrape after another. Luckily, they have a good friend in "Tim," the headmistress's niece, and a schoolmate in the Third Remove...

I have been curious about the British school-story for some time now, and have followed my friend Constance's reviews with interest. Antonia Forest's show more work having been particularly recommended to me as an excellent example of the genre, I was lucky enough to find someone willing to loan me a copy. Thanks Lisa - I might not have read this otherwise!

I enjoyed Forest's portrayal of both the family and school dynamic, and was fascinated by many of the little details. Characters use unfamiliar slang - they "bag" things, rather than claiming them. The word "ass," here used to mean "fool," appeared quite frequently, which was a little disconcerting at first, even though I quickly realized that it wasn't considered a curse word, or something inappropriate for children. The class rivalries, between Tim and the twins and Pomona and Marie, were entertaining, and the final sequence involving the play was very involving. All in all, Autumn Term was a charming first novel, and my only complaint lies in the fact that the sequels are so difficult to come by! show less

Autumn Term, by Antonia Forest, follows the story of Nicola and Lawrie Marlow as they attend boarding school for the first time. They have a burning desire to outdo the achievements of their older sisters but suffer a series of mishaps in the process. Published by Faber and Faber, this book will appeal to anybody who enjoys the boarding school genre.

However this is much more than a school story. I grew up on a diet of Enid Blyton and Girls Own, where the girls were somewhat one dimensional. Forest has a gift for characterisation
The heroines, Tim, Lawrie and Nicola, are not always likeable or successful but they are always realistic. They are willing to take risks. For example Nicola breaks bounds from school and travels up to see her show more brother on his naval ship. All of them participate in the teasing and verbal abuse of a fellow classmate, Pomona. Yet towards the end all of them are able to see her good qualities. Even the worst characters, such as Marie Dobson “all wet and clammy like a jelly-fish.’ and Lois Sanger ‘She’s a poisonous female’ are shown to have some redeeming qualities. Although it is written in 1948 in Post War Britain I feel it has a timeless quality about it.

Nicole and Lawrie arrive at Kingscote full of ambition but the fates are against them. They get put in the lowest form, cannot try out for the netball team and get put in a Guide’s group under the leadership of their sister Rowan’s arch enemy – Lois Sanger. Their class puts on a play which reveals hidden talents but also serves as a platform to explore friendships and enmity between adolescent girls.

The climax and final pages of the book are satisfying, yet leave you with a hunger for more stories about the Marlows.
Antonia Forest wanted to write for adults but was encouraged to write a school story for girls. This novel is the first of a highly popular series about the Marlow family. Unfortunately most of the books are out of print and hard to access. The publishing company Girls Gone By has several of Forest’s books on their lists.

I first read and loved this book as a teenager and found it memorable. The characters are believable and it is with a sense of mourning I realise that I cannot follow the further adventures of the Marlows until they are back in print. show less

This book rubbed me the wrong way at first. I thought it was silly to have two main characters in a boarding school book with FOUR older sisters (and two essentially off-screen brothers). One might have thought it would have been wiser to reserve a younger sister for future addition. Also, it annoyed me that EVERYONE had a freaky British nickname. I mean, there was no Balmy Fotheringay-Phipps, but STILL. Pick a name. Seriously, there was this huge expositional introduction of characters and plus you had to remember everyone's nutty nickname.

Also also, the cold-fishishness of the Marlow parents disturbed me. I was never certain if the parents and/or older siblings actually liked our protagonists.

That said..boy, am I annoyed that the show more sequels aren't in print. show less

The plot is standard "going away to boarding school". The characters, however, are very lively and much more interesting than the standard issue. The play-within-the-book is well described and involving, and the whole very nicely done. Another I wish I'd read when I was 12, though I'm glad I had an opportunity to read it now- thanks to Abigail!

Twins Nicola and Lawrie have big plans to shine like their four older sisters do when they join them at the Kingscote school. However, things don't quite go to plan. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more about the Marlows.

Very enjoyable. Sometimes I found myself wishing the main characters were a little smarter or more academically inclined, though.