I associate August with the winding down of summer and the beginning of a new school year. I know for many people that association would connect better with September, but where I grew up the school year started in the middle of August so that we could take two weeks off in harvest season to go harvest potatoes (I don’t know if they do that anymore . . .). I was a big fan of school and I’m a big fan of “school” books. Here are five of my favorites. Feel free to recommend others in the comments.
- A Separate Peace, by John Knowles (original review from November 19, 2008). I have mentioned this before (you’ll see it in my review, in fact), but this is one of the first books I fell in love with. When I revisited it a few years ago, I was happy that it wasn’t just a youthful infatuation: this is a tremendous book about two boys at boarding school in the summer of 1942: “Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence.”
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark (original review from April 24, 2008). When I first read this, I didn’t know what to make of it, but this short, often cruel novel about a group of girls who fall under the spell of Miss Brodie, the unconventional teacher. But if you’re worried this is going to be a conventional novella about an unconventional teacher, worry no more. Did I mention just how cruel this book can get? And the film? Excellent stuff — it just took me a while to realize it.
- Old School, by Tobias Wolff (original review from July 8, 2009). Another book about boys in boarding school, and it’s as excellent as they come. Here we are in the early 1960s following around a young man who wants to be a writer. One day he’s fascinated by Hemingway, the next by Ayn Rand — then Rand comes to the school and our young man is disillusioned. This is also a story about guilt and justifications.
- The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart (original review from October 9, 2009). The newest book here, certainly the funniest, though no less serious and sophisticated, we go now to an elite co-ed boarding school. The boy’s club is old, venerated, and rules. Ah, but if I summarize more of the plot here it might come off sounding like blunt feminism. Though the book explores male / female relationships and power struggles, it’s incredibly nuanced and ambiguous, offering no easy solutions. It’s much more focused on a wonderfully rendered character. And the pranks are fantastic.
- Stoner, by John Williams (original review from September 21, 2010). John Williams’ Stoner has experienced a much deserved revival in the past few years, and I hope it continues. One of the best books on academia — one of the best books period. It’s so precise in its portrayal of literary infatuation and loneliness about a man who is dead when the book begins, a man who “did not rise above the rank of assistant professor, and [whom] few students remember . . . with any sharpness after they had taken his course.” From that beginning, Williams succeeds in making us feel a reverence for William Stoner’s life.
you took time off to harvest potatos?! Where did you live/was this a long time ago? I grew up in Montreal so there wasn’t a lot of harvesting going on. thanks for the recommendations, i haven’t read any of these yet.
I would add A Good School by Richard Yates, but that is splitting hairs. We both like good “school” books, and this is a most useful update.
Here’s another one to add into the mix — Fifth Business by Robertson Davies. The school part of it only sets up the novel, but it does it well — Davies turned the project into the Deptford Trilogy, which is one of my all-time favorites.
And, on the adolescent narrator front, has Mrs. Berrett read Pigeon English. I did not like the book but several commentors have said they thought it might be suitable for younger audiences. I would be interested in her opinion ( well, yours as well) if she has tried it.
Of the books I’ve read on this list, each was strong enough that just reading the title completely took me back to the time I was reading them. Also made me want to pick them up again (Frankie, at least, will be read soon, as I can’t think of a better hospital book).
As much as we’ve talked about Separate Peace together, I don’t think I knew it was one of the first books you fell in love with. It was one of mine as well. It was the first time I became aware of stories having more than what’s on the surface and I found myself eager to just think about it.
I haven’t heard of Pigeon English, Kevin, but I’ll look into it. Or maybe Trevor will as he’s begun shopping for birthday gifts.
Zoe, it was in Idaho and not terribly long ago. There was a lot of work to do and the main employees were kids who would otherwise be in school. I really think it might still be in place — I’ll check.
Kevin, I have the first volume of the Deptford Trilogy and had no idea it had any school elements in it. I’ll have to check it out sooner rather than later.
As for buying you Pigeon English for your birthday, Mrs. Berrett, I think you’d rather I bought you some Criterion movies :) .
Pigeon English is far too minor to be considered as a birthday present — besides, I am sure you can get a review copy. I’d say an investment in some high quality fashion books would be much more appropriate, although Criterion movies would count. You might also want to introduce Mrs. B to Midsomer Murders, a classic British tv series (there are now about 80 episodes available on disc) which I think you would both like. I am presuming that you have already found Foyle’s War, which remains my favorite video series ever.
As for Fifth Business, I’d say you have a treat waiting in the wings (that’s a clever reference that you will get when you read the book). Do plan on reading all three of the trilogy.
I’ve had my eye on Midsomer Murders for a while, Kevin. We do like those types of shows, and right now we’re anxiously awaiting the fall (or, more likely, winter) for the new series of Downton Abbey and Sherlock. In the meantime, we’ve been looking for more British television to fill the gap. Unfortunately, while I really enjoyed the first two episodes of Foyle’s War, I still haven’t been able to watch any with Sherry, so there I sit in limbo. I think she’d like it a lot too, but other things have come up — someday!
I like Kevin’s ideas for presents more than yours, Trevor. The Criterion movies don’t count since he picks out movies for himself and watches them after I’m in bed. Though in Trevor’s defense, he did get me an out of print fashion book for Mother’s Day that I’ve had my eye on for a while.
I always hesitate with books like Pigeon English since it seems the more literary a book is considered, the less realistic the teens are. That was my main qualm with All Souls, the story was fine, but the characters were so underdeveloped that few teens would find the book impressive.
Each of the books on this list (and Frankie in particular) do such a good job making the characters real. My school experience was nothing like the girls in the Brodie set, and yet as I was reading I felt like we were all part of the experience together.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is simply brilliant. A truly impressive novel.
It’s shameful really that I haven’t read Stoner yet, or indeed any John Williams.
Kevin I note beat me to my immediate suggestion of Richard Yates’ A Good School (I reviewed it here: http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/a-good-school-by-richard-yates/).
John Self’s review put me thoroughly off Pigeon English, and like Mrs. Berrett I’ve had poor experiences with teens in fiction (they’re often deeply unpersuasive, though Adrian Mole for me was most unpersuasive of all as I was around the same age when I read him and it was all too apparent that it wasn’t quite right).
But where is Molesworth, the goriller of 3b? You can’t have a list of school books without Molesworth, as any fule do know. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Molesworth-Penguin-Classics-Geoffrey-Willans/dp/0141186003
On the present front, Eureka also do some great films. I do the odd review for an online magazine and one I saw recently would make a great present: Antonioni’s Le Amiche/The Girlfriends. My writeup is here but there’s others (and better) online: http://www.videovista.net/reviews/may11/leamiche.html. It even involves fashion…
I forgot to add, that Antonioni is a Cinoteca di Bologna restoration. That in itself is a very definite mark of quality. Eureka’s range is also known as Masters of Cinema. For those unfamiliar with them it’s a very clear attempt to pitch to the Criterion market with similarly high quality releases often of quite obscure but excellent films.
It was on your recommendation that I read A Separate Peace a little while ago, and yes, it’s a terrific book.
What do you think about Skippy Dies as a ‘school book’? It’s set in a school after all!
Wow, Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders – my mother’s favourite programme of all time, Miss Marple aside – getting raves. Never did I think etc. Over here it’s pretty much the case that The Wire and The Shield and so on are considered far better, whereas the English shows mentioned are kind of benignly regarded as non-essential. Interesting.
Max, I know of Masters of Cinema and have browsed their website as recently as Monday, but I still haven’t (to my knowledge) watched their transfer of any film in their library. They get raves even in Criterion-centric forums, though. I admit, I’m a bit nervous to look at one because then I really will have to start getting Mrs. Berrett films for her birthday :) .
Lisa, I never did read Skippy Dies, so it doesn’t make my above list. It didn’t quite appeal to me last year, even though most people who read it really enjoyed it, albeit with reservations. It’s coming out in paperback here at the end of the month, but I doubt I’ll pick it up — I’ve got a bunch of long books already waiting for me.
Lee, I look at The Wire and The Shield as being quite different. Could you sit down on a lazy afternoon and watch The Wire with the whole family? I quite like the comfort of the good old television mystery. If forced to choose only one, however . . .
No, probably not. But there’s Columbo for that, Trevor! Classic!
On the films front: Uncle Boonmee is essential viewing…
Lee: Well, we do regard Midsomer as “easy” watching, if you get my drift. And do check out Inspector Montalbano, recommended to me by Guy Savage and our favorite Italian series. The subtitles are just fine and I have moved on to read a couple of Camilleri’s books which are the basis for the series. We also moved on from that to The Octopus — now up to 10 series about the Italian Mafia. The Italians have a way of doing crime that is completely different from Brits or Americans — The Wire probably is the closest comparison (particularly with The Octupus series).
I’ve heard of Uncle Boonmee only because it picked up the Palme d’Or, but that’s it. I’ll take your word for it as I think that, based on your blog, we have similar taste in film.
Kevin: Inspector Montalbano – I will investigate, thanks.
Trevor: Please do watch it, it’s a tremendous, odd piece of work that bears repeated viewing.