Tom Tackles the
Chalet School

HB/PB comparisons   Publishing history

Click to see a larger image of the dustwrapper. On the right is the paperback edition.

Tom Tackles The Chalet School - hardback / paperback comparison

I compared my 1955 hardback, which has 205 pages with my 1987 paperback, which has 156 pages. The paperback is uncut, and most of the changes are to do with updating language. (The page numbers refer to hb/pb.)

Tom does betray its origins as two separate stories. The first nine chapters appeared in the Second Chalet Book for Girls, under the title Tom Tackles the Chalet School. The rest of the book first appeared in The Third Chalet Book for Girls as Tom Plays the Game. The beginning of Chapter 10 reads like a new story, with introductory phrases such as "the three turned to find Daisy, a beloved prefect, behind them" (p111/84). To my mind, this does not sit well in the middle of a book and interrupts the continuity.

Throughout the book, Tom's custom of referring to her parents as Mater and Pater or The Mater or Pater has been altered to either Mummy and Daddy or Mother and Father.

Chapter 1 - Tom

"no blinking fear" is changed to "no fear" (p11/9)

Chapter 2 - Jo Gives an Invitation

"non est so to speak" is changed to "out of action" (p18/14) and "Auntie Madge is a duck" becomes "Auntie Madge is a dear" (p22/17)

Chapter 3 - Difficulties

"beaten to flinders" is changed to simply "beaten" (p 27/21), "footling rot" becomes "silly rot" (p28/22), the time reference "2.5" is changed to "2.05" (p30-24). A "bunjy" becomes a "rubber" (p32/25), "sub rosa" is Anglicised to "in secret" (p33/25) and "don't be mokes" is changed to "don't be halfwits" (p33/26)

Chapter 4 - Letters

In Tom's letter to her mother, "stockings" become "socks" and "just wizard" is changed to "wonderful" (p37/29). In Bride's letter to her mother, "queerest new kid" is changed to "oddest new kid" (p38/30). When Daisy writes to Robin, "spats" become "quarrels" and "a confab" is changed to "a chat" (pp40&41/32). In Miss Wilson's letter to Miss Annersley, she refers to Tom's behaviour as a "queer problem" which is altered to "curious problem" (p41/32)

Chapter 5 - Growing Pains

Matron wonders, "was she going to get to the bottom of her queerness?" and this is changed to "..oddness" (p56/43)

Chapter 6 - The Gym Tournament

No changes

Chapter 7 - A Winter's Walk

No changes

Chapter 8 - Adventure In The Snow

"Oh this beastly snow!" becomes "Oh this awful snow!" (p92/70)

Chapter 9 - It Works Out Well

"It wasn't so jolly funny as all that" is changed to "it wasn't as funny as all that" (p106/81)

Chapter 10 - Breaking the silence

"ghastly mess" becomes "terrible mess" (p113/86)

Chapter 11 - Be Prepared!

When Daisy and Beth are referring to Bride's stuffed cat, "moke" is changed to "donkey" (p130/98)

Chapter 12 - Rain

Daisy's verdict on Hilary Burn as "a fearful sport" is changed to "a great sport" (p143/108). "It's awfully decent of you" becomes "It's very kind of you" and "ghastly row" is changed to "awful row" (p147/112). Another "stocking" becomes a "sock" (p148/112) and "super" and "Wizard!" are changed to "great" and "Terrific!" (p149/113).

Chapter 13 - Trapped

When Tom realises that she has eaten too much cake,: "'I feel a bit rummy,' she thought. 'Hope I shan't cat!'". This is changed to "'I feel a bit peculiar' she thought. 'Hope I'm not ill!'" and "gimlety questions" becomes "awkward questions" (p159/120). Hilary thinks "it's a bit thick to start games and fun at this hour of the morning" and this is changed to "it's a bit much..."(p162/123)

Chapter 14 - The Sale

"No blinking fear!" becomes "No fear!" (p180/137). Fiona MacDonald's Scots intonation is not repeated in the paperback (as in the comparison for Highland Twins) (p182/138). "The ripping sport!" becomes "The terrific sport!" (p186/141) and "You jolly well deserve it" becomes "You really do deserve it" (p189/143)

Chapter 15 - Gentleman To The Last!

A printing error is amended - "Millie" is corrected to "Mollie" (p199/151) and Tom's verdict on Bride's parents is updated, when "You've got a topping ma and pa, Bride" is changed to "You've got a terrific mother and father, Bride" (p204/154)

Looking back through some of the other comparisons, this book seems to have been altered very little. A few words, which were italicised for emphasis in the hardback, have been printed in plain type in the paperback. Otherwise, most of the changes are updating language. Surprisingly, quite a number of "ghastly"s remain, although some have been changed.

As has been said before, this may make the text easier for modern girls to understand, but it detracts from the essence of the book. I feel that in this case, much of Tom's character is defined by the expressions she uses, and when those expressions are gone, so is some of her appeal.

Pat Train

Publishing history