The Head Girl of
the Chalet School

HB/PB comparisons      Publishing history  

Click on an image to see a larger version.

First hardback dustwrapper by Nina K Brisley. There were also four black and white plates which may be viewed here.	First paperback edition - second style. Front and rear covers.
Second hardback dustwrapper by W. Spence.	Second paperback edition - third style.
Spine illustrations from the first and second hardbacks.	Third paperback edition - fourth style.
	Fourth paperback edition - fifth style.
	Fifth paperback edition - sixth style.

The first edition and early reprints contained 4 black and white illustrations by Nina K. Brisley which are reproduced below. Click on an image to see it full size.
 

The battle began and raged furiously.

She dressed herself warmly.

It was a journey none of them was likely to forget.

'The gracious lady has slept long,' he said.

The Head Girl of the Chalet School hardback / paperback comparison

This article first appeared in FOCS 26, published in November 1994.

I chose Head Girl for the comparison not just because it is one of my favourites (I love all the Tyrol books), but because of the amount of abridgement that has taken place in the pb. The hb has 25 chapters and 336 pages, which would obviously make an enormous pb, so these have been condensed into 22 chapters and 158 pages by combining two chapters and omitting two entirely.

Dated language and subject-matter are updated or omitted: 'With aliveness' becomes 'vividly'; 'recking' is changed to 'realising'; Mr Lannis' Hispaniola car becomes a Mercedes-Benz, and he telephones Dr Jem to meet the girls in Spartz instead of wiring him. A reference to Grizel's future career, 'Her chief interest lay in games, and she would far rather have been a second Betty Nuthall than an Adela Verne' (hb p.17), is omitted as presumably it was thought that, like me, 1970s children would not know who these people were. When Jo, Grizel and Robin are shown the 'Chalet School Bed' during 'The Holidays', a very long and involved discussion on the exchange rates between the schilling, lira and shilling is omitted, for obvious reasons. Other references to pounds, shillings and pence are left out of this immediately pre-decimalisation (1970) pb.

Sections of the wonderfully descriptive chapter 'Marie's Wedding', relating to the customs of prewar Tyrol, have been edited out. As the start of the chapter says, the wedding was not held in the winter carnival-time as was customary, but in May. 'It was easier for them to do so because the Tiern Valley is a tourist centre during the summer months, and, save for the very old folk who sadly complained that all the old good customs were dying away, there were very few protests.' (hb p. 256) After they have given their gifts, the girls are presented with a huge bun and offered a drink of wine. The hb then says 'Knowing Mrs Russell's ideas on the subject, Marie was careful to give the girls mere sips of the wine, though she might have laid herself open to the charge of meanness by so doing. Luckily, the people knew that at the foreign school the girls had little to drink but water, milk and coffee, so there was no unpleasantness.' (hb p.260)

Sometimes words or phrases are left out of sentences, or phrases are replaced with one or two words in order to physically shorten the book, eg. 'a member of the Chalet School' is simply 'a Chaletian' in ch.3 of the pb; 'Deira, have you taken leave of your senses?' changes to 'Deira, are you mad?' (after she has burnt Grizel's harmony book). Other abbreviations seem slightly unnecessary - 'I have heard my father say' becomes 'My father says'. Disappointingly to true CS addicts, detailed descriptions are abridged. The feeling of an eye-witness account by EBD of visits to Basle, Schaffhausen, Salzburg and possibly a Tyrolean wedding, is sometimes lost.

References to events in previous books are cut, apart from a mention of Joey's rescue of Elisaveta in Princess and, to give an idea of Grizel's character, an account of her trip up the Tiern joch in School at the Chalet remains in the chapter entitled 'Basle'. Gertrud's comments during the prefects' meeting are, however, omitted - ' "No dashing off after kidnapped princesses," laughed Gertrud, with a reminiscence of the happenings of the summer term, when Princess Elisaveta had been kidnapped by her father's cousin. Prince Cosimo, and Joey had gone after them and rescued her with the assistance of Rufus, the big St Bernard dog, who was part of the Chalet School as much as anyone.' (hb p. 82)

The conversation between Gisela, Grizel and Jo, recounting their various encounters with 'Frau Berlin', has also been left out. One section I feel should have been left in is the reason why the Robin is kissed and crooned over by old Frau Mensch: "Nearly seventy years had passed since Frau Mensch had lost her one little daughter, and the Robin possessed the same rosy face and dark eyes and hair as baby Natalie, who had gladdened the world for seven short years before she had gone to the Paradise of little children.' (hb p. 69) As it stands in the pb it appears that this severe old lady is behaving out of character.

Obviously the two biggest omissions are the two missing chapters and the second chapter in the hb ('On the Journey'), which in the pb is merged with ch.3 ('Basle'), condensing 27 pages into 8½. This results in the total omission of the meeting between Miss Maynard, Jo, Robin and Grizel and the legendary 'Stuffer and Maria', who are often referred to in later books. Mentions of them are also left out of later passages in this book: a half-term when Joey is recounting the events of this chapter to Captain Humphries and Jem; and in the last chapter when they appear at the Tiernsee and attend the school's festival day.

To summarise this chapter: Miss Maynard settles the girls down on the train from Paris to Vienna via Basle. The Robin falls asleep straight away. A Cook's guide ushers in two middle-aged ladies, who are appalled and protest to the guide at being put with ' "a pack of children" ' (p.24). The guide apologises, explaining that these are the only seats available. Reluctantly the women take the seats offered. As they have been in Paris all day, Joey, Grizel and Maynie are, of course (!), speaking French, while the girls are preparing for bed. Miss Maynard hopes that their companions will not talk and disturb the sleeping children - a vain hope. The older lady makes disparaging remarks about 'Continentals' having no idea how to bring up children. Miss Maynard blushes but does not correct her and Grizel and Jo, now fully awake again, are enjoying themselves.

Because of this lady's fussing over getting to sleep, the Robin is awoken. Miss Maynard asks Grizel, in French naturally (!), to open the window as the carriage is becoming stuffy. When she does, there are loud protests from the two ladies. Maynie allows Grizel to close the window a little - further complaints ensue. Miss Maynard settles down to sleep but is woken as the older lady (nicknamed 'The Stuffer' by Jo, for obvious reasons) closes the window. As she returns to her seat she falls against the sleeping Jo, who lashes out, hitting her on the shoulder. 'The Stuffer' calls Jo a hooligan, Maynie defends her and as the argument over the window continues, the Robin starts to cry.

At this point, a 'big, hairy professor from next door came to request that they would hush the child...as he and his comrades wished to sleep.' (hb p.30) This is their first encounter with Professor Christian von der Witt, who reappears at the end of the book. He listens to their explanations, muttering about 'women fools', and finally bangs the window open as far as it will go, making it impossible to close, before leaving. The rest of the night is spent in trying to stay warm! 'The Stuffer' agrees to share Miss Maynard's thermos of hot coffee and to be tucked in by her.

There are no further interruptions, apart from the ticket collector, until they are woken up just outside Basle. The two ladies ask the girls where they live. Joey answers all their questions and tells them where they can get coffee and sandwiches at the station. 'The Stuffer' gives Jo her card and asks her to write about the school (which presumably she does). Jo leaves the women feeling that 'travelling by night was not so bad after all.' (hb p.35)

Chapter 9 in the hb is 13 pages long and comes between 'A Deadlock' and 'The Snowfight'. It is entitled 'A Quiet Evening', and, as this suggests, nothing very much happens. Madge puts the Robin to bed, and there is the inevitable resume of Robin's history, her delicacy and the strict regime Jem has her under: early bed, fresh air, good food and short lessons. When Robin is asleep, Madge joins Mademoiselle in her room. They discuss their worries over Robin's health before turning to the problem of Grizel and Deira. They can find no solution and talk instead of their satisfaction with the school and its location and of Mademoiselle's pleasure at being able to help her cousin by educating Simone and Renee Lecoutier.

Madge returns to the study where she has a stream of visitors from among the girls, including Margia Stevens who wants to show Madame her latest composition, a dance. 'The dance was a marked improvement on anything she had hitherto done, and, secretly, Madge was surprised at it, though she took good care not to let the composer know that. Margia had a very good conceit of herself as it was. There was no need to increase it.' (hb p. 129) incidentally, this is the first I have heard of this side of Margia's character and I'm sure it is not pursued in later books, or is it? After Abendessen, Madge plays the piano for the girls to do their country dancing. When the younger ones are in bed, the Seniors gather round the stove with Madge to discuss plans for the coming term and the possibility of going outside the following day, if the snow stops.

The third omitted chapter comes after 'The Feud Ends' and also contains 13 pages. This one is actually called 'Nothing Much' and is just that - a descriptive, repetitive chapter with just one or two interesting points. Mrs Russell returns home at last after an enjoyable time as Head once again. She and Jem discuss the school and the forthcoming weddings : Gisela's, Wanda's, and particularly Marie Pfeiffen's, after Easter. Jem is thankful that Marie is marrying his own servant, Andreas, and that they will be living with them.

Back at the school, the girls are discussing the future with Grizel. She tells them she will never make a musician and, when asked what she would like to do, she says she wants to go to the same college as Juliet, to do maths and then research. '"I couldn't teach, for I simply haven't the patience.'" (hb p.163). (What happened to games, which was what she wanted to do at the beginning of the book?) The next topic is the Sale.

They decide they must work harder to make enough things to sell to keep a bed at the San occupied for a year. As a consequence, they work industriously until supper-time. Afterwards, the Middles go to bed but play tricks, such as apple-pie beds, on the Seniors. Retribution comes the next morning, when none of the Middles can open their cubicle curtains, which have been stitched up and secured to the floor with drawing pins. A typical EBD chapter, as found in many other CS books.

I think the characterisation of Grizel is very well done in Head Girl. The early chapters show her doubting her ability to cope with her unexpected promotion (although the Grizel of earlier books does not usually have self-doubts), then reverting to type with her determination to do as she likes before term starts. Her repentance does not bring about the usual miraculous transformation of EBD's bad girls, but a gradual maturity does develop. She begins to realise the effect her words and actions have on others, especially after the confrontation with Deira at the prefects' meeting. As a result she does try to make amends and be fair to Deira.

Grizel shows good leadership skills throughout the book, particularly when organising the search-party for Robin, and in her dealings with Herr Arnolfi when he kidnaps first Robin and then Cornelia. There remain, however, flashes of the old Grizel in her treatment of the weeping Simone.

I don't feel that the Grizel of later books is any different from the Head Girl. Grizel. The hardness in her character is somewhat softened here, but being forced into an unwanted career as a music teacher, with all her finances tied up, was bound to bring it out again, as was Deira's marriage to 'Tony', to whom Grizel had obviously formed an emotional attachment.

I enjoyed Head Girl and read my paperback copy many times without realising how much I was missing until I acquired the hb in April 1992. I think the abridgement did serve its purpose, namely to make a reasonably-sized paperback without losing the essence of the story, and on the whole it has been well done. I do, however, think that the hb is a must for CS enthusiasts as it is a well-written, atmospheric book, with a good storyline and excellent characterisation.

If anyone would like a copy of my line-by-line comparison, including the missing chapters, please send an A4 sac and £1 (for photocopying) to me at 6 Southgrove Avenue, Sharpies, Bolton, Lancs ., BLI 7HQ.

Anne Shuttleworth

Publishing history