Malory Towers: The trick with the small but powerful magnet which they held next to Mamz'elle's bun and took her hair pins.
QUESTION:
George Greenfield in his book Enid Blyton chapter 5 - Style and content, page 82 says:
'It was clearly a favourite practical joke for the author, who had used exactly the same method with another Mam'zelle, the French teacher in Fifth Form at St Clare's, published six years earlier.
Is this true?
I can find no reference to this earlier magnet trick in the St Clare's book mentioned by George.
Perhaps it happened in a different St Clare's book?
Does anyone know?
Last edited by pete9012S on 27 Jul 2021, 09:23, edited 1 time in total.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane - Society Member
There's no magnet trick in St. Clare's. To be sure that I haven't simply forgotten something I've searched through the e-books for the word magnet - no match was found.
No, there's nothing in it. I don't remember a magnet trick from another Blyton book. I've done a search through all MT, SC, NG books (all including the continuations) and also St. Rollo's - no magnet is ever mentioned.
I don't remember anything like that from the German continuations either.
I once did a radio interview where the other interviewee was adamant that in Malory Towers a lesbian character reflected on how they hated their body - whilst in the shower.
Blyton characters rarely had a bath, and I don't remember anyone having a shower!
The trouble is now we shall never know what is false memory syndrome and what is written in continuation novels
Nope, don't remember any magnet tricks in any other school books or any lesbian-body hating showers either!
"It's the ash! It's falling!" yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits...
"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.
It's possible that some naughty child used a magnet to play some sort of trick in a short story but I can't think of any examples. Anita might know!
"It's the ash! It's falling!" yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits...
"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.
Anita has done a comprehensive article on Fifth Formers at St Clare's in the latest Journal but doesn't mention any magnet trick. She mentions many of the humourous and / or cruel episodes in the book but the lack of a magnet trick leads me to believe it isn't there. I don't remember it from MT either. Which book of that series is it in?
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero
I don't remember a St. Clare's magnet trick either. In fact I don't recall any of the same tricks being used at both St. Clare's and Malory Towers, though I might just have forgotten.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.
"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
According to this link, it is carried out by a girl named Susan:
June’s next trick involves a very powerful magnet. She knows that any mistress would suspect a trick if she plays it, so she gives it to Susan who uses it to pull all the pins out of Mam’zelle Rougier’s neat little bun at the end of a French class. Of course her bun completely unravels and she is alarmed to think perhaps she forgot to pin her hair up that morning as there are certainly no pins there now.
Anita Bensoussane wrote: ↑22 Jul 2021, 15:55
I don't remember a St. Clare's magnet trick either. In fact I don't recall any of the same tricks being used at both St. Clare's and Malory Towers, though I might just have forgotten.
Thank you Anita. It looks like George Greenfield may have been mistaken. He seems so sure in his book!
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane - Society Member
