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CLM's Reviews > Pauline
Pauline
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CLM's review
bookshelves: childrensbooks, schoolstory, orphans, 20th-century, re-read, cousins, friendship, uk, family-story
Nov 17, 2007
bookshelves: childrensbooks, schoolstory, orphans, 20th-century, re-read, cousins, friendship, uk, family-story
When Pauline's father dies, there isn't enough money for her to stay at her beloved boarding school so she goes to live with her Uncle Harry and his family. Although well intentioned, they do not share Pauline's interests - they aren't readers, they give her little privacy, and they immediately disapprove of the friends she makes at a local day school where, a gifted student, she feels right at home. One particularly memorable scene occurs when Uncle Harry insists Pauline drink milk, which makes her ill, and acts as if she is making up stories to get out of it.
Luckily, Pauline's cousin Paul finds his parents and siblings annoying too, and this provides her with an ally and creates a much needed bond between them. However, when Uncle Harry decides that her school friends are preventing Pauline from acclimating to her new family, he tries to have her held back in school just as Pauline is trying to win a scholarship. This is too much for Pauline to endure, and she runs away.
Interesting to note that Storey is one of Neil Gaiman's favorite authors, although I don't know if he ever read this book.
Luckily, Pauline's cousin Paul finds his parents and siblings annoying too, and this provides her with an ally and creates a much needed bond between them. However, when Uncle Harry decides that her school friends are preventing Pauline from acclimating to her new family, he tries to have her held back in school just as Pauline is trying to win a scholarship. This is too much for Pauline to endure, and she runs away.
Interesting to note that Storey is one of Neil Gaiman's favorite authors, although I don't know if he ever read this book.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 5, 1971
–
Finished Reading
November 17, 2007
– Shelved
November 17, 2007
– Shelved as:
childrensbooks
February 9, 2008
– Shelved as:
schoolstory
May 26, 2008
– Shelved as:
orphans
January 30, 2011
– Shelved as:
20th-century
July 5, 2011
– Shelved as:
re-read
March 28, 2013
– Shelved as:
family-story
March 28, 2013
– Shelved as:
cousins
March 28, 2013
– Shelved as:
friendship
March 28, 2013
– Shelved as:
uk
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Rachel
(new)
Dec 16, 2012 03:15PM
I hope there is a happy ending!
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This was one of my favourite children's books when I was small - and I was delighted to be able to get hold of a copy again recently, albeit an American edition. It's a bit weird having these very English characters eating 'cookies' living in a London apartment with an elevator etc. It's a really good portrait of adolescent displacement and unhappiness. When I reread the book I found the happy ending a bit too contrived, but on the other hand it would have been too unbearable for Pauline to continue to suffer at the hands of the bullying irredeemable Uncle Harry. It is necessary for him to suddenly become convinced of the error of his ways...
