My Favourite Streatfields

I finished reading Noel Streatfield's Gemma series last night. Enjoyed the books, but disappointed that they are just, once again, different versions of other stories by Streatfield.

Gemma ends, in Goodbye Gemma, with a scene that's right out of Ballet Shoes. And Lydia's encounter with the ballet master, Monsieur de Clara is obviously a reworking of Posy's encounter with Manoff (also in Ballet Shoes).

In fact Streatfield uses the same basic plot for most of her stories. There are usually three siblings, usually artistic in some way or other. Sometimes one of them isn't interested in performing at all and hasn't any talent. Sometimes one of them has plenty of talent but doesn't want a career in the theatre.

One sibling is usually very good looking, and sometimes quiet self-absorbed. At times, the untalented one is physically unattractive, and bad tempered.

The family usually has cash problems, but often has the good fortune of having someone who is willing to work for them (as a governess, a housekeeper or a general dogsbody) for free.

The following titles are my 10 favourite Streatfields. I think these are the books in which Streatfield's plots work best. Or maybe it just feels that way because they were my first Streatfields: I still own these books, which I mostly bought (or had given to me) when I was in primary and lower secondary school.

In order of preference:

1. Curtain Up, now called Theatre Shoes.

2. Ballet Shoes.

3. The Vicarage Family.

4. Thursdays Child.

5. White Boots, now called Skating Shoes.

6. The Circus is Coming.

7. When the Siren Wailed.

8. Ballet Shoes for Anna.

9. The House in Cornwall.

10. The Painted Garden, now called Movie Shoes.

It's tiresome how many of the books have been renamed to incorporate "shoes" in their titles. I believe it was a ploy by Streatfield's American publisher's to market the books as a series.

I hope to post mini reviews of the books over the next week or two. If you have a favourite Streatfield, do send in your own mini review. Just download the form which you will find by clicking on Mini Review Form in the Categories section of the blog (right hand side of the page).

Comments

[kylie]

I have not read all of NS books but I did love ballet shoes and the fossil girls.

In answer to Kwan's comment, there's "formula" and then there's "complete rehash". It's not just the same storyline that Streatfield uses against different backgrounds. She isn't even bothered to change character traits or plot *details*. For example the whole Lydia episode in 'Goodbye Gemma' is virtually identical to the Posy episode in 'Ballet Shoes'. To me, that shows little regard for her readers and laziness on her part. I don't think personal taste comes into my dislike for this habit of hers. Imagine if all writers worked like this. Would we like it if every book by Elizabeth George were almost identical, up to the point where we knew from the first page who the murderer was? I think not!

[kwan]

I like NS for precisely the reason you don't! The "formula" storyline presented against different contexts - stage (ballet, theatre), sports (tennis), movie (Gemma series) - I like them all. Guess "to each her own" is once again proven?

kwan