Post by Claire on Sept 17, 2011 13:41:52 GMT 1
JANET MUST RIDE by DIANA PULLEIN-THOMPSON
EDITION REVIEWED: PB ED 1974
MAIN CHARACTERS:
JANET – 16/17 YEAR OLD GIRL GROOM
MR & MRS CLAUDE – HER EMPLOYERS
MIRIAM CLAUDE – THE CLAUDE’S ELDEST DAUGHTER
JACKIE CLAUDE – THE CLAUDE’S YOUNGER DAUGHTER
ROGER CLAUDE – THEIR SON
GANGSTER – JANET’S ROUGH HAIRED TERRIER
CORRYMEELA – A PROMISING EVENTING HORSE, FLEA BITTEN GREY MARE
TANYA – JANET’S FRIEND, HALF RUSSIAN
MAJOR FULLER – EQUITATION EXPERT
PLOT SUMMARY: (spoilers)
Aged 16, Janet is determined to work with horses. She has spent a year as a working pupil and now is taking up her first real post as a groom with the Claude family, who have a number of horses including Roger Claude’s show jumping pony and a promising event horse Corrymeela, who Miriam Claude plans to ride at Badminton. Janet likes the family, especially the youngest girl, Jackie. Miriam is a bit stuffy and Janet is surprised that she is not a better rider, being a bit timid. Major Fuller, an equitation expert, also arrives at the household to coach Miriam and Corrymeela for their first one day event. Janet also makes a friend in a local girl, Tanya, whom she helps with her horse. Soon she is also giving lessons to Jacky and another little girl and earning a bit extra money. However, though she loves the job, sometimes she feels she is going nowhere and wonders if she will ever achieve ambitions of riding in top events.
Her lucky break comes when Miriam has an accident not long before the one day event and ends up in hospital. The Claudes ask Janet to ride in the event. As she is a good sympathetic rider who improves even more with Major Fuller’s help, she does very well at the show and catches the attention of a top eventer who wants her to come and work with him and compete on his young horses. It is an offer of a lifetime, but how can Janet leave the Claudes, who have been so kind to her, and whom she loves living with?
REVIEW:
For some reason I have not read this book anywhere near as often as most of the author’s others. In fact I can’t even remember reading it as a child, although I must have done so. After reading the book to do this review, I am even more puzzled as to why, as it is certainly up to Diana’s usual standards, although perhaps not a classic.
As with all her books, it is very readable, with a simple easy style which keeps you page-turning. I do find that her books hard to put down once you have started them. The reader immediately identifies with Janet due to the first person viewpoint and her intimate down-to-earth way of telling her story. She is a believable and quite sympathetic character, although as in a lot of pony books, her skill with horses and as a rider is a little irritating, especially as she has never had her own pony but is supposed to be a much better rider than the Claude children who have been riding and competing in shows all their lives.
The book does not really have much of a plot and is a bit episodic in nature for most of the story, only changing up a gear near the end. It is perhaps more of a ‘career novel’ similar in a way to Rennie Goes Riding, as it does go into a lot of detail about Janet’s day to day life as a groom. I find it paints a very balanced picture of what life working with horses can be like, unlike many similar stories which either make it seem a dream-come-true existence or a complete drudge. Janet’s life has elements of both. I also like the fact that the author stresses that a horsy career does not need to turn you into a horsy bore, always smelling of manure with straw in your hair. Janet is seen to have outside interests such as the Red Cross, and she is interested in clothes and goes to the theatre with Tanya. She is contrasted favourably to the downtrodden owner of the stables where she used to ride.
What I did find shocking reading the book as an adult (as a child, this would have probably gone over my head) was the almost slave-like existence Janet leads as a groom. Although this was the 1950s, Janet had an almost similar lifestyle to a Victorian maid, working seven days a week with only Sunday afternoon and one full day a month off! Her wages seem to be less than the equivalent of about 50 pounds a week in today's money! And although the Claudes are pleasant and kind, they do expect her to work hard and always be there for the horses.
The Claudes are the sort of family who give rise to the frequent criticisms that pony books are elitist. They are employing not only a groom but an equitation expert to pander to what is essentially a hobby. The children are just able to hand over their ponies to Janet to look after when they have finished riding, which leaves a sour taste in the mouth, although to be fair Jackie in particular does help Janet. I don’t see any hints of irony in this situation so I assume that Diana felt it was totally acceptable. Although she and her sisters do criticise rich children who don’t look after their horses themselves in other books, it is mainly children who are obnoxious, it seems to be OK for the Claude children as they are quite nice. To a modern reader however, this scenario is enough to stir any hidden tendancies towards communism!
The main gripe I have with the book is the lack of tension in the plot. Apart a few very minor problems such as when one of the horses stumbles and breaks his knees, or when she tries to clip Corrymeela, Janet’s life seems pretty well charmed. She is good at her job, an excellent rider, gets on with the Claudes, finds a best friend quickly, has pupils to teach and ultimately gets a good ride and attracts the attentions of a top eventer. She even manages to fit in saving the life of a drowning boy! Actually this is probably one of the most upbeat of Diana’s novels, which normally tend a little more towards doom and gloom. For this reason it will appeal to those who like a ‘comfort blanket’ read. I am not saying I want to read a depressing book (if that was the case I would turn to Sheila Chapman! ) However I do prefer something a bit more challenging to the emotions. Because everything goes so well for Janet, we know pretty much what will happen in the one day event, and even the decision Janet has to make as to whether to leave the Claudes for a top job, probably the only obstacle in her path in the whole book, is resolved very easily and is barely a problem at all. (The same issue is explored in Caroline Akrill’s Eventing trilogy to much greater affect.)
Although the book is definitely above average in its readability, and horsy detail, for me the lack of plot and lack of any problems for our heroine to overcome prevents the book from becoming anything more than a pleasant, interesting read, rather than a real classic in the genre.
I would rate this book as 3 - 4 horseshoes
EDITION REVIEWED: PB ED 1974
MAIN CHARACTERS:
JANET – 16/17 YEAR OLD GIRL GROOM
MR & MRS CLAUDE – HER EMPLOYERS
MIRIAM CLAUDE – THE CLAUDE’S ELDEST DAUGHTER
JACKIE CLAUDE – THE CLAUDE’S YOUNGER DAUGHTER
ROGER CLAUDE – THEIR SON
GANGSTER – JANET’S ROUGH HAIRED TERRIER
CORRYMEELA – A PROMISING EVENTING HORSE, FLEA BITTEN GREY MARE
TANYA – JANET’S FRIEND, HALF RUSSIAN
MAJOR FULLER – EQUITATION EXPERT
PLOT SUMMARY: (spoilers)
Aged 16, Janet is determined to work with horses. She has spent a year as a working pupil and now is taking up her first real post as a groom with the Claude family, who have a number of horses including Roger Claude’s show jumping pony and a promising event horse Corrymeela, who Miriam Claude plans to ride at Badminton. Janet likes the family, especially the youngest girl, Jackie. Miriam is a bit stuffy and Janet is surprised that she is not a better rider, being a bit timid. Major Fuller, an equitation expert, also arrives at the household to coach Miriam and Corrymeela for their first one day event. Janet also makes a friend in a local girl, Tanya, whom she helps with her horse. Soon she is also giving lessons to Jacky and another little girl and earning a bit extra money. However, though she loves the job, sometimes she feels she is going nowhere and wonders if she will ever achieve ambitions of riding in top events.
Her lucky break comes when Miriam has an accident not long before the one day event and ends up in hospital. The Claudes ask Janet to ride in the event. As she is a good sympathetic rider who improves even more with Major Fuller’s help, she does very well at the show and catches the attention of a top eventer who wants her to come and work with him and compete on his young horses. It is an offer of a lifetime, but how can Janet leave the Claudes, who have been so kind to her, and whom she loves living with?
REVIEW:
For some reason I have not read this book anywhere near as often as most of the author’s others. In fact I can’t even remember reading it as a child, although I must have done so. After reading the book to do this review, I am even more puzzled as to why, as it is certainly up to Diana’s usual standards, although perhaps not a classic.
As with all her books, it is very readable, with a simple easy style which keeps you page-turning. I do find that her books hard to put down once you have started them. The reader immediately identifies with Janet due to the first person viewpoint and her intimate down-to-earth way of telling her story. She is a believable and quite sympathetic character, although as in a lot of pony books, her skill with horses and as a rider is a little irritating, especially as she has never had her own pony but is supposed to be a much better rider than the Claude children who have been riding and competing in shows all their lives.
The book does not really have much of a plot and is a bit episodic in nature for most of the story, only changing up a gear near the end. It is perhaps more of a ‘career novel’ similar in a way to Rennie Goes Riding, as it does go into a lot of detail about Janet’s day to day life as a groom. I find it paints a very balanced picture of what life working with horses can be like, unlike many similar stories which either make it seem a dream-come-true existence or a complete drudge. Janet’s life has elements of both. I also like the fact that the author stresses that a horsy career does not need to turn you into a horsy bore, always smelling of manure with straw in your hair. Janet is seen to have outside interests such as the Red Cross, and she is interested in clothes and goes to the theatre with Tanya. She is contrasted favourably to the downtrodden owner of the stables where she used to ride.
What I did find shocking reading the book as an adult (as a child, this would have probably gone over my head) was the almost slave-like existence Janet leads as a groom. Although this was the 1950s, Janet had an almost similar lifestyle to a Victorian maid, working seven days a week with only Sunday afternoon and one full day a month off! Her wages seem to be less than the equivalent of about 50 pounds a week in today's money! And although the Claudes are pleasant and kind, they do expect her to work hard and always be there for the horses.
The Claudes are the sort of family who give rise to the frequent criticisms that pony books are elitist. They are employing not only a groom but an equitation expert to pander to what is essentially a hobby. The children are just able to hand over their ponies to Janet to look after when they have finished riding, which leaves a sour taste in the mouth, although to be fair Jackie in particular does help Janet. I don’t see any hints of irony in this situation so I assume that Diana felt it was totally acceptable. Although she and her sisters do criticise rich children who don’t look after their horses themselves in other books, it is mainly children who are obnoxious, it seems to be OK for the Claude children as they are quite nice. To a modern reader however, this scenario is enough to stir any hidden tendancies towards communism!
The main gripe I have with the book is the lack of tension in the plot. Apart a few very minor problems such as when one of the horses stumbles and breaks his knees, or when she tries to clip Corrymeela, Janet’s life seems pretty well charmed. She is good at her job, an excellent rider, gets on with the Claudes, finds a best friend quickly, has pupils to teach and ultimately gets a good ride and attracts the attentions of a top eventer. She even manages to fit in saving the life of a drowning boy! Actually this is probably one of the most upbeat of Diana’s novels, which normally tend a little more towards doom and gloom. For this reason it will appeal to those who like a ‘comfort blanket’ read. I am not saying I want to read a depressing book (if that was the case I would turn to Sheila Chapman! ) However I do prefer something a bit more challenging to the emotions. Because everything goes so well for Janet, we know pretty much what will happen in the one day event, and even the decision Janet has to make as to whether to leave the Claudes for a top job, probably the only obstacle in her path in the whole book, is resolved very easily and is barely a problem at all. (The same issue is explored in Caroline Akrill’s Eventing trilogy to much greater affect.)
Although the book is definitely above average in its readability, and horsy detail, for me the lack of plot and lack of any problems for our heroine to overcome prevents the book from becoming anything more than a pleasant, interesting read, rather than a real classic in the genre.
I would rate this book as 3 - 4 horseshoes