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The Marlows #4
End of Term
For Lawrie Marlow, the end of term play was the most important event of the term, but her twin Nicola had several other problems - not the least, the grudge that the new games captain seemed to have against her. But Nicky too was involved in the Christmas play, which is a momentous finish to the Marlow twins' first term in Lower IV A.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
2 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Antonia Forest
18 books29 followersAntonia Forest was the pen name of Patricia Giulia Caulfield Kate Rubinstein. She was born in North London, the child of Russian-Jewish and Irish parents. She studied at South Hampstead High School and University College, London, and worked as a government clerk and a librarian. Best known for her series of novels about the Marlow family, she published her first book, Autumn Term, in 1948.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 19, 2022
There’s something less polished about this one compared to Autumn Term - more haphazardly plotted, maybe, with less of a clear sense of passing time, and more repetition.
But the good stuff is still really good: the new friendships, the loneliness (She didn’t cry out loud. She just stood there, stiff and tense, her back to Nicola, her fists against her mouth. It was more alarming than if she’d just cried), the decisions by some in authority… There’s a ridiculous double-switch, and more of Lois Sanger’s casual nastiness, and running away to save a puppy, and a frantic call to an MP (as one does), and a lot of conversation about religion. It might feel haphazard, but it still reads as such a complete world.
I think the best story it tells is unacknowledged, though, at least on the surface. It doesn’t make the differences between Nicola and Lawrie a plot line - instead, it shows them to you, over and over, in character interactions. Nicola is growing up faster than Lawrie, and the contrasts that leads to are beautifully drawn.
And there’s this, just thrown in casually:
But the good stuff is still really good: the new friendships, the loneliness (She didn’t cry out loud. She just stood there, stiff and tense, her back to Nicola, her fists against her mouth. It was more alarming than if she’d just cried), the decisions by some in authority… There’s a ridiculous double-switch, and more of Lois Sanger’s casual nastiness, and running away to save a puppy, and a frantic call to an MP (as one does), and a lot of conversation about religion. It might feel haphazard, but it still reads as such a complete world.
I think the best story it tells is unacknowledged, though, at least on the surface. It doesn’t make the differences between Nicola and Lawrie a plot line - instead, it shows them to you, over and over, in character interactions. Nicola is growing up faster than Lawrie, and the contrasts that leads to are beautifully drawn.
And there’s this, just thrown in casually:
When she got back to the dormitory, Nicola was in bed, deep in the book she’d smuggled upstairs. She looked up absently, saw it was Lawrie, and sank into the book again. Lawrie made conversation.NICE.
“What are you reading?”
“The Nine Tailors.”
“About sewing?”
“What? Oh - no. Bell-ringing.”
September 1, 2016
Anybody who routinely skips EBD's descriptions of the Chalet School Christmas plays should read End of Term just to see how it should be done. But read the rest of the book first. It's beautifully plotted but that doesn't stop any of it being real - locations, characters and situations are all completely believable.
August 26, 2019
The fourth entry in Antonia Forest's ten-book series devoted to the Marlow family, which alternates between school-stories and holiday adventures, End of Term is only the second to be set at Kingscote, and follows Lawrie and Nicola Marlow through the autumn term of their second year away at boarding school. The twins have moved up in the world, after being relegated to the somewhat ignominious Third Remove in
Autumn Term
, and are now a part of Lower IV A. Lawrie, whose passion for the theater has not abated, is looking forward to participating in the Christmas pageant, while Nicola, widely considered one of the best players in her form, hopes to be made captain of the junior netball team. Both sisters find their high expectations dashed however, when Lawrie is assigned to the "Crowd" in the play, and Nicola doesn't even make the netball team.
Many things have changed, since the twins' first term at Kingscote. To begin with, there are fewer Marlows attending, with eldest sister Karen off at Oxford, and Rowan training to be the manager at Trennels, the family estate inherited by Captain Marlow in Falconer's Lure . Loyalties have shifted, with Lawrie and Tim withdrawing into their own special friendship, and Nicola growing closer to Miranda West, and newcomer Esther Frewen. Forest is a master at mapping the complex relations between girls, whether sisters or friends, and her subtle depiction of changing patterns of alliance - those almost unconscious evolutions from friendship to not-quite-friendship, or from hostility to affection - is very well done indeed.
I also appreciated some of the discussion of religion, particularly the scenes in which the Jewish Miranda confronts her classmates regarding the Christmas play, wondering at their lack of spiritual involvement, or pointing out that all the original "characters" in the Nativity story were Jewish. Less appealing, I thought, were some of the discussions between Patrick Merrick and Nicola, regarding England's troubled sectarian history. I was all in Patrick's corner, as he spoke of seeing English history differently than most, always mindful, as a Catholic, of the torture and oppression brought to bear upon those of his faith. But when Nicola makes mention of Catholic atrocities, of people being burned at the stake, and is met with the offhand comment, "that was what you did with heretics then," I lost all respect for his position, and for Forest, who seems to have been arguing through him. I understand that she was a convert to Catholicism, later in life, so perhaps this explains her rather lopsided argument.
Leaving that one scene aside, I found End of Term entertaining, emotionally engaging, and intellectually involving. I'm excited to continue with the series, and glad that I didn't skip the non-school-story installments, as they added to my understanding of and appreciation for the story.
Many things have changed, since the twins' first term at Kingscote. To begin with, there are fewer Marlows attending, with eldest sister Karen off at Oxford, and Rowan training to be the manager at Trennels, the family estate inherited by Captain Marlow in Falconer's Lure . Loyalties have shifted, with Lawrie and Tim withdrawing into their own special friendship, and Nicola growing closer to Miranda West, and newcomer Esther Frewen. Forest is a master at mapping the complex relations between girls, whether sisters or friends, and her subtle depiction of changing patterns of alliance - those almost unconscious evolutions from friendship to not-quite-friendship, or from hostility to affection - is very well done indeed.
I also appreciated some of the discussion of religion, particularly the scenes in which the Jewish Miranda confronts her classmates regarding the Christmas play, wondering at their lack of spiritual involvement, or pointing out that all the original "characters" in the Nativity story were Jewish. Less appealing, I thought, were some of the discussions between Patrick Merrick and Nicola, regarding England's troubled sectarian history. I was all in Patrick's corner, as he spoke of seeing English history differently than most, always mindful, as a Catholic, of the torture and oppression brought to bear upon those of his faith. But when Nicola makes mention of Catholic atrocities, of people being burned at the stake, and is met with the offhand comment, "that was what you did with heretics then," I lost all respect for his position, and for Forest, who seems to have been arguing through him. I understand that she was a convert to Catholicism, later in life, so perhaps this explains her rather lopsided argument.
Leaving that one scene aside, I found End of Term entertaining, emotionally engaging, and intellectually involving. I'm excited to continue with the series, and glad that I didn't skip the non-school-story installments, as they added to my understanding of and appreciation for the story.
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November 27, 2015Thanks to Hallie, at last I get to read more Antonia Forest.
I don't know why I keep thinking of Hilary McKay when I read these. Yes I do. Though the 'feel' is different (the Marlows are more conventional than the Cassons) the complexities of the characters, the family dynamics, the friend and not-friend dynamics are similar in their unpredictable lightning-zigs.
Forest even refreshes the tired old trope of twins switching places, handling it with humor, and sympathy--and with the promise that there will be consequences, instead of everybody who'd been fooled grinning and shouting "Jolly good show!"
But I slurped that book up far too rapidly, and need to withold the others until I get more chores done.
I don't know why I keep thinking of Hilary McKay when I read these. Yes I do. Though the 'feel' is different (the Marlows are more conventional than the Cassons) the complexities of the characters, the family dynamics, the friend and not-friend dynamics are similar in their unpredictable lightning-zigs.
Forest even refreshes the tired old trope of twins switching places, handling it with humor, and sympathy--and with the promise that there will be consequences, instead of everybody who'd been fooled grinning and shouting "Jolly good show!"
But I slurped that book up far too rapidly, and need to withold the others until I get more chores done.
January 17, 2017
5 nostalgic, feel-good, twinkling stars
February 23, 2021
Antonia Forest was Jewish, and later converted to Catholicism. Her interest in religion is clear in End of Term, which centres around a nativity play, and includes Catholic, Jewish and Anglican characters. In its interest in faith and religious education, End of Term reminds me more of Antonia White's Frost in May than a typical school story, though Forest's emotional scope is, of course, smaller. We enter Kingscote at the beginning of the Marlow twins', Lawrie and Nicola, second year. Some typical school adventures occur: there is drama around who will star in the play; a vindictive prefect; and much netball. Nicola has also acquired a merlin, called The Sprog, who she is allowed to keep at school, and cares for every day. It's an atmospheric story, full of autumnal atmosphere, keeping the reader engaged and interested. The novel pushes the boundaries in its discussions of religion: Lawrie's encounters with Catholicism, Patrick's observations on Anglicanism, Miranda's mixed feelings around wanting to remain true to her Judaism, but also to take part in school activities. At times, the religious discussions seemed to weigh down the narrative too much, and other times they were full of depth and life.
I was brought up as an atheist, but attended mainly Catholic schools, and there was a lot about being outside of the dominant religion that I could relate to. I found this an interesting and engaging book, but an uneven one -- it doesn't fit into the bounds of a typical school story, but it doesn't quite transcend them either.
I was brought up as an atheist, but attended mainly Catholic schools, and there was a lot about being outside of the dominant religion that I could relate to. I found this an interesting and engaging book, but an uneven one -- it doesn't fit into the bounds of a typical school story, but it doesn't quite transcend them either.
February 14, 2015
To AF fans: I've put together a guide to Antonia Forest fanfic if anyone would like to take a look: written to acknowledge the first-class AF fanfic out there, and to share it with those who haven't seen it yet. I hope no-one minds that I'm sharing it in reviews of some other AF books here - my motives are altruistic, I do most horribly swear.
A Reader's Guide to Antonia Forest fanfic.
Enjoy!
A Reader's Guide to Antonia Forest fanfic.
Enjoy!
January 2, 2020
‘Character is fate, says Novalis’, says Thomas Hardy in The Mayor of Casterbridge, and like Hardy Forest gives us in End of Term a masterclass in creating a plot that clicks into place like cogs in a machine driven by the engine of the characters in the story and how their nature shows itself in actions large and small. From Nicola’s first words to Esther in the train to Lawrie’s perfect cartwheel, there is a sense that this story is simply the writing down of these very real thoughts and actions, and yet it is elegantly constructed to build to the climax of the play.
Like Hardy, Forest also has a precise way with words to capture the natural world exactly, beautifully and unsentimentally, and her descriptions from autumn fog to winter snowfall are outstanding.
This is a wonderful read, then, especially when on top of all these things come meditations on Jewishness and suppressed anti-Semitic attitudes in Britain in the 1950s, and the question of how and if anyone can believe the Christmas story at the heart of the play, again rising naturally out of *these* characters in *these* situations.
Since Forest is such a good writer, however, I’m going to hold her to the highest standards, and of course she is not perfect. There are a couple of gaping holes in this book. Why is Nicola suddenly on the shortlist for Shepherd’s Boy? This is a necessary thing to drive the plot forwards but it makes no sense in the context of the world Forest has created. Nicola is essential as a singer and doesn’t qualify for Miss Keith’s casting-by-moral-virtue - so why is she cast? Why does she not for one minute think of Lawrie until brought up sharp against Lawrie’s reaction? And why does Forest not give us at all anything of her emotional reaction when she is once more singing and Lawrie acting?
I do like the parallel of the Powers That Be thinking Nicola needs a ‘jolt’ and stupidly taking her out of the team to do it, and the actual ‘jolt’ she gets when she realises in the fall-out from her getting the part that other people’s worlds don’t actually revolve around N. Marlow. I wish Forest had allowed her a bit more development along these lines, including more examination of her utterly damaging belief that expressing emotions to anyone is wrong and shameful, in later books.
But this is not to knock the fact that this book is such a beautiful and rewarding read emotionally and intellectually, and one that stays in the mind long after it has been put down.
Like Hardy, Forest also has a precise way with words to capture the natural world exactly, beautifully and unsentimentally, and her descriptions from autumn fog to winter snowfall are outstanding.
This is a wonderful read, then, especially when on top of all these things come meditations on Jewishness and suppressed anti-Semitic attitudes in Britain in the 1950s, and the question of how and if anyone can believe the Christmas story at the heart of the play, again rising naturally out of *these* characters in *these* situations.
Since Forest is such a good writer, however, I’m going to hold her to the highest standards, and of course she is not perfect. There are a couple of gaping holes in this book. Why is Nicola suddenly on the shortlist for Shepherd’s Boy? This is a necessary thing to drive the plot forwards but it makes no sense in the context of the world Forest has created. Nicola is essential as a singer and doesn’t qualify for Miss Keith’s casting-by-moral-virtue - so why is she cast? Why does she not for one minute think of Lawrie until brought up sharp against Lawrie’s reaction? And why does Forest not give us at all anything of her emotional reaction when she is once more singing and Lawrie acting?
I do like the parallel of the Powers That Be thinking Nicola needs a ‘jolt’ and stupidly taking her out of the team to do it, and the actual ‘jolt’ she gets when she realises in the fall-out from her getting the part that other people’s worlds don’t actually revolve around N. Marlow. I wish Forest had allowed her a bit more development along these lines, including more examination of her utterly damaging belief that expressing emotions to anyone is wrong and shameful, in later books.
But this is not to knock the fact that this book is such a beautiful and rewarding read emotionally and intellectually, and one that stays in the mind long after it has been put down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2020
Another hit from Antonia Forest. A school story with some real depth. I love the characterisation here: people who are basically likeable, with flaws, or basically unlikeable, but with talents which make them appealing. Very clever writing.
The Marlow family itself is a character in its own right. As some of the other characters in this novel hint, they are a bit too good to be true. So talented in so many ways, the high-achievingness of them would have made them roundly despised, if they weren't so NICE. But then, I know people like that, so it's not as though even that is unrealistic.
I do wonder though, how much does a naval commander earn to be able to send eight children to boarding school? But I guess those were simpler days in the post-war era, when one civil servant's wage was enough to live on comfortably.
Very enjoyable book, even read as an adult, for the clever conflict drawing, attention to detail and sheer readability.
The Marlow family itself is a character in its own right. As some of the other characters in this novel hint, they are a bit too good to be true. So talented in so many ways, the high-achievingness of them would have made them roundly despised, if they weren't so NICE. But then, I know people like that, so it's not as though even that is unrealistic.
I do wonder though, how much does a naval commander earn to be able to send eight children to boarding school? But I guess those were simpler days in the post-war era, when one civil servant's wage was enough to live on comfortably.
Very enjoyable book, even read as an adult, for the clever conflict drawing, attention to detail and sheer readability.
December 4, 2013
I'm giving it four stars even though I seriously wasn't grabbed by this at all, but that may just be because I'm too wrapped up in work to be able to focus on much else at the moment. I do enjoy Forest's books, so I'm considering this a future reread.
September 13, 2024
Like I said for the first book in the school series, Autumn Term, my five star rating is not due to nostalgia for these favourites from my childhood. This series is one of very few I have read that have characters that literally feel real to me, I cannot conceive of a world in which they don't exist; and I don't think that's just due to nostalgia either. The books are full of introspective and relatable observations, each character is a flawed and complete person, and what's more, the plot slowly and expertly - without too much contrivance - weaves together the threads that gives the book its deserved title End of Term. The use of Nicola and Lawrie as twins is hugely entertaining and irresistible. And the realisation that their friendships have been gradually changing over time is so well done and feels masterfully intentional. Tim is infuriating too, but her impact on Nicola is so familiar - I had a best friend similar to her at that age! And then there's Marie, and the main characters beginning to grow up enough to realise that other people have feelings and that their behaviour might just affect them! It's subtly and realistically done, nothing cheesy or pious here, and no moralising.
This book goes much deeper than one would expect children's school stories to go. There are also the discussions about religion and belief, the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, and even of the Jews (thanks to Miranda, Nicola's new friend, being Jewish). There's an acceptance here of people of different faiths (albeit only Christian and Jewish included here), and of none. One of my favourite scenes, when Lawrie talks to her grandmother and has a revelation about the Shepherd Boy, still achieves the same goose-pimply effect as when I first read it, and the play itself at the end is described absolutely gloriously.
I cannot stress enough how under-rated this series is! And I'm so glad I kept hold of my copies from childhood.
This book goes much deeper than one would expect children's school stories to go. There are also the discussions about religion and belief, the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, and even of the Jews (thanks to Miranda, Nicola's new friend, being Jewish). There's an acceptance here of people of different faiths (albeit only Christian and Jewish included here), and of none. One of my favourite scenes, when Lawrie talks to her grandmother and has a revelation about the Shepherd Boy, still achieves the same goose-pimply effect as when I first read it, and the play itself at the end is described absolutely gloriously.
I cannot stress enough how under-rated this series is! And I'm so glad I kept hold of my copies from childhood.
November 24, 2018
selle osa tipphetked mu jaoks:
1) kõik religiooniteemalised diskussioonid nii teismeliste vahel kui täiskasvanute osavõtul - juudid vs kristlased, roomakatoliku vs anglikaani kirik, ja eelkõige muidu ebasümpaatse vanaema suht terane tähelepanek, et usk või mitte, haritud inimese kohta teab ta noorim tütretütar religiooniloost häbiväärselt vähe. ei saa öelda, et ma oleksin enne eriti selle üle mõelnud, et Inglismaal on katoliiklased ikka veel alles ja et kuidas nende jaoks selle riigi ajalugu paistab.
2) kuidas ebaõiglus võidutses, sest see on see, mis tavaliselt internaatkooliraamatud nii ebarealistlikuks roosamannaks teeb - ikka selgub enamasti raamatu lõpus, et oli mingi arusaamatus või kius mängus; õiglus seatakse jalule ja vajadusel saab trollija oma teenitud karistuse. siin mitte. lihtsalt jääbki nii nagu elus - täiskasvanud ei ole oma otsustes alati õiglased ja kuidagi tuleb sellest üle saada ja isegi teised täiskasvanud saavad aidata piiratud määral. koolidirektori käitumine meenutas mulle mikromanageerivat CEOd. pole midagi uut siin päikese all.
3) eessõna, mis on kõigil neil Girls Gone By Publishers kirjastuse raamatutel väga lugemist väärt. siit saame nt teada, et autor ise oli roomakatoliku usku pöördunud juut, mis muidugi mõjutab nii eelmainitud religioonidiskussioone kui (minu jaoks veidi ootamatu nurga alt) seda, miks on raamatutesse katoliiklased sisse kirjutatud: "...I found I couldn't be sure I got the Anglican idiom right so I made Patrick a Catholic." (Patrick on tegelane, kelle silmade läbi meile jõulunäidendit kirjeldatakse.)
1) kõik religiooniteemalised diskussioonid nii teismeliste vahel kui täiskasvanute osavõtul - juudid vs kristlased, roomakatoliku vs anglikaani kirik, ja eelkõige muidu ebasümpaatse vanaema suht terane tähelepanek, et usk või mitte, haritud inimese kohta teab ta noorim tütretütar religiooniloost häbiväärselt vähe. ei saa öelda, et ma oleksin enne eriti selle üle mõelnud, et Inglismaal on katoliiklased ikka veel alles ja et kuidas nende jaoks selle riigi ajalugu paistab.
2) kuidas ebaõiglus võidutses, sest see on see, mis tavaliselt internaatkooliraamatud nii ebarealistlikuks roosamannaks teeb - ikka selgub enamasti raamatu lõpus, et oli mingi arusaamatus või kius mängus; õiglus seatakse jalule ja vajadusel saab trollija oma teenitud karistuse. siin mitte. lihtsalt jääbki nii nagu elus - täiskasvanud ei ole oma otsustes alati õiglased ja kuidagi tuleb sellest üle saada ja isegi teised täiskasvanud saavad aidata piiratud määral. koolidirektori käitumine meenutas mulle mikromanageerivat CEOd. pole midagi uut siin päikese all.
3) eessõna, mis on kõigil neil Girls Gone By Publishers kirjastuse raamatutel väga lugemist väärt. siit saame nt teada, et autor ise oli roomakatoliku usku pöördunud juut, mis muidugi mõjutab nii eelmainitud religioonidiskussioone kui (minu jaoks veidi ootamatu nurga alt) seda, miks on raamatutesse katoliiklased sisse kirjutatud: "...I found I couldn't be sure I got the Anglican idiom right so I made Patrick a Catholic." (Patrick on tegelane, kelle silmade läbi meile jõulunäidendit kirjeldatakse.)
July 11, 2022
This was one of my favorite books when I was a child. It was old, even then, but it's such a compelling story of girls at boarding school. Twins, Nicola and Lawrie, and their sisters. Yes, there are a billion boarding school books. What sets this one apart? The sheer intelligence of the writing, the unusual sophistication of the characters, and the sensibility of the author, who is so astute, so unsentimental, and self-aware. I love Nicola's hawk, her friend Peter, the tough teachers, the politics of the classroom, and the school play . . . Shall I go on?
June 28, 2022
I think that this has to be my favourite of all Antonia Forest's books.
As a sub-theme, it explores religious beliefs in a very understated way, through the persons of Patrick (conservative Catholic), Rowan (nominally Church of England), and Miranda (Jewish). Patrick wholeheartedly believes, Rowan sometimes does, sometimes doesn't, and Miranda, while not departing in any way from Judaism, can see (sort of) why people could believe the Nativity story.
As a sub-theme, it explores religious beliefs in a very understated way, through the persons of Patrick (conservative Catholic), Rowan (nominally Church of England), and Miranda (Jewish). Patrick wholeheartedly believes, Rowan sometimes does, sometimes doesn't, and Miranda, while not departing in any way from Judaism, can see (sort of) why people could believe the Nativity story.
October 27, 2019
A year has passed since Autumn Term. Can Nicola and Lawrie do a swap without anyone noticing ? This is always the ultimate identical twin joke. These are school stories adults can really enjoy rereading.
December 11, 2025
One of the Kingscote stories; it ends with the detailed and satisfying description of the Christmas Play.
The characterisation is so perfect; I left the book wondering what sort of adult life Lois was heading for.... they just don't seem to be fictional at all!
The characterisation is so perfect; I left the book wondering what sort of adult life Lois was heading for.... they just don't seem to be fictional at all!
April 17, 2019
A girl had a Christmas Carol and she was happy that it was end of term
November 3, 2022
read for university
December 12, 2023
I am really enjoying these books - this one kept me reading till gone midnight, because I needed to know what happened! The lot kept me on the edge of my seat & the characters ring true.
July 24, 2021
Lawrie was quite annoying in this installment, but I think that was in keeping with her 14 yo age and where she was in maturity in comparison with her twin. I particularly appreciated the focus on religion and descriptions of its historical context in English society.
I found the text surprisingly dense for a children’s book and forced myself to slow down and absorb each page. This is writing about children also for adults who can understand, with the distance of time and experience, the situations and characters being portrayed in a more layered way.
The dialogue between the students, and even the staff, was exquisite; the dialogue and rounded characters with flaws are the great strengths of this series, and what puts it at a higher level than other girls’ boarding school stories.
I found the text surprisingly dense for a children’s book and forced myself to slow down and absorb each page. This is writing about children also for adults who can understand, with the distance of time and experience, the situations and characters being portrayed in a more layered way.
The dialogue between the students, and even the staff, was exquisite; the dialogue and rounded characters with flaws are the great strengths of this series, and what puts it at a higher level than other girls’ boarding school stories.
December 28, 2022
A re-read as I wanted to read about the Christmas play again
I enjoyed the book even more this time
I hadn’t noticed how much time Patrick spends looking at Miranda during the play
It is a pity that Antonia Forest did not continue the series - I wonder if she would have introduced Patrick to Miranda and developed Miranda’s interest in Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism
I enjoyed the book even more this time
I hadn’t noticed how much time Patrick spends looking at Miranda during the play
It is a pity that Antonia Forest did not continue the series - I wonder if she would have introduced Patrick to Miranda and developed Miranda’s interest in Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism
December 25, 2017
Oh I just love this book so much! It's funny and sad and clever and so Christmassy, and the description of the Nativity at the end is just beautiful. The perfect book to get me in the mood for Christmas.
July 13, 2024
Antonia Forest has a wonderful way with words but I felt this book was too bogged down with the theme of religion for it to merit more than two stars. You wanted more from it - more about the family of sisters, more about the school.
After a reread, I’ve changed it to three.
After a reread, I’ve changed it to three.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews