#finishing school

[chaptertwo-thepacnw]

frances dee |1934|

[marypickfords]

Finishing School (Wanda Tuchock & George Nichols Jr., 1934)

[cultivating-wildflowers]

You’re on the third book already?? Omg!! Do you mind if I ask your thoughts?

I just started it! My library has the audiobooks 😅 And ABSOLUTELY I will share my thoughts!

First, on the audiobooks themselves, I LOVE the narrator. She does a fantastic job with the dialogue and pacing. My only complaint is that she mispronounces Sidheag's name. She says "sid-hey" instead of "she-ah" (or "she-ak"??).

The books themselves are so so much fun. The cast is obviously the best part, and I love how every character, even the minor ones, stands out. I keep getting a couple of the teachers mixed up, but otherwise they're all very distinct characters who serve the story well. Sophronia's friend group is delightful. And Sophronia herself was a pleasant surprise. Based on her introduction, I was worried we'd get the usual fare of a girl going "Oh, but I don't want to go to finishing school and be made into a lady! I want to wear trousers and climb trees and read books and be independent!" and then sulk for the whole story. Sophronia took it as an intriguing challenge and leaned into the quirkiness, and doesn't complain about corsets and dresses all the time, which I loved. (As the overarching story progresses, she's turning more toward the very special, very cool young person poised to stun the world with her prowess, which I'm iffy about, but I still love her character.)

And I ADORE a good steampunk Victorian setting, and Carriger writes hers so well. Some reviews point out that this is a YA spin-off of an existing adult series, so she spends less time explaining the world of the story, but it doesn't feel like the world-building is lacking; for me it's a perfect balance of explaining some details and letting the reader extrapolate the rest. The characters have relatively historically appropriate sensibilities and tastes and approaches to life (insofar as they can when vampires and werewolves exist), which I really appreciate.

The writing itself? Splendid. There's fun and hijinks balanced by moments of gravity, like when Sophronia realizes this isn't all a game and her actions can have devastating consequences. The pacing flows so well without feeling rushed. I would have liked to see more of the classes, especially in the first story, but it makes sense why those were summarized in favor of developing character arcs.

The only thing that confuses me is character ages. Sophronia starts out at 14, and I assumed it was a young-ish 14, but then about a year later she's already 16 and I don't think there was any mention of her birthday. I do like her being a little older given the developing romance plot line, but I'm still a bit lost there. (Also, this is just personal taste, but it's weird to me that the werewolves are functionally immortal and [I think??] women don't turn into werewolves. Weird choices to me.)

Oh, and I'm not a fan of the grumbling about how restrictive corsets and skirts are but, again, that's mostly personal taste lol.

Anyway, it's all very fun and light-hearted and a good change from the volume of horror I read in October. I would love to hear more of your thoughts on them! But keep in mind that I'm only like four chapters into the third book.

[oldfilmsflicker]

new-to-me #745 - Finishing School

[ohfiddlefrancesdee]

Publicity Photo for “Finishing School”

1934 - With Frances Dee and Bruce Cabot

[coffeelovinggayidiot]

I'm happy to say that I'm FINALLY done with my twelve years of school. I can now proudly declair that I HATED every second of it :)

[athomewithladylux]

How to do fine dining

Mastering dining etiquette can seem intimidating at first, but with practice and patience, it will soon become second nature. Remember, the most important thing is to enjoy yourself!

Your napkin

Using your napkin properly is an important part of dining etiquette, especially in high-end restaurants. Here's how to use your napkin to signal when you're finished with a meal or returning to your seat:

When you're finished with your meal:

Place your napkin on the table to the left of your plate, folded neatly with the soiled side down.

Avoid placing your napkin on your chair. I don't know why people do this but don't.

If you leave the table during the meal, place your napkin on your seat. This signals to the waitstaff that you're not finished with your meal and will be returning shortly.

Using your cutlery and glasses properly can also help signal to the waitstaff when you're finished with a course or need something. Here are some guidelines

Your cutlery and glasses

When you're finished with a course, place your knife and fork together in the center of the plate, blade of the knife facing inward, and tines of the fork facing downward. Some people put them in the 3 o'clock position.

If you're just taking a break, place your knife and fork on either side of your plate, with the handles resting where you can easily get them.

When drinking wine, hold the glass by the stem, not the bowl, to avoid warming the wine with your hand.

If you're finished with your wine, leave the glass on the table. If you'd like more, you can hold the glass by the stem and raise it slightly off the table when the waitstaff come by to check on you.

Practice and time makes these feel natural. If this is 100% new to you but you need to master dining etiquette for a corporate event, a formal occasion, or just so you're comfortable at That Restaurant, treat yourself to a properly laid table once a week and get used to it. It'll become natural!

[dollmonger]

I'm wrapping up my final day of schooling tomorrow, stepping into ETERNITY. Feeling pretty excited about that. Anddddd….HEEY, I'm starting a new job come August to rake in some cold, hard cash.

[womansfilm]

Finishing School (1934)

[chaptertwo-thepacnw]

finishing school |1934|

[marypickfords]

Finishing School (Wanda Tuchock & George Nichols Jr., 1934)

[evansoverhere]

Exams are a week away, and I am so not ready.

[a-person-who-likes-musicals]

The pistons are emo, and this is amazing.

[nikihawkes]

Book Review: Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

Book Review: Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

Title: Etiquette and Espionage Author: Gail Carriger Series: Finishing School #1 Genre: YA Urban Fantasy Rating: 3/5 stars The Overview: Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners–and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is…

[purple-cat-demon]

This was sent to me and it deadass made me stop mid-thought to click on it… 🤣

How to Ride a Werewolf

Now remember, a lady rides sidesaddle, NOT astride. Your mother would be in hysterics at the very idea that a daughter of hers would ride a werewolf astride! Why, next you’ll be showing ankle…

[anneofteenfables]

Etiquette & Espionage

Title: Etiquette & Espionage

Author: Gail Carriger

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Length: 9 hours

Summary:

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Review:

Much like Cress, I’ve read Etiquette & Espionage before but didn’t remember much of it. Rereading it on a whim, I found it to be better than I remembered. I remembered the vague premise of it but it was much funnier and more feminist than I remember. Though some moments were a bit repetitive, it wasn’t overbearing or too annoying.��

I think almost every part of this book would’ve been the best part of a lesser book. It’s witty and clever but not too pretentious. I really enjoy that the main character, Sophronia, is a “covert recruit” and we as the reader can be introduced to this absurd world the same time that she is. Sophronia has heard of werewolves and vampires but has never met one so when we as the reader are introduced to each, so is she. She is also being dumped headfirst into this world full of evil geniuses and dangerous spies. Her finishing school teaches her how to finish in more ways than one, Sophronia and the audience all figure out together that Mademoiselle Geraldine’s is more than it seems. I appreciated that unlike the typical normal person entering a magical world story, Sophronia isn’t slow on the uptake. She still struggles in some situations because she doesn’t understand the social rules of this new society of espionage but she catches on quickly and even excels in other situations. I also appreciate that there’s not really any clunky exposition or lore drop scene, most other characters will either assume that Sophronia understands or they’ll explain it in a casual way. Often the people around her will just say something unusual and Sophronia eventually figures it out or it’s left as a funny absurd joke. Sophronia is smart and clever and makes a space for herself in this society. She’s still a bit of an outsider and often doesn’t feel comfortable or understand certain things but she makes friends and doesn’t ever feel bad for herself.

I truly enjoyed how feminist this book is. Unlike the book I DNF’d before starting The Elegant Escapade, Etiquette & Espionage doesn’t sell itself as a feminist book. However, it’s more feminist than the book that shall not be named. Sophronia has many female friends (and a few male ones) and they all support each other. The ‘mean girl’ in this story, Monique, isn’t just snobby, she has done something actually wrong against Sophronia. Sophronia isn’t just a meek victim though, she also acts out against Monique. A vast majority of the cast is female and all relatively strongly built. They aren’t all tomboys, as most historical fiction books seem to think is the only way a girl can be feminist. Many of them are very feminine, as this is a finishing school, and they all abide by the restrictive rules of Victorian society. However, they are all very capable, they can do a million things with a hair ribbon or a pair of stays. They are spies and killers who outsmart men time and again and support each other. It’s never a book that says overtly, girls can do everything boys can do, it’s a book that makes it clear by showing girls overpower and fool boys and men. 

Despite having read this book multiple times before, I never read any of the other books in the series. I also just recently learned it’s a spin-off series within a larger world. I can’t wait to read more of the Finishing School books and hopefully more Gail Carriger books. I really enjoy this paranormal steampunk world. I like the Bumbersnoot, the mechanimal and all of the fun side characters. I hope the rest of the books are as well written and witty as Etiquette & Espionage.

Divider: @/cafekitsune

Header paintings: Portrait of Baronne de Rothschild by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres + A Shocking Announcement by Vittorio Reggianini