Again, Truepenny asks for book recommendations

[truepenny]

A conversation on someone else's LJ reminded me of a long-standing curiosity. And now that, hey, I have people around who are extraordinarily well-read, I thought I'd pose the question.

Books about boarding schools that get it right.

There's a long post I made back in December about a number of reasons why Diana Wynne Jones's Witch Week is a better res (Latin for "thing"--I can't think of a word for what I want) than the Harry Potter books. One of those reasons is that Rowling's vision of what boarding school is like doesn't ring true, even to an American reader such as myself. But, when I grumble, Someone ought to write a book that does this properly, I can't put my money where my mouth is, because I don't actually know what I'm talking about. I can just tell a dreamy delusion when I see one. So I'm interested in finding books that achieve a more accurate representation.

Obviously, if the book is sf/f/h, that's a big bonus, but for the purposes of this book-quest, it's the boarding-school-ness I'm looking for. All suggestions welcome and appreciated!

Comments

[heresluck]

Exactly. But not everyone remembers that part, as it is by far the least exciting section of the book. Just wanted to jog your memory, is all. :p

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Whereas I remember that bit because Helen annoys me so very very much.

Sometimes, Charlotte Bronte is a terrible prig.

[vass]

I tried to read Johnson's Rasselas, and it's all her fault.

I'll try again some time when I'm not trying to be a proper Victorian girl.