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Post by ashley868 on Jan 1, 2014 18:40:15 GMT -5
I am re-reading this and I found Claudia's reaction to the My Mary Anne part a little much. I know she's close to Mimi and all. I think they likely all over reacted, but that part just seemed like it was thrown in there for added drama. This was one of those books that I wish had everyones point of view in it, because I would like to know how all the girls felt about the fight in their own words. Maybe Claudia was just already emotional and stressed from the other fights to have such a reaction. I kind of laughed at her entry in the notebook. She wrote "No Fair. So there!"
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on Jan 3, 2014 14:36:41 GMT -5
^ I kind of agree with Claudia on this one. I think that Claudia just saw the "My Claudia" thing as reserved only for her and just got caught up in the moment with being hit with it being given so freely and to an enemy no less. So I think that it's understandable given that this happened in the pre-mini adult era. I agree that it would've been cool to see each get her own chapter to see each perspective. And I think that Claudia is more sensitive than a lot of people think.
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Post by ashley868 on Jan 3, 2014 16:15:29 GMT -5
Yeah but her and Mary-Anne weren't fighting at that point. They were the only two still talking after the fight, because Mary-Anne gave her an apology note and she accepted. She and Mary-Anne had made up and were hoping to try and speak to Stacey and Kristy. Then one afternoon when Mary-Anne was trying to get advice from Mimi about her father, Mimi called her "My Mary-Anne" and so Claudia flipped out and stopped speaking to Mary-Anne.
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on Jan 3, 2014 16:28:15 GMT -5
^ Oh oops. Sorry. I forgot.
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Post by ashley868 on Jan 3, 2014 17:03:26 GMT -5
It's okay. I only remember it so well because I just read that book. I am re-reading the series and I read that part and felt like it was a little much. I'd understand if Claudia and Mary-Anne were still fighting at that point but that was the reason for why Claudia stopped speaking to her. That's why I wish we could get the other girls point of views on this book. I am thinking Claudia must have just been very stressed from the fight, and more than likely school still.
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Post by sparklymouse on Jan 3, 2014 17:30:51 GMT -5
I guess it would make more sense for Claudia to be mad at Mimi than at Mary Anne, but I mostly agree with what Amalia said. "My Claudia" made Claudia feel special and important. Hearing "my Mary Anne" cheapened what "my Claudia" meant to her.
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supprazz
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,106
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Post by supprazz on Jan 4, 2014 2:02:45 GMT -5
Claudia was possessive over Mimi, I don't see how that doesn't make sense. It's like how Karen felt when Granny made name mittens for Nancy
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Post by ashley868 on Jan 4, 2014 19:17:05 GMT -5
I don't know. I guess I am the only one who thinks this. Oh well.
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celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
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Post by celaeno on Jan 4, 2014 22:50:17 GMT -5
I think Claudia overreacted, but I can totally relate to her because I am a jealous and insecure person. In this situation - where Claudia has a special, tight relationship with the one person she believe really gets her - I would probably overreact too if I thought Mimi were suddenly treating Mary Anne like she was also her special granddaughter.
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Post by ashley868 on Jan 4, 2014 23:10:28 GMT -5
I can kind of understand in a way I guess. I get kind of annoyed when my sister talks or hangs out with my friends. In the past she has stolen them from me on purpose. Like she actually went out of her way just to get them away from me, but that was when we were kids. We're in our 20s now, and she doesn't really care to do that anymore but I still always get territorial anyway. She's got a million friends and I have very few, and we don't even live in the same area anymore. I don't mind having the same friends as her at all. I just don't like for her to turn them against me.
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Post by zoar3 on Mar 8, 2014 22:28:02 GMT -5
Just finished and wish Mr. Prezzioso had been more prominent. He sounded like a good guy who was probably sometimes just over-matched by his wife's exuberance? I do love in MA and Miss Priss when he takes Jenny to play kickball at the end. Mrs. P is definitely a bit much but then I remember how she and Nick (her husband) stood up for the BSC in "Stacey and the Missing Ring." The fight, while probably very realistic still bothers me because of how horrible all the girls acted at Jamie's party. I would have liked reading about the BSC apologizing to Jamie, somehow. If even not that same day, they could have made him a card and/or all chipped in for a gift. The girls should have also, if even by card or note, apologized to Mrs.Newton. This time around I felt so sad for both Mary Anne and Richard. It did come across as MA tells is that she and her dad could have been strangers who simply shared meals. Richard didn't even know his own daughter was in 7th (not 6th) grade! I also wish Mary Anne had had some earlier connection to her mom. Always love Mimi and am so glad MA did have a friend in her, just wish we had seen that more and throughout the series. I promise not to get started on that or Louie again. O/T to above, did Jeff and the Pike triplets ever play hockey outside of this book and possibly also #5? I know Jeff was quickly moved to CA and his character became minor. I just think it might have been a positive thing for all four boys to have done and something different for us to read about.
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mallorypike
Sitting For The Papadakis's
If I were thirteen instead of eleven, life would be a picnic...
Posts: 1,636
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Post by mallorypike on Mar 13, 2014 19:25:30 GMT -5
Last night, I decided to reread this book. And, OMG, I totally forgot how much I loved this book. It's definitely a classic BSC book.
The fight MA and the BSC had was classic. The fight they had reminds me of the fights normal, average middle-school girls would have (constantly having stupid little fights which usually cause a lot of drama...).
I didn't think Claudia was overreacting about the "my Mary Anne" thing at all. I know that Claudia and Mimi were very close and it's nice to have your own special nickname from somebody very dear. So, they call somebody else practically the same nickname, it doesn't make it your own special nickname anymore. However, I don't think Claudia should have blamed MA for it. It wasn't her fault.
I understood why Kristy was mad at MA but I thought she was pretty mean in this book. MA tried to make up with her several times but Kristy refused to make up. She could barely maintain a phone conversation with MA and she slammed the door right in her face.
I loved the part when MA and Dawn first meet each other. But, I thought it was pretty shallow of MA basically thought Dawn was just PLEASANT, which is basically just a way of saying flat-out ugly. Yet, Dawn became DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS. Now that I think of it, MA is pretty different from the later books. She commented on short people being 'midgets', it was implied that Richard didn't allow MA say the word 'retarded' but uses it anyway (but, then again, back then, 'retarded' wasn't an offensive word as it is now), she thought Dawn was just pleasant, she used Dawn to "get back" at Kristy, she gossiped about this guy (his name was Alexander or something, right?) who carried around a briefcase all day and he had this "no cutsies, no backsies" rule, she called Richard a jailor (I totally laughed at that comment), etc. Any of that would NEVER happen in the later books.
I felt bad for Jamie at his birthday party when MA, Kristy, Claudia, and Stacey went out of control. I know for a FACT that, in the later books, they would have learned how to put their emotions and personal conflicts aside for their babysitting charges' sakes.
As I mentioned before, I really liked this book. Funny, entertaining, classic read! Plus, at the end, MA and Dawn got--GASP--TEN WHOLE DOLLARS!
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celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
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Post by celaeno on Mar 13, 2014 19:35:42 GMT -5
But, I thought it was pretty shallow of MA basically thought Dawn was just PLEASANT, which is basically just a way of saying flat-out ugly. I strongly disagree with this. I don't think that saying someone looks pleasant-but-not-necessarily-pretty is the same as saying someone is ugly. I don't think every person I meet is pretty (although I think some of them are pleasant looking), and I don't think that makes me shallow. I really like that Dawn was supposed to be pleasant-but-not-necessarily-pretty. I think it's annoying how later in the series, we're often reminded of how gorgeous some of the sitters are.
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mallorypike
Sitting For The Papadakis's
If I were thirteen instead of eleven, life would be a picnic...
Posts: 1,636
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Post by mallorypike on Mar 13, 2014 19:44:28 GMT -5
^ Hmm, I do see your point, celaeno. I can see that somebody could be pleasant but not exactly pretty. However, when MA first met Dawn, the first thought that came to mind was that she decided that Dawn was 'pleasant'. It almost sounded as if MA was making new friends judging on their appearances. But I could be wrong!
I agree that it is annoying how some of the sitters are sooo glamorous. I did think it was strange that Dawn went from 'pleasant' to 'drop-dead gorgeous'.
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Post by booboobrewer on Mar 13, 2014 19:44:30 GMT -5
Someone can be definitely be attractive or appealing without being conventionally pretty/handsome, which I think Dawn was (before she became drop dead gorgeous, of course!)
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