Re-reading Enid Blyton

ana s

Nice article about the power of children's lit and the experience of re-reading http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/25/re-reading-the-famous-five-and-the-biggles-series-is-not-only-disappointing-its-mystifying?

I remember being utterly entranced by Blyton and completely immersed in her worlds. Looking back I can't get past my inner critic. Yet other books: Peter Pan, Wind in the Willows, Alice etc now seem richer.

Liz

I read 'The Secret Island' so much it wore out, even after I was a child, into my teens. What her books were about was escapism into another world where real world rules did not apply. Where we could be heroes despite being children. Where bad was trounced and all that was good triumphed. At the time what was 'bad' and what was 'good' was seen differently to how it is now, she tended to package good and bad with classes and types of people, so what the books were built upon has no value or reality for us now.

Animals (where there are no 'classes' and our view of certain species remains roughly the same) and fantasy which is always going to be fantasy is going to be less date-able.

Phots Moll

I enjoyed the books as a child. I doubt I would now and for that reason I won't re read them.

Johnnywriter

I recently re-read The Faraway Tree books (to get me in the mindset for my novel - don't ask) I was disappointed to discover that in the editions I purchased the character names have changed. Fanny is now Franny, Bessie is Beth, Dick is Rick and Dame Slap is Dame Snap and she shouts at people instead of slapping them.

I understand times change, but why butcher old stories to bring them up to date? Old stories, whether they age well or not, are a glimpse into the past and should remain that way.

This probably tainted my opinion of them this time around, but I definitely think Blytons imagination carried her writing ability.

lindsayl

The Secret Island was my favourite too, Liz. I just adored it. I loved the fact that they were self sufficient, even bringing their own cow, if I remember correctly, and I hero worshipped Jack. I loved the school stories too and I used to sneak them into my room even when my Mum felt I was too old for them and should be reading more challenging novels. My own daughter enjoyed them when she was small but quickly became annoyed by the sexism and snobbery and moved on. There are so many brilliant children's authors available now. I guess we just had fewer options.

sallyj

I loved the Faraway Tree too - read it to my children, but used my old books so nothing was changed.
I was also a great fan of Malory Towers & Famous Five. Enjoyed them just as much when I read them to my daughters.

Tiny Nell

I was rapt when my teacher read The Wishing Chair to the class. I had to have that book! My mum bought it for me and I was absolutely exhilarated. From then, I couldn't get enough.

I saved all my Enid Blyton books for my girls, but they didn't have the same reaction at all... maybe because they had so many other books, maybe because they seemed old-fashioned, but it was because of Enid Blyton that I began to write as a child.

A reviewer compared one of my books to Enid Blyton's adventures, so something must have rubbed off on me!

Wordy

I spent part of my teaching career working with children who were having problems with reading. Parents often needed convincing they shouldn't be pushing their children to read ever more difficult books but let them read for relaxation and enjoyment as they did as adults. One Mum got out all her Enid Blyton books and left them around for her son to read and he gobbled them up with enthusiasm and went on to become a happy reader of all sorts of books. I think it was the pace of the books that helped. Even when I read them as a child I knew it was fantasy for real children to have the adventures but it didn't make them any the less enjoyable.

Tristram_Shandy

I had The Wishing Chair as a child. I think that was the only Enid Blyton book I read. But I can't remember it beyond knowing I enjoyed it!

Nefertari

My favourites were The Naughtiest Girl series. Read them over and over.
My daughter liked the Faraway Tree series, they were bedtime reading but I can't get my granddaughter interested in them at all, she prefers Roald Dahl. However the new film about the Faraway characters may get her interested.

Liz

Actually, the pace of the Enid Blyton's irritated me at the time, it takes ages for each adventure to start and all the action is often at the back of the book.

I loved them all though - I was given '5 have fun at the circus' first, given to me to read (when I was 7 and ill in bed) by a neighbour.

The secret sevens' were too young for me, and the ones with the little black dog... (or was that the secret sevens?). I loved the Adventure series best. Never read 'The Faraway Tree'.

Loved Naughtiest Girl, did read the St Clare's and Mallory Towers series and loved them both.

I wanted to be Daryll. And a twin.

Did have Noddy when I was little.

Nefertari

Oh and I loved Shadow the Sheep Dog , cried at the bit when the gypsies poison him.

Tiny Nell

I don't remember Shadow! Never keen on Noddy. Thought he was a bit silly.

I loved The Naughtiest Girl, too, as well as all the boarding school stories, The Famous Five and Secret Seven... oh, and mustn't forget Mr Pinkwhistle - or Mr Twiddle who thought his daffodil bulbs were onions.

Ah, nostalgia...

Liz

Kiki. And the black spaniel.. what was his name?

Stan2

My son was a fan of Famous Five and Secret Seven. Maureen read them to him
at bedtime. She didn't like Mr Twiddle so I read that to him and enjoyed the
stories. He had most of the FF & SS on tapes. I think he still has those tapes.

Lizy

I had the Secret Seven books for so many years that all my children ead them and I've recently handed them down to my grandsons.

Claudia

Confession time: I have never read an Enid Blyton book. I had a think about it when I saw this thread - all my memorable childhood books featured animals rather than people.

Lizy

Not even Noddy and Bigears?

"gasps"

ana s

Brer Rabbit - distinctive feeling of life at the bottom of the food chain, surviving on wits but only just. The muscular menace of Brer Bear hidden under an apron. I loved all that.

Tiny Nell

I remember Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby... well, the title and a black and white picture of said tar baby, anyway...

Claudia

Not even Noddy and Bigears?

"gasps"

Not really, no. My first book that I actually remember being able to read was about a mouse and I loved my Rupert Bear annuals. Virtually all the books I borrowed from the library as a child were animal based, before I progressed to books like Black Beauty.

Tiny Nell

I spent ages colouring in the drawings of Rupert Bear in one of my books. Could have been worth a fortune.