Also loved the Adventure series, these were much longer than the FF books but there were only 8 in the series. Who can forget Bill Smuggs and Kiki the parrot lol.
And Jo Jo, the eye-rolling, teeth-sucking black manservant villain from Island, who was criminally replaced by the bland white guy "Joe" in later, more PC editions. >:(
And Jo Jo, the eye-rolling, teeth-sucking black manservant villain from Island, who was criminally replaced by the bland white guy "Joe" in later, more PC editions. >:(
I've not read any Blyton books for probably 25+ years (I'm 40, but I still read them into my teens!), but I have read a few times of subtle changes to satisfy the PC brigade. From memory, I think I enjoyed the Valley of Adventure the most (they got on the wrong plane and ended up in some mysterious place abroad IIRC), then the Castle with it's creepy rooms of suits of armour etc. I'm almost tempted to re-read some of them, maybe the magic will have disappeared though reading them as an adult.
My brother, friends and I were always going off exploring old houses and barns, hoping that we'd stumble upon a mystery of some kind. We never did, so disappointing!
I like all the books in the Adventure series...
Circus was sort of James Bond-ish.
Mountain was sort of science fiction-ish.
Sea was funny... poor Mr Horace Tripalong.
Valley is probably my favourite... quite a thriller in the context of being written postwar re Nazi treasure.
My least favourite are probably Castle (didn't like the spookiness of it) and Ship.
And Jo Jo, the eye-rolling, teeth-sucking black manservant villain from Island, who was criminally replaced by the bland white guy "Joe" in later, more PC editions. >:(
I really don't think her books should be rewritten or censored for modern sensibilities, offensive they may be to us nowadays. They were of their time and reflected the prevailing social attitudes. Enid Blyton was born when Queen Victoria was on the throne,, and her formative years growing up was pre-WW1, when the British Empire was at its zenith.
Mallory towers, secret seven, famous five and the faraway tree series !
Gosh this has brought it all back to me and I am now going to have to download some on to my kindle for a recap!!
I recall that after Enid and Mallory towers, I moved on to the Sweet Valley High books. I got quite engrossed in those too.
I was an avid book reader and ended up with quite a collection! How I wish I still had all my books. ^_^
I'm a guy but I read the SVH books too. Is there a thread for them?
I really don't think her books should be rewritten or censored for modern sensibilities, offensive they may be to us nowadays. They were of their time and reflected the prevailing social attitudes. Enid Blyton was born when Queen Victoria was on the throne,, and her formative years growing up was pre-WW1, when the British Empire was at its zenith.
Agreed. The thing is, Jo Jo was a superb and memorable villain, much like Famous Five's Block from Smugglers Top, and Rooky from Get into Trouble. The decision to remove him to me suggested that black people couldn't be villains, and that is almost a racist idea by itself. I grew up in an area where there were no black people and he fascinated me, but it didn't make me think of black people as all being villains or anything. A real shame.
Am reading various of my old Enid Blyton books to my young children. They loved Book of Fairies and Book of Brownies. We are now on to the enchanted wood, as a precursor to the faraway tree. I'm planning the wishing chair series next...and then maybe the willow farm series.
I love the stories. Brings back memories of reading them myself as a child
I used to have a huge collection of Enid Blyton books when i was a child but they all disappeared when I got married and left home. I suspect my sister might have had something to do with it, although she pleads innocence.:D
I remember begging my Mum and Dad to let me go to boarding school, thankfully they didn't allow me to!
So, I was very excited when I went down to my local market last week, which they have revamped and there is a new childrens book stall.
She had all of the Famous Five books and they were only £1 each. When I went to pay i asked her about the Mallory Towers books and she said she had all those also. I asked if she would be getting any more and she said yes so I can see I am going to spend a fortune in the future.:D
I bought them ALL,well it would be rude not to wouldn't it? I am going to read them alll again and then save them for when my granddaughter is a little older and she may like to read them.
The Faraway Tree stories are to be made into a film. I always thought they were ideal for cinematic adaptation in this age of CGI. Should be good
The four novels that have been optioned for film adaptation are The Enchanted Wood, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Folk Of The Faraway Tree and Up The Faraway Tree.
Used to love reading Enid Blyton and the Magic Faraway Tree stories were read over and over again.
I think it will be lovely for some children to see this film and the stories, not to mention us adults.
Is Enid Blyton read much by children now a days?
I used to read the books to my children.
Was in Foyles and bought the special edition hardback reprint of The Island of Adventure, complete with Stuart Tresilian's illustrations.
Sadly however they have not kept the original text :mad: eg. Kiki says 'God save the Queen', instead of King, since it was written before the accession of the present Queen.
Why do they have to 'update' Enid Blyton? I don't see publishers updating Charles Dickens or Jane Austen to contemporary times
Ahh this thread brings back memories:) I loved the Famous Five, I must have read every copy in our local library as a child. I loved the Naughtiest Girl books, and the Faraway Tree series too. I remember my nanna having copies of the Mr Pinkwhistle books at her house but he always freaked me out a bit!
I'd love to re read them all, though I worry that being an adult now there would be none of the magic of reading them as a child. I think the updated versions would annoy me too!
I think I might seek out some of the other series I didn't read or know so well, such as Mallory Towers and St Clare's.
The Book People had the complete set of Malory Towers, so I bought it, followed by St Clare's. The ones written by Pamela Cox are even more far fetched than Enid's, but they all bring back fond memories.
I was a massive reader of Blyton as a child. I loved The Book of Brownies, The Wishing Chair, The Faraway Tree, The Children of Cherry Tree / Willow Farm, Mr Twiddle, Mr Meddle, Mr Pink Whistle. I even read my (girl) friend's Mallory Towers and Naughtiest Girl books!
I migrated onto Adventurous Four, the "adventure" series, Secret Seven and the daddy of them all, Famous Five as I got older.
Oh this beings back lovely memories! It is thanks to Enid Blyton's books that I love reading My favourites are:
The Magic Faraway Tree series
Twins at St Clares
Malory Towers
Famous Five
The books belonged to my older sister and she passed them down to me. I think the Magic Faraway Tree was the first book I ever read so it'l always hold a special meaning for me I used to spend ages trying to find my own magical tree in my backyard and out in the fields I think I've lost most of the books though or their covers have been torn off Going to search for them over the summer and definitely going to buy all the books..I'll be robbed but I don't care I'd love to read them all again!
Hopefully I'll have children when I'm older and then I can pass the books down to them
There's an old Famius Five book complete with slightly tattered dust jacket in a local charity shop for £10. Seems in reasonable condition but has the original owner's name written in it.
I like the fact these original books are illustrated with line drawings inside and most importantly the original text...
There's an old Famius Five book complete with slightly tattered dust jacket in a local charity shop for £10. Seems in reasonable condition but has the original owner's name written in it.
I like the fact these original books are illustrated with line drawings inside and most importantly the original text...
Worth buying?
It's a bit pricey I'd say if it's a reprint and not in that good condition. But it's good it has the dust jacket even if it's a bit tatty. I have the series in hardbacks collected over the years because I love the original illustrations, and the feel of the books generally. And as you say, it's a bonus to get the original text with none of the daft changes made in the paperback editions.
We had some Enid Blyton books as a kid . The ones I remember is the Enchanted Wood and The Faraway Tree.
With Moon-face, and the internal slide
The ladder through the cloud...
We had some Enid Blyton books as a kid . The ones I remember is the Enchanted Wood and The Faraway Tree.
With Moon-face, and the internal slide
The ladder through the cloud...
And lots of pots of tea lol.
Going back a long time, now!
My children read them too and remember them well. The slide was the slippery slip, I think, and they had to slither down on cushions which a squirrel collected at the bottom and took them back up. A neat system!
Comments
And Jo Jo, the eye-rolling, teeth-sucking black manservant villain from Island, who was criminally replaced by the bland white guy "Joe" in later, more PC editions. >:(
I've not read any Blyton books for probably 25+ years (I'm 40, but I still read them into my teens!), but I have read a few times of subtle changes to satisfy the PC brigade. From memory, I think I enjoyed the Valley of Adventure the most (they got on the wrong plane and ended up in some mysterious place abroad IIRC), then the Castle with it's creepy rooms of suits of armour etc. I'm almost tempted to re-read some of them, maybe the magic will have disappeared though reading them as an adult.
I like all the books in the Adventure series...
Circus was sort of James Bond-ish.
Mountain was sort of science fiction-ish.
Sea was funny... poor Mr Horace Tripalong.
Valley is probably my favourite... quite a thriller in the context of being written postwar re Nazi treasure.
My least favourite are probably Castle (didn't like the spookiness of it) and Ship.
I really don't think her books should be rewritten or censored for modern sensibilities, offensive they may be to us nowadays. They were of their time and reflected the prevailing social attitudes. Enid Blyton was born when Queen Victoria was on the throne,, and her formative years growing up was pre-WW1, when the British Empire was at its zenith.
Agreed. The thing is, Jo Jo was a superb and memorable villain, much like Famous Five's Block from Smugglers Top, and Rooky from Get into Trouble. The decision to remove him to me suggested that black people couldn't be villains, and that is almost a racist idea by itself. I grew up in an area where there were no black people and he fascinated me, but it didn't make me think of black people as all being villains or anything. A real shame.
I agree, I read a few Famous Five and Secret Seven but then found the Find Outers and loved them.
Fatty and his disguises were the best, to think kids these days would never go around doing that, or winding up the local bobby (Goon).
Then there's the way they'd always be in the shop having cream cakes, driving round on their bicycles and "telephoning" people.
I wonder if the modern revised editions also update the technology? 'Wireless' to kids nowadays means something to do with network connections
I love the stories. Brings back memories of reading them myself as a child
I remember begging my Mum and Dad to let me go to boarding school, thankfully they didn't allow me to!
So, I was very excited when I went down to my local market last week, which they have revamped and there is a new childrens book stall.
She had all of the Famous Five books and they were only £1 each. When I went to pay i asked her about the Mallory Towers books and she said she had all those also. I asked if she would be getting any more and she said yes so I can see I am going to spend a fortune in the future.:D
I bought them ALL,well it would be rude not to wouldn't it? I am going to read them alll again and then save them for when my granddaughter is a little older and she may like to read them.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29706443
O.M.G
I think it will be lovely for some children to see this film and the stories, not to mention us adults.
Is Enid Blyton read much by children now a days?
I used to read the books to my children.
Sadly however they have not kept the original text :mad: eg. Kiki says 'God save the Queen', instead of King, since it was written before the accession of the present Queen.
Why do they have to 'update' Enid Blyton? I don't see publishers updating Charles Dickens or Jane Austen to contemporary times
I'd love to re read them all, though I worry that being an adult now there would be none of the magic of reading them as a child. I think the updated versions would annoy me too!
I think I might seek out some of the other series I didn't read or know so well, such as Mallory Towers and St Clare's.
I migrated onto Adventurous Four, the "adventure" series, Secret Seven and the daddy of them all, Famous Five as I got older.
The Magic Faraway Tree series
Twins at St Clares
Malory Towers
Famous Five
The books belonged to my older sister and she passed them down to me. I think the Magic Faraway Tree was the first book I ever read so it'l always hold a special meaning for me
Hopefully I'll have children when I'm older and then I can pass the books down to them
I like the fact these original books are illustrated with line drawings inside and most importantly the original text...
Worth buying?
It's a bit pricey I'd say if it's a reprint and not in that good condition. But it's good it has the dust jacket even if it's a bit tatty. I have the series in hardbacks collected over the years because I love the original illustrations, and the feel of the books generally. And as you say, it's a bonus to get the original text with none of the daft changes made in the paperback editions.
With Moon-face, and the internal slide
The ladder through the cloud...
And lots of pots of tea lol.
Going back a long time, now!
My children read them too and remember them well. The slide was the slippery slip, I think, and they had to slither down on cushions which a squirrel collected at the bottom and took them back up. A neat system!