I've also got all the Faraway Tree books which I love. Mine are the ones my Mum read as a child so they star Jo, Fanny, Bess, their cousin Dick and Dame Slap. None of this Joe, Frannie, Beth, cousin Rick and Dame Snap nonsense.
Oh yes they renamed the characters for the cartoon series because of the Fanny & Dick names also Dame Slap was deemed inappropriate as she used corporal punishment.
They also renamed the pixie in the Wishing Chair series Jigs as in the original book he is called Chinky haha
I re-read Saturday Night and Sunday Morning last year and it still stands up as good literature. Very evocative of post-war Northern Britain and how much better things were for the average working man than they had been for his pre-war equivalent.
Yep. Children's books are great, you have to put actual stories in them. Diana Wynne Jones is probably my favourite author, and I read a lot of other YA stuff, especially in SF and fantasy.
Like you my young adult reading is mostly in the sci-fi and fantasy genre.
The three Hunger Games books were the best thing I read last year!
And yes, have always read them. There are some fantastic writers for kids _ David Almond, Alan Garner, William Nicholson, Phillip Pullman, Tolkien's 'The Hobbit', of course... I have never grown out of Richmal Crompton's 'William' books, either.
I've tried and better tried to read The Hunger Games trilogy, just can't get into them at all. Will keep persevering though as I have them on Kindle so it's easy to go back to.
I do! Children's books often have hidden depths you miss as a child, or they are just great fuel for the imagination. I would collect children's books if I had the money/space. I think they're lovely, especially older ones when it comes to illustrations.
So glad to see that I'm not the only one that still enjoys Enid Blyton books sometimes.
I think I'm in the minority here though but I've always preferred The St. Clare's and The Secret Seven Series, instead of Malory Towers and The Famous Five.
Yes, loads of them. Just read all of the so far published Percy Jackson novels and quite enjoyed them.
Yes and one of my other favourite books, Neverwhere.
Like you my young adult reading is mostly in the sci-fi and fantasy genre.
I've tried and better tried to read The Hunger Games trilogy, just can't get into them at all. Will keep persevering though as I have them on Kindle so it's easy to go back to.
Have you tried the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness?
So glad to see that I'm not the only one that still enjoys Enid Blyton books sometimes.
I think I'm in the minority here though but I've always preferred The St. Clare's and The Secret Seven Series, instead of Malory Towers and The Famous Five.
I didn't really like any of her books except for maybe the Malory Towers ones. They all seemed so silly and the some of the characters were treated really badly. You can see that Enid Blyton wasn't a very nice person herself, the way she gave some names like "Fathead" and "Fatty" and so on. The characters seem to have no depth to them and all have to have the same values as Enid Blyton herself and the things that they do are just so impossible, i.e The Famous Five and the Secret Seven.
Yes,Dr Seuss's The Cat In The Hat and The Lorax, I was scared of The Once-ler as a child,:o the Lorax cartoon Once-ler was even more scary, he looked like a plant,:o:o however, The Once-ler in the recent Lorax film isn't scary at all, he's a little too easy on the eye for that!:D:):kitty:;):cool:
Have you tried the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness?
No, I hadn't heard of him or that series, have just had a quick squizz to see what they're about, not sure they're my kind of thing but will see if anyone I know has them that I can borrow.
I reread part of a Malory Towers book recently and was surprised at how nasty and bitchy Darrell was. I never noticed that as a child but I can't imagine a children's story being written nowadays with someone like that being presented as the heroine.
Another Enid Blyton fan here, of the originals though, not the newer PC ones. Particularly the Naughtiest Girl in the school series, the Secret Island, Mallory Towers, The Faraway Tree and the Wishing Chair. Love them all.
I didn't really like any of her books except for maybe the Malory Towers ones. They all seemed so silly and the some of the characters were treated really badly. You can see that Enid Blyton wasn't a very nice person herself, the way she gave some names like "Fathead" and "Fatty" and so on. The characters seem to have no depth to them and all have to have the same values as Enid Blyton herself and the things that they do are just so impossible, i.e The Famous Five and the Secret Seven.
"Melisande" was christened "Smellisande" by "Susan" which was a horrible name to call a poor girl who has had a house fire. This must have been disturbing to me when I was a child as I could remember the nastiness when I read the book "Six Cousins On Mistletoe Farm" again last year.
I reread part of a Malory Towers book recently and was surprised at how nasty and bitchy Darrell was. I never noticed that as a child but I can't imagine a children's story being written nowadays with someone like that being presented as the heroine.
I agree! Definitely a nasty piece of work with her uncontrollable temper, and so smug, looking down on the characters who weren't good at games and swimming. Yuk. As another poster mentioned, I did love the Adventure series by Enid Blyton (Island, Castle etc) - and original text preferred too! The last time I read "Castle", the character of Tassie the gypsy girl had been changed to "wild girl"!!
No, I hadn't heard of him or that series, have just had a quick squizz to see what they're about, not sure they're my kind of thing but will see if anyone I know has them that I can borrow.
fantastic books, not my usual thing either but read all three in about a week. Highly recommended!
I love YA fiction, and review it for my blog, I find Ya authors take themselves less seriously and can have more fun with a story than adult fiction writers.
I agree! Definitely a nasty piece of work with her uncontrollable temper, and so smug, looking down on the characters who weren't good at games and swimming. Yuk. As another poster mentioned, I did love the Adventure series by Enid Blyton (Island, Castle etc) - and original text preferred too! The last time I read "Castle", the character of Tassie the gypsy girl had been changed to "wild girl"!!
I love Kiki the cockatoo in the Adventure books
ps. Is there an Enid Blyton books discussion thread?
I used to read, as a child, my brother's books of 'Jennings and Darbyshire' by Antohny Buckeridge. They were really entertaining and I developed a crush on one of the school's teachers, Mr Carter who was the tolerant one of the mischevous boys. Great fun.
I used to read, as a child, my brother's books of 'Jennings and Darbyshire' by Antohny Buckeridge. They were really entertaining and I developed a crush on one of the school's teachers, Mr Carter who was the tolerant one of the mischevous boys. Great fun.
Oh yes, Jennings! Personally I loved Old Wilkie, a complete nutter. Wish I'd had him as a teacher, LOL. If the books were made into a film or TV series I could just imagine John Cleese in that role
I agree! Definitely a nasty piece of work with her uncontrollable temper, and so smug, looking down on the characters who weren't good at games and swimming. Yuk. As another poster mentioned, I did love the Adventure series by Enid Blyton (Island, Castle etc) - and original text preferred too! The last time I read "Castle", the character of Tassie the gypsy girl had been changed to "wild girl"!!
The greatest crime of political correctness was to get rid of one of the most distinct and memorable Enid Blyton villains, that of Jo-Jo, the black manservant in Island of Adventure. I think it is because of the pidgin English and eye-rolling idiocy that he displays which was perhaps considered controversial, but the conclusion reveals that this was an act, and that he was a devious and cunning antagonist. The bland "Joe", a white guy no less, that replaced him in later revisions has nowhere near the same impact. An utter shame.
Comments
Oh yes they renamed the characters for the cartoon series because of the Fanny & Dick names also Dame Slap was deemed inappropriate as she used corporal punishment.
They also renamed the pixie in the Wishing Chair series Jigs as in the original book he is called Chinky haha
Also love the Beaver Towers books (posted on the first page), that witch still scares the life out of me!
Most definately not a childrens book.
Yes and one of my other favourite books, Neverwhere.
Like you my young adult reading is mostly in the sci-fi and fantasy genre.
I've tried and better tried to read The Hunger Games trilogy, just can't get into them at all. Will keep persevering though as I have them on Kindle so it's easy to go back to.
I think I'm in the minority here though but I've always preferred The St. Clare's and The Secret Seven Series, instead of Malory Towers and The Famous Five.
Re-reading as an adult so do I!
They were proper nasty to her weren't they
Have you tried the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness?
I didn't really like any of her books except for maybe the Malory Towers ones. They all seemed so silly and the some of the characters were treated really badly. You can see that Enid Blyton wasn't a very nice person herself, the way she gave some names like "Fathead" and "Fatty" and so on. The characters seem to have no depth to them and all have to have the same values as Enid Blyton herself and the things that they do are just so impossible, i.e The Famous Five and the Secret Seven.
No, I hadn't heard of him or that series, have just had a quick squizz to see what they're about, not sure they're my kind of thing but will see if anyone I know has them that I can borrow.
I reread part of a Malory Towers book recently and was surprised at how nasty and bitchy Darrell was. I never noticed that as a child but I can't imagine a children's story being written nowadays with someone like that being presented as the heroine.
"Melisande" was christened "Smellisande" by "Susan" which was a horrible name to call a poor girl who has had a house fire. This must have been disturbing to me when I was a child as I could remember the nastiness when I read the book "Six Cousins On Mistletoe Farm" again last year.
I agree! Definitely a nasty piece of work with her uncontrollable temper, and so smug, looking down on the characters who weren't good at games and swimming. Yuk. As another poster mentioned, I did love the Adventure series by Enid Blyton (Island, Castle etc) - and original text preferred too! The last time I read "Castle", the character of Tassie the gypsy girl had been changed to "wild girl"!!
fantastic books, not my usual thing either but read all three in about a week. Highly recommended!
I love YA fiction, and review it for my blog, I find Ya authors take themselves less seriously and can have more fun with a story than adult fiction writers.
I say, rather! They were absolutely beastly to her
Nowadays it would be classed as bullying behaviour.
I reckon Gwendoline had underlying low self esteem issues
I love Kiki the cockatoo in the Adventure books
ps. Is there an Enid Blyton books discussion thread?
Oh yes, Jennings! Personally I loved Old Wilkie, a complete nutter. Wish I'd had him as a teacher, LOL. If the books were made into a film or TV series I could just imagine John Cleese in that role
The greatest crime of political correctness was to get rid of one of the most distinct and memorable Enid Blyton villains, that of Jo-Jo, the black manservant in Island of Adventure. I think it is because of the pidgin English and eye-rolling idiocy that he displays which was perhaps considered controversial, but the conclusion reveals that this was an act, and that he was a devious and cunning antagonist. The bland "Joe", a white guy no less, that replaced him in later revisions has nowhere near the same impact. An utter shame.