Enid Blyton wrote one f*** of a lot of books.

[krtek a houby]

I had Noddy first, then the Famous Five and eventually the Secret Seven. Good kids stuff but very much of their time.

 

[fakeplasticgirl]

Well I enjoyed her books and fuck miserable cunts of mothers who wouldn't let their kids read a book because it wasn't up to some poxy fucking vocabulary standard.

Fuck the h8trz.

Agreed I don't think 5 year olds are supposed to be reading Dostoyevsky...

 

[QueenOfGoths]

I never read her books same as I never read any Beatrix Potter - not due to any objection on the part of my parents or myself but just that I was a quite a horrid, lazy contrary child who refused to read. Except Dr. Seuss, but that had pictures so I forced myself!

 

[krtek a houby]

I never read her books same as I never read any Beatrix Potter - not due to any objection on the part of my parents or myself but just that I was a quite a horrid, lazy contrary child who refused to read. Except Dr. Seuss, but that had pictures so I forced myself!

Oh, loved Dr Seuss! Those wacky illustrations were so out there.

 

[QueenOfGoths]

Oh, loved Dr Seuss! Those wacky illustrations were so out there.

 

[Kizmet]

I used to love Enid Blyton's books. They had an 'old England', 'jolly hockeysticks', 'midnight feast' kind of feel to them that I only had access to through books.

Can't tell you how gutted I was at 14 to be told by one of my mum's beautiful, young (enough to fancy by a 14 year old) work friends that Enid was a old fashioned bigot and then given a tape of Julia Fordham to listen to instead. I went home and re read a few. I couldn't believe I'd missed it all before... my experience of England was so far removed from the England of the books that I didn't make a connection. They were almost like historical fiction. But viewed in a more contemporary context the stereotypes, bigotry and classism were so obvious that I put them down again, and in my misery put on the Julia Fordham album.

As good and 'right on' as it was... I can't help feeling that I got the shitty end of the poostick on that one.

In a semi-interesting addendum to that story, Julia Fordham's brother rehearses at my studio. I told him his sister damaged my childhood years. I am now officially at war with the Fordhams.

 

[*Miss Daisy*]

I loved Enid Blyton...Famous 5 and The Enchanted Wood Series (Magic Faraway Tree) - I'm currently reading The Enchanted Wood to my son

 

[DotCommunist]

Mallory Towers

 

[Plumdaff]

I read St Claire's and Mallory Towers avidly as a kid, mostly for the midnight feasts and outdoor swimming pool envy - but even then, I remember thinking the "heros" could be awful petty bitches and there was some class snobbery going on. As a younger kid I loved the Magic Tree books as well. I think they're fine for kids of a certain age and they will move on to something more interesting soon enough - isn't repetition of vocabulary useful in learning - one of the reasons small children like stories over and over - up to a certain point too?

 

[weepiper]

I read tons of Enid Blyton as a little kid... Faraway Tree etc were my favourites but I read a lot of the detectivey ones too. Yes they're formulaic but they're considerably more interesting than the formulaic kids' series that are out there now (Rainbow pissing Fairies, Beast Quest, Horrid Henry etc etc)

 

[quimcunx]

Mallory Towers

Quite right too, dotty. They were good stuff. I don't want to see you complain about the Harry Potter books again, though.


St. Clares had Carlotta. I may have had a girl crush on her.

As a little scottish girl I thought that their names had more to do with being English than being posh or outdated, or that English people were like this and all had names like Amelia and Veronica and needed a good slap. However I seem to have neatly blanked out that my own name is very Enid Blyton.

 

[Edie]

I spent most of my early childhood really badly wanting to live in the world of the Famous Five rather than south London

 

[krtek a houby]

In the telly series in the 70s I used to have a crush on Anne

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I spent most of my early childhood really badly wanting to live in the world of the Famous Five rather than south London

I spent most of my early childhood really badly wanting to live in South London rather than the world of the Famous Five. Dreams can come true!

 

[Edie]

I spent most of my early childhood really badly wanting to live in South London rather than the world of the Famous Five. Dreams can come true!

why am I still in a council house then?

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I have no idea. I only do downwardly mobile.

 

[Kizmet]

Are they better than Orange?

 

[tim]

She wrote a lot of books, but I don't remember this one from my childhood

BBC News - Seven plead guilty to violent disorder during riot

Seven plead guilty to violent disorder during Hartlepool riot

Several others enter pleas of not guilty following outbreaks of violence across Teesside.

www.bbc.com

 

[Happy Tree]

Faraway Tree, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Mallory Towers, Mr Pink Whistle. My favourite books were The Adventurous Four and Tuppeny, Feefo and Jinks. All the classics. I never saw the appeal of Ginger Beer, however.

 

[Yossarian]

So she released dozens of books a year, sometimes working at incredible speed, regularly recycling plots and settings - are we sure she wasn't AI-nid Blyton?

 

[DaveCinzano]

I was never particularly into the Famous Five or Secret Seven or Noddy books, but I loved the various linen-covered, landscape ones published by Brockhampton, featuring characters like Bom the Little Drummer Boy and Mary Mouse

Rare Books, Collectible Books & 2nd Hand MARY MOUSE Books

13 rare books, collectible books & second hand books listed in the "MARY MOUSE" category.

stellabooks.com

 

[Sasaferrato]

was enid a racist do you think?

I dunno, but Agatha Christie...