The Enid Blyton Society

Which for the famous five of these do you perfer?
I prefer the eileen soper ones as they really do look like them what do you think??

Definitely Eileen Soper!

I was brought up with Betty Maxey, but I always hated them, they looked so wrong. I know it has been pointed out to me that BM's illustrations were a product of their time, a p.o.v which with I agree, but it doesn't make me like them!

ES's illustrations fit the stories so much better, and when I first saw them it was like a breath of fresh air!

Eileen Soper or Betty Maxey: which of these do you prefer for the Famous Five?

When I began reading the Famous Fives in the late 1970s, all the new paperbacks available had illustrations by Betty Maxey. So I came to identify the Five with her illustrations (I even copied Dick's hairstyle!), and found the few Soper-illustrated books in the library rather odd. However, I now prefer Soper for the period setting, because Maxey's illustrations"”an attempt to make the Five "contemporary""”seem frozen in the 1970s.

Maxey evokes greater nostalgia though. If you mention the Famous Five, the pictures that come into my head are Maxey's, especially that of Timmy. Soper's Timmy hints at some pedigree somewhere, whereas Maxey's Timmy looks a complete mutt. :)

Eileen Soper was the best illustrator of Enid Blytons Famous Five Series. Her style is distinctive and once remembered will be able pick up on her drawings straight away, once seen never forgotton!

There's not even a comparison to make!

Although Soper's illustrations are older, they capture the Famous Five much better than Maxey's illustrations and haven't dated so much either! I personally would never by a FF book illustrated by Maxey. It just wouldn't be the same. Although if I had grown up with Maxey illustrations that might change a little because of the nostalgia involved. Looking objectively though, Soper's are in a completely different league.

My Famous Five books date from the 1970s, and some are illustrated by Eileen Soper while others are illustrated by Betty Maxey. While I agree that the Soper illustrations are special, and full of atmosphere, the Betty Maxey ones are not at all bad and hold a certain nostalgia for me. I like her pictures of Kirrin Island, and of Faynights Castle, though the Soper pictures do have the edge.

Anita

My Green Knight paperbacks from the 70's had the Eileen Soper illustrations. From a nostalgic standpoint and also for their originality these cant be beaten. I've only recently seen the Maxey illustrations since picking a couple of Two-in-one editions up from a charity shop. They are not bad but to these eyes they lack a certain something .

lucky Star wrote:They are not bad but to these eyes they lack a certain something .

Er, do you mean socks

Viv

I grew up with Betty Maxey's illustrations and hated them even then. Definitely Eileen Soper for me. But if you want to see some really non-Famous-Five-like illustrations, look no further than Jolyne Knox's work in a 1993 Award Publication of Five On a Treasure Island:



In case you're wondering, the guy in the middle is Uncle Quentin.

Viv of Ginger Pop wrote:

lucky Star wrote:They are not bad but to these eyes they lack a certain something .

Er, do you mean socks

Viv

You have socks on the brain Viv. Its difficult to see on the Maxey illustrations as the five are wearing what appear to be flared jeans and trainers. With such attire though it would be normal to wear socks. However in Sopers illustrations for Five have plenty of fun they are clearly not wearing any socks.

Keith Robinson Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 12:07 am Post subject: Re: Eileen soper or Betty Maxey

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But if you want to see some really non-Famous-Five-like illustrations, look no further than Jolyne Knox's work in a 1993 Award Publication of Five On a Treasure Island:

I've never seen any illustrations by this artist before. They certainly don't fit my idea of the Famous Five! I think I'd be horrified if I bought a Famous Five book with illustrations like that.

I grew up with a mixture of hand-me-down Famous Five books from my cousins, and have always preferred the Eileen Soper illustrations because they are exactly how I picture the Famous Five in my head. I like the Betty Maxwell illustrations too, but they just don't seem to fit the stories, being from a completely different era.

Keith Robinson wrote: But if you want to see some really non-Famous-Five-like illustrations, look no further than Jolyne Knox's work in a 1993 Award Publication of Five On a Treasure Island:



In case you're wondering, the guy in the middle is Uncle Quentin.

Is it only me, or does anyone else see a striking similarity between Uncle Quentin and Tony?

moonraker wrote:Is it only me, or does anyone else see a striking similarity between Uncle Quentin and Tony?

You are quite right, it is only you!!!!!!!

I have to confess my first ever images of the Famous Five were actually from the 1970s TV series - so Betty Maxey's children at first looked more 'accurate' to me. Eileen Soper's looked really odd and wrong. Yes, George looked like a boy - but a REAL boy as opposed to the rather angelic tomboy as portrayed by Michele Gallager.

With hindsight, I've basically gone full circle. The stories are set in the 1940s and 50s, so Betty's flared-trouser-wearing children and bushy-haired Julian look very out of place. As for Uncle Quentin, he resembles a jumper-wearing Bobby Ball! I much prefer Eileen's tall, thin, 1940s suit-and-tie wearing version who I think looks like King George VI. I wonder if that was intentional?

Stephen wrote:Eileen Soper's looked really odd and wrong. Yes, George looked like a boy - but a REAL boy as opposed to the rather angelic tomboy as portrayed by Michele Gallager.

At the risk of really annoying Zoe, I really preferred Jemima Rooper. This is not to criticise Michele, just a personal preference. (Sorry, Zoe )

Stephen wrote:I much prefer Eileen's tall, thin, 1940s suit-and-tie wearing version who I think looks like King George VI. I wonder if that was intentional?

An interesting point, Stephen. Many much-respected figures seem to look rather regal in the 50s, I rather think it was intentional.