Francis wrote:It's worth buying these books for their covers alone - wonderful.
I know - that's why I couldn't resist including them all!
Anita Bensoussane wrote:
Courtenay wrote:Enid understandably left out the less polite way that the mistletoe bird spreads mistletoe seeds!!
I couldn't help noticing that too!
Well, she could hardly have got away with it in children's literature of the 1940s. Kids today would love it, of course (even when I was growing up, too) - anything scatological goes! But at least she did get the message across about how mistletoe grows, even without being able to include all relevant details.
Society Member
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
I finally started to read 'Holiday House' which was on my to do list for quite some time. So far very Blytonian indeed, children having been sick are going to sea instead of to school to recover, the parents are not with them, a cook producing wonderful meals...
I started reading "At Seaside Cottage". I already knew a handful stories like "Grandad's armchair", "The scarecrow" and "Annabel's little thimble". I just wonder if anyone tried to create a comprehensive list of Enid Blyton's short stories, so you can find out which story was published in which books/collections etc. Unfortunately the society homepage (cave of books) doesn't offer the instruments apart of searching for a specific title. Tony, I'm not blaming you, I know you do all you can, and the system doesn't offer you the tools to do it.
I am reading The O'Sullivan Twins at the moment as I haven't read this series for a while. It is proving a very enjoyable read, as always but there are a few elements of the story I have sort of 'questioned'.
***Spoiler Warning for The O'Sullivan Twins***
a) Was it really fair to have the younger forms waiting on the eldest students?
Doesn't only go for this particular book, but I think I have noticed it most with Alison being so hopeless at completing the tasks. I think this would have been quite bad for both older student and younger: the older student doesn't have to complete the everyday tasks for themselves, and the younger student is treat like a slave! Not very fair, in my point of view.
b) When Margery goes up the ladder to save Erica
If there were gardeners and teachers at hand, why wasn't this prevented for safety issues? Both Erica and Margery were at risk at this point and the teachers and gardeners could only stand and stare!
"Beware of young men with long hair - that's what dad says, isn't it?"
Pat, Holiday House
Regarding point a), it used to be common practice in boarding-schools for younger pupils to be required to do jobs for the older ones (cleaning shoes, making toast, etc.) It was known as "fagging". In some schools, the older pupils were even permitted to dish out corporal punishment to the younger ones.
As for point b), that plotline crops up fairly often in older school stories - i.e. pupils carrying out daring rescues while the school burns around them. There's a similar incident in Angela Brazil's A Fourth Form Friendship. Improbable, especially if gardeners and teachers just stand there gaping as you say, Poppy, but exciting to read about!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.
"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
Thanks for your reply, Anita. I did not know the 'waiting on the higher forms' is/was actually used in real boarding schools. I suppose it is a good way of learning responsibility for the younger ones, but I still think it is a way of laziness for the top formers. I mean, they could complete those tasks for themselves before the younger student even arrived! Yes, I realize it was a nice excitement when Margery went up to rescue Erica, and the story wouldn't have been the same if someone had stoppped her. Thanks again for your opinions.
"Beware of young men with long hair - that's what dad says, isn't it?"
Pat, Holiday House
I remember reading somewhere that "fagging" was introduced because people thought it would teach pupils about giving service to others, and about managing servants. Once they left school, the pupils would have to perform duties and take orders at work but many of them would also be in charge of staff - not only in the workplace but domestic servants at home. In practice, many "fags" were bullied and abused by the older ones - and may have gone on to mistreat other younger pupils when they themselves moved up to the higher forms.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.
"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
You must remember that the top-formers were once juniors themselves and had to perform these tasks for their seniors. They no doubt looked forward to the time when they were in a position to be waited on!
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.
I started to read "Five on a Treasure Island", simplified by Celia Turvey and illustrated by Sheila Bewley, Longman. They abridged it significantly (at least half of the text is gone), but they kept the story more or less intact (so far).
I've just started rereading the Mystery series for the umpteenth time. I've lost track of just how many times I've read the books since first finding The Mystery of the Vanished Prince in my little private library, around 1955, where it cost 2d (less than 1p) per week to borrow a book. I'm halfway through The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage. Reading these wonderful books is like visiting very dear old friends.
'Go down to the side-shows by the river this afternoon. I'll meet you somewhere in disguise. Bet you won't know me!' wrote Fatty.
Reading these wonderful books is like visiting very dear old friends.
Isn't it? I have been reading so much new material that I haven't re-visited my old favourites for a long time now. I have devoured the Lone Pine books and am currently going through Saville's Jillies' series. However, the attraction is still there to visit my childhood friends, I just have to decide which and when!
Hooray, one of my favourites, Danger Bird! Do you have the two sequels as well?
Society Member
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
