The Enid Blyton Society

This is on facebook today. I'm not sure when it was published but haven't seen it until one of our members put it on facebook. A very appreciative article. One does feel the tide is turning a bit and more people are daring to speak out in favour of Enid and her books.
https://life.spectator.co.uk/2017/02/en ... ens-books/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks Daisy.

Blyton’s titles sell at the rate of one a minute in the UK and the recently published spoof Famous Five stories for adults have hit the book sales jackpot. Five on Brexit Island has sold more than 372,000 copies in the UK and a new batch of titles, Five Forget Mother’s Day, Five Lose Dad in the Garden Centre and Five Get Beach Body Ready, are on their way.

Boo! Hiss!

The editorial director of Enid Blyton Entertainment, which gave its permission for the parodies, reckons that far from being appalled Blyton would have been thrilled to reach a new audience.

Is there anything in print from Enid during her lifetime to back this incredible assertion up?
Or perhaps Enid's surviving family members have spoken out favourably about the 'new work' from Enid?

An interesting article, Daisy, in spite of the myth that Enid was inspired by Corfe Castle. Kirrin Island was surrounded by sea - Corfe Castle isn't! We (old people) might dislike the "adult" books, but they keep Enid's name alive.

Thank you, Daisy. An interesting article.

That s a lovely article Daisy, I enjoyed reading that, thank you for posting it . I am staggered at how many copies of 'those books' (I refuse to call them FF's, they are not FF's of any sort) have sold though, but it's obvious why. The title. Even if the book is never opened the title will have made people want it as a sort of momento. I do reckon that without that particular book the sale figures on them would be nothing like that which is really unfortunate, as if they hadn't got that figure they might not have felt buyoed up to print more!

Moonraker wrote: We (old people) might dislike the "adult" books, but they keep Enid's name alive.

hmmm...isn't that a bit like saying if Enid's name was on a book about how to abuse drugs or have an affair or sell children into slavery, it would be better than nothing?

I'm pretty sure the 'Brexit' book would be the biggest seller? I haven't researched this, but I'm sure it will be, purely because of the subject. Many buyers probably haven't even read it - I haven't!

This claim from the editorial director that "far from being appalled, Blyton would have been thrilled to reach a new audience" is complete tosh. For starters, Enid herself is not here to give her opinion, so no-one can claim to know for certain what she "would have" thought — that sounds more like a classic piece of self-justification from people who are making money out of this. But going by everything we know of her statements and actions during her lifetime — the kind of audience she wanted to reach, the kind of messages and impact she wanted her books to have, the kind of products and ideas she wanted her name (which she deliberately built up into a brand) to be associated with — the most logical conclusion would be that she would not be happy with these books and would not agree to have her name on them. I can't say that for certain either, of course, but it seems to make more sense...

Other than that bit, it's a really good article!

Thanks for the link, Daisy. Not a bad article although the phrases "lashings of ginger beer" and "jolly japes" crop up with wearisome regularity in pieces like this. Funny to think of the four children "pouring over a smugglers' map"! Like Emma Lee-Potter, I used to spend practically all my pocket money on books. It was money well spent as I still have the books today and have read them many times. They've brought me immeasurable pleasure over the years.

Rob Houghton wrote:

Moonraker wrote: We (old people) might dislike the "adult" books, but they keep Enid's name alive.

hmmm...isn't that a bit like saying if Enid's name was on a book about how to abuse drugs or have an affair or sell children into slavery, it would be better than nothing?

Ridiculous thing to say! Do you honestly believe Hachette would allow that?

Moonraker wrote:An interesting article, Daisy, in spite of the myth that Enid was inspired by Corfe Castle. Kirrin Island was surrounded by sea - Corfe Castle isn't!:D

I sit on the fence with this one. Corfe doesn't have to be surrounded by the sea.
We're talking about Enid's incredible imagination here! She could quite easily have set Corfe Castle on an island in the middle of a bay! I can remember Enid's eldest daughter, Gillian Baverstock, telling me that when she was young, her Mother told her that Kirrin Castle was inspired by Corfe Castle, although Enid said it was based in Jersey. I can't imagine Enid visiting Corfe Castle & not using it in her F5 stories, especially as Five on a treasure island was written shortly after her first visit to Corfe!

Moonraker wrote:

Rob Houghton wrote: hmmm...isn't that a bit like saying if Enid's name was on a book about how to abuse drugs or have an affair or sell children into slavery, it would be better than nothing?

Ridiculous thing to say! Do you honestly believe Hachette would allow that?

Shhhh... don't give them ideas.

I sure it is already in the pipeline!!