The Mystery of the Island - Isobel Knight

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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Tony Summerfield »

The scan isn't really doing the wrapper justice, as it has come out all blotchy, but the wrapper isn't at all blotchy. It is a Tower Library copy published by Blackie and it has a 1960 prize label in it. I don't know if the Blackie 1st edition was illustrated, but this copy has just the frontis plate in black and white and no other illustrations, but I guess at £4 I can't complain!
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

I think my Blackie version is a first edition, as the inscription is December 1948...it has three plates including the frontispiece but no other illustrations. :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Courtenay
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Courtenay »

My Blackie version doesn't have a date in it at all, but it does have a Book Production War Economy Standard mark opposite the contents page, so it must be an early one.

That does look like Kirrin Island on yours, Tony, although the castle in this story is on a peninsula rather than a separate little island of its own.

Here's the dust jacket of mine:

Image

I prefer this one myself, on the whole - it's subtle yet dramatic at the same time, even if it doesn't show the castle. I love the huge waves crashing in the background and the way it accentuates the mysterious and slightly threatening presence of the "Wild Man of Borneo", around whom much of the mystery is centred.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

I like both covers for different reasons. The cover on Tony's is bright and more light-hearted in style, and very much late 1950's early 1960's. I like the style, but in some ways the children depicted are a bit young looking, in my opinion.

The cover you have, Courtenay, is obviously the original cover, by Lindsay W Cable, as far as I can tell by the drawing style, and as such it has more authenticity than the later version. I agree it's more dramatic and gives a better flavour of the books content. Hmmm....I would settle for either - but I seem to have become a victim of my own selling techniques as there don't appear to be any early dustwrapper versions available at the moment! :x
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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John Pickup
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by John Pickup »

The one thing about Blackie books that irritates me is that they very rarely include a publishing history. It is extremely hard to know what edition you have.
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Courtenay »

Oh dear... because my aforementioned cat, Blacky, wasn't the brightest character in the world, it's still an in-joke in my family to use his name as an adjective for anything that's laughably stupid. So to me, a "Blacky book" (even with the other spelling) automatically means a stupid book! :P (Which this one, of course, isn't. But I agree about the frustrating lack of proper publication details.)
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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)
Tony Summerfield
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have actually finished reading The Mystery of the Island. I quite enjoyed it, but I had worked out what the 'mystery' was long before the end. I am sorry that Borneo got a bit of a rough deal as my mother was born there and my grandfather is buried there. When I went there I had an old photo of his grave in a neatly laid out cemetry, but when I eventually found it it was well hidden under thick undergrowth in the middle of a wood!
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Moonraker »

I am about half-way through, and I think I know how it pans out, but not as sure as I was with books such as Pantomime Cat. I am thoroughly enjoying the book and a big thank you to Poppy for recommending it. (I think it was Poppy)

http://www.thehumanmarvels.com/wild-men-of-borneo/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

Great! :D

I didn't realise Poppy was another fan! :D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Moonraker »

I finished it last night and it didn't end as I expected. I thought the ending was quite a let down. Maybe I was expecting too much. I still enjoyed it and thought the characters and setting were well developed. I will be interested to see what Julie makes of it - she who can't get into Malcolm Saville! :P
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

Does Julie have a copy then? I've lost track of who actually has one and who doesn't lately! :wink:

I'm not sure about the ending being a let down...but then I first read the book aged 9 - so maybe, as we've said before, this has a bearing on how we view the book. I always liked the ending, mainly because it is fairly low-key, perhaps.

Julie's not the only one who struggles with Malcolm Saville! I've read one and a half books by Malcolm Saville and still can't force myself to finish the second one.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Courtenay »

Do you think enough of us here have read the book now for us to start discussing it a bit further - like a proper readathon, as we were thinking earlier? I'd love to read others' thoughts on it in more detail and share some of my own, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't finished the book yet.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts in more detail - but as you say, I'm unsure of how many people have read it!

I've been surprised to hear that Poppy and Julie have copies, for example. Not exactly sure how many people have read it or not read it!

As far as I can remember, here are the people who seem to have read the book -

Kate Mary
Robert Houghton
Courtenay
Moonraker
Pete
Tony

possibly Poppy and Julie.

Anyone else?
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Poppy »

No, I haven't read it.
Moonraker wrote:I am thoroughly enjoying the book and a big thank you to Poppy for recommending it. (I think it was Poppy)
I think you might be getting mixed up with Arsenic For Tea which was the one I recommended you read. :D
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Moonraker »

Robert Houghton wrote:Does Julie have a copy then? I've lost track of who actually has one and who doesn't lately! :wink:
No she doesn't. However, I will give her mine when I meet her next.
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