Enid's favorite children's author.

[Samuel]

Does anyone know wether Blyton had any favorite children authors that she read? If so, who were they?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Hi Samuel,

In her autobiography, The Story of My Life, Enid Blyton says that, as a child, her favourite book was The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald, and that she read it at least twelve times. She also loved the "Alice" books by Lewis Carroll, The Coral Island by Ballantyne, Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, and myths and legends from countries all over the world. She read Arthur Mee's Children's Encyclopaedia "from end to end, and then read it all over again." She loved Hans Andersen's fairy-tales, but found some of them "too sad," and didn't like most of Grimm's fairy-tales because they were "cruel and frightening."

Anita

[Belly]

I can see bits borrowed/influenced from Rider Haggard - King Soloman's mines. Isn't there that bit about the eclipse and natives not understanding which the captives turned to their advantage? A little like is it Phillip? In the Mountain of Adventure 'killing the sun'.

Also Robert Louis Stevenson - Treasure Island - am sure she must have read this.

I think Blyton's books generally were remarkably original. The same can't be said for the JK Rowling's Harry Potter books - I can see so many other sources in there she has borrowed from.

[Moonraker]

Isn't there that bit about the eclipse and natives not understanding which the captives turned to their advantage? A little like is it Phillip? In the Mountain of Adventure 'killing the sun'.

That was Captain Arnold in "The Secret Mountain". He shook his fist at the sun, shouted and threw his knife into the air. The mountain folk thought he had indeed killed the sun.

[Julian]

Yes Enid did enjoy the Alice books by Lewis Carrol

[Anna Moss]

Thats very helpful, because right now I am designing a piczo site all about Enid Blyton and a few minutes ago I didn't know what to write for her faveourite author.

[pete9012S]

In her autobiography, The Story of My Life, Enid Blyton says that, as a child, her favourite book was The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald, and that she read it at least twelve times.

Anita

I am currently reading this amazing book,and as you read it you really do have to agree with John Lester,when in the final line of his review of this book in our latest journal he states:'Ican understand why Enid was so delighted with it.'

The version I am reading is illustrated by the american artist Jessie Willcox Smith:
Somebody has set many of her illustations to classical music on youtube.Many of her illustrations are simply wonderful and capture a bygone age.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=MO5FaeewOP8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I particularly liked the illustations on youtube that appear at 1.11/5.10 and my favourite is at 1.30/5.10 which shows two Vicrorian children,a little boy and girl ,totally absorbed in a well stocked and well used library.
I'm sure there will be other pictures that appeal to you also!

It is also possible to read the book online (with illustrations) here

http://classics.freehomepage.com/macdon ... ncess.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jessie Willcox Smith illustrated many other famous books such as:

New and True [Poems] – Mary Wiley Staver (Lee & Shepard, 1892)
Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1897)
The Young Puritans in Captivity – Mary Prudence Wells Smith (Little, Brown & Co, 1899)
An Old Fashioned Girl – Louisa May Alcott (1902)
The Book of The Child [Short Stories] – Mabel Humphrey (Stokes, 1903)
Rhymes of Real Children – Betty Sage (Duffield, 1903)
In The Closed Room – Frances Hodgson Burnett (Hodder, 1904)
A Child’s Garden of Verses – Robert Louis Stevenson (Scribner US/Longmans Green UK, 1905)
The Bed-Time Book – Helen Hay Whitney (Duffield US/Chatto UK, 1907)
Dream Blocks – Aileen Cleveland Higgins (Duffield US/Chatto UK, 1908)
The Seven Ages of Childhood – Carolyn Wells (Moffat & Yard, 1909)
A Child’s Book of Old Verses – Various Poets (Duffield, 1910)
The Five Senses – Angela M. Keyes (1911)
The Now-a-Days Fairy Book – Anna Alice Chapin (1911)
A Child’s Book of Stories – Penrhyn W. Coussens (1911)
Dicken’s Children – Charles Dickens (Scribner, 1912)
Twas The Night Before Christmas – Clement C. Moore (1912)
The Jessie Willcox Smith Mother Goose (1914)
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott (Little, Brown & Co, 1915)
When Christmas Comes Around – Priscilla Underwood (Duffield, 1915)
Swift’s Premium Calendar (1916)
The Water Babies – Charles Kingsley (Dodd, Mead & Co, 1916)
The Way to Wonderland – Mary Stewart (Dodd, Mead & Co, 1917)
Good Housekeeping August 1917 – first cover for the magazine
At The Back of The North Wind – George MacDonald (McKay, 1919)
The Princess and The Goblin – George MacDonald (McKay, 1920)
Heidi – Johanna Spyri (McKay, 1922)
Boys and Girls of Bookland – Nora Archibald Smith (Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, 1923)
A Very Little Child’s Book of Stories – Ada M. & Eleanor L. Skinner (1923)
A Child’s Book of Country Stories – Ada M. & Eleanor L. Skinner (Duffield, 1925)

Regards

Pete

[Anita Bensoussane]

Wonderful pictures of beauty and innocence. Thanks for the link, Pete. Not long ago I bought and sent a couple of greetings cards featuring illustrations by Jessie Willcox Smith.

[chloe1]

I remember reading Little Women some time ago and being shocked at how much I felt Blyton had taken from the book. I think it was House at the corner that I felt was similer but it was so long ago I cant remember. I must reread it (Little Women not House at the corner - I can tell you what happens in that in great detail - why do Blyton books stick in my head so well but I forget so many others)

I am really interested in reading George Macdonald and he is on my list. I shall seek out the princess and the goblin first.