Banshee Towers

[Green Hedges]

How strange, Wolfgang, that someone was so keen on calling the book The Mystery of the Blue Boat (in German) that they went through the text and every time the book says 'red' in English, it has to say 'blue' in German!

Good point, timv. The Ragamuffin Mystery is one of the very few late adventure stories apart from FF, Find-Outers and SS.

Though I think Enid gets away with 'Old Water-Caves at Chillerbing'. That could just about be a limestone feature found inland, if my geography serves me correctly.

[pete9012S]

I re-read the holiday activities mentioned in the book:

He took a neatly written list from the pocket of his flannels and read from it. “Old Water-Caves at Chillerbing. Museum of Age-Old Fossils at Tybolds. Norman Tower at Yellow-Moss…”

“Gosh - those are down on my list too!” said Pip, scrabbling in his pocket for it. “Yes - all those are down - and two or three more. Roman Remains at Jackling Museum. Sea-pictures at Banshee Towers, at the top of Banshee Hill. Old Musical Instruments at…”

“I don’t want to see any of them!” said Bets, suddenly looking very woebegone. “I wouldn’t so much mind the sea-pictures - I like sea-pictures - but I don’t like those ugly fossily things, or those…” “All right, Bets - you shan’t spend lovely spring days in Museums or Norman Towers or Caves,” said Fatty putting his arm round her. “But we might go and see Banshee Towers. You know why it’s called that, don’t you?”

[Green Hedges]

I think what must have happened in Germany is this:

The publisher thinks it is too ridiculous to pretend a good forger could miss out a small red boat from a stormy sea scene. He thinks it is just about possible that he might have missed out a tiny blue boat. But having decided to change the text throughout to reflect this decision, he can't resist drawing attention to it in the title. The Mystery of the Blue Boat is, on one level, why the book has been called The Mystery of the Blue Boat.

I wonder how 'Banshee Towers' would read in German. Maybe a bit rude!

[MJE]

in the German translations it's a blue boat throughout the complete text.

     That would make sense in some ways. A blue boat in blue water would be less noticeable than a red one, and the plot depended on the idea that the fake artist forgot to paint in the boat that was in the original, and that this was not noticed by most observers - and only one sharp-eyed person (was it Bets?) noticed, and this was the beginning of the forgery being unmasked. I find the idea more believable with a less noticeable blue boat.

Regards, Michael.

[John Pickup]

Very interesting, Duncan. My first copy of Banshee Towers was the Armada one with the cover by Mary Gernat, although I now have the Methuen hardback.
I never realised how often Joseph Abbey depicted Goon with his hand glued to his ear. One of the poorer illustrators of Enid's books.

[Green Hedges]

The Mystery of Banshee Towers.

Another point to bear in mind about the German title. It would have been difficult to call the book 'The Mystery of the Red Boat' as 'The Mystery of the Strange Bundle' had already been called 'The Mystery of the Red Shoe' (in German). So there s the possibility that the colour was changed to blue for that most mundane of reasons. Though it would also have helped that it seemed more believable for a forger to miss out a blue boat on a blue sea as opposed to a red boat on a blue sea.

Just trying to think if colour plays a significant role in other Mysteries...

[Wolfgang]

In "The mystery of the disapprearing cat" paint plays a very important role...

[pete9012S]

There's a copy of this elusive book for sale on ebay right now!

Enid Blyton, The Mystery of Banshee Towers, 1961. 1st Edition H/B D/J

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234343453841 ... SwjCdhVBIO

[Lucky Star]

I’ve added it to the watch list out of curiosity though it’s out of my price range at the moment. Looks like a pretty nice copy. £60 incl postage as a starter price? Is that reasonable?

[shadow]

I paid £45 at the last Enid Blyton day. It does say best offer so you could try your luck.

[pete9012S]

John, I paid £8 for my copy and £7 for a facsimile dustjacket..

[Julie2owlsdene]

I have an original first edition and full book cover. And the book has been hardly opened, but I can't remember how much I paid for it.

[Lucky Star]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I wasn’t going to buy the book anyway but it sounds like cheaper deals are definitely possible. If only it wasn’t such a rarity.

[pete9012S]

Yes, if only us Enid Blyton collectors could be more easily satisfied with later editions, look what we could have!

Four Hardback Enid Blyton Five Find Outers Mystery Stories £8.00

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133940477092 ... SwClZhmP3H

[Boodi 2]

Gosh, I am almost tempted to go for them as I don't have Banshee Towers in my collection, although my husband would probably have a fit when more books arrive!!!