Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...

Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Timmy (Famous Five)
9
33%
Scamper (Secret Seven)
1
4%
Buster (Five Find-Outers)
4
15%
Loony (Barney Mysteries)
4
15%
Lucky (Galliano's Circus)
4
15%
Bobs (Enid's own dog of literary talent)
2
7%
(S)tinker (Famous Five)
3
11%
 
Total votes: 27

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Courtenay wrote:
Robert Houghton wrote:I always found it slightly far-fetched that the baddies never managed to shoot him or poison him. Surely that would have been their first priority?! :wink:
Probably, but how could they ever get away with it in an Enid Blyton book?? :wink:
:twisted:

Just think - if Enid had killed Timmy off she might not now be considered 'only' an escapist writer! ;-)
'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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Julie2owlsdene
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I think if Enid had killed Timmy off she would have been lynched. :lol:

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

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Courtenay
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Courtenay »

Or forced, like Arthur Conan Doyle with Sherlock Holmes, to write a sequel in which it's revealed that Timmy didn't really die. :mrgreen:
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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)
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Moonraker
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Moonraker »

I remember that I had Tim killed off in a round-robin. However, the next write 'resurrected' him in the next chapter!
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Lucky Star
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Lucky Star »

Full marks for trying though Nigel. :lol:
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John Pickup
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by John Pickup »

I'm not surprised that Timmy is in the lead at this point as the Famous Five books are more widely read than the Barney books or the Find Outers. I just don't think that Timmy was as memorable in his series as Loony and Buster were in theirs.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Completely agree! I think Timmy is great, but he doesn't have half as much personality as the other dogs on the list (except maybe Scamper and sTinker!)
'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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walter raleigh
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by walter raleigh »

Robert Houghton wrote:All the same, I can't help wondering if Timmy is getting the most votes simply because he's the best known. Some voters might not even have read some of the other series! ;-) in many ways Timmy is probably the least developed of the canine characters, although he's very brave and always turns up just at the right moment. I always found it slightly far-fetched that the baddies never managed to shoot him or poison him. Surely that would have been their first priority?! :wink:
Well, there are a number of attempts made to poison Timmy aren't there? The Sticks try it in "Five Run Away Together" don't they, and Lou and Tiger Dan try too in "Five Go Off In A Caravan". Timmy's much too clever to eat poisoned meat though, which is why he get's my vote. :wink:
"Stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence like poor Julian in the Famous Five!"

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Courtenay
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Courtenay »

I'm just delighted that Lucky is coming second so far - I was expecting the Galliano's Circus books to be less well known and popular than some of the other series. Also, Lucky's "too good to be true" cleverness that I mentioned before was something I thought might put people off voting for her, plus the fact that unlike Timmy, she's not involved in any really dangerous adventures or mysteries.

I wouldn't say Timmy is "less developed" than Enid's other dog characters - I'd say he's significantly more developed than Buster, and probably than Scamper (though I'm not well read when it comes to the Secret Seven books, so can't judge very well there). Both Buster and Scamper are adjuncts or sidekicks to the group of children in their respective books - the Five Find-Outers and Dog, the Secret Seven (of whom Scamper isn't one). Timmy, on the other hand, is actually one of the Famous Five himself - he's so much a part of the group, and so vital to all their adventures, that he's essentially ranked equally with the four human members! In fact, he's always been my favourite of the Five - I would never have particularly wanted to meet Julian, Dick, George or Anne in real life, but I wouldn't have minded a dog as loyal, courageous, intelligent, devoted, and downright fun as Timmy. :wink:
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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)
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walter raleigh
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by walter raleigh »

Good point Courtenay! Without Timmy there wouldn't have even been a Famous Five. All the more reason then to:

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"Stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence like poor Julian in the Famous Five!"

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Courtenay
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Courtenay »

I very nearly did, Walter, believe me! :wink: Lucky just edged in because I'm fonder of the Galliano books than the Fives overall - and also because I suspected Timmy would easily draw the most votes, so I felt I should go for (yeah, you saw this one coming) the underdog. :mrgreen:
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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)
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walter raleigh
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by walter raleigh »

Groooaaan! :) I remember loving the 'Galliano' books as a boy but have never re-read them since. I'll have to rectify that in the near future.
"Stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence like poor Julian in the Famous Five!"

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Personally I would class Timmy in about the middle - first place, Lucky, second place Loony, third place Timmy. These placings are interesting though, because they directly relate to when I read the books. I read the Galliano's Circus books first when I was very young, and several times since, read just two or three Mystery books with Loony when I was heading towards my teens, and had only read two Famous Five books as a child. I read most of the Famous Five series when I was in my early 20's, so maybe Timmy made less impression on me because of that. 8)
'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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Rob Houghton
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by Rob Houghton »

walter raleigh wrote:Groooaaan! :) I remember loving the 'Galliano' books as a boy but have never re-read them since. I'll have to rectify that in the near future.

I'm heading towards a reread myself. I've had the first two books in original dustwrapper versions for some years, but, inspired by talking of Lucky (and seeing Courtenay's user picture!) I've now ordered an early copy of 'Circus Days Again' so I can read the full set in original versions. As a child I only had the 'Dean and Son' versions. 8)
'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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walter raleigh
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Re: Which Blyton dog do you like the best?

Post by walter raleigh »

I mostly read them in the Dean editions too (although I think I had "Hurrah For The Circus" in paperback). I also remember buying "Come To The Circus" one day and being disappointed that it wasn't a 'Galliano' story. Once I'd started reading though I remember really enjoying it.
"Stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence like poor Julian in the Famous Five!"

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