Find-Outers Readathon
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- Posts: 1756
- Joined: 30 Nov 2006, 19:46
- Favourite book/series: Malory Towers
- Favourite character: Fatty
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I bought a copy on ebay over the weekend so hopefully it should be here tomorrow or the next day .
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.
EF
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.
EF
- HeatherS
- Posts: 395
- Joined: 03 Feb 2005, 03:50
- Favourite book/series: Mystery
- Favourite character: Fatty
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
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From chapter 2:
I found it a strange choice of words for Enid, a dog owner herself.
I have two dogs myself, and I've never once seen them "crunch up" a bone. Gnaw for hours, possibly, but never crunch.Buster crunched up the bone and then swallowed the biscuit. They seemed to fill him with joy and he began to caper round and about the children, inviting them to chase him.
I found it a strange choice of words for Enid, a dog owner herself.
Heather
"Have you held your breath in wonder, at the sky so dark and deep?" - Enid Blyton
http://www.heathersblytonpages.com/
"Have you held your breath in wonder, at the sky so dark and deep?" - Enid Blyton
http://www.heathersblytonpages.com/
- Lenoir
- Posts: 1896
- Joined: 18 Jun 2005, 20:40
- Favourite book/series: FFO/FF. Five run away together, Most FFO books.
- Favourite character: Fatty
- Location: Cape Town,South Africa
I read a few chapters last evening. By the time I read this book (the first time), I’d read some of the later ones, so it felt very strange not to have Fatty in charge and no disguises. That’s probably why I never rated it. But now I’m starting to enjoy it much more. It’s also interesting to read how the Find Outers started.
Even at this early stage, Mr. Goon never fails to amuse me:
And I wonder if the tramp subconsciously inspired some of Fatty’s disguises in the later books! He sounds like one of Fatty’s inventions.
Even at this early stage, Mr. Goon never fails to amuse me:
I enjoyed that scene in the kitchen - Mrs Minns is quite a character. In fact, all the suspects seem to be colourful characters.“Right, sir,” said Mr. Goon, pleased at being able to ‘clear orf’ so many people at once.
And I wonder if the tramp subconsciously inspired some of Fatty’s disguises in the later books! He sounds like one of Fatty’s inventions.
- Kitty
- Posts: 1053
- Joined: 17 Jun 2006, 13:10
- Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers/Malory Towers
- Favourite character: Alicia, Fatty, Gwendoline
- Location: Malory Towers
The ending is a bit Poirot-ish - it really relies on the confession! If Hick had accused the children/tramp of lying because of a grudge, or simply said that they must have been mistaken, he'd probably have got away with it easily enough! In any case, it would have been worth taking a gamble on, assuming whoever he sold the documents to would have been happy to keep quiet.
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- Posts: 1756
- Joined: 30 Nov 2006, 19:46
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- Favourite character: Fatty
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My copy still hasn't arrived yet! I bought it last weekend! Don't move on without me *cries*
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.
EF
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.
EF
- Lucky Star
- Posts: 11491
- Joined: 28 May 2006, 12:59
- Favourite book/series: The Valley of Adventure
- Favourite character: Mr Goon
- Location: Surrey, UK
Dont worry Moose, I believe Moonraker will be joining us as well so we'll wait. Besides I havent got around to reading "..Hidden House yet.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero
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Society Member
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- Posts: 1756
- Joined: 30 Nov 2006, 19:46
- Favourite book/series: Malory Towers
- Favourite character: Fatty
- Location: Cumbria, UK
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I read Hidden House a couple of weeks ago but I am happy to read it again. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would do on the reread but there's alot of interesting scope for discussion there, including, of course, the Five's treatment of Ern and Ern's relationship with Goon.
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.
EF
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.
EF
- Rob Houghton
- Posts: 16029
- Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
- Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
- Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
- Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham
I think the only really interesting aspect of Hidden House is the way Goon and the find outers treat poor old Ern. Ern's presence lightens the book and makes the story much more worth while. Without Ern, I feel the book would be even weaker than it is. The plot leaves a lot to be desired. It reminds me of a Famous Five plot, which would be fine if it was, but somehow, with the Five find outers the reader expects something more mysterious with more clues, like a 'who- done-it'.
The find outers are certainly rude to Ern, and show their full 'bratishness' in front of him, especially when they first meet him. Enid writes him as an 'annoying' character, rather like Susie in Secret Seven, but I feel this is Ern's strength, like Eunice later on in the series. Enid's annoying characters are always her best drawn I think.
But it's the quips and the rudeness and the cruelty from Goon and the F.F.O's that are the things that stop Hidden House from being run of the mill.
The find outers are certainly rude to Ern, and show their full 'bratishness' in front of him, especially when they first meet him. Enid writes him as an 'annoying' character, rather like Susie in Secret Seven, but I feel this is Ern's strength, like Eunice later on in the series. Enid's annoying characters are always her best drawn I think.
But it's the quips and the rudeness and the cruelty from Goon and the F.F.O's that are the things that stop Hidden House from being run of the mill.
'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)
Society Member
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)
Society Member
- Vic Nicholas
- Posts: 50
- Joined: 05 Jul 2006, 05:00
- Favourite book/series: Mystery
- Favourite character: Fatty
- Location: Melbourne AUSTRALIA
- booklover
- Posts: 249
- Joined: 23 Mar 2005, 10:30
- Favourite book/series: Whyteleafe, Faraway Tree, "Barney" books
- Favourite character: Elizabeth Allen, Fatty, Barney and Snubby
- Location: Australia
Hi everyone! Some thoughts on Burnt Cottage, before everyone moves on.
This book does everything a first book in a series should do. It tells a reasonably complicated story while introducing all the central characters. It has good byplay between the children themselves (Fatty regularly being taken down a peg or two) and with their nemesis, Goon. It captures the essence of life in a suburban English village. And it cleverly introduces Inspector Jenks to the children.
As others have said, we cannot accept Fatty and Larry searching Mr Smellie's house. More like delinquents than find-outers! But the boys acknowledge their wrongdoing. The message is: always tell the truth.
The book also establishes Bets as a most appealing character. We laugh at her struggles with "glues". We smile as she follows footprints like a bloodhound. And we feel vindicated when the man who has betrayed her confidences turns out to be the criminal.
Overall, Burnt Cottage deserves more applause than it generally receives. It is a cleverly constructed - and understated - introduction to the series.
This book does everything a first book in a series should do. It tells a reasonably complicated story while introducing all the central characters. It has good byplay between the children themselves (Fatty regularly being taken down a peg or two) and with their nemesis, Goon. It captures the essence of life in a suburban English village. And it cleverly introduces Inspector Jenks to the children.
As others have said, we cannot accept Fatty and Larry searching Mr Smellie's house. More like delinquents than find-outers! But the boys acknowledge their wrongdoing. The message is: always tell the truth.
The book also establishes Bets as a most appealing character. We laugh at her struggles with "glues". We smile as she follows footprints like a bloodhound. And we feel vindicated when the man who has betrayed her confidences turns out to be the criminal.
Overall, Burnt Cottage deserves more applause than it generally receives. It is a cleverly constructed - and understated - introduction to the series.
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- Posts: 1756
- Joined: 30 Nov 2006, 19:46
- Favourite book/series: Malory Towers
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My copy is still not here
I agree that the plot of Hidden House is lame. I dunno why on earth they considered that what Ern accidentally overheard when he got lost and the fact that a car had no lights on was a 'mystery' *rolls eyes*
I agree that the plot of Hidden House is lame. I dunno why on earth they considered that what Ern accidentally overheard when he got lost and the fact that a car had no lights on was a 'mystery' *rolls eyes*
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.
EF
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.
EF
- Ming
- Posts: 6057
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- Favourite character: Fatty, Bill Smugs, Kiki
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I don't know why, but I loved Hidden House. I found the plot much more advanced than the earlier books, but probably that's just me. But I found the whole floor thing very ingenious and complicated -- I loved it. I also agreed with Ern that it was a mystery about no lights. After all, don't we have our headlights on while driving in the middle of the night?
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