Find-Outers Readathon

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 18 Apr 2007, 14:14

Kitty wrote:What sort of woman would have him, do you think? I can't really picture anyone who'd be happy to have him as a husband!

Moose? I am certain she would sort him out!

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 18 Apr 2007, 14:27

LOL well I am sure that a certain type of woman would consider Goon a catch - he was a pillar of the community, remember, and police were generally well respected then. He wasn't very bright though

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » 18 Apr 2007, 14:27

moonraker wrote: As Banshee was written in 1961, it is quite feasible that Peterswood did have a "rough part". Yes, it was a genteel village in the 40s, but many villages expanded in the 60s and 70s, having large council estates built on them. I am not saying that council estates are necessarily rough, but a minority of tenants can bring an area down.

Agatha Christie's works "tailed off" in the 60s too (Third Girl). For me, the delight of Enid's (and Agatha's) stories are enhanced by the 40s/50s settings when, according to my rose-coloured spectacles (although I wasn't aroind in the 40s), life was so much pleasanter.

Also, if the population had increased greatly, a purpose-built police station would be required.

Whether or not Goon was the person to man it, is, of course, a completely different issue!

I always feel slightly adrift when Miss Marple starts to mention the changes at St Mary Mead. I think Bertram's Hotel is a really clever book - Agatha kind of uses it as a metaphor for decay and the whole past-is-a-foreign-country stuff.

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 18 Apr 2007, 14:51

Given the gap between the first book and the last, do you think Blyton envisaged all the books as being set in the forties and early fifties or, when she wrote in the early sixties, had she mentally moved the entire series in her mind to that era? Imagine Fatty with a beatles haircut! *winces*

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » 18 Apr 2007, 16:48

Moose wrote:LOL well I am sure that a certain type of woman would consider Goon a catch - he was a pillar of the community, remember, and police were generally well respected then. He wasn't very bright though

He was so violent though - maybe he wouldn't hit a woman, but he would probably have beaten his children!

Someone told me recently that memoirs of abused childhood are getting more and more popular in the publishing world. I can just see it "Undercover Peterswood - the Mystery of the Forgotten Child" by Aristophanes Goon. With a foreward from a mystified and contrite Inspector Jenks.

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 18 Apr 2007, 17:43

LOL!

I daresay he would have beaten his children but that sort of thing seems more acceptable back then. We know that Pip's father caned him, even though such a thing would have landed him in prison today.

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » 18 Apr 2007, 18:10

Moose wrote:LOL!

I daresay he would have beaten his children but that sort of thing seems more acceptable back then. We know that Pip's father caned him, even though such a thing would have landed him in prison today.

Maybe it is only because we see Goon loose control in the text, but Mr Hilton seems a strict man who always remembers himself, whereas I can't imagine Goon drawing the line at "reasonable force". He's too angry and self-obsessed. Mind you, I think all corporal punishment is wrong, and therefore have never been that keen on the Hiltons anyway!

Ming · Post by **Ming** » 18 Apr 2007, 18:52

Whoever Goon marries (if he ever did!) I am certain the woman will have a nasty time. Just look at him! So fat and blundery, so mean and rude, so silly and vicious, and oh, so irritating!

Jen-Jen · Post by **Jen-Jen** » 19 Apr 2007, 03:26

I think whoever marries Goon would have to be very tough - like Goon's neighbour - and put up with no nonsense from him.
Goon was a bit scared of his neighbour because she knew how horrible he was and could use it against him - maybe his wife would be the same - and Goon would be a bit scared of her.

Ming · Post by **Ming** » 19 Apr 2007, 11:01

Yeah, Mrs Murray. Now if someone like her was Mrs Goon, Mr Goon would have to run for his life.

Lenoir · Post by **Lenoir** » 19 Apr 2007, 16:24

That sounds like the right recipe for a happily married life!

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 19 Apr 2007, 20:39

I don't know - remember, we only see Goon from the perspective of the Five. He's a village bobby, not a detective. I don't suppose he was expecting to get involved in fifteen mysteries when he signed up for the force

. He might be perfectly good on his own ground - a lot of people seem to speak respectfully of him at any rate.

jen · Post by **jen** » 19 Apr 2007, 20:43

Thats true Moose but even his superiors (and that chap who filled in for him whose name I;ve forgotten!) seemed to think he was a bit of a prat!!

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 20 Apr 2007, 11:36

Personally, I find The Mystery of Banshee Towers dismal. There is very little of the usual vibrancy and colour of a Find-Outers story - the customary inventiveness, fun and sparkle are lacking, there isn't much intrigue and things don't get moving until the final few chapters. Even Mrs. Hilton is just "Pip and Bets' mother" once more.

Fatty seems different in this book - overbearing and bossy and full of irritating platitudes. When Ern gets into trouble with Goon, Fatty tells the others, "He's going to stay in my workroom...But nobody is to know, see? You are all to Keep Your Mouths Shut. Ern is our friend, and we've got to stand by him." Blyton overdoes the capitalisation of phrases in this book, and it doesn't help that such capitalisation is generally associated with the pompous Goon.

When Ern says to Fatty, "You're a friend," Fatty replies, "...that's about the best thing anyone can say about anyone else...I bet I'll say that about you someday, Ern!" Hey? That's terribly patronising and I thought Ern already was Fatty's friend! Perhaps Fatty means that Ern will help him one day - but then Ern already has helped Fatty and the other Find-Outers plenty of times in other adventures, demonstrating loyalty, courage and caring.

On the first long cycling trip to Banshee Towers, the children fail to show much concern for Buster and Bingo and, when Pip wonders where the dogs have got to, Fatty just says airily, "Oh, I expect they turned tail and went home when they got too far behind." It is necessary for the plot that the dogs should go missing but the casual attitude of Fatty and co. simply doesn't ring true and makes it look as if they are irresponsible and habitually neglect their pets.

It's strange that Jenks should ask Fatty the French artist's name, when Fatty has already told him about "Francois Ortalo" making copies of the paintings. (Previously the French artist was called Poussin - I presume that was a false name but Blyton doesn't really make that clear.) Also, the reason given for the "banshee's" wails - to drive away visitors on the turnstile man's half-day off - is incredibly lame.

All in all, I find Banshee Towers a real disappointment. "Pair of Rogues" and "Jolly Bad Lot" is a nice touch, as is concealing rolled-up canvases in pipes, but otherwise it is, for me, a weak and weary read.

Anita

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 20 Apr 2007, 12:29

I had heard much criticism of this tome, and as I had not read it for 40 years or more, I was looking forward to reading it - almost as a "new" Find-Outers title. I tried to clear my mind of any reviews/criticism that I had heard, pulled the duvet up to my throat - it was a chilly night! - and started reading (I wish that owl would shut up!)

As with many of the others, we're off to meet Fatty - only this time he's arriving by bus, instead of the old steam hauled branch-line train; has Beeching already axed Peterswood Halt? Also of note, Pip wonders why he can't be called by his proper name of Philip, instead of Pip. 'Simply because you're a bit of a pip-squeak still and probably always will be,' replies his father, disappearing behind his newspaper. That's a neat trick. Pleasant father though, really installing confidence and self-respect into his son.

We are then treated yet again to the four children following someone who they think is a disguised Fatty [yawn]. Naturally Goon then appears; Buster next on stage............[collapses under massive waves of deja-vu]

Fatty's got even more sure of himself now. His shed is now called his workroom. At their meeting, they find that their parents have all provided them with lists of activities for the holidays. They decide to visit Banshee Towers, looking forward to studying paintings.

In 1961, I was 11 years old, so would have been a part of this peer group. Would I have wanted to look at paintings? I don't think so!

Anyway, Ern appears - visiting Uncle Theo as his sister has measles; yet again, an illness plays an important part in bringing characters together! There is rhetoric from Ern on what his uncle has said to him - most annoyingly, almost all written with words starting with capital letters. Stupid Bets doesn't know what "Use your loaf" means, so although about 30 by now, still has the mind of a 4 year old!

So, the scene is set. Ern is now living in Fatty's shed/workroom/B&B to hide from Goon, so off to the Towers (Thank goodness it's Banshee, not Malory!) to explore and look at paintings. An absurd tale that a banshee wails makes us wonder why we have heard nothing of this before. I would have thought that would have made the local news!

This to me, is where the descent goes from 1in7 to 1 in 4. We are now out of Find-Outers Land and into a hybrid of other series. There's a Rilloby Fair feel to this, with possibly a hint of Castle of Adventure and Five Have a Wonderful Time atmosphere thrown in. We even have a turnstile-attendant not dissimilar to the one in Wonderful Time.

The plot - such as it is - descends into farce. Angry painters, forged paintings, wailing banshees, (Fatty tells the others they must keep very quiet, then impersonates a wailing banshee.

As for the reason behind the banshee - wouldn't it be less suspicious to ring a bell, and ask people to leave?

To me, this is not really a Find-Outers story. It ranks along The Mystery that Never Was and doesn't deserve to be the concluding episode of the Find-Outers mystery-solving. We are now in the sixties. Daisy should be wearing a mini-skirt, Bets would be listening to Cliff Richard - hey, Radio Caroline is about to launch!

My most happy and satisfying memories of this series are the wonderful atmosphere of the 40s and 50s; the humour, Fatty's disguises, rapport between the 5 and Goon, the solid Jenks, the quintessential Englishness of an English, Miss Marple type village.

Most of this is absent in Banshee Towers.

However, it is easy to find fault where our expectations are dashed, and I do feel guilty at heaping criticism on our beloved Enid's work. After all, who am I to pick fault with this prolific author who gave so much pleasure to billions, and gave a unique library to the world. Yet I think it is due to this magnificent legacy that where the magic fails, we feel we have the right to criticise. After all, this in an established series, not a one-off novel. We have come to expect the best possible quality of writing in these titles.

If I had written Banshee I would be delighted - that Enid Blyton wrote it, disappoints me.

Find-Outers Readathon

The Myetery of Banshee Towers