The Boy Next Door

[Lucky Star]

[
when Betty comments to a man celebrating his 42nd birthday: "Oh, aren't you old! Never mind - you're very nice."

Anita

Hee hee yes as I am now 41 I had to cringe slightly at that bit. I also felt that a lot of Kit's expressions were rather too "English" to be coming from an American boy. I wonder if Blyton had visited the USA by that point in her life? It seems to me that the drawling accent was the only thing she knew about Americans. As it was written during the second world war there must have been plenty of American servicemen around to pick up the idioms from. Perhaps she never met any or maybe she felt that English children would'nt understand words like Closet and Drapes. Or would she, in wartime, have felt that typical British language was more patriotic somehow?

The cake issue sounds like another of her little continuity errors. Unless the candles were somehow placed in the centre of the cake and they ate around the edges then they would have been chewing hot candles.

[Petermax]

when Betty comments to a man celebrating his 42nd birthday: "Oh, aren't you old! Never mind - you're very nice."
Anita

Hee hee yes as I am now 41 I had to cringe slightly at that bit.

Having turned 42 back in December, Betty's comment scared me to death. Being in ones forties sixty years ago was perhaps a different concept to today. The school leaving age was 14 and the average UK life expectancy was somewhat lower, around 65 compared to todays 81. So certainly, being a fortysomething back then perhaps meant pipe and carpet slippers for many.

After over 30 years I really must re-visit The Boy Next Door. Earlier this evening I picked up a nice early 1950s hardback edition on Ebay. No dust jacket but a good clean reading copy with the likelihood of the text being more or less as published in 1944. Getting the time to read it will be another matter though!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I also felt that a lot of Kit's expressions were rather too "English" to be coming from an American boy. I wonder if Blyton had visited the USA by that point in her life? It seems to me that the drawling accent was the only thing she knew about Americans. As it was written during the second world war there must have been plenty of American servicemen around to pick up the idioms from. Perhaps she never met any or maybe she felt that English children would'nt understand words like Closet and Drapes. Or would she, in wartime, have felt that typical British language was more patriotic somehow?

Enid Blyton didn't visit America until 1948, several years after the publication of The Boy Next Door. Her ideas about Americans may well have been based on American servicemen she saw/heard about and on American films too, I expect. Incidentally, in Third Year at Malory Towers Zerelda Brass talks of "film stars" she admires - surely that ought to be "movie stars"?

Happy Reading, Petermax!

Anita

[Keith Robinson]

I have now scanned all the Bestall illustrations from the book

Brilliant! I never thought I'd say it, but Dunlop's illustrations pale in comparison to Bestall's. Thanks for adding those, Tony, they're really nice and a perfect showcase for how books SHOULD be illustrated (as opposed to the horrible caricatures and cartoons they do these days).

I still have to add the illustrations by Gilbert Dunlop from the Collins edition!

I noticed you'd added a few Dunlop pictures, but not many, and I wondered why? Just curious, that's all. Judging by the date of your post I'm wondering if this was when you got flooded out?

The Boy Next Door is one of my favorite books too, and oddly enough was the first "old hardback" I bought -- for 60p at a charity shop.

[Tony Summerfield]

You are absolutely right, Keith, I was about to scan the Dunlop illustrations and got side-tracked by a fresh flooding! The ones that are there at present are left over from a while ago and are simply ones that I have used in past Journals. I will be redoing these and adding to them so that we have all 26 of the Dunlop illustrations as well.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I've just finished reading the updated version of this book, The Young Adventurers and The Boy Next Door.
Obviously my favourite is the original copy I have, but there is hardly any difference between the two. Of course, the children are Nicky, Katie and Laura and Russet the dog, whereas in the original the dog is called Sandy, and belongs to cousin Lucy, and then there's Robin and Betty brother and sister. Some of the wording was changed but the story was identical. Why the characters had to change, I'm not sure, but it did explain in the first chapter how Nick and Laura came to live with Mrs Greyling, (this name is from the Treasure Hunters) and how they ran away and lived in a hollow tree. So I'm guessing that is from the book Hollow Tree House. So I looked on the sites book listing, and there is a few of these books The Young Adventurers and etc etc. It was a nice book to read though I have to admit.

[Tony Summerfield]

All the Dunlop illustrations are now in place as well - I suggest that only those with broadband check it out!

[Moonraker]

Looking out of my window, towards the east, I saw what looked like a dense cloud - on further investigation, I discovered it to be directly over Tony's house. He was scanning again.

Wow! A great week's work, Tony. Although agreeing with Keith, I do prefer Bestall's illustrations; Dunlop's do have an uncluttered, simple look to them. It is fascinating to compare the differences.

I think this illustrates well one of the purposes and goals of the Society, nanny (referring to a question asked on the Yahoo Group, recently). How else could we be treated to a library of Blyton's illustrated pictures without owning all of the books?

Thanks Tony.

[Keith Robinson]

I think this illustrates well one of the purposes and goals of the Society, nanny (referring to a question asked on the Yahoo Group, recently). How else could we be treated to a library of Blyton's illustrated pictures without owning all of the books?

...although we both know that Nanny isn't actually reading this, as for some reason she only reads messages that she can receive via feed reader subscription -- and these forums don't have a feed set up yet. She explained this when we met her at EB Day, but I can't remember the reason she gave for not logging onto the forums in the normal way.

In any case, whether she was reading this through subscription or not, she'd need to log on to the site in order to view the amazing illustrations!

Keith

[Moonraker]

...although we both know that Nanny isn't actually reading this, as for some reason she only reads messages that she can receive via feed reader subscription --

Strangely, she does log into the Society site - she recently quoted the aims of the Society (to the Yahoo Group) as read on the Society link on the Home Page. In fact, she also looks in at the Forums - her last visit was on Sunday 25 May, at 6.25pm.

I also asked her why she didn't post, she told me that she couldn't access the Forums that well, as any time spent on the computer was taken up by work-related business.

Strange then, that as she manages to log in, she can't manage to post.

Nanny - Are You There?

[Ming]

The illustrations are all very nice, and I'm not sure whose illustrations I prefer. They're amazing.

One thing I noticed is that one of the pictures by Dunlop shows a boy who looks remarkably like Barney or Snubby (can't remember who!) - or am I just imagining?!

[Lucky Star]

One thing I noticed is that one of the pictures by Dunlop shows a boy who looks remarkably like Barney or Snubby (can't remember who!) - or am I just imagining?!

Yes I noticed that too. I guess that as Dunlop also illustrated Barney books for Blyton he may have had a tendancy to draw similar looking characters.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Great pictures. Chapter vii of the Bestal illustrations, I saw the spelling "mummie", which I've not noticed anywhere else.

Viv

[Moonraker]

Just secured a 1956 copy through eBay for 99 pence!

The Boy Next Door by Enid Blyton. Illustrated by Gilbert Dunlop. Collins.

254 pages. Dust jacket has severe damage, title pages have some damp staining, otherwise good condition.

Seems a bargain!

[Petermax]

Behold, I have secured a 1951 copy off Ebay, also for a mere 99 pence plus p+p!