The Adventure Series!

[RainbowJude]

Valley - The first one I ever read. Absolutely stunning story. The cave behind the waterfall! The caves full of treasures! This would make a brilliant film.

I agree this particular title would make an excellent film, thought this series seems as if it would lend itself to that kind of treatment quite comfortably.

Later days
David

[pete9012S]

Thanks for the suggestion Tony, I've now just read them all.

It did bring it all back.

Her favourite seems to have been The Valley of Adventure and I read somewhere once that this is widely seen as Blyton's greatest book?

I personally preferred Castle of Adventure, Sea and Ship. Controversially for me, it seems, I thought Circus of Adventure the weakest.

Anyone agree that Valley is indeed Enid's greatest book?
Five On A Treasure Island is her masterpiece to me-probably as it was the first book by Enid I ever read!

[Poppy]

Five Get Into Trouble is my favourite Blyton book for a fantastic atmosphere, unique villains and a great storyline. Next for me would come The Sea of Adventure/ Valley and The Mystery of the Missing Necklace/ Strange Messages. I would agree on it being up there in one of the top spots, but on it's whereabout would certainly rely on a matter of opinion.

[Moonraker]

Five Get Into Trouble is my favourite Blyton book...

Am I alone in being irritated by the seemingly wrong use of the apostrophe in the name, Owl's Dene. Surely there is more than one owl on the hill, so shouldn't it follow that the name should be Owls' Hill, and the house, Owls' Dene?

I can't read the early chapters - especially the farm scene, without hearing Robbie Coltrane! Also, the pomposity of Julian is amazing:

"Good evening. We are a group of children camping nearby, and would like to by some food," or words to that effect! Don't you want to give him a good slap?!

[Spitfire]

I can't say that I'd ever thought about the apostrophe, but I'll probably notice it all the time now!!! I agree with the logic of what you're saying.

I don't dislike Julian as a character these days, but he is often pompous to people of a lower class - and from a girl's point of view, annoyingly superior at the best of times. I'm surprised he doesn't address farmers' wives *pauses to double-check placing of apostrophe* as 'my good woman'!!

Edit: - of course, he would only be addressing them one at a time!

[Katharine]

Anyone agree that Valley is indeed Enid's greatest book?
Five On A Treasure Island is her masterpiece to me-probably as it was the first book by Enid I ever read!

I don't know about her greatest, but for me it's definitely one of her most outstanding books. I also really like Five On A Treasure Island though, and would probably give them equal place in my list of Enid's best books.

I've never notice the apostrophe placed in Owls Dene. To me it looks fine without one. Maybe it's because I'm used to Julie's user name though.

I know I'm biased about Julian, as I've always liked his character, but I honestly can't see anything wrong with what Nigel quoted. Sounds perfectly polite and reasonable to me. Possibly as an adult I'd find him unusually self assured for a child that age, as I don't know many teenage boys who could speak so confidently. Most of the ones I know go red and mumble into their boots when spoken to by an adult. However, I do know one very confident boy, who goes to a Grammar school and comes from a background probably not very far removed from that of the Kirrin family, so maybe it's a class thing? I only normally come into contact with working class comprehensive kids.

[Moonraker]

I've never notice the apostrophe placed in Owls Dene. To me it looks fine without one. Maybe it's because I'm used to Julie's user name though.

It looks terrible without one! You could write owls hoot, meaning they make a hooting noise, but if you had a pet owl, you might want to call your house Owl's Hoot to signify this - or if there were many owls flying over your house at night, you would call it Owls' Hoot.

[Katharine]

Yes, I can see what you mean Nigel, it's just that to me the word 'Dene' doesn't mean anything, so I wouldn't expect the name to follow the normal rules of grammar if that makes sense?

[Moonraker]

Dene was one of the first words I learned thanks to Enid! I remember finding out that it meant valley or hollow. Maybe Enid should've called one of her books, The Dene of Adventure!

[Katharine]

Well I never knew that before. I don't think I've come across the word anywhere else, and didn't realise it was a real word. I suppose I just thought it was a made up nonsense word.

The only Dean I've ever come across is the name of a person.

[Liam]

Anyone agree that Valley is indeed Enid's greatest book?

I can’t really say that. It is definitely beautiful, and every bit as “atmospheric” as everyone says it is. But I think Five Go To Smuggler’s Top is EB’s best book. It is hard to find any flaws in it. From the opening sentence, it strikes you as more “literary.” It has depth, it is entirely suspenseful, it’s humorous, and EB is in her element totally – set in Britain with all the foreignness still British – i.e. the Lenoirs’ French heritage. In Valley, the foreign elements – crooks, etc. - seem a bit stilted to me.

And I say this even though Five Fall Into Adventure is my favorite, while Five on a Hike Together the one I would most like to be a part of.

[Katharine]

I like Smuggler's Top, but have never really seen the appeal of Fall Into Adventure. Possibly because I never took to the character of Jo. I do love Five On A Hike though. A great comment about wishing you could be part of it. There's definitely something about the description of the place which makes me yearn to go there, if it existed.

[Lucky Star]

Valley is my favourite Blyton book and a strong contender for her best. In fact I think it is her best although I would rank The Rubadub Mystery, The Secret Island and probably The Sea of Adventure just beneath it.

Five on a Treasure Island is my favourite of the FF series; I just think it's so atmospheric and a wonderful introduction to the series. It's also a jolly exciting story but I don't think it is her best book at all. To my mind none of the FF qualifies for that title despite many of them being very exciting stories. I just think she wrote so much better in the more "grown up" series' such as the Adventures and the Barneys and even the Secret series.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I agree that The Valley of Adventure is probably Enid Blyton's best book. Six Cousins Again, The Sea of Adventure, The Six Bad Boys, The Ring O' Bells Mystery, The Rubadub Mystery, The Secret Island and The Secret Mountain are outstanding as well.

I feel the same as you about the Famous Five, LS. The Famous Five books may be Enid Blyton's best-known mystery/adventure series but I'd rank several other series above them - Adventure, Barney, Find-Outers and Secret.

[Nair Snehalatha]

All the Barney books are lovely.--- especially-- Ring-o- bells' Rilloby Fair, Rockingdown. ''Secret Seven Adventure'' is great.'' Secret Seven On The Trail'' is gorgeously humorous and exciting too.''T he Mystery Of The Invisible Thief'' actually keeps you on tenterhooks. ''Hidden House '' too. I love each one in a different way.--- it's difficult to choose. But I love the Find Outers series a lot.