The Enid Blyton Society

There have been some discussions on favorite characters, but which character's ears would you most like to box? Whom do you dislike the most?
I have been re-reading malory towers these last few days (I scored a great deal on the 1991 Dean eds ) and was struck by how cruel and mean Alicia Johns was (I never noticed this before for some reason). It would give me great pleasure at giving her a resounding whack.

Ooooooh good question.
I don't think there are any characters I hate (except the mean evil baddies like Jo-Jo or Guy Brimming) but at certain points I might quite like to box Gwendoline's ears (especially when badmouthing her father and trying to blame Darrel for the mean things she herself did to Mary-Lou), Theophilus Goon, June (before she saves Amanda of course), Horrace Tripalong for giving away Bill's escape, Junior for being so sneaky and rude, Tala for the way he treats Oola, hmm and Oola's uncle too, Arrabella for her stuck-uped-ness and goign behind Elizabeths back....... and oh my I have to stop now I'm getting all worked up!

Slightly outside the topic, I'm afraid, but still highly relevant to the wider picture.....

I'd love to box the ears of all those involved in making the more unnecessary changes to 'modern' editions of the texts.

Perhaps someone (much more knowledgeable than me) would like to start a thread on this, giving their most loathed examples, along with the customary ritual curses for the perpetrators' hair and teeth to fall out, etc, etc.

Okay, okay, I know I'm flogging my (dead) hobbyhorse on this one...so shoot me.

For the record I'm (very reluctantly) conceding that some few textural changes probably have to be accepted to keep a number of Blyton books in-print.

‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’

Oh yes Aurelien I'd give up the chance to box the ears of all of the above for a chance of giving a hefty slap to whoever updates the books!

Aurélien wrote:Slightly outside the topic, I'm afraid, but still highly relevant to the wider picture.....

I'd love to box the ears of all those involved in making the more unnecessary changes to 'modern' editions of the texts.

Perhaps someone (much more knowledgeable than me) would like to start a thread on this, giving their most loathed examples, along with the customary ritual curses for the perpetrators' hair and teeth to fall out, etc, etc.
‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’

I saw this one recently and it made zero sense to me:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/ma ... dteenagers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They want to make Fatty slimmer.... why??!! So, count me in on the group that wants to box the ears of those wanting to make pointless changes.

How can you call a thin Frederick "Fatty"?

With just a hint of irony or sarcasm?
In the way a very tall man is called "Wee man" or "Shorty".
Completel daft in Fatty's case though, as he isn't skinny enough to warrant that kind of sarcastic nickname.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my mind just cannot see the FFO in those actors/actresses. The stories are from the past... leave them as they are and where they are. You can try to update them, but it never quite works for me!

Hmmm, for the baddies, I'd love to box any and all of the Stick Family (five run away...). As for regular characters, I'd have to say bossy ol' Julian! I hated when he wouldn't let Anne or George help, it never came off as a kind brother to me!

LuvMyBlyton wrote:Hmmm, for the baddies, I'd love to box any and all of the Stick Family (five run away...). As for regular characters, I'd have to say bossy ol' Julian! I hated when he wouldn't let Anne or George help, it never came off as a kind brother to me!

Julian certainly comes over as domineering, if not quite a control-freak, but some of this may well have been 'the oldest is responsible and held-to-account' thing, mixed in with a degree of protectiveness, especially towards Anne. What do you think?

‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’

Yeah Julian. I don't want to hit him, though. Just put him on a literary naughty step or something!

Sorry, but I disagree. I would love to box Julian's ears.

I would like to add Phillip and Dinah Mannering to the list Especially Dinah.

Julian most definitely needs a clip round the ear.

Edgar stick & Tinker spring to mind as well.

Yes, Julian is the first candidate who springs to mind, followed by George when in one of her "moods".