What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

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Francis
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Francis »

Thank you Courtenay - she has heard of the Famous Five and loves dogs but I am hoping that the 'Adventure' series might attract her as well. If I get her hooked I will start on the first of the series of both of them. I do like reading aloud as it is fun and I find that I notice more things than when I am just reading.
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by IceMaiden »

Just a thought Francis, I'm guessing your granddaughter is fairly young if your reading to her so what about the short story Five and a Half-Term Adventure? That would introduce her to the characters, the setting and mystery is around a dog and a dog show which will hold her interest if she loves dogs, and it's short enough to not lose focus on first reading while being long enough to whet the appetite for the main series :) .
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Wolfgang »

I agree with Courtenay - I started with "Ship of adventure", and when I finally read "Island", I knew Bill couldn't be the bad guy.
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Courtenay »

Pretty obvious, I guess, considering what he becomes by the end of Ship! :wink:

Even when I first read Island (only a few years ago), I'd already picked up enough from discussions on here to know that Bill wasn't going to be a baddie. I still picked up, though, how Enid cleverly leaves it quite ambiguous at first as to what he's really up to and whether the children can trust him or not.
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

As a child I read Valley first, followed by a couple of others before I encountered Island. I didn't mind coming to the books out of order as it was so fascinating reading Island having already met the children and Bill. Seeing how the two sets of siblings made friends and how Bill came into their lives was especially touching and meaningful because I knew of later developments.
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Rob Houghton »

The first Adventure book I read as a child was 'Valley' - a school library book which we were allowed to read when we'd finished our work, while waiting for others to catch up (those were the days!!). I didn't really realise then that it was part of a series, and I loved it as an individual book. In fact I got to the last page and immediately opened it at the front again, so I wouldn't have to choose another book!

Then I bought my own copy of 'Island' -- and I found the first chapter so boring that I didn't pick it up again for maybe another 15 years! The opening chapter with Philip and the disembodied voice etc did nothing to hold me, and this is where I formed my opinion that Kiki was an annoying distraction, which put me off the rest of the Adventure books until I was in my 20's! This is why I would recommend Valley before Island. Valley held me transfixed as a child - but I never got past the first chapter of Island.
'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)



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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Courtenay »

Well, I absolutely loved Island from the first page, so there. :lol: Goes to show it takes all sorts to make a world, as they say!

I'm sure Francis's granddaughter will love any of the Famous Five or Adventure books, whichever ones they choose to read together. I was introduced to the FF myself by reading them with Mum when I was little, taking turns to read the chapters, every night before bedtime. Happy memories! :D
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Rob Houghton »

Courtenay wrote:Well, I absolutely loved Island from the first page, so there. :lol: Goes to show it takes all sorts to make a world, as they say!
Agreed! Actually, maybe I found it a bit slow because I'd already read Valley and that's one of the books that pretty much starts with a bang straight away, so I'd sorta been spoiled! :wink:
'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)



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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Courtenay »

That's a good point. Island has a relatively slow start as the two pairs of children get to know each other and settle in at Craggy-Tops — the mystery of the island develops quite gradually — whereas Valley starts at near breakneck speed and doesn't slow down.

Still, at least all Enid's main series (to my knowledge) have an internal chronology that follows the order in which they were written — I don't think she ever went back in time with her characters to write prequels to any of her established books. I'm thinking of the endless debates among C.S. Lewis fans as to whether the Narnia books are best read in the order of first publication, in the order of their internal chronology (which is the way the publishers now number them), or even in the order that Lewis actually wrote them, which is slightly different from the order in which they were published! :lol: It's one of those things that's really down to individual tastes. And of course, most of Enid's plots don't depend heavily at all on things that happened in previous books in the series, so unlike with some authors, it's possible to read them in just about any order and enjoy them regardless.
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Rob Houghton
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Rob Houghton »

With the Narnia books, I definitely think The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe should be read first, because this adds interest when reading The Magician's Nephew. :-)

No - I don't think Enid ever did any books out of chronological order.
'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)



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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Courtenay »

Rob Houghton wrote:With the Narnia books, I definitely think The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe should be read first, because this adds interest when reading The Magician's Nephew. :-)
Yes, I agree — that's how I read them myself, but I'm sure there are also those who would disagree. :wink:
Rob Houghton wrote: No - I don't think Enid ever did any books out of chronological order.
I get the feeling that wasn't her "thing", really — Enid wasn't the sort of writer who ever had the thought of delving into the histories or "back stories" of her characters. They were always moving ahead, having more and more adventures while staying forever young! :lol:
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Rob Houghton »

Courtenay wrote: They were always moving ahead, having more and more adventures while staying forever young! :lol:
Aren't we all, lol! (I wish!) ;-) :lol:
'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)



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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Daisy »

I am glad I read "the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" first and then some of the others before "The Magician's Nephew", but now I will read it first when I do a re-read of the series.
I also read Valley first and when I eventually read Island I was pleased to read of how the two families first met. The only drawback was realising Bill was a 'goodie' much sooner than I might have done.
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Courtenay »

Rob Houghton wrote:
Courtenay wrote: They were always moving ahead, having more and more adventures while staying forever young! :lol:
Aren't we all, lol! (I wish!) ;-) :lol:
Oh, I am. :wink:
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Francis »

Courtenay's idea of reading a short story is great but as she is here for two weeks it will have to be an appetiser!
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