The Enid Blyton Society

Im currently reading the famous fives in order and am up to 'Five Go To Smugglers Top'.Im enjoying it far more than I thought I would!
What Enid is everyone else currently reading I wonder?
Regards
Pete

Ps. I had to give a talk and read some technical information to an audience of over 130 people last week in line with my business.

After I had finished a very articulate lady approached me and said' you are a very good reader.how is that?'
'Its because I read a lot of Enid Blyton,'I replied.She said..'No,No.tell me the real reason please!'........Ah well,at least I told the truth!

I'm just reading "Five go to Mystery Moor" as a bedtime treat. I, too, like it more than I thought I should.

Nice anecdote, Pete.
That EB is not taken seriously as a writer of literature is a leitmotif that turns up in quite a many treads here. I have given my view about that and about the would-be literary experts so often that I don't wish to say much more about it.
Only this: EB books are still loved by so many people around the globe and of nearly all age levels, so there must be something to them if the "experts" like it or not.

Cheers

Dick Kirrin

I have gone down with the lurgy and spent today in bed, curled up with the Journal and the Circus of Adventure. I have now started The Enchanted Wood.

I thoroughly enjoyed Circus, and decided that it was the most political book Enid wrote, being about deposing a Head of State. Kiki was an integral part of the plot, her perfomances in the Circus helping Jack to earn money, and by carrying a rope to Philip. She only did her usual frighten the baddies bit at the end, which I suppose was to be expected.

Enis is usually quite ruthless in getting rid of grown-ups, but in the Enchanted Wood the children have to wait a couple of weeks before they can get a day to themselves - which builds up the tension nicely.

So, having had a measly day in bed (without the measles) what's the chance of someone reccomending that I go away for a couple of weeks for rest, recouperation (and adventure) before going back to work...

Viv

I have just this day finished The Boy Next Door.

Not read it before and found it very enthralling - could, as usual picture every detail...

I think I may start the Secret series next as I've not read them, or perhaps the find outers...

Then again, the 5 need a re-visit

I'm reading the Adventure series at the moment. I've just bought Circus, and River from EBAY, so that's the last three for me to read now. So I'm just reading River, and Sea arrived today, so I'll have to start that one after I've read River. Then I've read the full series after many, many years. The only one I wasn't too keen on was Ship. And Kiki does get on my nerves a bit too. Other than that, I'm enjoying the books.

The mystery of Tally-ho cottage. Only read the first chapter so far. I don't think I read any of the FFO books as a child, but am really enjoying them. I finished the mystery of Holly Lane a couple of weeks ago and as I want to read them in order wasn't sure how long it would take before I found a copy of the next one in the series. I was very lucky and found a 1970s paper back in only the second shop I looked in at the weekend. I'm also reading Book of the Year and Nature Lovers book. I'm reading those on the corresponding weeks of the year, so it will take me the rest of the year to finish those. I'm also reading Binkle and Flip, which again I don't think I've read previously. Tomorrow I expect I shall have to read my 4 year old a couple of chapters of Tales of Betsy May. It's quite a nice little book, but as this will be the 4th or 5th time in a row I've read it, it's losing it's appeal for me

Viv of Ginger Pop wrote:I have gone down with the lurgy and spent today in bed, curled up with the Journal and the Circus of Adventure. I have now started The Enchanted Wood.
Viv

Sorry to hear you're poorly Viv,
My good wife came home from the nursing Home where she looks after 17 elderly inmates/sorry patients with a high temp,burning eyes etc.yesterday.

Anyway we got her a hot toddy of Bells ,lemons,honey,and she was much better today OR you could try:

http://www.echinacia.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My friend Anita recommends this for absolutely everything,if you were in an industrial accident,and had various limbs hanging on by a thread,out would come the echinacia!!
Regards
Pete

Katharine wrote:I'm also reading Binkle and Flip, which again I don't think I've read previously.

There are some wonderful stories in The Adventures of Binkle and Flip. I loved that book as a child and also read aloud from it to liven up a long journey when our children were aged about 4 and 8. At times I could hardly read for laughing!

Hope you're feeling better soon, Viv. And Zoe, take the plunge and try those Secret or Find-Outers books! You never know, you might even end up liking Jack or Fatty better than George and co!

pete9012S wrote:

Viv of Ginger Pop wrote:I have gone down with the lurgy and spent today in bed, curled up with the Journal and the Circus of Adventure. I have now started The Enchanted Wood.
Viv

Sorry to hear you're poorly Viv,
My good wife came home from the nursing Home where she looks after 17 elderly inmates/sorry patients with a high temp,burning eyes etc.yesterday.

Sorry to hear you're under the weather, Viv; I also didn't realise that you are now living in a nursing home. I'm sure that a run of early nights and betimes drinks of Horlicks will soon see you back, zipping round the rooms on your zimmer!

Viv of Ginger Pop wrote:I have gone down with the lurgy and spent today in bed, curled up with the Journal

I seem to recall our esteemed author getting hot and bothered about someone saying that they had curled up with her...

What would be the reaction if I had said that I spent the day curled up with Tony Summerfield, I wonder?

Thanks for the sympathy. I must now either be feeling very much better or suffering from horrendous hallucinations....

Viv

Viv of Ginger Pop wrote:I seem to recall our esteemed author getting hot and bothered about someone saying that they had curled up with her...

What would be the reaction if I had said that I spent the day curled up with Tony Summerfield, I wonder?

I think the original response was something like, "That beats reading any day!"

Viv of Ginger Pop wrote: What would be the reaction if I had said that I spent the day curled up with Tony Summerfield, I wonder?

Double reactions of intense sympathy?

I'm currently reading The Ring O'Bells Mystery with my youngest children.

I've just spent a rainy afternoon curled up with The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage. Still as wonderful as ever even though the "mystery" has long gone since I know it almost by heart. But its always good to return to good old Peterswood for a visit. I think I'll read the rest of the series in sequence over the next few weeks.

One thing I noticed this time round is that Enid must have planned it to be a major series. I have often wondered if she planned it or if it just happened that way. In chapter two, on page 15 of my Methuen edition, the childeren settle on the FFO and Dog name and laugh about it. "What a silly name" says Larry. Blyton goes on "But all the same it stuck, and for the rest of those holidays and a long time after the Five Find-Outers and Dog used that name continually for themselves". From that sentance it sounds as though Enid already knew that this was going to be no one off which might spawn a couple of sequels but a carefully planned, long running series.

Just looked in my book, John and it does say that. Something I've never really noticed before. That's the beauty of Enid's books, no matter how many times you read them, you discover something new.