The Enid Blyton Society

I love the fact that this series contains humour.

I remember that we had an interesting discussion on Hidden House when we had a Readathon on several of the Find-Outers books:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... 239#p14239" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hard to believe it was almost eleven years ago!

It's a good time to read it as it mentions the date, the 4th of January.
Tonight's the night Ern had to go and look for the loot!

Stephen wrote:
My next book is very different - Adventures Of The Wishing Chair!

I'm reading that now in two versions - the sumptuous Georgina Hargreaves large beautifully illustrated hardback and also the kindle version when I'm out and about.

It's the first time I've ever read this book - I was impressed that my kindle version has the old old money.

I'm up to The Land Of Dreams which is almost psychedelic....




If I didn't know that the book was published in 1937 by Enid Blyton I could easily assume it was published around 1967 by someone who had taken mind enhancing substances!!!

Agreed Pete! The Land of dreams is certainly an eye-opener!

I have three versions of The Adventures of the Wishing Chair - the Dean version I read as a child, the original version, and, as you say, the beautifully illustrated Georgina Hargreaves version. The Wishing Chair Again is my favourite of the series.

Rob Houghton wrote:I believe the nearby hill is called 'Winter Hill' or some such thing? Over the river from Old Thatch.

Its interesting how many people like 'The Mystery of the Hidden House' - I know several people who hold it up as one of the best in the Find Outers series, but I've never liked it very much. It does have a great sense of place, but I find the underground garage a bit too far-fetched. However, all the Find Outer books are good reads (except the last one maybe!!!)

I never actually thought about Winter Hill (I was visualising the one overlooking Wooburn Green) - but yes, that does make more sense, especially because of the name and the fact it's in the opposite direction of the stream! Who needs Ern when you've got me?

pete9012S wrote:

Stephen wrote:
My next book is very different - Adventures Of The Wishing Chair!

I'm reading that now in two versions - the sumptuous Georgina Hargreaves large beautifully illustrated hardback and also the kindle version when I'm out and about.

It's the first time I've ever read this book - I was impressed that my kindle version has the old old money.

I'm up to The Land Of Dreams which is almost psychedelic....




If I didn't know that the book was published in 1937 by Enid Blyton I could easily assume it was published around 1967 by someone who had taken mind enhancing substances!!!

I think this is the possibly the earliest written Blyton book I've got. I also think my Dean version is the oldest I got brand new that I still own. It's in a bit of a state of disrepair after nearly forty years but still readable! And I always found the Land of Dreams to be pretty terrifying.

pete9012S wrote:
If I didn't know that the book was published in 1937 by Enid Blyton I could easily assume it was published around 1967 by someone who had taken mind enhancing substances!!!

Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle describes that his creation Sherlock Holmes was addicted to endure dull and boring all-day life...

True, but we've no evidence that Enid ever did the same...

Anita Bensoussane wrote:I remember that we had an interesting discussion on Hidden House when we had a Readathon on several of the Find-Outers books:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... 239#p14239" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hard to believe it was almost eleven years ago!

I rather think we need to have some sort of a Readathon soon. It's been ages since I've participated in one.

Stephen wrote:
I think this is the possibly the earliest written Blyton book I've got. I also think my Dean version is the oldest I got brand new that I still own. It's in a bit of a state of disrepair after nearly forty years but still readable! And I always found the Land of Dreams to be pretty terrifying.

You need to get 'The Book Of Brownies' - one of Enid's first published books, and a very good one!

Adventures Of The Wishing-Chair was a delight from beginning to end. I actually got 'The Wishing-Chair Again' first all those years ago so I was already familiar with the characters, but it was interesting to see how it had all started. And I'm fairly certain that 'Adventures' became my most read Enid Blyton book of all during my childhood. It was so great to relive the old times with the adorable Rene Cloke illustrations where Peter looks like a smartly dressed page boy, Mollie looks like a girl from German folklore, and Chinky resembles an angelic child! It's interesting that although Chinky is only about the size of a baby and does seem like a small, helpless child in his first scene, he quickly develops into an almost adult-like lead through his experience with magic, and knowing about various lands and people.

Unlike the Faraway Tree (which I thought stuck out like a sore thumb!), the children are very anxious to keep their travels secret from the (human) adults, otherwise the Wishing-Chair would probably "end up in a museum." The chapters where their mother sees it, assumes it's an ordinary chair and takes it into the house were actually quite sickening the first time I read them!

Also, something I'd never really thought about before is that there's no mention of Peter's and Mollie's father. I'm pretty sure he doesn't appear in 'Again' either. Has he passed on, are the parents divorced, or is he just an unseen character?

Next book up is The Treasure Hunters which I remember liking very much.

The Treasure Hunters was a lovely little stand-alone book with these likeable one-off characters. I still feel indignant every time I read about the children being punished and sent to their rooms for lateness by the very grandparents they're trying to help! And I've always found Mr Potts (of Money) to be one of Enid's most unlikeable baddies. Not the usual gun-toting gangster or villainous thug, but I always thought it was horrible the way this conniving man was trying to make himself even richer by taking advantage of an old couple facing poverty!

And now it's time for The Sea Of Adventure, my most read of the Adventure series (probably because it's my only one in hardback form). Pretty much a plot from James Bond which happens to include children, there's disguises, speed boat chases, gun-running from foreign criminals and gunfire galore (including a regular getting injured by a stray bullet!)!

Stephen wrote:The Treasure Hunters was a lovely little stand-alone book with these likeable one-off characters. I still feel indignant every time I read about the children being punished and sent to their rooms for lateness by the very grandparents they're trying to help!

Ah yes — but then Susan's idea for how they can circumvent that punishment without actually breaking their promise makes for a brilliant plot twist and a thrilling late-night adventure! The Treasure Hunters has always been one of my favourites too.

Oh my God!! Guess what I got for the Epiphany??
A collection of three Naughtiest Girl in School books! I'm so happy because those are the books I really wanted to read and now I'll be able to do it!! And honestly this series is totally amazing

That's brilliant, Maria Esther! Great present to receive!


I'm still reading 'Five Go To Smuggler's Top'. Its the first Famous Five I ever read, aged 9, when I received the annual version for my birthday, and its the book that has the most 'iconic' Famous Five ingredients, in my view - flashing lights, loads of secret passages, Block pretending to be deaf, the hump in Block's bed when they go looking to see if he's asleep, the tree crashing through the roof of Kirrin cottage, George being mistaken for a boy, the fact they have to hide Timmy, Uncle Quentin being kidnapped, George spying on Barling through a lighted window when she walks around the city walls, etc. No wonder its such a great Famous Five adventure!

There are some phrases used that have stayed with me since childhood also, such as Anne observing that Block has a 'shut face' and that Mr Lenoir smiles but not with his eyes.