Did Enid Blyton expect the books to become so popular?

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Yak »

It wasn't? why not?

I do remember - and perhaps this is actually the answer to my question - that Blyton books were not carried in my schools and that we were not encouraged to read them. I remember also feeling vaguely dismayed that, although an absolutely voracious reader, I found it quite difficult to get 'into' anything other than Blyton.

And yet - there is so much of value in the books. At six or seven, I was reading books that contained the sort of sophisticated language that most children's books avoided. I wonder WHY it was that schools would not carry them?
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by coolscruff »

i dont know they probably all ready where popular when they got published! :roll:
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Moonraker »

Yak wrote:It wasn't? why not?
You probably did answer your question, Moose! It was considered very immature to read Enid Blyton after the age of around 7. I have recounted before on these boards the story of when I lost my Famous Five badge. It didn't turn up, and so I bought another. My original was later found, and when a boy came into the classroom to ask if it belonged to any of us, I claimed it - to much ridicule! I was about 10, I think.

We were encouraged to read 'proper' books by 'proper' authors. Kids thought they were so 'clever' if they said, "I can't stand Enid Blyton!" It's a bit like people saying, "I don't like The Beatles!" I imagine there are points to be scored by not appearing to like what the masses like. I wonder how many of those kids had read Enid Blyton before trying to look educated and saying her books were rubbish?

A bit like the people who scoff at Big Brother - yet have never watched it!
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Lucky Star »

Moonraker wrote:
A bit like the people who scoff at Big Brother - yet have never watched it!
I have watched Big Brother and I still scoff at it. It is complete manufactured rubbish. Thank God it is almost finished for good. Some Enid Blyton was stocked in my school library in Ireland in the 1970's. Not a lot though. The emphasis was more on William, Billy Bunter and Biggles as far as I remember. It was at school that I learned to love those characters. We too were encouraged to read people like Dickens and classics like Little Women etc. These were considered beneficial whereas Blyton and the others would have been considered as light entertainment.
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Moonraker »

Lucky Star wrote:
Moonraker wrote:
A bit like the people who scoff at Big Brother - yet have never watched it!
I have watched Big Brother and I still scoff at it. It is complete manufactured rubbish.
Good for you, John! I have found this BB the best yet - however, it was a mistake to carry it on with Ultimate Big Brother. I have now finished watching it! It should have finished with the crowning of the winner.
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Yak »

Can't stand what I've seen of it but as I've not got a TV that's not all that much. Strangely, despite not watching it, I still seem to know more about it than I might wish.
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thankfully I managed to hear nothing at all about Big Brother this year, except for the couple of posts in this thread.
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Moonraker »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Thankfully I managed to hear nothing at all about Big Brother this year, except for the couple of posts in this thread.
You've missed a great series. One of the best of all; however, I think it has truly run its course now. RIP
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Ming »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Thankfully I managed to hear nothing at all about Big Brother this year, except for the couple of posts in this thread.
I managed to avoid those as well. :P
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Moonraker »

Ming wrote:
Anita Bensoussane wrote:Thankfully I managed to hear nothing at all about Big Brother this year, except for the couple of posts in this thread.
I managed to avoid those as well. :P
Sfunny that. How do you avoid them, yet post a reply?
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Ming »

By just reading Anita's post! I just read the first post on BB and then stopped, when Anita's reply came I read only hers!
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Yak »

*makes faces at Nigel*
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Moonraker »

Yak wrote:*makes faces at Nigel*
Don't encourage her, Moose, she does well enough under her own steam. :wink:
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they did

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Ming wrote:By just reading Anita's post! I just read the first post on BB and then stopped, when Anita's reply came I read only hers!
I feel quite honoured! :P
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Re: Did Blyton expect the books to become as popular as they

Post by pete9012S »

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(Can anyone recognise the books being signed?)

I think the question Yak poses at the start of this thread is a rather good one.I wonder what the opinion is from the numerous members who have joined us since the original question was raised.

Enid seemed to be making quite a reasonable living from her writing before The Famous Five etc came along and her career exploded exponentially.

I always have the impression deep down that she would have liked to have achieved success and recognition as an adult author writer like Agatha Christie too?

I do wonder what she would make of this forum with it age range from school age to superannuated would be too!

Hopefully she would realise that she has brought her fans along with her.They started out as childhood readers and simply refused to grow up and give up their love of Enid Blyton.

I appreciate that won't be the same in every case but it fits my profile. There are others too,who come back to Enid Blyton later in life and rekindle that first childhood love of her work and start reading/collecting her books all over again.

Some may be here because of the TV series from the 70' & 90's and some may have different reasons again for reading Enid Blyton's as mature adults.

I don't suppose it matters how we got here,the fact is we are all here and appreciate her enormous volume of varied and exciting work!
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