Good Enid Blyton Winter/Christmas Reads

[Sally]

Thanks Lawrie - yes getting better. Little did I know it, but Strange Bundle was the perfect choice to take away - the book started with flu and laughter was considered the best medecine. I still laugh out loud at the scene between Fatty and Good in Mr Fellows' house, looking for the grunting man who wanted his Auntie.

[Lenoir]

That's one of my favourite scenes as well. I wrote a short piece on it, which I need to post sometime.

[Sally]

Merged with an older thread.

As I often do, in the run up to Christmas I have been re-reading the Find Outer winter novels - namely, Secret Room, Hidden House, Strange Bundle, Tally-Ho Cottage and Strange Messages, which always seem appropriate for this time of year, although the stories mainly take place in January. The four latter novels are still for me some of the best - I love the winter atmosphere of hot drinks in Fatty's shed round the oil-stove, winter teas at the Dairy, Goon falling off his bike on the ice, midnight adventures in the snow, and of course dear Ern who appears in three of them.

It was a pity that non of the Adventure series took place at Christmas - it would have been nice to witness Christmas for the children with Aunt Allie and Bill staying as a guest before whisking them off on a winter holiday of adventure - the winter wildlife in say Scandinavia or again in Scotland would have had Philip and Jack in raptures. I could see Lucy-Ann spending hours making Christmas presents for the whole family and a special pipe holder for Bill or perhaps knitting a hat to keep his bald head warm!

We will be away from Saturday and so I would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy New Year. Hopefully another gathering of us all in the summer!

[Julie2owlsdene]

I've just finished reading Rat a Tat, and was contemplating reading Secret Room with it's wintery feel about it.

Enjoy your holiday, Sally. And a merry Christmas to you and everyone here on the forums.

[Poppy]

Wonderful idea to get out your winter Find Outers collection, Sally. Unfortunatley, I've been too busy with stand alones to think of fatty & co but I'm sure I'll have time to flick through in the new year.

Yes, it would have been good for there to be an Adventure series winter book. I think there must be a winter book for every other series.

Have a wonderful time away - we definitely need a gathering to be arranged and I am making a definite promise to be there this time!

[Lucky Star]

I have always thought that Enid was strangely neglectful of Christmas. Considering that she knew exactly what children loved she ,must have been aware that every child loves Christmas and so it would have been fertile territory for her. Imagine an FFO book set during Christmas week, the mystery solving taking place amid the Christmas shoppers and the decorating etc. With her superb gift for evoking special atmospheres she cold have produced a minor classic of Christmas writing.

Instead she chose to mention Christmas almost only in passing. Five go Adventuring Again is probably the nearest she came to writing an actual Christmas setting. That setting is one of the best things about that otherwise slightly disappointing book.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Christmas is mentioned more in the short stories - there are lots of tales about Father Christmas, Christmas trees, Christmas puddings with sixpences in them, parties, stockings hanging up at the end of the bed or by the fireplace, and what happens to children who fail to write their thank you letters! And of course there's The Christmas Book, in which Enid Blyton imparts information about customs while describing a family's celebrations.

[Poppy]

It is mentioned quite in depth in The Six Bad Boys, also Those Dreadful Children! ends on Christmas day. She doesn't seem to go very in depth in many of the series books. I'm sure in one of the Find outers, possibly The mystery of the Secret room where Fatty brings Bets the doll she wanted. I was always quite disappointed that Enid didn't include more information about Christmas in more of her books. I suppose the weather is more important to the plot, though, however nice it is to read about the actual Christmas day.

I have the book The Christmas Story by Enid Blyton

[Ming]

Not really the Mystery series but I'm waiting till New Year's Eve to re-read Father Time and His Pattern Book.

I plan on curling up with all the books you mentioned, Sally! I'll start Secret Room tonight.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm waiting till New Year's Eve to re-read Father Time and His Pattern Book.

Snap! That has become an annual treat for me too.

[Moonraker]

Never heard of it.

[Daisy]

Nor have I Nigel.

[Anita Bensoussane]

'Father Time and His Pattern Book' is a short story in which Father Time appears to a boy on New Year's Eve. It's thoughtful, imaginative and beautifully written and is my favourite short story by Enid Blyton. I'm familiar with it from Enid Blyton's Sunshine Book (Dean & Son) but it has been included in several collections:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/sear ... ttern+book" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sally]

Agree that Christmas was slightly neglected by Enid - most of her stories focussed on after Christmas in January. One of the best Christmas offerings me is actually in Six Cousins Again when Enid describes in great detail the Christmas lunch being served by Linnie and Dorcas and the wonderful family atmosphere which prevailed. As always, she had a reason, and in this case I believe it was to emphasise the effort made by Linnie and Dorcas in providing the best they could for the family and the love and appreciation they received in response from the whole family - cousins included. Aunt Rose was clearly jealous and resentful and I believe the scene was meant to show how different the two women were - Linnie, loving, generous and totally unselfish whereas Rose was completely the opposite.

[Poppy]

Sunshine Book rings a bell - I think I have this. I will get it out on new years eve.

My brother got me a little Pocket Library book a few years ago called A Christmas Wish which is a lovely read about a poverty stricken family who find Father Christmases hat. Nice and Christmassy. I agree, Sally, the Six Cousins books do portray Christmas very well and makes it seem magical and a wonderful time. I also enjoy reading about how the Five celebrate Christmas in Five Go Adventuring Again. I especially like the description about the Christmas tree.