Good Enid Blyton Winter/Christmas Reads

[Moonraker]

Thanks, Anita; I'm pretty sure I've got Sunshine Book, so I will dig it out!

[Anita Bensoussane]

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.

I agree that that's a great scene, enhanced by Maurice Tulloch's joyous picture of plump, jolly Dorcas bringing in a flaming round plum pudding topped with a sprig of holly.

As well as 'Father Time and His Pattern Book' for New Year's Eve, Sunshine Book contains an excellent Christmas-themed story - 'Santa Claus is Surprising'.

(Merging this thread with the 'Winter/Christmas Reads' thread as the conversation has moved on from the Find-Outers books.)

[Moonraker]

This thread has merged more times than my old firm!

[Nair Snehalatha]

Enid Blyton's Christmas Book--- is very Christmassy and a very good read for Christmas.-- a family enjoying Christmas according to old customs--- a lovely read.

[Deej]

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.

I was just about to say. This book wasn't really jolly with the tension between George and Mr Roland slightly spoiling Christmas.

[Kate Mary]

My favourite Christmas read of all is a little book called "Robin Finds Christmas" by Molly Brett. It is about a robin who lives in a fir tree at the edge of a wood. One December his tree vanishes and he goes looking for it. After many adventures he finds it in the village church, decorated for Christmas. He makes friends with a church mouse who lives on a diet of hassocks and hymn books and learns what Christmas is really about. The colour illustrations are lovely. Has anyone else read this enchanting story?

[Ming]

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.

I was just about to say. This book wasn't really jolly with the tension between George and Mr Roland slightly spoiling Christmas.

Five Go Adventuring Again was my first Famous Five book and I really hated George's character's here. She was stubborn, selfish, downright rude and thoroughly unpleasant in general. I was glad she improved quite a lot in the other books while still keeping her feisty personality!

[Maggie Knows]

I heartily disagree with what some are saying about FGAA. I think it's a very much under-rated classic, and a very good example of the author's ability to craft a plot.

George (and Timmy) saw through the devious Mr Roland and the others didn't. Shame on the others for allowing Mr Roland to groom them and to isolate their cousin!!

Anne was 'bought' for the price of a doll. What sort of cousins were they to rally around Mr Roland while George was put in disgrace...!!!

[Moonraker]

Yes, I think it is the stubbornness of the three cousins to George's opinion of Roland that truly irritated me. I know it was only the second adventure, so maybe the three could be excused for doubting Tim's opinion of Roland. But come on, it was pretty obvious that Roland was a villain yet we had to wait until the end of the story for it to be confirmed. I found the book to be so frustrating that I cannot bring myself ever to read it again. And this was written in Enid's so called golden years! We also have to consider that the Kirrins (George's side - another irritation of the series is everyone having the same name!) have Timmy and the four to thank for their new-found wealth! You'd think Quentin and Fanny would have at least had their suspicions...

[Danger Bird]

Yep, Uncle Quentin's treatment of Timmy is disgraceful considering how instrumental he was in securing his family's fortune.
Quentin always seems to be more willing to trust complete strangers over his own family members.

[Daisy]

But Quentin was so out of touch with life in general ..... I guess he hardly knew what day of the week it was and we are told he wasn't used to children ..... what do they know after all? He would take an adult's opinion before theirs every time. I'm reading this book now and have commented on it in the "What are you reading now?" thread.

[Deej]

Five Go Adventuring Again was my first Famous Five book and I really hated George's character's here. She was stubborn, selfish, downright rude and thoroughly unpleasant in general. I was glad she improved quite a lot in the other books while still keeping her feisty personality!

Although I agree that George was all the traits you mention, I did not like Five Go Adventuring Again because of the way Mr Roland, her cousins and her aunt and uncle treated George. George had her suspicions about Mr Roland and she was proven to be absolutely right. I think it's hard to believe how none of the others seemed to tick on that Mr Roland was up to no good, especially after he was caught in Uncle Quentin's study. I know George was a bit immature though how she disliked and didn't trust anyone who Timmy didn't like. Her cousins had the sense and maturity to know that they had to get on with Mr Roland to keep their aunt and uncle happy. In general, George can come across as being quite difficult to like and hard to warm to, but I think that's more a product of her being an only child than anything else. She soon grows out of it and stops having her temper tantrums.

[Maggie Knows]

The things people are saying they don't like about FGAA is what actually makes it a great book !!

It's just a bit more challenging: no saccharine in this one...!!

[Poppy]

I have just read (about three times!) Happy Christmas, Five which is a wonderful Christmassy read with brilliant descriptions and a glorious festive feel to it. My favourite description is of the tree that the children have decorated:

The tree was there, looking cheerful, although the candles on it were not yet lighted. It was hung with tinsel and and little sparkling ornaments, and had on the top the fairy doll that had been on every Christmas tree since George was little.

It sounds delightful and I'm sure candles would have looked wonderful but I wonder if there was many fires as a result of them? Also when did the Christmas star start being placed at the top of a tree instead of a fairy doll or were both used in them days?

I was also interested in the fact of Uncle Quentin "being Father Christmas" as suggested by Aunt Fanny. Was this a tradition do you think?

We can stand the sack at the bottom of the tree and you can be Father Christmas and hand them out tomorrow morning.

I wonder if this meant actually dress up and everything? Anyway, I'm enjoying other some more stories from this delightful collection with a delicious helping of trifle and a glass of limeade. How fivish!

[Daisy]

Happy Christmas Five sounds very nice but it contradicts what we hear about George in Five Go Adventuring Again if "the fairy doll had been on the top of the tree since George was little". In FGAA George had never had a tree before... no doubt a reference to the impoverished state of the family until the discovery of the gold the previous summer.