The Enid Blyton Society

I hope I didn't repeat a thread as i am sure that i searched about it but no topic was named this way.
I recently read it and finished it today. It was a thrilling book unlike all others. I felt immensely sorry for Gussy. I think the others were little mean to him they could've tried helping him . One thing I was very astonished at was when Gussy was being disguised as a girl , Pedro's mum slapped him . She should have a great deal of respect for him, isn't it? He was a prince.
Any ways I relate every thing later, after all of you people's views!

I felt a little sorry for Gussy too ... even Bill was quite unkind to him at times. Yes he was spoiled and silly but that is the way that he had been raised to be. And as is often the case in Blyton books where an 'outsider' child is put into an already established circle of friends, the others did not seem particularly inclined to give him much of a chance to be one of them.

I happen to be reading this at the moment. I have always felt that if the children had known of Gussy's true circumstances they would have treated him with more understanding. Even Bill admits it would have been wiser to do so - too late of course. Bill's own attitude towards him was probably coloured by his anxiety that Gussy would give himself away - as of course he does. When you are responsible for someone's safety as Bill was, he must have been on tenterhooks most of the time! It's a great story though!

I'm reading it now with my kids, and they love it very much. They are literally obsessed with Blyton's books, I'm so glad we've discovered her for our home library!

Of all the Adventure books this was the only one that left me cold. I re-read recently and couldn't get into it at all. Has anyone else felt this way? It didn't flow for me and seemed false and difficult to believe - not sure why the others are more realistic .

If someone told me this wasn't a 'cinema screen technique' book I'd believe them. It seems different and apart from the others, for me, anyway. Perhaps just because I've never been a particular circus genre fan?

Glad others enjoyed it, anyway.

Circus is my favourite of all the adventure series books.

Just me then?

I wonder if Tauri Hessia is really a country?
I think the idea of the novel's theme is quite same to one such as Queen Elizabeth and Earl of Essex.Isn't it?
And this book had an awesome vocabulary. I noted all difficult words and catchy phrases. All this had a great impact on me becuase that day I was speaking to my brother and some one interupted in with his wrong English I snubbed him saying " Don't speak to me in your broken English"Either wise I would've said wrong English rather than Broken English.
I was rather astonished at the fact that Tauri Hessian people did not know English because certainly it's a universal language ought to be known correctly!

No, Tauri Hessia is not, and never has been, a real country. I have no idea what you mean by the story being like that of Queen Elizabeth and Earl of Essex, can you explain this?

That's one of the things that I didn't like - Tauri Hessia just seemed too made up/unbelievable.
I'd come to think of the Adventure books as being reliable, solid and the Circus just seemed childish, far fetched and OTT. Maybe I was older when I got to it? The Secret series could also be seen in the same way but the Secret of Killimoonin AKA The Secret Forest, as it seems to be these days, seem pefectly plausible in comparison.

Belly wrote:That's one of the things that I didn't like - Tauri Hessia just seemed too made up/unbelievable.
I'd come to think of the Adventure books as being reliable, solid and the Circus just seemed childish, far fetched and OTT.

I feel exactly the same about it, Belly. Though for some reason, like you, I have no problem with Baronia!

Happy Easter Monday, Anita. I hope you and family are all very well

Glad to hear I am not alone. I half wondered if Enid didn't use her 'cinema screen' technique with this one. It falters/doesn't flow for me in a way which her non 'cinema screen' books do - thinking of one of the St Clare's (?) from memory.

I have to say I always enjoy reading Circus of Adventure. For me it flows well. Okay, Gussy is put through it a bit, but that's what makes the story really.

Are we having another circus readathon so soon?

Circus of Adventure isn't one of my favourites in the series. (Most polls I've seen are topped by Valley, Island and Castle, and those would be my favourites too.) I found Gus almost as annoying as Prince Paul, but he had his moments. Jack's attempts to communicate with the Tauri-Hessians was interesting, though I believe the speed with which he becomes fluent in the new language is even more amazing than Philip's way with bears. But it's been a long time since I read the book, so my memory is rather sketchy.

Incidentally, I got the idea that Tauri-Hessia is a small principality in Eastern Europe, close to Bulgaria or one of the Balkan states.

I don't recall thinking this story was much different to any of the others, I think I probably believed it was a real country for a while. I can't remember a lot about the book - another one to re-read. The book I remember most from that series is the Valley of Adventure. It left a lasting impression on me, whereas all I really remember about the Circus is Phillip getting the bears back in their cages.