What was the first Blyton book you read?

[Moonraker]

I played the duck (quite a small part, which was made even smaller by being cut in half and shared with a little girl who played 'duck number 2'!)

I guess you were made smaller if you were cut in half, Robert. Did you have to have much surgery to get better? Are you now totally male, or is half of you still little girl?

It was a fun play to perform, and we included a dance of the dolls in it too! I remember someone playing the golliwog and actually 'blacking up' for the part!
Quack!

I see in the Radio Times, Songs of Praise tonight features African-American Spirituals. Is that the PC term for Negro-Spirituals?

[Rob Houghton]

I played the duck (quite a small part, which was made even smaller by being cut in half and shared with a little girl who played 'duck number 2'!)

I guess you were made smaller if you were cut in half, Robert. Did you have to have much surgery to get better? Are you now totally male, or is half of you still little girl?

[RDMorrell]

The first Enid Blyton book I read was ABC with Noddy, which I had long before any other Enid Blyton book. The Magic Faraway Tree books were read to us in my second year of primary school (called J2 in 1979, but now called Year 2). The first "older" EB book I read was Five on Kirrin Island Again, which I borrowed from the school library in about 1981 or 1982 (after watching some of the 1978 TV series).

[Ritu]

Know what!!!! At first,I simply hated reading English books,whether that be a story book or a study book.Then my mother got me my first EB book-----"Five Go Together For A Hike"(Hope I've named it right....)of the FF series.That was my first EB book,and I simply loved it.Thanks a lot to Enid Blyton,whose books helped me to get a nack in English book.
Cheers,Ritu.
P:S---- Good Topic,Moose.....My compliments for you!!! Ritu.

[Belly]

I can remember going with my Dad after ballet and choosing 'Five Have a Wonderful Time' from a book shop. The purple paperback cover attracted me, with Alfredo (?) the fire-eater fire-eating on the front! The 1970s? paper back series of books. Five Fall into Adventure followed shortly afterwards with a pink cover? Funny thing is I remember the whole of that particular day. Dad picking me up in the car after my ballet class, I must have been around 6 years old.

Years later Dad took me on a 'pilgrimage' to Dorset, where I tried to find Enid's golf course and follow in her footsteps! Bless him.

When I first met my husband, he'd read the later series of paperbacks of the FF that must have come out at the time of the 1978 TV series. I knew this as his mother showed me photos of him as a youngster. In one of them he was coming down the steps from an aeroplane clutching a dark green paperback FF 'Five Go To Billycock Hill' I shouted!!! And I was right!!

I also remember reading the Adventure series under the duvet with my torch, long after 'lights out'. I think the legacy of this is that I am short sighted in my right eye!

The Castle particurlarly springs to mind. I must have been around 7 and I didn't know what an 'Alasatian' was. I called it a 'Alsatan' and my mother put me right! (I knew it was a breed of dog but didn't understand exactly what it was and looked like)!

It prompted my mother to tell me of the time she met a man who introduced himself as an 'Alsatian' she was very confused as she imagined he was talking about the dog breed. (She was quite young at the time)!

[Philip Mannering]

My first Blyton book was Five on Kirrin Island Again. After that I read the Famous Five and Secret Seven, and then was hooked to the Adventure and Five Find-Outers series. All of these were read in random order and dirty old copies which I borrowed from a mart, although I bought 4 new Famous Fives and a Secret Seven; and two of the Adventure series. Then later I started the Barney and Secret series. Both of these were read in the correct order. As for condition, I read the first four "Barneys" as new, the last two second-hand. The Secret series were read second-hand, since I couldn't find them anywhere. After this I also reading short series, such as the Six Cousins and the Adventurous Four (the former new; the latter second-hand), and one-offs (all new). I read The Riddle and the Young Adventurers (a bit mixed up but of course they had identical text): the former second-hand and the latter new. At last I read the schoolgirl stories (all second-hand because I didn't want to buy them new as they are for girls!) and I am now currently hunting for two family novels: The Six Bad Boys and Red-Roofs. Other than that, I still haven't read the second book of the St. Clare's series, but I don't want to since they didn't capture my attention much, and I have never read Noddy, Popular Rewards, or any of Blyton's short stories. I must hunt them all now I suppose, though I'm not hunting for Noddy or extremely young books of the Popular Rewards....

[Anita Bensoussane]

At last I read the schoolgirl stories (all second-hand because I didn't want to buy them new as they are for girls!)

Did you also read the Naughtiest Girl books, set at a school (Whyteleafe) for boys and girls?

I have never read Noddy, Popular Rewards, or any of Blyton's short stories. I must hunt them all now I suppose, though I'm not hunting for Noddy or extremely young books of the Popular Rewards....

Let us know how you get on. The Faraway Tree series is worth tracking down if you haven't read it already, Philip, and the Galliano's Circus books are also a good read. So is the one-off novel, Come to the Circus! Personally I'm also rather fond of the short story characters Mr. Twiddle, Mr. Meddle and Mr. Pink-Whistle, and of the mixed short story collections like Chimney Corner Stories.

Anita

[Aurélien]

Hmmm as it was about 57 years ago I can't give a title with any confidence. The earliest Blyton title I can remember reading (mainly) by myself, as opposed to being read to, would have been one of the Noddy books. Had at least 3 of the Noddy titles. Can remember Noddy's car, and those naughty golly____s, but can't confidently name the ones I had.

Lack of access to most of the texts, plus changes made to later editions, add to the difficulties. *Tearing hair out in frustration.*

‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’

[Philip Mannering]

At last I read the schoolgirl stories (all second-hand because I didn't want to buy them new as they are for girls!)

Did you also read the Naughtiest Girl books, set at a school (Whyteleafe) for boys and girls?

Yes, I read them. I found them excellent -- at least better than the other girls' stories and Secret Seven.

I have never read Noddy, Popular Rewards, or any of Blyton's short stories. I must hunt them all now I suppose, though I'm not hunting for Noddy or extremely young books of the Popular Rewards....

Let us know how you get on. The Faraway Tree series is worth tracking down if you haven't read it already, Philip, and the Galliano's Circus books are also a good read. So is the one-off novel, Come to the Circus! Personally I'm also rather fond of the short story characters Mr. Twiddle, Mr. Meddle and Mr. Pink-Whistle, and of the mixed short story collections like Chimney Corner Stories.

Anita

I have already read the Faraway Tree series, and I found them excellent indeed. I am also thankful that the ones I read had original names and were not abridged! I've forgotten one or two things since I didn't re-read them because I had to return them, and now am in search of a permanent copy. However the luck so far is not good -- there's no copy at all, no new one, and no second-hand one. I've been searching for the Circus books since they seem vey interesting -- however availabililty is low. About Mr Twiddle or Mr Pink-whistle, I'm afraid that I will have to search for them a lot, since they too are not available here! It seems that only the main series (and a handful of Popular Rewards) is available.

[Enikyoga]

I do not recall which Enid Blyton book I read first. However, I remember having been introduced to the EB books in early (around February) 1970. At that time I was in primary (elementary) school. We used to swap a lot of EB and other books, which I felt was a very good idea as we could share a lot ideas about the books which was great fun. Many students, or pupils, as we were then called, were at that time reading “The Boy Next Door,” which was receiving rave reviews at the time, though for one reason or the other I was unable to read it at that time and it would be over three more decades, that is the contemporary era, before I would read it. In an ironic twist, since we never read the book series in their chronological order such as The Famous Five, I recall reading “Five On A Treasure Island” last, though I am sure I did not read “Five Are
Together Again” first!

[Vic Nicholas]

By a teacher - Brer Rabbit I think.

Voluntarily - "Mystery of the Missing Necklace" when I was about 10 years old - nearly 31 years ago.

[Moonraker]

Can remember Noddy's car, and those naughty golly____s, but can't confidently name the ones I had.

S'okay, Aurélien; we are allowed to use the term Golliwog here! Don't let the PC brigade get to you! In any case, it is a commonly held myth that all golliwogs were bad creatures! As with you, I think my first EB may have been a Noddy book - Noddy Goes to Toyland, in fact. Probably, this is why the Noddy series has always held fond memories for me.

[Ming]

Yes, I read them. I found them excellent -- at least better than the other girls' stories and Secret Seven.

For some reason this reminds me of a comment made by my good friend today.

"Noddy is amazing! Secret Seven was good fun too. I never really got into the Famous Five and found them annoying and dull, and incredibly random, and thus I didn't continue my Blyton quest any further."

A lot of people find The Famous Five before everything else, and seem set on it, and not wanting to explore! (Except the people here, of course) I was rather surprised at that bit about the Secret Seven though. Clearly he has funny reading habits, I thought.

Probably, this is why the Noddy series has always held fond memories for me.

I had to read Here Comes Noddy Again! to Aarham, half an hour ago, hoping he'd fall asleep - he did not. He listened to the whole thing (and I don't know how much he understood) and begged for more. I was too tired to continue with another book so now he's watching airplane videos instead of dreaming!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I had to read Here Comes Noddy Again! to Aarham, half an hour ago, hoping he'd fall asleep - he did not. He listened to the whole thing (and I don't know how much he understood) and begged for more. I was too tired to continue with another book so now he's watching airplane videos instead of dreaming!!

I read a few Noddy books to my son at bedtime when he was younger. They didn't make him sleepy, but I could hardly keep my eyes open long enough to finish the story!

Interesting to read about everyone's first Enid Blyton books.

Anita

[Petermax]

Back in the late 1960's, my first Blyton books were Mary Mouse and Clicky the Clown. Does anyone remember these? They were small oblong books printed on card, very sturdy indeed and could withstand anything a toddler could do to them. I never had Noddy books as a child, and to this day I have yet to even look at anything related to this character.

Later on, the short story collections such as Chimney Corner Stories were staple reading material, as was Mr Twiddle, The Adventurous Four, Secret Seven and the Adventure series. The Famous Five I only began to read after the Southern TV Famous Five series aired back in 1978. Rather late in the day, but just in time before my teenage years beckoned.

It was to be another 29 years before I renewed my interest in Enid Blyton with the discovery of this forum and subsequent E.B.S membership.