Best Famous Five Sequels...and the worst

[Daisy]

Yes John, I quite agree. (In fact Dick Kirrin and I have used that idea in our fanfic.) I thought the last visit in "Are Together Again" was a bit of a disappointment actually.

[Chrissie777]

Conversely, the availability of adults is also one the main reasons why Finniston Farm is so dull - where's the threat in that one ? Too safe by half.

I never cared for Finniston Farm.

[Deej]

I never cared for Finniston Farm.

It would be interesting to know what you thought about the American characters in the books considering you live there?

On the Kirrin Island point, I think it probably is far too prominent as a location in the book really. There are four books where it's featured signifcantly and many others where it's given passing mentions, with Adventure Again regrettably and unnecessarily using it at the end of the book. It was a tragically poor way to end a brilliant series.

[Chrissie777]

I never cared for Finniston Farm.

It would be interesting to know what you thought about the American characters in the books considering you live there?

Well, I first read this book as a child growing up in Germany and refused to believe that this guy represented the average American boy. They seemed to be so much nicer and more humble in children's books or children's movies coming from the US.
So I just considered him a bad exception from the rule.

Since I live in the US, I met mostly adults, but some kids between 8 and 16, too. And they were/are all very kind, polite and well-behaved. Much nicer than their German age group if I may say so.
Maybe EB once met a very spoiled brat from the US?
I forget if she ever traveled to the US, for instance when her first Adventure series book got published over here and received a prize? Maybe she met a particularly nasty kid then?
I mean considering the status that the GI's gained in Europe helping to win the war, she most likely was not anti-American or was she?

[Maggie Knows]

Junior is a pest but Berta was portrayed as a nice, likeable kid in a tricky situation, so I think it balances out.

[Mehul]

My list-
1. Plenty of Fun
2. Billycock hill
3. Fall into Adventure
4. Finniston Farm
5. Together Again
6. Run Away Together
7. Go to Demon's Rocks
8. Secret Trail
9. Get into Trouble
10. Mystery Moor
11. Have a Wonderful Time
12. Go off in a Caravan
13. On a Hike Together
14. On a Treasure Island
15. Get into a Fix
16. Have a Mystery to Solve
17. Go Off To Camp
18. On Kirrin Island Again
19. Go Adventuring Again
20. Go Down to Sea Together
21. Smuggler's Top

[Chrissie777]

Junior is a pest but Berta was portrayed as a nice, likeable kid in a tricky situation, so I think it balances out.

I agree.

[Deej]

Well, I first read this book as a child growing up in Germany and refused to believe that this guy represented the average American boy. They seemed to be so much nicer and more humble in children's books or children's movies coming from the US.
So I just considered him a bad exception from the rule.

Since I live in the US, I met mostly adults, but some kids between 8 and 16, too. And they were/are all very kind, polite and well-behaved. Much nicer than their German age group if I may say so.
Maybe EB once met a very spoiled brat from the US?
I forget if she ever traveled to the US, for instance when her first Adventure series book got published over here and received a prize? Maybe she met a particularly nasty kid then?
I mean considering the status that the GI's gained in Europe helping to win the war, she most likely was not anti-American or was she?

I don't think she was anti-America. As MK has just said, Berta is represented as being a nice girl and her father intelligent.

I just think it's a case of Junior (hideous name also) being a typical bad kid from anywhere with his spoilt, greedy attitude.

[Anita Bensoussane]

It's interesting to see your list, Mehul. Five Go to Smuggler's Top is one of my favourite Famous Five books so I'm surprised to see that it comes last for you. I like so many things about it - the tense plot, the fascinating old house and village surrounded by dangerous marshes, the underground passages, the quirky Lenoir family and the memorable villains (Mr. Barling is eccentric and Block is truly menacing). I was wondering what it is that makes that book so unappealing to you.

[Maggie Knows]

My list-
1. Plenty of Fun
2. Billycock hill
3. Fall into Adventure
4. Finniston Farm
5. Together Again
6. Run Away Together
7. Go to Demon's Rocks
8. Secret Trail
9. Get into Trouble
10. Mystery Moor
11. Have a Wonderful Time
12. Go off in a Caravan
13. On a Hike Together
14. On a Treasure Island
15. Get into a Fix
16. Have a Mystery to Solve
17. Go Off To Camp
18. On Kirrin Island Again
19. Go Adventuring Again
20. Go Down to Sea Together
21. Smuggler's Top

[Maggie Knows]

Junior is a pest but Berta was portrayed as a nice, likeable kid in a tricky situation, so I think it balances out.

EB needs to exaggerate the awfulness of Junior and his Dad to create a proper enemy, because the unusual thing about the Finniston Farm story is that it lacks a proper villain.

Mr Hemming is quite within his rights to offer to buy old stuff from the farm, and he enters into a contract to excavate the castle site. Nothing he does is actually illegal, so the author has to make him/Junior seem rude and uncultured in order to justify the actions of the Five. I am not sure why she needed to make him American, but maybe she had a thing about the postwar relative decline of Britain and Pax Americana ?

I've said it before: there no real justification for any of this given the amount of loot from around the world that lies in British museums and stately homes...

[Courtenay]

Mehul, I'm wondering if perhaps your list is in order from 1 as your least liked and 21 as your most liked? It's just that the books you've put first are the ones that most people agree are the least well written and enjoyable, which would be why Anita and Maggie Knows are surprised at your list.

[Poppy]

I was also quite surprised at some of the low rankings of my own personal favourite 'Fives', on your list Mehul. For example, in my opinion, Five Go To Smugglers Top and Five On a Hike Together are two of the strongest books in the series in my opinion, with excellent plots, interesting extra characters (in Smugglers Top's case) and wonderful description. Also Five Go Off In a Caravan, appearing 12th on your list, and Treasure Island (14th) are up in my top 10. Anyway, on looking back through this thread I didn't complete a full list so here is my 21, best to worst:

1. Five Get Into Trouble
2. Five On a Hike Together
3. Five Fall Into Adventure
4. Five Go to Smugglers Top
5. Five Go Off to Camp
6. Five on a Treasure Island
7. Five Go to Demon's Rocks
8. Five Go off In a Caravan
9. Five Go To Mystery Moor
10. Five Run Away Together
11. Five Get Into a Fix
12. Five Go Down To Sea
13. Five Have Plenty of Fun
14. Five On Finniston Farm
15. Five On Kirrin Island Again
16. Five Go Adventuring Again
17. Five Have a Wonderful Time
18. Five Go to Billycock Hill
19. Five Are Together Again
20. Five On a Secret Trail
21. Five Have a Mystery To Solve

[Deej]

I also disagree with the order of the majority of Mehul's list but then that's the beauty of a forum. We are all Enid Blyton fans yet have different reading experiences and opinions of her writing

[Poppy]

Yes, of course: it is fascinating to see how all our lists differ.