Books you didn't like?

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...
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Courtenay
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Courtenay »

Lucky Star wrote:I do think it's a pity that he gets so much attention though. Much more than other more deserving characters.
I feel exactly the same way about the Famous Five, don't worry. :twisted:
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Lucky Star
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Lucky Star »

Yes both a little overrated.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero

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Deej92
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Deej92 »

It's interesting how we see things differently even as Blyton fans. I think Famous Five is the best series Enid wrote and in no way overrated but then that's a matter of opinion! I'd agree on Noddy though, I've never been much of a fan and I don't really understand why it gets the coverage it does on the TV and in the media in comparison to other Blyton books.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I never used to rate The Famous Five at all as a child...I thought Famous Five were 'for girls' because I never witnessed any boys reading them! So I only read two, and wasn't all that impressed.

However, as an adult I feel I can appreciate The Famous Five a lot more - and even more so since I read the whole series in order. Wow! That really made a big, big difference - much more of a difference than I thought it would. I definitely recommend reading The Famous Five complete series in the order they were written.

I also agree about Noddy to a certain extent - all the TV stuff and merchandise has cheapened Noddy, in my opinion. In the 1970's there weren't so many Noddy toys and games about and the stories around were still mostly written by Enid Blyton, and included all the original characters etc. The thing that attracted me most were the illustrations - beautifully done, and in fact some of the best illustrations in any Enid Blyton offering, because they are so detailed and colourful (especially those by Beek and his immediate followers). Noddy was special because of this, but he's become less special since the various copyright holders took him over and he became less about Enid Blyton and more about cashing in. I fear this will happen more and more with The Famous Five, following the 'adult' Famous Fives.

Its a bit like Disney movies. I'm from an era where I ached to see certain cartoons - Snow White, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp - and had to wait seven years or so until each one was shown in the cinema. Then video came along and anyone could own a Disney movie - that made them less special - rather like what happened to Noddy. The 'I want it NOW' generation spoiled the special qualities of these things.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Darrell71
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Darrell71 »

Noddy always held too many delightful memories for me to ever dislike it, I was in love with it even before I'd heard of EB, or even before I could read, for that matter! But I'm not particularly fond of some of the SS, which I thought were childish and boring even as an 8 YO. For me, I always thought that except for Peter and Susie, the other characters were always far too underdeveloped, and that's rare for a Blyton series.
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Courtenay
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Courtenay »

I completely agree, Rob — while of course Noddy was always a huge marketing success for Enid from the start, it's in more recent years that he's become completely overdone and his modern incarnation is no longer under Enid's name and bears little resemblance to the characters and stories she created. I wouldn't touch any of the modern Noddy merchandise with a bargepole. But the original books are just beautiful and the original stories have a real depth and warmth to them. I will definitely collect the full set of original books one day — when I've got the time, money and bookshelf room to spare! :wink: They're absolute classics and shouldn't be forgotten.
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Wolfgang »

I wonder what Anita thinks about that book? ;-)
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

A terrific title! :lol:
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Courtenay
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Courtenay »

Image

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I've half a mind to crop and shrink that (just the top half of the book) and make it into my new avatar! :twisted:

EDIT: See? :mrgreen:

Image
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
Nair Snehalatha
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Nair Snehalatha »

All Enid Blyton books make.gorgeous reading-- but among the lesser liked.is the Adventure series-- Castle of adventure etc-- Somehow.I dont like Bill Cunningham-- Dont.know why-- is it his name.that.puts me off or -- what I cannot say-- although Dinah, Lucy.ann.,.Jack, Phillip are lovable-- cheerful children.--
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Bertie »

Most of the books that I don't like are at the end of the series - last two Famous Fives, Banshee Towers, River of Adventure, Fun For The Secret Seven - but I've seen that discussed elsewhere.
So, as for other books I'm less fond of at the beginning / middle of the series, then I'd say Mountain of Adventure isn't a great one. I'm also not overly fond of Five on a Hike Together. It always seemed to have a different feel to most of the Famous Five books - all a bit depressing, and I didn't like the fact it was just a few days off from school rather than the usual lengthy holiday. I guess it has a similar feel to Secret Trail, but at least that's nearer the end of the series and set at Kirrin.
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Inspector Jenks »

“Billycock Hill” was by far my least favourite FF, followed by “Secret Trail”. I was just fine with “Together Again” as a kid (maybe because I really liked Tinker and Mischief) and I never realised how inferior “Banshee Towers” was to the rest of the series, although I do see that now.
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Irene Malory Towers
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Irene Malory Towers »

I agree with Bertie except that I love Five Go on a Hike and in fact think it is one of the stronger ones. But I don't like Five Get into a Fix at all, the plot is ridiculous and Julian is very irresponsible and nearly wrecks the whole thing. Generally the first few of a series are weaker too as EB is establishing the characters and the plots are a bit thinner. However, in the glorious Adventure series the Island of Adventure is marvellous. I know I have said this before in another thread but I don't like the Naughtiest Girl series. I don't like Elizabeth at all and feel that there are serious flaws with the school system.
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Katharine »

Five on a Hike is one of my favourites, but I agree that it does have a different atmosphere to many of the other books in the series.

I have mixed feelings about the Naughtiest Girl series. I think the section that deals with Joan is very moving, but I found the whole "I hate school and I want to be sent back home" aspect a bit wearing at times, although of course without it, there wouldn't be any point to the books, but then I found George's sulks about wanting to be a boy a bit grating at times. I also didn't like the idea of shared pocket money, and punishments being given out in front of everyone.

I'm currently plodding my way through a Brer Rabbit book, and still stand by my opinion that they are definitely bottom of my list of Enid Blyton books. I only have them on my shelves as I like to try and complete my collections - the Deans series had 2 or 3 Brer Rabbit books I think. I very much doubt that I will read any of them a second time.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Books you didn't like?

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

As a child my least-liked Enid Blyton book was Tales of Brave Adventure (Dean & Son), which contains re-tellings of the legends of Robin Hood and King Arthur. I particularly disliked the Robin Hood section and didn't even finish reading all the stories until I was an adult. There were very few female characters and I found the "macho" ethics really off-putting. The story about Robin Hood and Little John refusing to budge to let the other one cross the bridge first simply showed how proud, stubborn and stupid they both were as far as I was concerned - a bit like Dr. Seuss's wonderful story The Zax!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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