The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

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Al
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The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

Post by Al »

Hi

I'm just reading this book again for the first time in about 20 years. It strikes me as a little odd. I don't know why but it feels like a totally unfamiliar writing style compared to the other books.
The use of peculiar names - Prince Bongawah. The nonsense languages, and also just general conversations seem different compared to the other books, Bets saying "He got FROG face" about Mr Goon, that is just so totally out of character.
Also, the fact it's a summer story following another summer story is very odd too.

I just wondered if anyone else felt this book was a bit out of the ordinary ?

Al
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Lenoir
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Mystery of the vanished prince

Post by Lenoir »

Welcome to the forum Al.
Well, I agree that Bets is usually rather scared of Mr Goon so that is a bit unusual.
And maybe one could say the mystery is solved in a different way to the others.
But I think each book has it's own quirks.
The one that seems "more different" to me is 'Strange messages' especially the first half. The style doesn't quite match the others, but later on it seems to revert more to normal, although the ending is disappointing for me. Would the men really be scared of Ern and would they leave the dog locked up with the policeman? But now I am digressing!
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Post by Moonraker »

Hello Al

Yes, a warm welcome to the forum!

I can't say that I found it a little odd. Blyton seems to have a queer idea of how foreigners speak! In Circus of Adventure the children say they come from the land of Jaberwocky, and Dinah said a load of gibberish! Sounds to me more like Star Wars!

Concerning rudeness, it seems that being rude is acceptable, as long as no-one tells an untruth!
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Post by Vic Nicholas »

In the world of Blyton if you are rude to someone from the lower classes, to a foreigner or to a gypsy it is perfectly acceptable.

Blyton was a woman of her times and while I sometimes find myself thinking...."what was she thinking?" I accept that it was all part of the zeitgeist of 1940's, 1950's Britain.

Those that doctor her work trying to make them more PC do not realise that they are tampering with an otherwise fairly accurate snap shot of Home Counties life in the 40's & 50's.

That is my view.

Vic
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Post by charmstar »

Vic Nicholas wrote:
Those that doctor her work trying to make them more PC do not realise that they are tampering with an otherwise fairly accurate snap shot of Home Counties life in the 40's & 50's.

That is my view.

Vic
You are so right, if there was EVER an argument against updating, amending, abridging or whatever else they want to call damaging EB's works (not to mention others I can think of, Elinor Brent-Dyer and Pamela Brown are two that spring to mind), then that is it. If there is ever one thing guaranteed to anger me when it comes to books its the today's pc idiots who think people are incapable of understanding when a book was written and the time it was set in. Instead of wrecking them by changing everything, why don't the publishers simply put a paragraph at the front (for those of us they think are incapable of working it out) that the book should be read with awareness that it was written x number of years ago!
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Post by manzanita »

Moonraker wrote:
I can't say that I found it a little odd. Blyton seems to have a queer idea of how foreigners speak! In Circus of Adventure the children say they come from the land of Jaberwocky, and Dinah said a load of gibberish! Sounds to me more like Star Wars!
I think I could almost say for certain the Jaberwocky would have been inspired by Lewis Carroll's "The Jabberwocky".

One of my favourite poems in fact!
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Re: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

Post by Moonraker »

Yes, of course! I was getting confused, thinking of Jabba the Hutt!
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Post by pete9012S »

Vic Nicholas wrote: Those that doctor her work trying to make them more PC do not realise that they are tampering with an otherwise fairly accurate snap shot of Home Counties life in the 40's & 50's.

That is my view.

Vic
What a brilliant observation.Very true indeed.
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Post by Rob Houghton »

This is very true! Its one of the main reasons I enjoy The Find Outer books so much - they are a real snapshot of life in a village at a certain time in history. :-D
'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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Re: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

Post by Eddie Muir »

My feelings entirely, Pete and Rob. :D
'Go down to the side-shows by the river this afternoon. I'll meet you somewhere in disguise. Bet you won't know me!' wrote Fatty.

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Re: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Totally agree also. I love being taken back in time when I read the Find-Outers. My favourite reads. :D

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Re: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

Post by Eddie Muir »

My favourite Blytons too, Julie. I never tire of reading the wonderful books in this series. :D
'Go down to the side-shows by the river this afternoon. I'll meet you somewhere in disguise. Bet you won't know me!' wrote Fatty.

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Re: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

Post by sixret »

I agree with Vic Nicholas. Very true. Like Rob, Julie and Eddie, I enjoy reading the FFO series. My most favourite series written by Enid Blyton. :D
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Re: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

Post by Lucky Star »

There is indeed a very timeless and charming quality to the Peterswood setting. It's horrible to think of it being messed with. One of the reasons I dislike Banshee Towers is actually that Enid herself tampered with Peterswood.
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Re: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

Post by Rob Houghton »

Spot on! I think this is one of the main reasons I also don't enjoy Banshee Towers very much. It has less to do with the plot than with the setting. Banshee Towers itself doesn't seem to belong in Peterswood (or even near it!) and the familiar landscape of the village, built up carefully over the series, suddenly becomes an alien place in this last book - as do the characters!
'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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