Mountain of Adventure

[Poppy]

Yes The Circus of Adventure is another great book, floragord! I think my favourites mainly depend upon the exciting locations, and the most unique really appeal to me: The Valley of Adventure (the wonderful Valley), The Island of Adventure (Craggy Tops - wonderful!) and Mountain mainly! Such imagination and great science behind it all. I love the amazing entrance to the mountain and the mine from the island to the shore. Though Enid especially meant her 'Barney Series' to be aimed at her oldest readers, I always thought the Adventure series to be her highest levelled series.

[Anna Lou]

I've just finished a re-read of Mountain and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was better than I remembered. I don't mind the slow start as I often find I enjoy the opening chapters almost best of all- I love the period details and descriptions of what they eat etc! (I've even been known to recreate a Blyton meal on one or two occasions but that's another story!)

I imagine the setting to be Snowdonia. There's something slightly sinister and foreboding about the highest mountains there, so barren and rocky, and so I can understand why they appealed to Enid's imagination.

The 'look yous' and 'whateffers' are just so silly and far-fetched they make me laugh! I'd love to know if Enid ever actually heard a Welsh person say those things. I think it's something that's been discussed here many times before anyway.

One of the most successful elements of the story for me is the pack of wolves/Alsatians- thrillingly frightening! 'Silent dark figures slinking up to the cave' in the middle of the night with gleaming green eyes! Maybe that's because I was frightened of wolves and large dogs as a child!

I find Philip and the wings surprisingly dark and disturbing! The idea that he's about to bravely jump to his death is serious stuff! It's not surprising that Mrs. Mannering is so determined to keep the children under her watchful eye with a nice, safe cruise in the next book!

[Moonraker]

I don't mind the slow start as I often find I enjoy the opening chapters almost best of all- I love the period details and descriptions of what they eat etc!

Oh, no more do I. One of my favourite starts to a book can be found in Five Go Off in a Caravan.

I'd love to know if Enid ever actually heard a Welsh person say those things.

Deej is our resident Welsh correspondent, so maybe he can comment on this!

[Anna Lou]

'Favourite starts' could be a great new thread if it hasn't been done already! I love the beginning of all the Famous Five books, that happy, holiday atmosphere before things start to happen!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I always enjoy the opening chapters of Blyton books too. There's a topic on "Beginnings and Endings in the Books" here:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... f=4&t=1523" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Courtenay]

I recently posted about my impressions of Mountain on the "which EB book are you reading now" thread (here), and figured I'd better move over to the dedicated thread to discuss it further.

Overall, I'd say I came away from this book with quite a mixture of excitement and disappointment. I certainly didn't dislike it, but felt there were several elements that made it somewhat weaker than the rest of the series in general (so far - I've only read books 1-5 at this stage). All the books do have their occasional little weaknesses and hard-to-credit points, but Mountain just seemed to have a few too many in too quick succession. On the other hand, I do feel my impressions of it might very well improve on re-reading it some time in the future, when I won't be so distracted and puzzled by the many surprises in the plot and can pay more attention to the finer details.

I think I could write a few posts about my thoughts on the book, so I hope no-one will mind; I've enjoyed reading over the posts in this thread so far and would love to hear further thoughts from anyone else who also loves the Adventure series.

Firstly, something that's already been discussed - the unfortunate racial stereotypes. As I said elsewhere, they don't ruin the book for me, but they certainly do date it. Negative and cliched portrayals of black or Asian people were quite standard in a lot of Western literature from that era (late 1940s) and earlier, and Enid's examples are no worse than others that were around at the time, and rather milder than some. I'm not saying that makes such portrayals "right", but it does make them understandable in the context of the times.

Incidentally, it IS accurate that native Japanese speakers often find it difficult to differentiate between English "r" and "l" sounds - Japanese has, instead, a sound that is somewhere between the two. It's also true that in Japanese, words never end with a consonant sound, other than a nasalised "n". But a genuine Japanese accent wouldn't have words ending in "ee" ("bitee", "blingee") - it would be more likely a soft "u" sound, if anything. One suspects Enid's knowledge of Japanese people came largely from ludicrous portrayals of them as cartoon villains in wartime and post-war media - which, again, were pretty common then.

From what others have said in this thread about the modernised editions - and blatantly racist caricatures are one of the few elements I agree ought to be edited out of modern versions - it sounds like the updated version of Sam, at least, is in its own way as ridiculous as the original, just less outright offensive. Since none of the racial elements are actually necessary to the plot, why not just leave Sam as a black American but have him speak quite normally, instead of replacing his Jim Crow pidgin with equally bizarre "Americanisms"?

Even so, while these stereotypes are an unattractive feature of the book, I didn't find they spoiled the story overall - although they would have if they were essential to the plot, or if such caricatures featured regularly in Enid Blyton's books. Which, mercifully, they weren't and don't!

[Courtenay]

Another unusual aspect of this book, especially for a Blyton story, was the "weird science" element. That in itself I didn't find too bad. I would guess it's another product of the era in which Enid was writing - plenty of excitement and trepidation about new scientific discoveries and technologies, and speculation about what wonders (and dangers) lay in the future. This was when nuclear power was very much in the forefront of the public imagination as a completely new power source that might solve all humanity's energy needs - or else cause unimaginable destruction. Enid doesn't hint at any such destructive potential for the gravity-reversing rays (not in a children's book!), but given the mystery and awe surrounding nuclear power and radiation in popular thought at that time, a new and rare element that emits anti-gravity radiation wouldn't have seemed such a huge leap of the imagination for smart young readers. It's quite fun to speculate about even today!

What I did find a bit hard to take in (I alluded to this in a post on the other thread) was the overdone "mad scientist" stereotype of Monally and the way he was dressed up and paraded as a king, with all the trimmings of a throne, sumptuous hangings, luxurious living quarters and huge feasts, which all seemed a bit exaggerated and unnecessary. On top of that, the underground laboratory with its wires, glass jars, crystal boxes, spinning wheels, "curious lamp" and crimson smoke - and then the mysterious element that forms a "brilliant mass of unknown colour" - was also all laid on a bit thick for me. These are all quite striking and exciting ideas, but I think Enid would have done better to tone them down a bit, instead of playing them up to the point where they almost sound like something out of a 1940s/'50s B-grade movie or comic strip. But then, she probably did get some of her ideas - consciously or unconsciously - from such sources!

I did pick up that the point of Monally being touted as "the king" was to create a sense of awe in the men who'd been roped in to test the experimental anti-gravity wings - that, combined with the way Meier's speech seemed to hypnotise them, would presumably help to sway them and diminish their clear thinking or their sense that they were actually likely to die. There's also a hint - I'm surprised this wasn't expanded on - that the anti-gravity radiation itself seemed to have something of a hypnotic effect, as the children found when, after their brief exposure to it, they felt "rather don't-carish now - not scared any more". That, too, could account for the paratroopers being persuaded to use the wings. And yet when we do see one of them being prepared for his flight (or fall), he doesn't seem hypnotised at all, but very rational and very reluctant to go ahead!

To sum up, these were quite daring ideas for Enid to use in a story, and I find myself admiring her for the attempt, even if it doesn't flow as well as the kinds of plots she was much more used to writing. As I said in a post on the other thread, too, I felt it was very wise of her to never show us whether the anti-gravity wings actually worked, or if there was any real chance that they ever could. That keeps the story safely just this side of things that might happen in real life, without quite soaring (pardon the pun) into the realms of pure fantasy. If she'd ever revised this book and left the basic plot as it is, but toned down some of those more extravagant trimmings (and the racial caricatures), I do think it would be just about as strong as any of the other Adventure books.

[Farwa]

Wow, Courtenay, you should become a book critic or something

[Courtenay]

Hope no-one minds me hogging this thread, but I also wanted to share some thoughts about the element that I thought was really missing from Mountain.

Some others in this thread have mentioned the relatively slow start to the story. I didn't mind that so much, as so far, Valley has been the only one where the children are thrust straight into the adventure almost immediately. In Island, Castle and Sea, although the scene is set early on, it still takes quite a long time before they start to discover that there's some strange activity going on, and even longer before it becomes clear who the baddies are and what they're up to. I don't think Mountain was very much slower than the earlier books (other than Valley) in that respect. However, the build-up of the action, once it started, did feel rather rushed; we weren't given much time, as we were even in Valley, to ponder a gradual accumulation of clues and hints.

What I really missed, though, was the sustained building and developing of the relationships between the characters, which has been very much a feature of all the previous books, especially Sea. If Mountain had been the first Adventure book I'd ever read, I don't think I would have felt I'd got to know the children very well before they were thrust, at the end, into the life-or-death situation of Philip being made to try the wings and Lucy-Ann - in one of the most surprising and touching moments - volunteering to go instead. If I'd only read this one book about them, instead of having got to know them over several previous adventures, that wouldn't have meant nearly as much to me.

Worse, the "Don't forget Bill Smugs!" moment would also have lost all its impact if I hadn't read the previous books, since Bill hardly features in this one. In the preceding books, we've seen the steady growth of Bill's relationship with the children, to the point where, especially in Sea (the book just before this one!), it becomes obvious that all four of them see him as a father figure and he too loves them like family. But I couldn't have picked that up nearly as much if I'd read Mountain on its own, and so the dramatic revelation - "In fact - it was BILL'S VOICE!" - would have given me more a reaction of "Er, yeah, that's nice (whateffer? )..." rather than "Oh YES!!!"

I wouldn't often suggest that Enid should have made an outright plot change, but I can think of one that I feel would have improved Mountain. Instead of getting Bill and Allie out of the picture before the ride into the mountains started, I think it would have worked better to have them set out with the children for at least the first day or two, and make sure readers got a clearer picture of Bill in particular and how much he means to the children. Then if Allie had injured herself somehow during the trip, of course Bill would have to accompany her back to the farm, and then the children could be left to the mercies of the mist and the gormless guidance of David. If I were writing the screenplay for this as a film, that's one change I would definitely make.

In conclusion, this is one I'll definitely be reading again - I think it will improve on getting to know it better. It's a bold and not always completely successful attempt by Enid to do something a little different, but it's still patchily good if not seamlessly good. If it were the last Adventure book she ever wrote, I would probably have found it a bit of a let-down and concluded she was trying too hard in the end, but of course, it's not. So I will now shut up and start on Ship!

[Farwa]

Courtenay, I think that the difference in the style is good, since the idea is to get surprised! I actually loved the way they end up in an adventure, so suddenly and unexpectedly! After the peaceful start, it is a very good contrast! And besides, if all her startings had more or less the same style, it may get a little monotonous!

What I really missed, though, was the sustained building and developing of the relationships between the characters, which has been very much a feature of all the previous books, especially Sea. If Mountain had been the first Adventure book I'd ever read, I don't think I would have felt I'd got to know the children very well before they were thrust, at the end, into the life-or-death situation of Philip being made to try the wings and Lucy-Ann - in one of the most surprising and touching moments - volunteering to go instead. If I'd only read this one book about them, instead of having got to know them over several previous adventures, that wouldn't have meant nearly as much to me.

Worse, the "Don't forget Bill Smugs!" moment would also have lost all its impact if I hadn't read the previous books, since Bill hardly features in this one. In the preceding books, we've seen the steady growth of Bill's relationship with the children, to the point where, especially in Sea (the book just before this one!), it becomes obvious that all four of them see him as a father figure and he too loves them like family. But I couldn't have picked that up nearly as much if I'd read Mountain on its own, and so the dramatic revelation - "In fact - it was BILL'S VOICE!" - would have given me more a reaction of "Er, yeah, that's nice (whateffer? )..." rather than "Oh YES!!!"

Remember, this is a series of books, and while some series are written in a way that we can get to know the characters well, whether we've read the previous books or not. Others, however are meant to be read in order! The Adventure series is one of those! So you can't really call it a flaw!

In conclusion, this is one I'll definitely be reading again - I think it will improve on getting to know it better. It's a bold and not always completely successful attempt by Enid to do something a little different, but it's still patchily good if not seamlessly good. If it were the last Adventure book she ever wrote, I would probably have found it a bit of a let-down and concluded she was trying too hard in the end, but of course, it's not. So I will now shut up and start on Ship!

And 'Ship of Adventure' is going to be one of the best reads ever! It's my favourite 'Adventure' book!

[Courtenay]

Farwa, a little style tip if you ever intend to be a writer yourself (which I think you'd be very good at): it's not good form to end every single one of your sentences with an exclamation mark. It makes it come across as if you're shouting at people - and as if you're a breathless, over-excited teenager. Which I think you might be.

Remember, this is a series of books, and while some series are written in a way that we can get to know the characters well, wather we've read the previous books or not. Others, however are meant to be read in order! The Adventure series is one of those! So you can't really call it a flaw!

I do believe I said to you once before that if you don't agree with someone else's opinion - which is fine, by the way - it's much politer to phrase your own opinions with things like "I think..." or "I wouldn't agree that...", rather than blunt statements like "So you can't really call it a flaw!" Something more like "I wouldn't call this a flaw, because I think the Adventure series is intended to be read in order" would be much better.

As a matter of fact, I can call it a flaw, if I feel I have good reason for calling it that. This is what Enid herself says in her little foreword to Mountain, in the copy I have (which is a first edition, third printing):

This is the fifth book of the "Adventure" series.... Each book is complete in itself, and can be read either separately or as one in a series.

So her own stated intention, at least, was for the books to be enjoyable when read separately too - which, as I've explained, is something I don't believe this particular one lives up to very well (though I think the previous books would).

I'm definitely looking forward to reading Ship!

[Farwa]

Farwa, a little style tip if you ever intend to be a writer yourself (which I think you'd be very good at): it's not good form to end every single one of your sentences with an exclamation mark

Thanks Courtenay, for saying I'd be a good writer, and for your tip, but it so happens that I put the exclamation marks because I did mean to say it with some force - but I'll take care next time.

I'll also be careful about forcing my opinion on others - I just can't help it.

As a matter of fact, I can call it a flaw, if I feel I have good reason for calling it that. This is what Enid herself says in her little foreword to Mountain, in the copy I have (which is a first edition, third printing):

This is the fifth book of the "Adventure" series.... Each book is complete in itself, and can be read either separately or as one in a series.

Hmmm... in my book there never was any foreword, so I didn't know that. It may be a minor flaw then, but I can't really say that, now that I come to think of it - perhaps we should ask someone who did read 'Mountain of Adventure' before reading the other books. After all, maybe it's more enjoyable and mysterious that way!

[Courtenay]

Maybe it is, for some! I think there have been a few posts here from people who read Mountain first and enjoyed it. I liked it, too - just didn't find it quite as good as the other books, for the various reasons I've written about! But I think if I re-read it in perhaps a few months' time, I'll probably notice details I didn't before and come to appreciate it more. I'd like to hear if others have had that experience too - that it's the sort of book that improves with re-reading. I've known a number of books that I thought were a bit odd on the first read, but made more sense and became much more appealing when I read them again some time later.

I should also admit that I was up late last night reading it and wanting to finish it before I went to bed, so I don't know if I took everything in as well as I would have if I'd been fully rested and reading it slowly!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Another unusual aspect of this book, especially for a Blyton story, was the "weird science" element. That in itself I didn't find too bad. I would guess it's another product of the era in which Enid was writing - plenty of excitement and trepidation about new scientific discoveries and technologies, and speculation about what wonders (and dangers) lay in the future...

...What I did find a bit hard to take in (I alluded to this in a post on the other thread) was the overdone "mad scientist" stereotype of Monally and the way he was dressed up and paraded as a king, with all the trimmings of a throne, sumptuous hangings, luxurious living quarters and huge feasts, which all seemed a bit exaggerated and unnecessary. On top of that, the underground laboratory with its wires, glass jars, crystal boxes, spinning wheels, "curious lamp" and crimson smoke - and then the mysterious element that forms a "brilliant mass of unknown colour" - was also all laid on a bit thick for me. These are all quite striking and exciting ideas, but I think Enid would have done better to tone them down a bit, instead of playing them up to the point where they almost sound like something out of a 1940s/'50s B-grade movie or comic strip. But then, she probably did get some of her ideas - consciously or unconsciously - from such sources!

It's interesting you should say that, because when I read the book as a child (and still now, to a certain extent), I visualised those scenes in my head as a sort of cross between Rupert Bear and Flash Gordon. Scientific laboratories, mysterious pools and caverns, crazy scientists, mad kings and Oriental characters featured regularly in either Rupert Bear or Flash Gordon, or both. It felt a little strange, although exciting, to enter that world in the company of Enid Blyton's Adventure characters!

What I really missed, though, was the sustained building and developing of the relationships between the characters, which has been very much a feature of all the previous books, especially Sea.

True, though there are hints of the blossoming relationship between Bill and Allie. As an adult reader I can't help noticing that Bill and Allie come down to breakfast together quite late that first morning on the farm, after the children have already finished eating.

[Moonraker]

Farwa, a little style tip if you ever intend to be a writer yourself (which I think you'd be very good at): it's not good form to end every single one of your sentences with an exclamation mark.

Oh, I don't know about that; Enid splattered explanations marks as if there was no tomorrow!

..it's much politer to phrase your own opinions with things like "I think..." or "I wouldn't agree that...", rather than blunt statements like "So you can't really call it a flaw!"

You might consider Farwa's comment impolite, but I think you're being a bit tetchy! I never thought I'd say this, but I rather agree with our friend Farwa on this point.