Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Like Rob, I haven't been to Brownsea Island. I've just seen it from a distance.
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by db105 »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: Anne turning into a "tiger" (or "tigress" as you say, Db105) seems contrived to me and I find it hard to warm to Wilfrid, who blows hot and cold.
Well, that worked for me because it didn't come completely out of nowhere. Blyton had planted the seeds in previous books, where Anne gets upset at being called a scared little mouse and warns that she might turn into a tiger. Besides, it's not absurd a quiet, gentle kid could explode sometimes, particularly one in her early teens.

Regarding the "real location", it doesn't really make a difference for me one way or the other. I don't mind and it doesn't bother me. I don't know the real location that inspired the setting of the novel, so it's just a curiosity for me.

I do agree, however, that the quality and style is in a downward spiral. Enid Blyton's mind and abilities at that point, I'm afraid, were not at their best. :cry: It's not new, there were hints of this in earlier books, but here it's much more noticeable. Considering that the author has lost a lot of her touch, however, this story works better than I would have expected, and it's because it makes heavy use of the plots elements and tropes that had made the series so enjoyable. It's not an ideal situation, because here there's no freshness behind them, but those formulas work and they carry the story in a more or less reasonable manner.

I used tigress because it seemed natural as a female tiger, but of course English is not my first language. Is the word "tigress" just not used? Or does it have connotations that I'm missing?
Moonraker wrote:Now we come to the visitor. Mrs Layman—of whom we have never heard before. Yet Julian says: "Mrs Layman's a nice old thing—she was always giving us little treats when we were little." Really? Did Mrs Layman live in London at the time? However, in the following chapter, George says: "I say, who's this Mrs Layman who's coming to tea?" This suggests that Mrs Layman hasn't always lived near Poole Harbour—as surely it would be George who knew her and not Julian. However, when Mrs Layman arrives, Julian's mother introduces her to the others, saying, "This is Mrs Layman, children," — which seems to give the impression that in spite of being at the receiving end of 'little treats' when they were little, have now totally forgotten her in the past few pages.
Well, yes, completely right. But incongruities of this kind have been present in the series from the beginning (like the whole Barnard/Kirrin mess, and just exactly how is George related to her cousins). I mean, it's clear that Enid wrote fast and did not very careful check that she had got all the continuity details straight, and obviously her editors were not much into editing. At this point I accept these things. They are fun to point out but they are details and don't prevent me from enjoying the story.
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Rob Houghton »

I think, above all the other Famous Five books (even the last one) 'Mystery To Solve' shows the deterioration to Enid's memory and powers most clearly. Reading the book, especially the early sections, regarding Wilfrid and Mrs Layman etc, you can almost 'taste' Enid's confusion. Its quite sad, I think. When I read it, I could almost visibly see her mind unravelling as she tried to balance everything and juggle it in the air and try to form a story. I felt I was witness to the devastation of a once great mind. Once the plot (such as it is!) gets going, she seems to get more into her stride, but the bits about Mrs Layman and the fact she's Wilfrid's grandmother, then aunt, then the Five know her, then they don't, as Nigel mentions above, really exposes how frail Enid's creative powers were at the time. :-(
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
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Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

db105 wrote:I used tigress because it seemed natural as a female tiger, but of course English is not my first language. Is the word "tigress" just not used? Or does it have connotations that I'm missing?
As far as I know, it doesn't have any unwelcome connotations. When referring to the essence of the animal, as Enid is in Five Have a Mystery to Solve, it's fine to use "tiger" even though the person concerned is female.
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by db105 »

Five Are Together Again

Brief Summary by Poppy Hutchinson (from http://enidblytonsociety.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;): Reunited with Tinker, who featured in an earlier adventure: the Famous Five are invited to camp out in a field close to his house (in which Professor Hayling, Tinker's father who is a scientist lives). When a Circus arrives, and sets up camp, close by – the Famous Five are contented with the mild excitement of watching the Circus folk's antics, and getting to know them, but then – real commotion strikes, when a tower in the grounds of Professor Hayling's house – is robbed. Can the Five track down the culprit? And what has the mystery got to do with Kirrin Island?


Random thoughts:

And here I finish my journey with the Famous Five. I'm feeling kind of nostalgic about it, as if saying goodbye to old friends. Of course, Enid Blyton has more children's adventure books, and most of them are better than this one. Reading the famous Five as a kid I did not care about the order, and I did not notice big differences in quality, but reading as an adult I have to agree that the latest ones (from the late fifties and early sixties) are not quite as good, relying more on the established tropes and not so genuinely fresh. But the only two ones that where the decline is clear are the two last ones, Five Have a Mystery to Solve and this one, Five Are Together Again.

This book is like a lower-quality remake of the wonderful Five Go Off in a Caravan, camping next to the circus folk, with elements of Five Have a Wonderful Time too.

The book starts with an uncomfortable moment, as it becomes apparent that Blyton has forgotten that Timmy goes to George and Anne's school. Instead, she thinks that he remains at home. It's not the first time she forgets things in the series (like George sharing the property of the island with her cousins), but this one is so basic and so well-established that it's rather shocking, and I felt for Enid Blyton, who clearly is not at her best here. And what about her editors? Are they on permanent vacation? These books were successful and I understand they made a look of money, so couldn't the publishers afford some decent editing? I feel like, since it's literature for children they just did not feel the need to bother.

Then we have George crying "like a girl" because, once more, illness appears at Kirrin Cottage. Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny are quarantined because Joan the cook has scarlet fever or whatever illness. I don't know, at this point this reaction from George does not ring true.

So the children are sent with Tinker (from Demon's Rock) and his uncle-Quentin-like father. To get away from the eccentric professor they decide to camp with Tinker and Mischief on a field near the house, when a troop of circus folk arrives. Tinker tries to drive them away, but it turns out they have a right to be there because of an ancient and very weird property title.

The story advances on the shoulders of previous and better ones. As i observed in the previous book, Five Have a Mystery to Solve, the story can still work because of its reliance on time-tested tropes that just work almost on their own. But it's still noticeable, so many elements borrowed from other books... even a donkey costume like Clopper from Five go Down to the Sea. No one seems to notice all the similarities, but the Five should be going through a permanent deja vu in this adventure. The book would seem better taken in isolation, since then you wouldn't notice all the borrowed elements.

Another problem is that the mystery is quite evident for anyone used to Blyton's plots. Tinker's dad is a caricature like Uncle Quentin at his worst, so it falls to the children to protect his secrets, although the precautions they take seem rather contrived. Not telling the professor they have his papers (won't he notice?) and deciding to hide them on George's island, of all places...

On the plus side, George gets her pluck and rebelliousness back and defies Julian by taking the papers herself to the island after Julian forbids her and defeating the thieves on her own. Well, with Timmy's help.

"What an exciting time we've had! I really did enjoy every minute of it." So did we, George. Hurry up and fall into another adventure. We are longing to hear what you and the others will be up to next. How we wish we could join you! Good-bye for now — and take care of yourselves, Five. Good luck!" ... thus finishes the series. Yes, good-bye, Famous Five. I like that the series finishes that way, without announcing that this is the last adventure. In my imagination, the Famous Five will forever be having new adventures, filled with emotion, freedom and joy, even if they are not written down.
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Rob Houghton »

Thanks again for a great review. I agree with everything you've written about Together Again - its not a great book, and its such a shame the series ended with these two inferior books - but, for me, the series remains fairly strong until Mystery To Solve, and o enjoy the first 19 books very much. When I read the series last year I purposefully ended with 'Five On A Treasure Island' just so I didn't have to finish with Together Again, which I find quite a depressing read, a bit like the last book in The Secret Seven series and also the Find Outer series.
'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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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Another great review, Db105. I've really enjoyed reading your thoughts on all the audio books.
db105 wrote:...the only two ones that where the decline is clear are the two last ones, Five Have a Mystery to Solve and this one, Five Are Together Again.
Yes, I agree with you. As a child I read the books out of order so luckily Five Have a Mystery to Solve and Five Are Together Again got buried amid the better titles.
db105 wrote:This book is like a lower-quality remake of the wonderful Five Go Off in a Caravan, camping next to the circus folk, with elements of Five Have a Wonderful Time too.
If you consider the elements of the story - a circus, a boy with a monkey, a tower, scientific secrets, Kirrin Island and a mysterious man who is a whizz at maths - it sounds as though it simply couldn't be poor. However, Enid Blyton fails to make the most of these promising ingredients and the story is slow, disorganised and clashes (in certain respects) with what we've been told in earlier books. I noticed some of the continuity errors as a youngster and was particularly perplexed by Timmy no longer going to George and Anne's school. As you say, Db105, did no one edit the books? It's amazing that details like that weren't queried.
db105 wrote:... so many elements borrowed from other books... even a donkey costume like Clopper from Five go Down to the Sea. No one seems to notice all the similarities, but the Five should be going through a permanent deja vu in this adventure.
Good point! :lol:
db105 wrote:"What an exciting time we've had! I really did enjoy every minute of it." So did we, George. Hurry up and fall into another adventure. We are longing to hear what you and the others will be up to next. How we wish we could join you! Good-bye for now — and take care of yourselves, Five. Good luck!" ... thus finishes the series. Yes, good-bye, Famous Five. I like that the series finishes that way, without announcing that this is the last adventure. In my imagination, the Famous Five will forever be having new adventures, filled with emotion, freedom and joy, even if they are not written down.
As children my sister and I went out of our way to get Five Are Together Again after having read a dozen or so of the other titles, as we wanted to see how it all finished. We imagined there would be something significant about the last book that denoted "the end" and we even speculated that Timmy might die! We were disappointed when it turned out to be "just another adventure" - and not a very exciting one at that! However, I now feel the same as you, Db105 - that it's good that the series doesn't have a definite end and we can think of the Five as eternal adventurers.
"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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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Rob Houghton »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: We imagined there would be something significant about the last book that denoted "the end" and we even speculated that Timmy might die! We were disappointed...
:shock:

I'm shocked!!! ;-)

I agree about all the continuity errors - particularly Timmy not going to school with George and Anne. Its amazing that the publishers didn't pick up on this - but it maybe shows that they didn't proofread Enid's books much - just put them into print as quickly as possible, with ££ in their eyes. Of all the books, I think Mystery to Solve and Together Again would have benefited from editing and slight rewrites, even today. I wouldn't usually advocate such goings-on - but maybe Instead of censoring the books needlessly, why didn't they employ someone to correct these errors in a sensitive way?
'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: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Carlotta King »

The Timmy at school thing reminds me of Castle of Adventure where Lucy-Ann tells Dinah that Kiki wasn't allowed at school because she was so disruptive and that Jack had got a friend to look after her, then a bit later Kiki tells someone (the porter i think) to open their book at page 6 and Jack said that she got that from one of the masters.
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Daisy »

Perhaps she did that in the early days and that's what helped to cause her banishment!
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by Wolfgang »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: As children my sister and I went out of our way to get Five Are Together Again after having read a dozen or so of the other titles, as we wanted to see how it all finished. We imagined there would be something significant about the last book that denoted "the end" and we even speculated that Timmy might die! We were disappointed when it turned out to be "just another adventure" - and not a very exciting one at that! However, I now feel the same as you, Db105 - that it's good that the series doesn't have a definite end and we can think of the Five as eternal adventurers.
Well otherwise we wouldn't have 24 Voilier Famous Five books, the continuation novels in the Secret passage, no 30 Sarah Bosse continuation books and (contemporary) 92 additional German dramatised audiobooks...
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Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

Post by db105 »

Rob Houghton wrote:Thanks again for a great review. I agree with everything you've written about Together Again - its not a great book, and its such a shame the series ended with these two inferior books - but, for me, the series remains fairly strong until Mystery To Solve, and o enjoy the first 19 books very much. When I read the series last year I purposefully ended with 'Five On A Treasure Island' just so I didn't have to finish with Together Again, which I find quite a depressing read, a bit like the last book in The Secret Seven series and also the Find Outer series.
You're welcome, and thanks to you all for accompanying me. It makes sense to end with a better book like you did, although On a Treasure Island is important to introduce the characters, so did you read it twice, first and last?
Anita Bensoussane wrote:As children my sister and I went out of our way to get Five Are Together Again after having read a dozen or so of the other titles, as we wanted to see how it all finished. We imagined there would be something significant about the last book that denoted "the end" and we even speculated that Timmy might die! We were disappointed when it turned out to be "just another adventure" - and not a very exciting one at that! However, I now feel the same as you, Db105 - that it's good that the series doesn't have a definite end and we can think of the Five as eternal adventurers.
Yes, I can understand the eagerness to see how it all ends. I remember something like that when reading the last Happy Hollisters book (and American children's series). But I'm glad we did not see the Five grow up and that Timmy did not die (shudder). Your Blyton-themed childhood games with your sister sounds a lot of fun. :)

Carlotta King wrote:The Timmy at school thing reminds me of Castle of Adventure where Lucy-Ann tells Dinah that Kiki wasn't allowed at school because she was so disruptive and that Jack had got a friend to look after her, then a bit later Kiki tells someone (the porter i think) to open their book at page 6 and Jack said that she got that from one of the masters.

Like Daisy, I do not necessarily find that a continuity error. Kiki was banished from the school because she made trouble there, and to do that she must have been at school for a while, so she might have picked up the expression then.

Wolfgang wrote: Well otherwise we wouldn't have 24 Voilier Famous Five books, the continuation novels in the Secret passage, no 30 Sarah Bosse continuation books and (contemporary) 92 additional German dramatised audiobooks...
Oh, I'm sure they would have made continuation books even if there had been a definite end to the series. they could always say those adventures took place before the last book.
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