Rate the Last Titles from Major Series

[IceMaiden]

Interesting subject but I'm afraid I can't add to it as all these supposedly weaker books of various series I love just as much as the others! For me, Enid Blyton never wrote a weak book, she admittedly wrote books that stood out that bit more, but never one I'd call weak or poor. There's not one book on my shelves that I would skip on or think 'don't think I'll read that one again'. Mystery To Solve, Demon's Rocks, Ragamuffin, Circus, River, Banshee Towers, Killimooin and Moon Castle are some of my favourites but all of them offer something enjoyable. I stand firm in my belief that there's no such thing as an EB book that doesn't .

[Moonraker]

I shall have to work out my own list but The Circus of Adventure is mediocre???? Really? It's one of the weaker Adventure series entries but it's still a fabulous book.

Yes, it's always been one of my favourites too. I love the fact that Jack and Kiki are on their own for much of the book.

River was always a great favourite of mine as a child. However, I find the ending most unsatisfactory now. It's odd how our opinions change over the years.

[Moonraker]

Looking for a pattern of "weak" titles from the major series seems a bit pointless to me when it is a matter of opinion which of the books are weak. Many people will rate highly Secret Trail. Foe example, Anita has said she doesn't rate Circus Of Adventure but Rob and Lucky Star do. Therefore there is no pattern.

Yes, I see your point, John. One person's weak is another ones strong, eh? There's nothing wrong with a pattern, if there is a pattern. But who decides what the pattern is - and if in fact there is a pattern?

[Anita Bensoussane]

River was always a great favourite of mine as a child. However, I find the ending most unsatisfactory now. It's odd how our opinions change over the years.

I too find certain aspects of the ending more disappointing as an adult than I did as a child. I still love the journey along the river though. There's a strong feeling of anticipation and of travelling into the unknown.

[Nigel D]

I’ve only read the Famous Five ones and the Findouters ones.

Thought Banshee Towers and Are Together Again were a bit poor.

Don’t mind Five Have A Mystery To Solve so much and from memory Strange Messages was quite a good one. However, they’re both a long way from the quality of the earlier books.

[Rob Houghton]

For me, 'Strange Messages' is probably one of the top three strongest books in the FFO series. But I guess we will always have differing opinions.

[Nigel D]

I’ve not read it for a long time but I do remember enjoying it more than some of the earlier ones like Missing Prince, and the one with the poodle.

[StephenC]

Some interesting comments from people about the last books in the FF, SS, FFO and other series! Fun For The Secret Seven would have to be bottom on my list. No plot whatsoever! A very sad end to a great series! And Five Are Together Again is scarcely any better! On the other hand, I thought that Look Out Secret Seven, and Five Have a Mystery to Solve, were quite reasonable books. Each to their own! Honourable mention should also be given to The Mystery That Never Was, and The Hidey Hole, two of Enid's last one-off books. Both books were extremely mediocre, and The Hidey Hole, published in 1964, may well have been Enid's last works.

[Stephen]

I last read 'Five Are Together Again' over thirty years ago, and I couldn't honestly see back then what was so bad about it.

I'm reading it again now, and I most certainly can!

[Julie2owlsdene]

I've just finished reading the last book of the Mystery Series - Banshee Towers.

It's always been the weakest book, as I think Enid tried her best to give the readers what they wanted and that was to write another Find-Outer's book. But sadly for me reading this book after reading all the Mystery Series in order, just didn't read like a Find-Outer's book at all.

It was more of an adventure sort of book - like a stand alone novel. It was as though someone was trying to write a Find-Outer's book, but had no idea of how the Mystery Series ran. It just didn't seem to fit in with the flow of the other books. Fatty was said to say - We'll have to give up on this mystery! Fatty was going to be the best detective since Sherlock Holmes. He would never give up on a mystery.

But this mystery was more of an adventure - going along a dark passage to get inside Banshee Towers, was more like - The Mystery of Cliff Castle. The Find-Outers solved mysteries with clues, and interviewed suspects. As I said, it was as though someone thought - I'll try my hand at a continuation story of this series, but wasn't very well up on what the Find-Outers were all about. I found it quite hard to read, I must confess, and at the same time, felt very sad that Enid really did her best with this the last book in the series. But I think maybe she should have stopped at Missing Man, and then would have ended the series on a high, and not a disappointment.

[Splodj]

I can remember feeling cheated by Banshee Towers as I also thought it did not seem like a FFO book. It was also shorter than the others; in Armada ending on page 127 whereas the others ended on 157/8 ish.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I agree that Banshee Towers is a damp squib and seems at odds with the rest of the series. It's a pity to have to finish on such a depressing note. I seem to remember that someone (Pete?) once read through the Find-Outers series but saved one of the early books until the end. (I hope I'm not getting mixed up with a Famous Five read-through, where someone might also decide to save an early book to read after the last couple of weak and weary titles!)

[John Pickup]

Five Are Together Again, Banshee Towers and Ragamuffin are fairly weak final books of their series but Fun For The Secret Seven has to be the worst. There's no plot, no fun and hardly any Secret Seven except for Peter and Janet.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm with you there, John. I'd much rather read Together Again, Banshee Towers or Ragamuffin than Fun for the Secret Seven. It's more Hard Slog for the Reader than Fun for the Secret Seven!

[Wolfgang]

So you think "No fun with the Secret Seven" would have been a better title?