The Mystery That Never Was

[pete9012S]

I'm re-reading this book and really enjoying it.
It's so derivative of previous plots and characters that it's making me smile.

Also, it's one of my rare Blyton's that I haven't read umpteen times, so it feels quite fresh!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Was the text revised to remove some of the things objected to by Macmillan? My 1983 Armada copy says: 'First published in the UK in this edition in 1976 by William Collins ...' No mention of 1961.

My copy is also the 1983 Armada version, Splodj, but I checked it against Tony's first edition some time ago and there didn't appear to be any textual differences. I remember buying the Armada paperback in 1983, aged thirteen, smuggling it guiltily home and reading it in secret, as I knew I was considered "too old" to read children's adventure stories but I couldn't possibly resist it!

I agree with what has been said about the plot seeming derivative, and about the characters being reminiscent of characters from other books. However, unlike most other people who have posted in this thread, I've never rated The Mystery That Never Was very highly. The story is fairly weak, devoid of real intrigue or momentum. It contains some promising ingredients such as a burnt-out house, signalling, underground tunnels and lost treasure, but Enid doesn't make the most of them. The adventure is hurried and lacks suspense (the investigation, conflict and resolution are all over within a day), and the criminals are so inept that there isn't much sense of urgency or peril.

Something that struck me on my first reading, and which still stands out to me now, is how "modern" (compared to most other Enid Blyton books) The Mystery That Never Was feels. Nicky (not a typical Blyton name) is said to "watch television too much" and he muses on whether his Uncle Bob (a private investigator) "might be hunting a murderer" (the use of the word "murderer" makes me wonder whether Enid is purposely being a little edgier for a 1960s audience). Uncle Bob loves rissoles (an unusual food choice in the world of Enid Blyton) and appears to be suffering from work-related stress (he has been "overworking" and has been "forbidden to do any of his work for some time"), which seems rather adult.

The "xenophobia" accusation was made by Phyllis Hartnoll, theatre historian and reader for Macmillan, who stated in her internal assessment of The Mystery That Never Was in 1960 that "The characterisations are painfully thin and the plot does not stand up to examination... This is not a book that would reflect any credit on our list, and I think we should reject it." What sparked the most discussion was her comment that "There is a faint but unattractive touch of old-fashioned xenophobia in the author's attitude to the thieves; they are 'foreign' (though one of them is called Harry and they generally talk in English) and this seems to be regarded as sufficient to explain their criminality." That last remark in particular is a wild exaggeration!

The emotive topic of racial prejudice gets people's attention but it's clear that The Mystery That Never Was was turned down by Macmillan for a number of reasons, mainly to do with plot and characterisation. The "touch of old-fashioned xenophobia" claim is the weakest of Phyllis Hartnoll's criticisms and I don't believe for one minute that Enid Blyton intended any xenophobia. She is vague when describing the crooks, e.g. when Nicky stares at one of them: "He was dark-skinned and wore a fine beard. Nicky thought he looked as if he came from the East - was he an Indian - or perhaps a Persian? He looked pretty fierce, anyway!" It's fine for a boy like Nicky to be so vague but things are never clarified and I get the impression that Enid Blyton herself was just as vague! Having said that, such imprecision in descriptions of people of other races or nationalities is quite common in books and comics of the time, so it doesn't say anything about Enid as an individual. Besides, she rarely gives her villains detailed backgrounds, whatever their race or nationality - including her white British villains.

If Macmillan had approached Enid Blyton and given her the chance to make a few changes to the typescript, she may well have agreed to do so. As it is, the book still went on to be published elsewhere and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read it even though it's not a favourite of mine.

[Bertie]

...Something that struck me on my first reading, and which still stands out to me now, is how "modern" (compared to most other Enid Blyton books) The Mystery That Never Was feels. Nicky (not a typical Blyton name) is said to "watch television too much" and he muses on whether his Uncle Bob (a private investigator) "might be hunting a murderer" (the use of the word "murderer" makes me wonder whether Enid is purposely being a little edgier for a 1960s audience). Uncle Bob loves rissoles (an unusual food choice in the world of Enid Blyton) and appears to be suffering from work-related stress (he has been "overworking" and has been "forbidden to do any of his work for some time"), which seems rather adult.

Yes, I noticed that as well, Anita.
To me, a lot of the 1960's books have a different 'feel' to them. And this certainly felt a lot more modern than most, for the reasons you give.
When I'm reading a number of the later books, some of the terminology used, and the out of character speech / behaviour from well established characters, it feels like maybe while the general outline of the story was Enid's, another writer has fleshed out the rest of the story and been unable to accurately portray some of the characters dialogue, or to capture the same 'feel' of her earlier books

[Splodj]

My copy is also the 1983 Armada version

I've always thought the house on the front cover looks American rather than English. On the red sash instead of 'A thrilling adventure story', as in the cover on this site, mine says 'New in paperback'.

I think the biggest weakness of the story is that too many aspects of the made up mystery turn out to be in the real mystery for it to be credible.

[pete9012S]

I was just comparing the newer illustrations with those in the cave.
They look like they have been heavily influenced by the originals:

The Mystery That Never Was - Armada paperback published in 1988. Cover artwork by unknown artist; internal illustrations by Rodney Sutton.

http://hardyboys.co.uk/seriesbookart/bl ... r.php?id=1

First edition: 1961
Publisher: William Collins
Illustrator: Gilbert Dunlop

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/boo ... php?id=264

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks, Pete. I've checked out a selection of pictures from both editions and it's interesting that Rodney Sutton's illustrations were so heavily influenced by the originals.

My copy is also the 1983 Armada version

I've always thought the house on the front cover looks American rather than English. On the red sash instead of 'A thrilling adventure story', as in the cover on this site, mine says 'New in paperback'.

Mine says 'New in paperback' too, Splodj - and I've always thought the same about the house. As well as looking American, it doesn't really look like a burnt-out ruin either!

[StephenC]

I read Anita's comments about The Mystery That Never Was, with great interest. Yes, it does have a more modern feel than the typical Blyton book. The plot is weak, like many of Enid's last books, but the original illustrations by Gilbert Dunlop were a saving grace. Enid's one-off books have always intrigued me. A few of them, like The Treasure Seekers and The Boy Next Door, rank among her best works, in my opinion. Sadly, The Mystery That Never Was, is now largely remembered as a shining example of Enid's declining writing skills in the early sixties, along with the likes of Five Are Together Again, and Fun For The Secret Seven (both 1963) and The Hidey Hole (1964).

[GloomyGraham]

The plot is weak, like many of Enid's last books, but the original illustrations by Gilbert Dunlop were a saving grace. Enid's one-off books have always intrigued me.

Many of Enid's 'one-offs' were some of her best works I think. But I always had a suspicion that some of her 60's 'one-offs' (others including 'strange ruby' or 'hidey hole') might have been books previously rejected by publishers.

With her declining output in the 60s, I wondered if some publishing houses reconsidered and accepted these rejected scripts as there was little else to choose from. Further evidence is the publication of her Mary Norton books in 'Mystery (etc) Stories' being republished for the first time under the Blyton name.

[Anita Bensoussane]

The Mary Pollock books were published under Enid Blyton's name quite early on - in the late 1940s or very early 1950s.

I currently have access to the notebook which Enid Blyton kept in 1964 to remind herself of things she had to do. She writes in February that Lutterworth want "a book of same size as Hidey Hole", suggesting that The Hidey-Hole had been completed not too long before. Sadly, she didn't write the other book. She didn't manage to write another Famous Five or Secret Seven book either, though she noted that Hodder and Brockhampton were each hoping for another Famous Five/Secret Seven title that year.

Lutterworth had also asked for two more Bible story books. Enid writes, "Martin of Lutterworth wants two stories of 5,500 words each entitled: 1. The Prodigal Son, 2. The Good Samaritan. BY END OF FEBRUARY." She did complete those and they were published as The Boy Who Came Back and The Man Who Stopped to Help in 1965.

Like The Mystery That Never Was, Adventure of the Strange Ruby has certain elements that feel surprisingly modern and mark it out as a fairly late novel. Strange Ruby is the only book in which Enid Blyton has main child characters wearing jeans.

[GloomyGraham]

I currently have access to the notebook which Enid Blyton kept in 1964 to remind herself of things she had to do.

Anita, please please please don't let any actual facts get in the way o f my imaginings

Would love to see a post about this notebook from you and some dot-points similar to those you posted above

[Anita Bensoussane]

I've only just started reading the notebook and the information is disorganised and repetitive but I'll see if anything else interesting comes up, GloomyGraham!