Journal 56

[sixret]

The good one always comes last.

Enjoy your journals, Ilsa, Robert, Katharine and Walter.

[pete9012S]

Mine's arrived! I'm going to take it on holiday with me today.
Thanks Tony.

[Poppy]

Mine has just arrived, too! Thanks so much to Tony and all the other contributors. I can't wait to start reading!

[Courtenay]

My Journal has also arrived! I've just read a few of the articles - absolutely loved Enid's magical description of April in London. A reminder of why all the grey, dull, rainy days in England are well worth putting up with: because when the weather turns around - which it can do very suddenly, as it did for Enid that day in the 1920s - the effect can be so stunningly, incredibly beautiful.

Poppy, thanks for another three-character comparison of girls to balance your previous excellent one of Julian, Fatty and Peter! I would love to see more studies of Enid's strong female characters like your one and John Lester's very interesting one on Dinah and Diana. Lotta has always been my favourite, because, unlike George who spends so much time sulking and whinging that she wants to be a boy, Lotta just goes ahead and does adventurous and physically strenuous things - running away to rescue Lucky when she's stolen, taming an uncontrollable horse, riding off to find Mr Galliano and bring him back to save the circus - without any apologies for being a girl who can and does do such things.

Robert, nice to see that one of your Desert Island Blytons would be the same as mine - The Folk of the Faraway Tree! I too grew up on the Dean editions with Rene Cloke's illustrations, although I like Dorothy Wheeler's now too. I likewise always thought of Moon-Face as having a real "moon" for a head, but Wheeler's version has his charm as well; he looks rather like her depictions of Mr Pink-Whistle. Love the description of your cardboard Faraway Tree - I wish I'd thought of doing that when I was a child! - and totally agree with your assessment: "In my opinion, I think the Faraway Tree is one of [Enid's] most iconic inventions, and deserves to have more recognition - it should be up there with Alice in Wonderland as a perfect example of classic children's literature."

John P, great to hear "How It All Began", especially after seeing the photos of your library elsewhere on the forums some time ago! It must have been a surprise to discover that the book you bought new all those years ago was now going for £100!! Incredible amounts of money that "serious" collectors have to fork out nowadays. I will look forward to hearing next time how you got that precious copy of The Valley of Adventure!

Nice to revisit Mr Meddle via Angela Canning, as it's years since I read any of his stories. The "IS THAT A KANGAROO?" episode was one that stood out to me as a child for obvious reasons - not often you get a true blue Aussie animal in a Blyton book! But I must say that, while Enid had undoubtedly seen kangaroos at zoos or circuses, Meddle was lucky there was one thing she apparently didn't know. Kangaroos in circuses can be trained to "box" with their front paws, as this one did to Meddle. But in the wild, when male kangaroos fight each other for dominance, they hold each other's shoulders with their front paws and strike out at each other's stomachs with their huge, powerful back legs. If Enid's kangaroo had decided to follow his natural instincts instead of his training, Mr Meddle could have sustained some very serious injuries!!

"Pippity's Pink Paint" is a delightful little piece with some cheeky twists - I had to laugh at the Chancellor's beard being painted pink! - and, typically, it turns out to be one of Enid's imaginative "how something in the natural world came to be that way" tales at the end. She wrote many stories of that type over the years (Pip giving the male sparrows their little black bibs and the male blackbirds their golden beaks, for example) - it gives her writing the quality of old folktales and legends, which of course she also loved and was inspired by.

And I must put in a word for good old Buster's letter from Sunny Stories. I'd be delighted to watch him nip old Clear-Orf's ankles!!

[Kate Mary]

It's always a joy to receive a new edition of the Journal and there is some good stuff in this issue. I am pleased to see so many illustrations by Rene Cloke, I've always admired her work, I think it goes well with Enid's texts. Another Illustrator I like is Horace Knowles who provided the pictures for the story Pippity's Pink Paint. His style reminds me of Arthur Rackham. I love the rather sensuous illustration of the mirror on page 73, I think Horace was having fun with this commission.

I've read Anita's excellent article on Spiggy Holes as well as the shorter pieces, I shall save the rest until after this busy Mothering Sunday weekend.

Many thanks to the editor and the contributors, another brilliant Journal.

[Courtenay]

I love the rather sensuous illustration of the mirror on page 73, I think Horace was having fun with this commission.

I hadn't noticed the details of the mirror, Kate Mary - thanks for pointing that out. It's beautiful, actually - very typical late Art Nouveau/early Art Deco, as befits the 1920s. Horace obviously had a great sense of modern style and wasn't shy about including it in a children's book, though I'm glad he very tactfully made sure the female figures are fully clothed!

[Eddie Muir]

I've just arrived home to find my Journal awaiting me. It looks great. Many thanks, Tony.

[Julie2owlsdene]

My Journal has arrived afterall. I was out and when I came back there it was in the post box. Our postman must have been doing his rounds late today.

So far I turned to the middle pages and just love the pictures of the jigsaw puzzles. How I wish I had those in my collection.

I've read John's (Pickup) article. And was engrossed, as I too have been to a few of the book fairs at the Pavillion Gardens, and have been lost in all the books that are displayed. I have bought many a book from there. Those fairs take me back to the Enid Blyton Days when I see all the sellers displaying their books.

I've read - From My Window - and as usual loved it. I could almost imagine Enid sitting on the top of the bus. Lovely how she described seeing the 'flower girls' and masses of flowers. Reminded me a bit of Pygmallion. Then Enid mentioned looking down on the streets of glittered silver and saw the moving carts and cabs. Not many cars in those days I expect.

Enjoyed Freda Knight's - An Autumn Trip to Hebden Bridge, as I've been there too and to Howarth which she mentioned, even the bookshop. It's probably the one I've been in too!

That is all I've read so far, so looking forward to reading the rest over the next few days and making it last.

[Lucky Star]

Arrived home weary and footsore from work to find instant rejuvenation lying on the doormat. Journal 56 looks wonderful even if I've thus far only looked at the beautiful colour sections and read Tony's editorial. I look forward to savouring it over the next couple of days.

[John Pickup]

My journal was on the mat when I came home this afternoon. I've decided to start at the beginning and work my way through it. As well as Tony's editorial I've read Robert's second instalment of Desert Island Blytons. I enjoyed the part about Good Work Secret Seven, one of my favourites in that series.
I've also read Enid's letter to W. E. Johns which includes some very good advice to a fellow author. I believe that Enid also corresponded with Malcolm Saville, I wonder if any letters between these two have survived.
Thanks to Tony for another excellent journal but how sad that members aren't re-subscribing. Let's hope that that trend doesn't continue.

[Nick]

A really strong issue of the journal this time around. I normally dip in and out of the articles and have the journal read in a week or so but I pretty much read it from cover to cover yesterday.

I'm really enjoying Anita's look at the Secret Series . I've only read Secret Island & Moon Castle and doubt that I will read the others in the near future so it's really nice to get to know a little bit about the books. Roberts desert Island Blytons was a top read and I found myself in total agreement with his observations about Good Work Secret Seven.

John Henstocks article was perhaps my favourite this time around and I've just ordered a copy of Swallowdale. Not being familiar with any of the series aprt from the opening Swallows and Amazons I'm looking forward to a summer break from Enid and immersing myself in the world of Mr Ransome.

Both looks at Enid's strong female characters were a joy and as a former obsessive collector of Star Wars figures I fully appreciated and empathise with the collectors. Being a travelling sales rep with customers in areas mentioned by both I've made a note to keep an eye out for second hand book shops (there is a great one in Horncastle by the way!).

Right at the end of the journal Ruth and Courtenay have two fine articles which really were the icing on top of a wonderful Blyton Cake!

Many thanks to all the contributors. Right, now journal 57.......................

[Rob Houghton]

I thoroughly enjoyed Anita's article and agree with her evaluation of Spiggy Holes - great title, lovely holiday atmosphere, but not one of my favourites in the Secret series. Mind you, as a child it was inspirational - one of the only Secret books I read, along with Island, which like many people I also class as a standalone novel, as its so different. I remember starting to write many a story based on the beginning of Spiggy Holes, though I don't think I ever actually saw any of them through to a conclusion!

I look forward to the next part of Anita's article as Mountain is definitely my favourite Secret book, along with Moon Castle.

It's a brilliant Journal, and I'm enjoying devouring it slowly!

[Eddie Muir]

I spent a very enjoyable evening yesterday devouring the latest Journal from cover to cover. Many thanks to all the contributors. My resubscription cheque is in the post, Tony.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Oooh - it's lovely to read all these comments on the Journal! I've only read part of it so far and flicked quickly through the rest, looking at the illustrations, but I'll continue later today.

The early Meddle illustrations, although quirky, are striking when they're in full colour. I like the bright, patterned, wild-haired, arched-eyebrowed, rosy-cheeked appearance of Mister Meddle and Sally Simple on the front cover of the Journal. They look rather like wooden dolls or puppets.

I am pleased to see so many illustrations by Rene Cloke, I've always admired her work, I think it goes well with Enid's texts. Another Illustrator I like is Horace Knowles who provided the pictures for the story Pippity's Pink Paint. His style reminds me of Arthur Rackham. I love the rather sensuous illustration of the mirror on page 73, I think Horace was having fun with this commission.

Yes, two amazing illustrators. Rene Cloke has been a favourite of mine since early childhood.

Part 2 of Robert's 'Desert Island Blytons' was a marvellous read. Robert's enthusiasm for the books shone through - I could really identify with his feeling of ownership of Enid Blyton's worlds and characters, and the way they inspired him and became part of his being. I agree that the third Faraway Tree book is the best, partly because of the unforgettable Curious Connie and partly because of the uncharacteristically sombre chapters dealing with the Faraway Tree itself being under threat. Interesting comments about colouring-in and writing being a sign that a book has been "well-loved." I suppose a tattered book is a bit like an old teddy-bear with bald patches, one eye missing and its nose half rubbed off! Arthur Mee, whom we know Enid Blyton admired, says (somewhat controversially) in his Letters to Boys:

A man is known by his books as truly as by his looks, for a man is what his mind is, and books are the makers of Mind... You will read with a pencil at hand, and mark the thoughts that strike you; only the men who pretend to love books are afraid to mark them, worshipping the ink and paper and the beautiful covers rather than the soul of the book itself. That book is best read and most reverenced which we treat as a friend, marking the way through it with signposts that we understand.

He goes on to say something which I think has a good deal of truth in it:

You will choose your books wisely, as you choose your friends, and you will find in the world no more enduring friends than books. Never let yourself be far away from them. In the train, in the field, wherever you are, you may have them with you; at home or abroad they will follow you, the most constant, the most unfailing, the most comforting helpers of men. You will find one, if you seek it, on almost any subject in the world; in hope or in perplexity you may seek a friend in books, and at the door of these friends you need never knock in vain. They will tell you all that wise men know, they will admit you to the company of the noblest men and women who have ever lived.

Going back to Robert's article, I'm also fond of Good Work Secret Seven, loving the disreputable-sounding Sid's Place and Peter's brilliant idea of dis-guy-sing as a guy!

Reading Enid Blyton's letter to W. E. Johns, I found it fascinating to learn of the repercussions of doing an "exclusive" book for a big store. I had to chuckle at Enid Blyton regarding Marks & Spencer as a shop which attracted "the poorest child" and feeling that when her books entered "their kind of shop" she was "almost creating a new race of book-readers"!!

It seems that Enid and Kenneth were considering a holiday in France, or at least were being encouraged to go there by W. E. Johns, but we know that they never did go to France together.

George, Lotta and Darrell are three strong girls and it was fun to read Poppy's comparison of them. Like Courtenay, I'm particulary drawn to Lotta as she's cheerful, lively, determined and good-hearted - even though she can also be a cheeky rascal! She looks a little like Betty Boop in the illustration where Jimmy has got her by the hair!

Haven't time to say any more for now, but I look forward to reading more articles. Thanks, Tony, for another fabulous issue!

[Poppy]

I've just spent half an hour sat reading various articles from this new excellent journal, starting with the editorial and I went on to read Robert Houghton's brilliant follow-up to his article in Journal 55. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your choices Robert, and I agreed with several comments you made about the featured books, including the Faraway Tree being a very iconic creation. It really is surprising how Enid isn't recognized more for this trilogy. You have made me want to reread the books again sometime, anyway!

John Henstock's article about Enid in Swallowdale and elsewhere, was a fascinating read. Swallowdale is one of my favourite non-Blyton books, and I was really enthralled by John's reflections comparing Arthur Ransome and Enid Blyton - plus all those other authors, some of which, I wasn't aware of. Those 'Home Farm Twins' books sound interesting; I might try one, sometime.

Buster's little letter was very entertaining: it reminded me very much of Bobs' amusing weekly letters.

The artwork in this Journal is lovely. I love the bright, detailed front cover illustration of Mr Meddle, and the middle pages showing four Famous Five jigsaws are gorgeous. I also love the artwork on the back cover of the Journal. Manu of the books I haven't seen before. I am particularly intrigued by these three: Animals at Home, Children of Other Lands and Friends of the Countryside.

Anyway, I look forward to resuming my read with Anita's article about The Secret of Spiggy Holes. Thanks for all the lovely comments about my article, by the way!