Journal 57

What did you think of the latest Journal?
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Courtenay
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Courtenay »

I commented on it myself earlier, Tony:
Courtenay wrote:"The Five Find-Outers in Japan" by Nick Hopkins: Very, very interesting exploration of a now-lost TV adaptation from an unexpected source - I had no idea that Enid's books were not only known in Japan, but popular enough to inspire a TV version!
I'm not saying that the TV version would necessarily be something I'd want to watch or would enjoy - going by Nicko's article, it sounds like it was substantially very different from the Blyton originals, as indeed are a lot of English-language adaptations. I was just impressed that the Five Find-Outers were well known and popular enough to inspire a TV series (however loosely adapted) in a country and culture very different from Enid's England of the 1940s. It goes to show how universally appealing her basic ideas are!
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Re: Journal 57

Post by pete9012S »

I really enjoyed the article about the Japanese Find-Outers.I tried to do my own bit of research on it a few years ago,but didn't get too far.
So I for one really appreciated Nicko's well written and researched article and hope Nicko can be persuaded to write more for the Journal in the future.
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Re: Journal 57

Post by sixret »

I am very glad to know that, Tony. Glad to know there are EB fans outside UK. Who would have thought there are EB followers as far as Japan?Not a commonwealth country. I would like to read the article myself. I will rectify this sooner. I hope it will not dampen Nicko's spirit( or others) to write articles on anything Blyton outside UK( or within UK as well, for that matter). :D
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Rob Houghton »

Tony Summerfield wrote:It is interesting to read what people liked or didn't like in the last Journal, but I just wanted to come in and say something about the article by Nicko (who I am sure is probably reading this!) about the Five Find-Outers series is Japan, which has been cited above as being of little interest to two readers above. I was fascinated to read a well-written and well researched article on something that I knew little or nothing about and I am glad that I was not alone. I have had two phone calls recently about the Journal which specifically mentioned it and both felt the same way as I did that they were learning something new on a series about which they knew very little. One of these calls was from Imogen and the other was from Norman Wright.
I really feel I have to defend my comments regards the Find Outer's article before it becomes popular belief that I didn't rate it - which isn't actually true.

I don't think either of us actually said we didn't enjoy the article - it was well written and very informative and I was interested to read about something I hadn't heard about - but we can't like everything to the same extent, and I merely said I wasn't really interested in the Find Outers Japanese TV series.

Although I dislike the idea of a Japanese Find Outers drama series (I would only be interested in such a series if it was set in 1940's Britain) that doesn't mean I didn't think the article wasn't well written and a worthy addition to The Journal. If we all liked every article in the Journal to the nth degree, it would be a boring old world. I never expect people to always enjoy my articles - we all have different tastes, and that's what makes The Journal such a great read.

I think I personally was just trying to put forward an honest opinion regards my feelings about the Find Outers in Japan - it's a subject I'm not overly interested in - and it in no way reflects on the quality of the said article!
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I'll warm me with your echoes
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Courtenay »

Getting back to Enid's article on "Moral Problems", which I hadn't read until just now - I had pretty low expectations of it, given what others here have said of it. And I completely agree, Enid for the most part comes across as pretty heavy-handed and (to us) old-fashioned on the topic. It's a bit of a stretch to assume that all (or nearly all) children who end up in the juvenile court have had no religious instruction (perhaps they did, and absolutely hated it!), or that there is no way that morals can be taught without reference to religion in general or Christianity in particular. But, as others have pointed out, Enid was simply reflecting the thinking of her era. I expect most middle-class British people in the early 1950s would probably have agreed with what she was saying here - and if she'd bucked the trend and said "No, religion doesn't matter, you can bring up your child to be morally sound without religion," she probably would have had a lot of respectable parents of the time turning against her in disgust.

That said, after the first part, I didn't find the article to be quite as irritating and trite as I'd expected. Enid is right that many Bible stories, especially ones from the Gospels, teach important moral lessons and are good for young children to learn. I grew up myself in a completely non-religious family, but attended non-compulsory Christian religious education classes all through primary school, and absolutely loved the stories we learned of Jesus and other Bible characters. They weren't taught in any doctrinal or proselytising way, just as stories that taught us the importance of compassion, courage, honesty, forgiveness, loving one's neighbours, even loving one's enemies.

Of course, all those lessons can also be taught without Bible stories or without any connection to religion (Christian or otherwise) - Enid herself does a great job of imparting good values and good life-lessons in her own stories for children, almost always without bringing religion into it. And we do know that for her own part, she wasn't conventionally "religious" and was ambivalent over believing in God as such. But, rather stuffy though this article is, I think it does bring out how much she loved Bible stories for their moral value - a love that certainly comes through in her retellings of them - and how those archetypal themes influenced her own (usually non-religious) stories for children.
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Tony Summerfield »

When I was going through the various diary entries that we have recently, trying to put together details about all of Enid's holiday destinations from the late 20s up to 1940 (when the diaries ran out), one or two other entries caught my eye. One in particular was made when Mabel Attenborough was staying with Enid and Hugh. It was on a Sunday and Enid just had this to say - 'Hugh and Mabel went to church and I went for a nice walk'.
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

:lol: Enid's diary entries may be short but some of them are quite telling.
Courtenay wrote:It's a bit of a stretch to assume that all (or nearly all) children who end up in the juvenile court have had no religious instruction (perhaps they did, and absolutely hated it!), or that there is no way that morals can be taught without reference to religion in general or Christianity in particular. But, as others have pointed out, Enid was simply reflecting the thinking of her era. I expect most middle-class British people in the early 1950s would probably have agreed with what she was saying here - and if she'd bucked the trend and said "No, religion doesn't matter, you can bring up your child to be morally sound without religion," she probably would have had a lot of respectable parents of the time turning against her in disgust.
And her article wouldn't have been included in a book of essays written by prominent churchmen!
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Rob Houghton »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: :lol: Enid's diary entries may be short but some of them are quite telling.
I was about to say the same thing! :lol: That diary entry speaks for itself really!

As I've mentioned before, I tend to view Enid as a 'business woman' - that was how she became so popular and wrote for so many different genres and ages. She knew not to restrict herself. Children wanted adventure stories? She wrote them - School stories? Easy! Nature? Good idea! Family stories? Done! And the same for stories with religious themes and ideals. She was often asked by religious organisations to supply books with a deeply religious/moral tone, and she was able to do this easily, even if she wasn't necessarily speaking from personal experience.

Enid was way ahead of her time - she knew how to market herself and she knew that presenting her books as morally sound, with no distasteful themes or characters, would give her a reputation as being a safe author for children whose books anyone could buy without worrying that the content was unsuitable. I think this is why Enid was genuinely surprised and upset by the accusations of sexism and racism later in her career.
'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: Journal 57

Post by Daisy »

Courtenay wrote:....or that there is no way that morals can be taught without reference to religion in general or Christianity in particular. But, as others have pointed out, Enid was simply reflecting the thinking of her era. I expect most middle-class British people in the early 1950s would probably have agreed with what she was saying here - and if she'd bucked the trend and said "No, religion doesn't matter, you can bring up your child to be morally sound without religion," she probably would have had a lot of respectable parents of the time turning against her in disgust.
I think that is right.... and the size of Sunday Schools in that era would bear it out.... non church-goers happily sent their children off for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon to the nearest Sunday school and who knows for what motives? A quiet siesta perhaps, but I'm sure many thought they should expose their children to the perceived teaching they would receive. To have well over 100 children attending regularly was not unusual and even in the early 70s the church I moved to in a large village had a thriving Sunday School of at least that number. My 4 children fitted in well and it also helped them integrate at the local day schools.
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Tony Summerfield »

In case you are wondering how Enid applied her answer to her own children, I asked Imogen several weeks ago long before the Journal was published and you won't be surprised that she answered, not at all. She never read Bible stories to them and certainly didn't teach them how to pray.
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Moonraker »

Tony Summerfield wrote:I was fascinated to read a well-written and well researched article on something that I knew little or nothing about and I am glad that I was not alone.
I am not at all surprised that other people were fascinated by the article - I was giving my views on the article, as was Rob. I know little or nothing about Japanese television programmes either, but however well-written and well-researched an article might be, it is still of little interest to me. I too am glad that I was not alone - or to be totally honest, I wouldn't have lost any sleep if I was! :wink:
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Nicko »

Tony Summerfield wrote:It is interesting to read what people liked or didn't like in the last Journal, but I just wanted to come in and say something about the article by Nicko (who I am sure is probably reading this!) about the Five Find-Outers series is Japan, which has been cited above as being of little interest to two readers above. I was fascinated to read a well-written and well researched article on something that I knew little or nothing about and I am glad that I was not alone. I have had two phone calls recently about the Journal which specifically mentioned it and both felt the same way as I did that they were learning something new on a series about which they knew very little. One of these calls was from Imogen and the other was from Norman Wright.
Thank you very much for this comment Tony.

I knew when I wrote the article that it was about a subject that wouldn't be to everybody's taste. Personally though I think the journal has a great blend of mainstream and obscure topics and I am probably more interested in writing about subjects that have been discussed too little rather than too much.

It is very heartening to hear that people who know so much about EB appreciated it.
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Nicko »

pete9012S wrote:I really enjoyed the article about the Japanese Find-Outers.I tried to do my own bit of research on it a few years ago,but didn't get too far.
So I for one really appreciated Nicko's well written and researched article and hope Nicko can be persuaded to write more for the Journal in the future.
You are very kind and I will indeed be writing for the journal again.

I am currently working on a piece about another TV series, this one made rather closer to home, for the next journal. I'm hopeful that this will also contain some insights that people are previously unaware of.
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Re: Journal 57

Post by Lenoir »

The editorial sets the scene for another enjoyable and absorbing Journal.
The cover depicts an old illustration from a first edition that most of us will never hold in our hands. Appropriately chosen as well for this issue. And the back page – around the Zoo – another rarity brought to life again in full colour.

I thought “The Adventurous Four “ article made some interesting points about how Enid wanted to portray the War to her readers.
I would love to take part in the wonderful adventure “pilgrimage” , it sounds like a great way to spend a day. I have done the last bit actually, the visit to Old Thatch, so I’m thankful I came over in 2012!

I think our teacher read “The Secret Mountain” to us. I don’t think I have read it myself, but parts of it came back to me when I read the article. I don’t know if I’d enjoy it now, but the article certainly makes me want to find a copy and read it so I can compare notes so to speak.
I always assumed the book was set in central Africa, going off the descriptions. In Journal 11 “The Secret of the Secret Mountain Folk revealed!” article speculates that the bush that produces the red dye is rooibos(redbush), but that only grows in a relatively small area of the Cape in South Africa, so maybe the plane landed near the “Cederberg mountains" area! (In fact I prefer that explanation rather than the more likely one that she was taking bits of fact and mixing them with fiction!)

I know Enid’s books are famous in many countries but I was still a bit surprised to read that Japan tv had made a series loosely based on the Find Outers. Good to know that the books are in print again there, even though they have Harry Potter to thank for that!

I went to Hyde Park briefly a few years ago and like the “From My Window” feature says, it is almost like being in the country as it is such a big park and the view seems to be mainly of trees and greenery.

It was interesting to see the old copies of South African Youth News, not that I knew such a publication existed before. I’ve seen a lot of Blyton books in Afrikaans (and Harry P as well for that matter).

I agree with the sentiment in the “Wrecks” article about the wreck becoming a museum piece. It would be a sad end if it just rotted away or sunk again. When the Five explore the wreck it does make them feel sad, because it is like going back into the past, a bit like when Barney and co explore Rocking Down house.

I always enjoy the articles like the ones on collecting and the visit to Hebden bridge, where the writer gives a personal account of their adventures. I can usually identify with some of the points, like the excitement of finding something you wanted in a book shop, or going off exploring places.

I wouldn’t say “The Boy next door” is one of my all-time favourites, but I also remember enjoying it as a child and being kept in suspense as the story unfolded. So it brings back some pleasant memories when reading the article. I also like the beautiful, remote countryside setting.

I thought I would have nothing in common with Enid the gardener, but then realised that I have some pansies in one pot and lots of marigolds which grow easily enough. But the part that interested me the most was to learn that she planted sunflower seeds. One summer I planted a sunflower seed and watched it grow into a tall plant that eventually bloomed into a perfect flower that tracked the sun. It was a rewarding thing to do for someone who will always be second to Tupping when it comes to gardening.

I enjoyed Desert Island Blytons, nice to read about personal experiences like that play and the reasons why certain books are chosen. I hadn’t heard about the play before.
Overall I think this journal seemed to have so many things in it I enjoyed reading.

I just wonder if Anne the celebrity chef has tried the cherry cake recipe?
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Re: Journal 57

Post by John Pickup »

I know it's rather late but I have finally read all of the journal. Without wishing to single out any one specific article above the others I must say how much I enjoyed Freda Knight's visit to Hebden Bridge. From having to walk because of the bus becoming stuck on the wall to receiving the Faraway Tree card game, Freda had me hooked.
I, too, had never heard about the FFO becoming a TV series in Japan. I don't think I would have enjoyed watching it very much but it was an informative article.
Julie and Robert's pieces encourage me to re-read the books they mention, I haven't read the Circus books since I was a child and Robert has certainly whetted my appetite.
Finally, thanks to all the contributors and Tony for putting it all together but there is one line in the journal that doesn't make for pleasant reading and that can be found in the last line of Tony's editorial; our numbers are still falling so your journal needs you.
I would like to appeal to all who post and read on this forum that if you aren't already a member, please consider joining the society. For a very small price, you will receive three journals a year, beautifully presented, delivered to your home. As well as subscribing, you can also contribute and keep the journal alive. Thank you.
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