I thoroughly enjoyed the Journal as usual. A huge thank you to Tony! What a super, summery cover with the roses and foxgloves. I chuckled at the humour of the editorial, though it's sobering to think that Tony had such trouble getting articles. It's heartening that Pete and María Esther are considering writing something in the future and I hope there are others who feel they could contribute something too.
Sad news about Sheila Ray. I've read her book
The Blyton Phenomenon two or three times and learnt some interesting snippets of information from it.
Thanks to people who have commented on my article.
Rob Houghton wrote:I'm very sure that Enid was influenced by E. Nesbit...and yet i have always found it strange that in The Story of My Life Enid mentions several influences, but never mentions E. Nesbit! Maybe she felt that some of her ideas were just a bit too close in style and theme!
I must admit that that thought crossed my mind too, Rob! However, although there are a few similarities there are also numerous differences and the authors have their own very distinctive styles, so I don't imagine that mentioning she was familiar with E. Nesbit would have caused any problems for Enid Blyton. It's likely that she read E. Nesbit books as serials (they were printed in
The Strand and elsewhere), so perhaps that's why they didn't come to mind when she was recalling childhood books.
Daisy wrote:E. Nesbit was not an author I ever "got into". I keep telling myself I should try again. I have enjoyed seeing the film "The Railway Children" and the TV series about the Five Children and It, so I really must get hold of some of her books.
I certainly hope you'll give them another try, Daisy. I love Nesbit's style - she moves seamlessly from wonderfully witty to gloriously poetic and her characters are fresh and real.
Courtenay wrote:So far I've read and enjoyed Rob's latest Cookery Book article (I haven't read any of the farm stories yet, so now I really must!), Some Questions about the Faraway Tree (none of which I asked myself as a child either!
)...
I too enjoyed Rob's exploration of the farm stories, especially his personal reminiscences about his mum's driving and watching a calf being born, etc. I agree with Rob that the Six Cousins books contain some "brilliant characterisations" - though isn't it Jane (rather than Susan) who goes round in old jodhpurs and a holey jumper and doesn't bother about her appearance?
Selwyn Goodacre's questions about the Faraway Tree didn't occur to me either when I was a child, Courtenay, though they did when I re-read the books as an adult. I was also shocked on my later readings that Jo, Bessie and Fanny (aged about 5 - 10) have to do so much housework and gardening, including ironing and making toffee unsupervised. I remember Selwyn Goodacre well from Enid Blyton Days so I was pleased to see his name on the contents page. Nice too to see the advert for
The Enchanted Wood (p.18 of the Journal) and the message for parents - "It is an ENID BLYTON BOOK - which means that children will enjoy every word!"
Courtenay wrote:Also just read "The Stolen Cocoanut Cakes" (love the old-fashioned spelling, although the "coco" in coconut isn't related to cocoa as in chocolate!). I love these early stories of Enid's and this one is a delightful example of her imaginative "how it came to be" tales with a magical explanation of something in the natural world, rather along the lines of Kipling's Just So Stories and indeed of legends from many different cultures around the world.
I like those kinds of tales as well. O'Reilly's illustrations for 'The Stolen Cocoanut Cakes' make me hungry for cake!
Daisy wrote:I was intrigued by "Illicit nights with Enid" - a clever title for a very interesting article. I am fortunate enough to have visited Viv's Ginger Pop shop and also the Eileen Soper Illustrated Worlds - what a great place that was. It's sad that neither are still there.
I also visited both places and feel sorry that they've gone. It was lovely to read the comments from customers in Shelley Dockrell's article and I found myself nodding my head at Shelley's remark that "In my opinion nothing beats escaping into a good book, it is the most wondrous way to get away from all life's problems and stresses."
Daisy wrote:I had never heard of "Blue Moon" but Angela Canning's article was quite enlightening... I wish I had seen it, but with so short a run I guess there are very few copies still about.
I had heard of
Blue Moon but it was interesting to learn more about it and see some of the artwork.