The Enid Blyton Society

RI know a few months back I told you about my new collection of Adventure books on the Blog but on a reread of my Island of Adventure first edition I've realised that its beginning to need to be put into storage as the spine is threatening to come away and there are a few issues with the pages.

Now I should have realised this when I got it for only £10 and having just checked eBay, abebooks and Oxfam for best offers on an early edition I thought I would just ask here before I committed to a £23 first edition in not quite perfect condition.

I just wondered if anyone had a spare early copy of Island of Adventure that they could pass on. Of course I will pay and any reasonable price is welcome. I don't really want to pay more than £20.

If you could let me know that would be awesome.

I have two hardback copies of the book, Stef. They don't have a dust jacket, but are both in good condition.

I should have said dustjacket optional and in fact if it was possible to get one with a distjacket for under twenty I would snap it up in an instant.

Would you be interested in selling one Julie? no worries if not.

Yes, you can have one of them, Stef, and they're both in good condition and look almost the same in condition, so one is not better than the other if you know what I mean. I'll bring one of them along on the Beckenham day, and if you want to buy the book you can do.

Cheers Julie. Much appreciated!:)

Any more Adventure books needed, Stef? You could let me know if you want any of them with dustwrappers
as I visit a good second-hand bookshop which has a lot of stock. If they had got what you wanted, I would let you know their price and if you wanted it I would buy it for you and, like Julie, bring it to Beckenham.

Very kind Francis but my other copies all seem to be in tip top condition. Its just that I've been noticing some issues with my Island of Adventure.

What's the name of the bookshop? It sounds wonderful!

I was thinking the same thing Stef! Mind you, if we all descended on it Francis might feel a bit deprived!

It's hidden down a secret passage in a land far, far away! No, it's in Alton but I'm not sure what it is called! I am always about to buy something and then coming back to find it is gone! Glad you've got good copies, Stef.
Perhaps we could have an Enid Day walk through Alton with Daisy and anyone else who cares to come! We could then walk to Jane Austen's house and visit her brother's manor house at Chawton.

Francis wrote: Perhaps we could have an Enid Day walk through Alton with Daisy and anyone else who cares to come! We could then walk to Jane Austen's house and visit her brother's manor house at Chawton.

A walk among friends you mean. That actually sounds like a very lovely idea Francis! Put my name on the list!

Maybe we should chat about it at Beckenham?

Sounds a great idea, Stef! I wonder if Enid read Jane Austen?

Can anyone help me with a query?

I've got a very battered edition of The Island of Adventure. No D/W and the first page of the book is the title page, which suggests to me that there's possibly a blank page or two missing at the front?

It has the date 1944 printed at the bottom of the title page. I've checked my bibliography, and it says the book was first printed in November of that year. So does this mean I've got a 1st edition, or was the same date left at the bottom of the page for reprints?

I'd be grateful if anyone can help me with this.

There should be a blank page, a page that reads "THE ISLAND OF ADVENTURE", on the back of which is a full page illustration of the children in the boat, then there's the page with "THE ISLAND OF ADVENTURE by ENID BLYTON with illustrations by Stuart Tresillian."

Mine is from 1955, and at the bottom of that page it says "LONDON, MACMILLAN AND CO. LTD. 1955"

Thanks Fiona, I definitely don't have the first 2 pages. The page I have says The Island of Adventure by Enid Blyton with illustrations by Stuart Tresilian. Then there's a drawing of the island. Underneath is London Macmillan and Co. Ltd. 1944

On the back of that page it has Copyright in the middle of the page, and at the bottom two lines:-

printed in Great Britain by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh

The next 2 pages are double sided and list the chapters, and then the story starts.

The final page in the book is the last page of the story with the printing information repeated. No blank pages afterwards, I don't know if there should be or not. The spine is coming away, so it's hard to tell if any pages have been ripped out.