Enid Blyton

[RJUKL]

On television this evening. She was not such a lovely person to her own family, compared with how popular an author she became and so beloved of children of which I was one.

[factor-fiction]

We have something in common, RJUKL- I was once a child too.

[RJUKL]

I lapped up her books I remember, almost addicted to them. I could not get enough. Then at some point she was ostricised and her books were criticised and no longer available. I founnd out why when my mother read her biography in the eighties which had full page photos from her Noddy books!! She is back in print again but with modified characters and a different script in some books.

[factor-fiction]

Must admit- I used to love the series of books that included The Island of Adventure, River of Adventure etc., plus Secret Seven/Famous 5. I don't know why because the stories bore no resemblance to the environment i was brought up in- or maybe that was the attraction.

[factor-fiction]

Anyway, before Zacmaster says "Good" again, what was your question, RJUKL?

[RJUKL]

There was no question, just hoped to start a bit of a conversation, but no luck really.

[jno]

she was thought to be too easy to read, and to have attitudes that were borderline racist; libraries often didn't stock her works (claiming, reasonably enough, that they were cheap and easy to buy and that they had better work to spend their money on). When the books are reprinted nowadays, they tend to have the sneering at goblins and gollies removed.

She was not a very nice person at all in real life, it seems; but it seems one of her daughters is very scathing of her and the other defends her; so all the stories may not be perfectly true.

[naomi24]

I don't really mind what she was in real life. She gave me my ability to read and my love of literature, and for that I shall be eternally grateful to her.

[RJUKL]

jno, I agree with all you say. My granddaughter is addicted to Amelia Jane, but when I read them to her I realise what limited vocabulary she used and it was all very jolly hockey sticks and did not relate at all to a large proportion of children.

[Jumbuck]

I remember her as being nice when I met her several times (my mum used to do some cleaning at her daughter's house) - but I was only very young at the time.

[RJUKL]

Naomi, I too believe that she was reponsible for my avid enoyment of reading, which was what was available at that time.

[pips1]

I have to say I was shocked at how selfish she was, portrayed as truly awful.

[tamborine]

even sitting on a white powdery sandy beach under a shaded palm tree, supping fresh juice thru a straw, from a green coconut in temps of 90c in the far east - Enid Blyton filled my world.

[naomi24]

RJUKL, but if the little girl loves the books, does it really matter? It's only we adults that pick faults. If a child is reading by choice, then we should be delighted. I'd rather she read books that she enjoys, even if they are all jolly hockey sticks, than be disinterested and end up illiterate.

[naomi24]

RJUKL, I began with Noddy, then went on to the Secret Seven and the Famous Five, which was of course all boarding school, exciting places in the country and by the sea, and a world away from my own environment. It made no difference to me. I loved every word of it.

[ethandron]

i still have the whole collection of the bobsey twins, and mallory towers.

[RJUKL]

I agree with you Naomi. She is only four so is still read stories. I remember with my children when there were about six years old, reading a chapter or two to them and ending at an exciting part when I said I was just going to go to the toilet.This was a deliberate ploy as each one would carry on reading it for themself. It always worked.

[naomi24]

Ha ha. What a good idea!