Thoughts on Enid Blyton

Moondog, it is mentioned at the beginning of By the Shores of Silver Lake. It is overshadowed by the death of Jack(the dog), and Mary's blindness.

And I am the No.1 fan.

This thread has brought back so many memories. My mother has a collection of enid blyton original books soemwhere, I used to love readign them as a child. I didn't know there was more than one faraway tree book, I so wanted to go up there! And on the wishing chair. Does anyone remember Mr Twiddle too?
They are totally un-PC, but that was wen they were written, and they are just so appealing for young children, I can't wait to start readign them to dd.

Moondog, I think it was just referred to in Plum Creek, but was written about in one of the books which someone else wrote, which fills in the gaps.

I will try and find it.

Competition for No 1 Fan!!

When I was in primary school I remember my teacher "banning" Enid Blyton, yeah right!

I think anything that gets kids reading is great. DS already has some Noddy books (although they are the reworked ones, no "gollywogs" !) and if he wants to read other Enid Blytons later on I won't be stopping him.

There is terrible racism & sexism in a lot of old kids books - re-reading LM Mongomery I was surprised how much inherent racism I found.

Anyway I read it all and didn't turn out a total redneck. (I hope!).

Back in the 60s my brother actually joined the Enid Blyton book club and he even had a letter from her. Dunno what happened ot it, probably worht a fortune now. Anyway he handed down his "Five Find Outers" (the ones with Fatty and Buster the dog - god would you get a kids book today with someon called "fatty" ???!!) to me and I wish I still had those lovely old editions to give my kids.

Which book was it mentioned in? 'The First Four Years?'

I don't recall mention of the baby brother. So weird as I thought that I was the Number One fan!

Feel all sad now

kama

The baby brother was laura et all's. He died whilst they were visiting relatives 'back East' when Pa had no work, they may have been on their way to Plum Creek. He was buried on an uncle's farm. Soon after, Ma got pregnant with Grace.

If you search on Amazon, there are lots of other books which fill in the gaps that Laura left. They are okay, not the same but passable! There iare also a number of biographies available. And stuff by her daughter who I believe became a writer of some kind.

Whose baby brother?Laura or Rose's? Can't recall that bit.

I read a fascinating interview with Enid Blyton where she described how she wrote her books.

She said she just sat at her desk, closed her eyes, visualised the characters (they just sprang into her imagination with no effort on her part)and the books "wrote themselves" in front of her closed eyes and she just wrote down what she saw.She claimed to have no active control over the stories.

I thought that was amazing.

LOVED her books. Who cares if they were not pc?

Ma used to say 'May bees fly in September' if anyone said maybe. Does anyone know what this means????

As far as I know, bad events in their lives were glossed over as far as possible. That presumably is why 'The First Four Years' seems so harsh/raw, because she never got the chance to 'fictionalise'it. For example, the baby brother dying, only got a couple of lines in one of the books.

Thanks! Next on my 'to buy' list.

or have a look at this

Have just been on to one of the websites...they say "Although Laura's books are based on her life, she did make changes when she felt it made for easier reading; her books are classified as historical fiction, not autobiography". It's based on her life, though. Often wonder what Manly's sister made of Laura's description of her?!

Oh no!!! Howmuch is made up! Where can I learn more??

they are fictionalised - not a true account of her life, but heavily based on real things that happened to the ingalls family.

Also - most of the stories are complete fiction! They aren't a true account of her life, as I though they were.

Well,she wrote thaem as an adult didn't she,so no doubt her children encouraged and helped her?

Ooooh two museums! Excellent!

btw - anyone else heard that in fact it was laura's daughter, rose wilder lane, who wrote the little house books?

ok, i am such a "little house" fan i'm afraid i can't not be a smarta and point out that it's laura's sister mary* who goes blind. and you will find 2 museums - in de smet, s. dakota where the ingalls family settled and in mansfield, missouri where laura and manly eventually made their home - not that i have been to either one. but have read the whole series many times!

eb - not sure. loved her books as a child, but remember enough about them to be pretty sure i want to steer ds and dd clear. having said that, never read "wishing chair" or "faraway tree" - so might be tempted to have another look at those.

I loved them, and still do. I'm now reading them with my children, and they're still every bit as magical. They are a bit dated (to say the least!) but the stories are wonderful.

Zaphod - another BIG Laura Ingalls Wilder fan here. I can't wait til DD (and DS if he's interested) is old enough for me to pass on all my LIW books to

I used Enid Blyton to escape from my childhood. Everything she wrote abut was just so foreign and exciting, and unlike real life. And that was the appeal.

I used to long to taste ginger beer ( yuck ) and eat a slab of chocolate, or have a midnight feast, or sleep on bracken (which I think is another word for ferns). I still enjoy reading my favourites, the Six Cousins ones, and The Family at Red Roofs.

I am still a die-hard Laura Ingalls Wilder fan, and have had to replace all the little house books twice, as i re-read them so frequently. For any other fans, there is a book called the Little House Sampler, with articles Laura wrote for a local paper, and some stories by Rose.

I am also the owner of The Little House Cookbook, which I was disappointed to find didn't feature recipes from the books, but does have a great Brownie recipe.