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Original poster

When was Enid Blyton modernised?

39 replies

CherryValanc · 14/12/2020 11:04

Not read a recent version (didn't' read many of them to my children) but I do know that a lot of them have been updated. I believe the racism and sexism edited out - and name changes been made.

But when did this happen? I mean the books I read in the 80s, were they the exact same as when written?

This question is inspired by a conversation with my oldest son - about bigotted attitudes in books - happen to bring the Enid Blyton's Adventure Series - I then read the synopsis on the internet - and it was mentioned about a character in Sea of Adventure and how racist the writing about the character was (description of his looks, and repeated mention of his skin colour) and that this had been edited it now. But it didn't say when these changes had been made.

I don't have any recollection of this character at all so can't remember if it had been changed in the books I read. (Mind you I don't recall much about the book full stop - bar the bit where they accidentally fell into a convenient so large it can fit a human puffin burrow when in need of a place to shelter.)

I suspect the editing happened the 90s - I also bet Peter in the Secret Seven is still a dick and Julian a patronising plonker and the other delightful character traits of the heroes are still there!

OP posts:
SillyOldMummy · 14/12/2020 13:29

Yes, Chorion edited heavily in the 90s.
I still managed to buy a recent print of a secret seven book that had some awful racist language in. Luckily I was reading it aloud so I edited it out as I went along.

Housewife2010 · 14/12/2020 13:33

It was edited in the 70s too. I had copies of my sister's late 60s books. Some of the mid/late 70s ones replaced white socks for black stockings in The Naughtiest Girl in the School books. They changed the pocket money to decimal too.

WillingWarlock · 14/12/2020 13:36

The books you read in the 80s will have been modernised as well. It has been a gradual process. The Famous Fives I read in the early 80s had currency changes - 10p instead of a shilling - and clothes changes - they wore jeans instead of slacks, I think. I don’t know what else had been changed but I did notice the money because I knew they were set in “shillings time” so the use of modern money seemed odd to me even as a ten year old.

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Original poster
CherryValanc · 15/12/2020 07:32

I hadn't thought about the decimalisation editing - I suppose I was more thinking of the attitude being edited - but you're right the books I read were edited then. Also clothing I hadn't thought about that but yes they wore jeans didn't they in my 80s books - that must have been changed

In my search for an answer I came across a Famous Five podcast - it's the entire series read.

OP posts:
DippidyDoDah · 15/12/2020 09:33

I loved the books as a kid but, after reading them to my daughter, I think Enid Blyton really wasn't a very nice person with the attitudes she had. Making nasty comments about certain characters as well as all of the "isms".

It opened up a good topic for discussion with my daughter though about racism, sexism etc

user1471565182 · 15/12/2020 11:40

Publishers have seperately made decisions from small ones up to changing names and whole storylines in an attempt to get them to appeal to modern readers, then the usual gutter press jumped on it with the 'PC GORN MAD' (although I beleive we must twatishly refer to it as 'WOKE' now) lies.

Tehmina23 · 15/12/2020 14:51

Many of the EB books I read as a child in the 80s were original 40s & 50s books I'd got in local jumble sales and they were shockingly outdated, even as a kid I cringed at the sexism & racism in them despite enjoying the stories.
I wished the girls in the stories could do the adventurous stuff too plus I felt annoyed at the way black people were talked about.

The books printed in the 80s were better in that respect, still had some stereotypes though.

KittyWithStripes · 15/12/2020 15:45

I’ve chosen to keep my old 70’s versions to read to DD and I edit out anything overtly racist and sexist as I read.

I just can’t stand the cloyingly bowdlerised versions of the 90s and onwards - names like Frannie and Rick make my skin crawl.

Dunno what I’ll do when she can read for herself but I suspect she wouldn’t be interested in the updated versions anyway. They’ve lost all their mojo as Blyton’s magic lay in the force of her moral conviction.

Children are mostly tiny nazis who loved that shit Confused

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 15/12/2020 15:49

Was Peter from SS a dick? I honestly never picked up on that.

What did he do? Feel free to trash him.

Original poster
CherryValanc · 15/12/2020 19:10

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon

Was Peter from SS a dick? I honestly never picked up on that.

What did he do? Feel free to trash him.

For reasons unknown I recall The Secret Seven best even though I read them at a younger age. Anyway, free rien to trash Peter,

coughs:

Peter, self-appointed leader of the Secret Seven, is anal, bossy and unreasonable. Power went right to his head. Total control freak.

He made Pam and Baraba cry too many times for me to like him. Just for forgetting to wear badges and the ever changing password. Judgemental prick, not like he ever had to recall the password, first down the shed - it being his shed and everything. (Probably chosen just to control everyone.)

Let's not forget Peter was the reason Jack left the Secret Seven (Ok, so Jack came back - but still there was no reason for it.),

I wouldn't be on bit suprised of he grew up to be a right misogynist. Considering his remarks to his sister and other girls. Wasn't impressed by that. Seem to recall him being quite judgemental of Jack's sister (whose name escapes me) too.

Other dislikable traits were not allowing Scamper to be a member. Could never help feeling the Secret Seven would be better if Peter got turfed out and Scamper co-opted in.

and breaths

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 15/12/2020 19:14

I was reading SS to DD and a ticket to the circus cost £5. I was amazed, it really jarred with the rest of the old fashioned plot.

Some of the characters in the faraway tree have changed their names...probably better.

PaperMonster · 15/12/2020 19:25

We have very old pre-decimalisation copies of Famous Five, Secret Seven and another series that I can’t remember. It has led to some interesting conversations and indignation from my daughter in the way the girls are treated. She loved the stories though.

x2boys · 15/12/2020 19:32

You have really thought about this haven't you @CherryValanc🤣 how do you feel about Julian in the famous five ?

x2boys · 15/12/2020 19:33

Oh sorry I see you think he's a plonker ,how about George and Anne then ?

BalloonSlayer · 15/12/2020 19:38

I was bemused that Dame Slap in the Faraway Tree was changed to Dame Snap and all she did was shout at the kids.

Surely children are aware that some people smack kids and that it used to happen in schools in the past.

Original poster
CherryValanc · 16/12/2020 12:39

@x2boys

You have really thought about this haven't you *@CherryValanc*🤣 how do you feel about Julian in the famous five ?
It's possible I put some thought into it. I really didn't like Peter when I was a child, not sure of that was clear. 😄

Wasn't a huge fan of Julian. Bit pompous and self-righteous. Which, if I recall, was a common character trait in a lot of Blyton's male 'leaders'.

As far the female characters Anne was a bit wet behind the ears (probably due to never growing up past 11 or something, despite the passage of time).

Mind you a lot of the characters where judgemental so and sos weren't they. All quite rude about people not like them. Yet this seemed to be consider a good trait. (I suspect sometimes this personality trait is alive and well in some posters on MN!!)

My favourite books where the Adventure Series, Five Finder Outers. Thought at the time they were less irksome. Wonder if I reread those books I'd discover they were equally as bad.

OP posts:
Housewife2010 · 16/12/2020 13:19

I loved the Five Findouters. They were definitely my favourite out of all Enid Blyton Adventure books.

user1471565182 · 16/12/2020 13:21

Im glad somebody else had the 5 findouters. I was starting to think I imagined them. Didnt listen to any others.

Original poster
CherryValanc · 16/12/2020 17:38

Wonder if the endless comments about weight have been removed for the Five Finder Outers.

The one on sometimes feel I imagined was the Put 'Em Rights. Though from what I recall (possibly in my head) they were all righteous and judgemental.

OP posts:
Housewife2010 · 16/12/2020 17:44

I loved The Put em Rights. Amanda lived in a rectory and was very snobby. She ended up helping a woman with a baby. Hollow Tree House and The Land of Far Away ( a retelling of The Pilgrim's Progress) were other standalone favourites of mine.

Torvean32 · 16/12/2020 17:52

I read mainly The Famous Five and St Claires/ Mallory towers , in them i didnt notice racism ( i was young). However lots of comments over weight, ability and how many servants they had.

PaperMonster · 16/12/2020 19:02

The Five Find Outers! That’s it! I never read them as a child but my OH had them and my daughter loved them!

x2boys · 16/12/2020 19:26

She basically wrote the same book over and over again really didn't she !

Housewife2010 · 16/12/2020 20:06

Not really. She wrote so many different types of books. She had the school stories, adventure stories, standalone books and books for younger readers like Amelia Jane, Mr Pink Whistle and the Faraway Tree books. Within each series they could get repetitive. When I read them to my children a few years ago I was surprised that The Enchanted Wood was much better than I thought it would be. It's two sequels did get rather formulaic though.

Gatekeeper · 16/12/2020 20:17

@Housewife2010 I've still got The Put 'em rights...Amanda wasn't snobby but bone idle. I loved Five Find Outers and dog and also enjoyed Holiday House,

These are my sisters books from 1967 which I claimed when she left home. I'm 57 but still read them, and all my old childhood books, once a year

When was Enid Blyton modernised?