Enid

[whothefudge]

I've recently purchased an old Enid blyton book from a 20p shop. It was published in 1966 and smells divine. Problem is I'm not sure it's suitable for children in this day and age? AIBU in thinking people don't read old stories to their children?

I'm in my 30s I should say. 30. I wish

We updated The Tiger Who Came To Tea as we read it. It was Mummy and Daddy's beer, and the only reason Mummy waited in for Daddy was that silly Daddy hadn't charged his phone and so couldn't meet up with them somewhere. And they all went to Pizza Express

My Dad always claims that Sophie's mummy just couldn't be bothered to cook anything so they invent the tiger story so he'll take them out for tea.

Burglar Bill - the petty theft (though reformed at the end I know ) I always laugh at Betty saying she's been a "TERRIBLE woman" too.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea-Mummy worrying about daddy's tea not being on the table on his return.

I love both books, they're just old fashioned.

Pfft Bill wasn't transgender, she was clearly a butch lesbian. I hope her and Clarissa lived happily ever after.

My youngest DS is 9 and recently chose a set of the first 5 Famous Five books. He's loved them!! I do have to explain some things (uncle Quentin went out to the hall to dial the telephone took some explaining, amongst others). The teens originally snorted with laughter when they heard DH or I reading a chapter each night but then would take a turn reading to youngest DS too. For a while the cry in the house at bedtime was "Whose turn is it for Fanny and Dick tonight?" 😂😂

Always loved her books and always will. Any issues that come up like sexism, reading them with the DCs just provided a useful starting point for a discussion about it. I only really know the famous five kind of stories though so can't comment on the Gollywogs etc

I changed 'Golliwogs' to 'Goblins' when reading the old (not updated) editions of her books. The sexism wasn't really a problem. Big Ears did all his own cleaning and was quite house-proud.
It's just stories not real life.

Absolutely loved Enid Blyton as a kid, and read many of her books (still have them actually!) and my kids loved them too, when I read them to them in the 1990's. Can't believe some of the comments I am reading on here. Talk about over reactions! Good grief!

Couldn't get the DCs interested in Enid Blyton but they love Tintin which is just as dated in its racial stereotypes - we read and enjoyed the stories and discussed context, past attitudes to different people and how things have changed nowadays for the better

(I always wanted to be just like George when I was small and still enjoy the stories for what they are now)

I know, they're just awful. All those drugs, violence and alcoholism. The Magic Faraway Tree series is the worst. It's full of pixie trafficking

She was horrible apparently. Hated kids. My uncle went to a boarding school just down the road from her house and whenever she was writing a new book, or stuck. She would contact the school and send for a batch of children to come to tea. They all dreaded going!!

Supersoary

Ah, I see. I always loved Burglar Bill's message about fucking up, gaining empathy, making restitution and changing your life.

Plus 2yo DD now tells people tragically that she is a widow-lady 😂

Johnny the widow lady line makes me giggle too-your DD sounds ace!

I think the message is lovely-unfortunately my 16 month old DD has a short attention span and tends to bugger off to play with something else halfway through, when he's a thief having fun with his new friend the little baby so the message isn't really hitting home for her yet

Does anyone remember the Richard Scary book? I had a big one full of stories and the one that sticks in my mind was the bear family, daddy bear took baby bear out hunting for seals and they made a lovely fur coat for mummy bear out the skins

I remember some xenophobia in one story, I editor out a reference to " a dangerous looking foreigner ". But that was as bass a it got in The Famous Five.

Hmm, I suppose that there are a fair few gender stereotypes in TTWCTT. It's so far removed from my children's experience of family life though that I'm not too concerned.

I'm probably a bit biased though because I think Judith Kerr is such an absolutely incredible woman that I'm prepared to forgive her a spot of of-its-time sexism.

My children never really took to EB so I haven't looked at the books with adult eyes iyswim.

I remembered that it was a big thing that (female) George liked wearing trousers, keeping her hair short, and climbing trees. Big bloody deal!

I remember the snobbery above everything. The upper middle class children would talk down to working class adults. They would march into the police station and demand to see the inspector. They would interrogate people on the bus about crimes, none of whom ever told them to stop being cheeky and to leave it to the police. I also recall a scene where a cook called Mrs Moon was in tears and was told by her employer to "make yourself a cup of tea and pulll yourself together". I'd hate modern middle class kids to read those books and think that they could address cleaners/waiters etc like that.

I loved Enid Blyton as a child and recently read some of my favourites (Mallory Towers, St Claires) on a nostalgia trip. I enjoyed my trip down memory lane, but yes there was snobbery and sexism in the books. I think theyve been edited, in Mallory Towers, Darrell doesn't slap Gwendoline in the pool anymore for ducking Mary Lou. I found what Enid Blyton feels are "good traits", questionable, eg eyes widely spaced = good, being good at sport = good. I raised an eyebrow at that even as a child reading it in the 70s.

Never read Famous Five/Secret Seven. I loved Mr Pinkwhistle, Adventures of Pip, Brer Rabbit and the Magic Faraway Tree, I think they're pretty harmless.

My mum and dad loathed Enid Blyton and tried to dissuaed me from reading it, I think they thought the books were infantile. I remember my dad thought she was a colossal snob, but I still read and enjoyed the books.

I was obsessed with the Faraway Tree books when I was a child and recently bought a modern copy of one of them out of nostalgia. Fanny and Dick are now Frannie and Rick!

Oh god! Gonna jump on the PC wagon but "gollyw*g" is so offensive! To me it reads the same as the "n" word but is being used with abandon in this thread! When used in inverted commas ok but without them it is a racist word! Not calling anyone racist, before I get abuse (just Enid Blyton), just after a little bit of sensitivity.

My 3 year old loves my old Noddy books. I don't find those too bad except for the gollys who we refer to as goblins. I was also a little disturbed that Mr Plod got his favourite cigarettes as a gift in hospital. Oh and everyone is frequently called gay or queer.....

I seem to remember the MT series ending with Gwendolyn's father becoming an invalid and Gwendolyn having to give up a place at finishing school to nurse him? This is presented as Gwen getting what she deserves for being a spoilt brat throughout the series. Blyton's work is full of such 'lessons'.

I was not allowed to read Enid Blyton as a child as my mum thought some of it was very offensive. I've read some as an adult and don't feel I missed much...