AIBU - or are the Faraway Tree books utterly insane?

[BaleOfHay]

I've started reading these to DD5 at bedtime and they are making my head hurt. I'm all for a bit of magic (we've just finished the Worst Witch) and I loved Enid Blyton a a child (Famous 5) but the Faraway Tree makes me want to scream and throw it out of the window. Is it just me?

Oh yes it's completely cuckoo. And the wishing chair.

I liked them as a child but I think they are best left for children to read themselves.

Why particularly the Faraway tree above other magical themed children's books?

Well.generations of children loved them but they are probably dated now
I remember loving them and the wishing chair
And excitedly bought my son the wishing chair to read to him when he was as about three and thought it was a bit crap tbh.

YABVVVU - loved the books as a kid and my children also adore them.

I liked them as a child but tried reading them with DS2 and thought they were just dire.

I think children’s literature has improved markedly since my childhood.

They terrified me, the idea of being stuck somewhere else not able to get home

Loved them, they're great

All children's books have a degree of fear and then relief in them.

I dont know what 'dated' means in this context

Its become fashionable to slag off Enid Blyton

I loved them as a child and re-read them to my children. I still loved them as an adult! I don't see what's so insane about them.

I loved these as a child. My children have never experienced them, or any other Enid Blyton book. I think her writing style is dated now but I know they are still popular.

I absolutely loved these but haven't read them for 40 years. If I was reading them to children or grandchildren now I would anticipate there would be bits which I would have to change as I read, or maybe even whole chapters to skip.

Its become fashionable to slag off Enid Blyton

Maybe lots of people just don’t like blyton’s work. I find all the preaching about morals and manners (which sometimes I outright disagree with) unbearable. There’s an unbelievable amount of it in her books.

I loved them as a child and I really enjoyed reading them to my own child. She found them very exciting and engaging.

Thomas the tank engine on the other hand, I had to hide them as I found them
painful to
read.

It was my favourites series but my kids are indifferent towards it. What a shame.

I loved them as a child though I have learnt not to go back to anything I loved as a child, as it’s always quite crap as an adult.

Adored Enid blyton as a child, magical books. Mr Meddle and Mr Pink Whistle especially !

My son had this as a reading book for school and it made me feel like I couldn't read properly 😂. It's very hard to get into.

Loves them as a child and equally loved sharing them with my DC. I have my original copies from the 70’s 🤷‍♀️

Loves them as a child and equally loved sharing them with my DC. I have my original copies from the 70’s 🤷‍♀️

I loved this book as a child and my nana uses to read me the wishing chair. I have really fond memories of them, unfortunately trying to read them to our DC was a bit of an endurance test. I bought the audio version for the tonie as a cheat!

Absolutely loved the Faraway Tree books as a child. I read them to my grandkids now. They're certainly dated, but brilliant

I loved them as a child. Was always scared of the ‘Land of no Return’ but that was a long time ago as im early 50s. What was wrong with it? Enid Blyton’s language is of it’s time I guess.

Yanbu. Dd and I really enjoyed reading them at your child's age.

Not sure it’s fashionable to dislike Enid Blyton anymore than it’s fashionable to not send children up chimneys. Some things in the “good old days” were weird or just not very nice, and we don’t like them anymore for good reason.

Better than Walliams