The Four children stared out to sea. They had all been so interested in exploring the exiting old castle that not one of them had noticed the change in the weather.
Another rumble came. It sounded like a big dog growling in the sky. Tim heard it and growled back. sounding like a small round of thunder himself
"My goodness we are in for it now" said george, half-alarmed. "We can't get back in time, that's certain. It's blowing up at top speed. Did you ever see such a change in the sky?"
(Five on Treasure Island - 1942)
The Real Enid Blyton - Nadia Cohen (Pen & Sword HB £19.99)
Like many children I grew up reading the adventures of The Famous Five in the sixties. The books seemed a little dated even then not that we children would have noticed. They were simple fun adventures with characters doing the things we'd like to do without coming to any harm and getting home for tea.
Not the sort of thing one sees this days in the gritty world of social realism that began even for children with shows like Grange Hill which showed the side of life our parents desperately tried to protect us from. Growing up in a small market town in Surrey Enid Blyton's adventures did appeal even though my background was far from middle class. Even here in the Tory heartlands were council estates.
Up till now my only knowledge of the writer herself was from snippets in the press and that adaptation of her life starring Helen Bonham-Carter on BBC 2 some years back. It's ironic that both my points of reference are with the BBC as for years her work was "banned" by the snobbish BBC grandees as "unworthy" and not very simple writing.
And yet to date Enid Blyton's books have had some 800 Million copies printed in over 40 languages around the world. Noddy has become big business with a Chinese company producing 100 episodes of the character and his mate Big Ears.
And yet campaigns against Enid Blyton were regular features of the literary establishment with Librarians criticising her books and for a while taking her titles off the shelves. Ironically like all forms of censorship this backfired as children were now able to buy her books themselves with their pocket money.
Enid Blytons prolific writing saw over 800 books see print and make substantial fortunes for both her and the publishers despite whatever what criticisms were thrown at her. Yes the tales and language were old fashioned but "lashings of ginger beer" has surely entered the English language as a phrase that still means something today.
Yes there is a lack of "wokeness" to use the modern term and thank the gods for that. Even though "George" is actually a girl and even the terms "Mother and Father" seem outdated. And don't mention Aunt Fanny, that name is long out of use and is now a rude word in common parlance.
Do any of us care though? Enid Blyton certainly didn't care about critics unless they were under twelve and these young fans simply wanted more and still do today apparently as her books still sell several million each year. Some terms have been changed and Golliwogs have disappeared from Noddy's adventures. Racist apparently not that children ever associated the toy as such.
Enid Blyton brought much joy to millions of children all over the world through her books though sadly not her own two daughters who were cast aside by the task-orientated Enid.
I have one simple recommendation to you the reader. Before you pick up this worthy tome I do implore you to read a Famous Five novel first just to remind yourself of the wonderful world Enid Blyton conjured up for us to lose ourselves in adventure and of course lashings of..
More info at: enidblytonsociety
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