Enid Blyton!

[digs]

It's true. They're attempting to 'sanitise' her work as well as update some of the older terms and phrases, which seems stupid to me. As you said, her writing reflects the time in which she lived, and I think there's value in that. Modernising old classics just means they're not classics any more...

 

[The Procrastinator]

They can't do that! That's worse than changing the Philosopher's Stone to the Sorcerer's Stone. How on earth will kids learn about differences in attitudes, social customs, language, etc and "how things were then" if they aren't exposed to them as kids, when finding out this stuff should be the most natural thing in the world?

 

[Jennifer Kirk]

I now buy all my Enid Blyton books secondhand through Ebay and Amazon marketplace to ensure that I don't get copies that have been vandalised by the publishers. The Dean hardcover editions with the colourful cover pictures seem to be a safe bet.

Whoever decided it was a clever idea to deface great literary works in this way does not deserve to be working in such a position of power at a publishers. Enid Blyton would be turning in her grave if she knew.

Imagine if a publisher had the cheek to update Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet would be more like West Side Story. Urgh!

 

[digs]

If you think that's bad, a little while ago I was doing some research for an assignment and I came across this travesty (rewritten for a children's programme on BBC):

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men,
Made Humpty happy again.

 

[rdenning]

My wife and I both read Enid Blyton when kids ourselves. I tended to read Famous Five and Secret Seven whilst she preferred Faraway tree and others. Our 7 year old is now reading many of these stories and enjoying them too. They had a bit of a bad press and some accusations of being racist occasionally but you have to realise they come from another age - around the war when the world was different. You cant reinvent the past. Best to read the books as they are and not worry to much about political correctness.

 

[Pyan]

If you think that's bad...

Heard on the radio over the last couple of days:

"God rest you merry, gentlefolk, let nothing you dismay...."

and:

"Good Christian folk rejoice, with heart and soul and voice..."

 

[chongjasmine]

For me, I read the circus adventures and some fairy stories, and it is quite an enjoyable read for me when I am a child.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Oh I love this thread - my favourite fantasy author. Just how may world's did she build? Libraries in my area are reporting an upsurge in parents getting out her books for their children.

I loved the lot as a kid - Amelia Jane, Faraway Tree, Adventure Series, Mallory Towers, Adventurous (sp??) Four, St Clares, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Mystery Series, The Barney Mysteries (my complete favourite), Misteltoe Farm, Young Adventurers, Mr Twiddle, Mr Muddle - oh a whole host I give up lol I set myself a goal to read all of her books I managed about three-quarters. I also used to get an Enid Blyton Annual type thing with short stories in it which I still have a couple of. (umm I still reread them).

 

[thaddeus6th]

I seem to be a Blyton heretic: I never read Five or Seven, but loved the Adventure series.

On the topic of revisionism: I absolutely hate it, whether literary (possibly Blyton, definitely Twain) or regarding history (BCE and CE are vile).

 

[ljdevet]

Enid Blyton's The Magic Faraway Tree is one I have read to many of my classes (I am a primary school teacher).
It is always motivating to see that the children of this day are continuing to gain some enjoyment of a classic!!

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Enid Blyton's The Magic Faraway Tree is one I have read to many of my classes (I am a primary school teacher).
It is always motivating to see that the children of this day are continuing to gain some enjoyment of a classic!!

I agree it remains my favourite fantasy, those worlds should be very unbelievable but as an adult she still captures me and I believe they exist as I am reading them.

I am struck by how much of my writing was influenced by Enid Blyton as I have been rereading her I have realised my basic style is very similar (not intentionally), my normal ratio of dialogue to description is similar, my style of description and my dialogue are very like hers.

 

[chongjasmine]

Wow... the mention of this author sure brought back to me fond memories.
I love the famous five and the circus books.

 

[starfyre7]

I used to read her books as well. The strange thing is that I am American, where her books are not well known as all. Also, I am probably younger than most people here. Although I read a few different ones (Secret Seven, Famous Five mostly), my favorite series of hers was (and still is) the Find-Outers series. Mr. Clear-Orf used to give me quite a laugh.