Saturday 10 November 2012

Raised with Enid Blyton

We always had lots of Enid Blyton books in the house when I was growing up. My Dad had a big collection of the original hardbacks, and I read them over and over. I didn't have a torch to read under the bedcovers but I remember begging to read one more page before the light was turned out. I still enjoyed them even though they were rather removed from my own experiences. The Famous Five books are the first proper books that I can remember reading on my own, and I devoured the books - buying them with Christmas money, borrowing from friends and the library.

Vintage Enid Blyton books

The books have held up pretty well considering how often they've been read by me and my siblings, and after dividing them up I still have plenty to pass down. Behind these is a whole shelf of paperbacks that I've bought since from charity shops, including the full set of Malory Towers books, another favourite series.

I loved the original illustrations:

Vintage Enid Blyton books

Vintage Enid Blyton books

Maybe the stories were quite repetitive, they certainly had many of the same themes, but I didn't mind. It's also a different experience when re-reading them as an adult, and you realise how politically incorrect some parts seem now! But although Enid Blyton may have had her critics, she certainly started me off on a love of reading!

Vintage Enid Blyton books

Did you read Enid Blyton as a child? Which were your favourite stories?

10 comments:

  1. I loved Enid Blyton books: Famous Five, The Magic Faraway Tree, then I moved on to St Clares and Mallory Towers - think I was a bit of a boarding school story freak really, as I loved all of those, plus Trebizon series when I was older by someone else.

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    1. I absolutely loved boarding school stories, although I don't think that I would have much liked it myself!

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  2. They were my favourite books as a child and definitely the reason I developed such a love for reading

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    1. They are definitely why I love reading so much. Perhaps because they were so easy to read as a child that there was a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in finishing them that led you on to the next.

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  3. First I have to say I'm a a big fan of felt and love your header.Magic faraway tree and the others that followed.I read all the Famous Five and some of the Secret Seven.I tried to convince my 10 year old he needs to read them.i think I'm going to trawl second hand shops to see what I can find.

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    1. Thank you! I loved the Magic Faraway Tree books too. I still fantastise about one land at the top of the tree, it was a land for sleeping in with lots of beds...!

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  4. I grew up on Enid Blyton books, starting with the books of short stories and Mr Twiddle, later the Magic Faraway Tree series, St Clares (even though I'm a boy!), the Secret Seven and all 21 Famous Five books. But my all time favourite has to be The Naughtiest Girl in the School.

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    1. There was such a selection that they were really good for growing up with, starting with the shorter stories and then moving on to the longer books. Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. They were the Rainbow Fairies of their day. I never noticed any repetition, so I guess I should give "Summer Meadows" less derision than I do. I have gotten to calling it "switch-off" books now!

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  6. I too grew up reading Enid Blyton's books. Thus, my fascination with Enid Blyton's books would eventually lead me to write and publish a book on her, titled, The Famous Five: A Personal Anecdotage (www.thefamousfiveapersonalanecdotage.blogspot.com). Stephen Isabirye

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