Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
- Irene Malory Towers
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- Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series
- Favourite character: Fatty from the Five Find Outers
Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
And - I have decided to reread all the Adventure books again. That will take me a while as they are much longer than her other books. I think the longest other book is the Rockingdown Mystery. Some people don't like it as it takes a long time for the actual adventure to start. I love it, however, as I like the development of the characters and the building up of the atmosphere, My second favourite book in that whole series, but as I commented in another post, nothing in my opinion can beat the Rubadub mystery, my all time favourite Enid Blyton, surpassing even all of her Adventure books.
This must be one of the best ways to start the day - reading Enid Blyton, with a nice cup of tea and listening to Glenn Gould (one of my favourite pianists) playing Bach.
This must be one of the best ways to start the day - reading Enid Blyton, with a nice cup of tea and listening to Glenn Gould (one of my favourite pianists) playing Bach.
You'll never wear your own brains out, Mr. Goon - you don't use them enough !
- Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
Yes, before the adventure begins it's lovely to spend time exploring new locations with the characters, or simply enjoy their card games, picnics and banter. All the little details of their personalities and preferences and interaction help make them seem so real.
The Sea of Adventure begins with Jack saying, "Do you know, it's May the fifth already!" Whenever I happen to read that book in May, I feel particularly close to the characters and events. Looking at the first page of that book during the current situation, I have to smile at the mention of quarantine and at Philip's remark about his hair - "Golly, I'll be glad to get my hair cut again! I feel like a girl, now it's grown so long!"
Some of my favourite Stuart Tresilian illustrations come from The Sea of Adventure. The puffins, gulls, cliffs and boats look stunning - and then there's the rather grotesque-looking Horace Tipperlong whose picture made me shiver as a child! Wonderful artwork.
The Sea of Adventure begins with Jack saying, "Do you know, it's May the fifth already!" Whenever I happen to read that book in May, I feel particularly close to the characters and events. Looking at the first page of that book during the current situation, I have to smile at the mention of quarantine and at Philip's remark about his hair - "Golly, I'll be glad to get my hair cut again! I feel like a girl, now it's grown so long!"
Some of my favourite Stuart Tresilian illustrations come from The Sea of Adventure. The puffins, gulls, cliffs and boats look stunning - and then there's the rather grotesque-looking Horace Tipperlong whose picture made me shiver as a child! Wonderful artwork.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.
"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
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"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
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- Lucky Star
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- Favourite book/series: The Valley of Adventure
- Favourite character: Mr Goon
- Location: Surrey, UK
Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
Absolutely the greatest Blyton illustrator. He captured the action and the spirits of the characters perfectly every time. His work has always added greatly to my enjoyment of these books which are themselves the author's finest work.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero
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- Irene Malory Towers
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- Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series
- Favourite character: Fatty from the Five Find Outers
Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
I indulged myself and spent £25 on just a dust jacket for the Circus of Adventure. I had the hardback book illustrated by Stuart Tresilian but I loved the dust jacket.
You'll never wear your own brains out, Mr. Goon - you don't use them enough !
- John Pickup
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
Probably the best Blyton illustrator just beating the mighty Eileen Soper.
My favourite Tresilian is in Valley, the one where the four children are dwarfed by the colossal fall of rock blocking Windy Pass. By drawing the children as minuscule figures at the foot of the pass he has shown the scale of the destruction to maximum effect.
My favourite Tresilian is in Valley, the one where the four children are dwarfed by the colossal fall of rock blocking Windy Pass. By drawing the children as minuscule figures at the foot of the pass he has shown the scale of the destruction to maximum effect.
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- Irene Malory Towers
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- Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
I have just finished the Valley of Adventure - today - and yes I noticed that. His illustrations really add to the story. I like the ones in the Castle of Adventure, when they climb over the plank to the window of the castle and when Tassie climbs up the ivy and nearly jumps over to the open window but Philip forbids her.
You'll never wear your own brains out, Mr. Goon - you don't use them enough !
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
I agree that Stuart Tresilian is a superb illustrator. As a child I fell for all those 'wrap-around' illustrations on the the dust-jackets. I was to meet them again in the 'Barney' stories, and the 'Five Find-Outers', but no single illustrator dominated those books as Tresilian did the 'Adventure' series. I too have been guilty of purchasing a title just to get the dust-jacket, but exonerate myself on the grounds that I am following in the footsteps of so very many bibliophiles. After all, in the days long before dust-jackets, the great Pepys himself wrote that he 'bought for the love of the bindings three books'.
Back to Tresilian. In 1945 Adam & Charles Black were inspired in their choice of Tresilian for their new illustrated edition of 'High Holiday' by Elizabeth Yates. They must have seen 'The Island of Adventure'.
'High Holiday' exploits the illustrator's almost magical ability to convey the excitement of sheer height and cavernous depth.
I haven't yet read 'High Holiday' but I defy anyone familiar with the 'Adventure' series to look at its illustrations and not have happy memories of 'The Valley of Adventure' urging them to start reading.
And that is what the best illustrators are supposed to do - encourage reading and enrich the experience.
Back to Tresilian. In 1945 Adam & Charles Black were inspired in their choice of Tresilian for their new illustrated edition of 'High Holiday' by Elizabeth Yates. They must have seen 'The Island of Adventure'.
'High Holiday' exploits the illustrator's almost magical ability to convey the excitement of sheer height and cavernous depth.
I haven't yet read 'High Holiday' but I defy anyone familiar with the 'Adventure' series to look at its illustrations and not have happy memories of 'The Valley of Adventure' urging them to start reading.
And that is what the best illustrators are supposed to do - encourage reading and enrich the experience.
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- pete9012S
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
A most interesting post - thank you Judith.
This is the only image I could find of 'High Holiday'. Has anyone got a better one? It's a fantastic cover.
This is the only image I could find of 'High Holiday'. Has anyone got a better one? It's a fantastic cover.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
Thanks Pete for the illustration. I'm quite sure that more people will read my post now that it is connected with such a fine example of Tresilian's work.
Tresilian was following in the footsteps of the 'action' illustrators who had their field days in the early years of last century when it became the fashion for 'best-seller' novels to be illustrated with plates - glossy paper pictures strategically placed throughout the novels to bring to life often formulaic and turgid prose. After the First World War the bottom fell out of the illustration market; heroics fell out of fashion while crime fiction flourished. Children's fiction continued to provide income for illustrators.
What is notable about Tresilian is that he brought to juvenile fiction action scenes which feature, not fantasy figures, but sturdy real-life children taking on the world. The inner suburban streets of my childhood were conspicuously lacking in mountains, caverns and waterfalls (though I recall that the storm-water drain had on occasion a lethal attraction), but open up an 'Adventure' title and I felt that I had come home.
On an even more personal level, how do I get 'Society member' attached to this post, and the fact that my favourite book is 'Boys' and Girls' Circus Book', my favourite series the 'Adventure' series and my favourite character depends on the book I'm reading at the time, and that I am a South Australian?
Tresilian was following in the footsteps of the 'action' illustrators who had their field days in the early years of last century when it became the fashion for 'best-seller' novels to be illustrated with plates - glossy paper pictures strategically placed throughout the novels to bring to life often formulaic and turgid prose. After the First World War the bottom fell out of the illustration market; heroics fell out of fashion while crime fiction flourished. Children's fiction continued to provide income for illustrators.
What is notable about Tresilian is that he brought to juvenile fiction action scenes which feature, not fantasy figures, but sturdy real-life children taking on the world. The inner suburban streets of my childhood were conspicuously lacking in mountains, caverns and waterfalls (though I recall that the storm-water drain had on occasion a lethal attraction), but open up an 'Adventure' title and I felt that I had come home.
On an even more personal level, how do I get 'Society member' attached to this post, and the fact that my favourite book is 'Boys' and Girls' Circus Book', my favourite series the 'Adventure' series and my favourite character depends on the book I'm reading at the time, and that I am a South Australian?
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- Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
I've just added 'Society Member' for you, Judith. You'll need to go into 'User Control Panel' (see top left of board) and then 'Profile' to enter the other information.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.
"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
Society Member
"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
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- Posts: 424
- Joined: 05 Aug 2019, 05:32
- Favourite book/series: Boys' and Girls' Circus Book/Adventure Series
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- pete9012S
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
Welcome Judith!
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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- Irene Malory Towers
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
Late reply to Judith, I bought the Boys and Girls Circus book recently in Lock Down and I loved it. Even more so as I had not read it as a child. I found particularly poignant that the children were left literally on their own while their dad tried to earn money I would that would not happen now. I suppose that there was not much of a social welfare system then.
You'll never wear your own brains out, Mr. Goon - you don't use them enough !
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
I love Stuart Tresilian as well, although Eileen Soper just edges him, for me.
Out of interest, aside from Soper and Tesilian, does anyone have any other favourite Enid Blyton illustrators? I have to admit to being rather ignorant on this subject, as I never really took much notice of the illustrators when reading the books. I naturally appreciated the illustrations (the good ones!) and enjoyed the way they complemented the text and added to the reading experience. But I never looked into the illustrators themselves. I doubt I could even name more than four Blyton illustrators.
And I am with pretty much everyone here when it comes to the new illustrations. In fact, I think they are absolutely dreadful. I don’t know what the thinking was behind it—portraying the characters as bizarre, ragdoll-like creatures. I think they will put off many readers, particularly people like me! As Anita said, they imply that the books are for very young readers.
Out of interest, aside from Soper and Tesilian, does anyone have any other favourite Enid Blyton illustrators? I have to admit to being rather ignorant on this subject, as I never really took much notice of the illustrators when reading the books. I naturally appreciated the illustrations (the good ones!) and enjoyed the way they complemented the text and added to the reading experience. But I never looked into the illustrators themselves. I doubt I could even name more than four Blyton illustrators.
And I am with pretty much everyone here when it comes to the new illustrations. In fact, I think they are absolutely dreadful. I don’t know what the thinking was behind it—portraying the characters as bizarre, ragdoll-like creatures. I think they will put off many readers, particularly people like me! As Anita said, they imply that the books are for very young readers.
- pete9012S
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Re: Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)
There's another Famous Five illustrator I quite like from the 1960's Matt - her name just escapes me.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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