The Enid Blyton Society

Having seen some talk lately about the number of illustrations in the various editions, I thought it would be interesting to check out a few. I compared my early edition hardbacks with a few paperback versions -

The Island of Adventure.

The original edition has 44 illustrations

The piccolo version paperback has only 15 illustrations.






The Rubadub Mystery

the original edition has 30 illustrations (one at the start of every chapter)

The Armada version below has only 12 illustrations.





The Mystery of the Missing Man

The original edition has 9 illustrations

The Armada edition below has only 4 illustrations




The one that comes out best is Hollow Tree House

the original has 22 illustrations (not counting the frontis piece)

the Armada paperback also has 22, but they are so badly printed that many of them can't be viewed satisfactorily!

The Rubadub Mystery and Missing Man are so alike, even down to the blue colour.

Thanks Rob.Very interesting.

ps.
Does the original edition of Tally Ho Cottage have less illustrations than most of the other Find Outers books?

To answer your question - most original editions seem to have about 9 illustrations (a couple have 10) and Tally Ho cottage also has 9.

I have that version of Missing Man. I like the blue cover. Makes it look interesting somehow, maybe because it is night time.
It does look very similar to Rubadub, but actually the two covers portray completely different scenes.

I wish you lived closer to me, Rob. We could go to a local pub and sink a few. Numbers of illustrations would then seem so unimportant.

Well I keep having people messaging me and asking about various editions - I don't care about number of illustrations personally, as I have all early editions - but apparently others seem to expect to be able to buy paperbacks with the full set of illustrations - and - hard cheese - they can't!

I'm glad that nobody ever asks me about the number of illustrations in paperbacks as all mine are packed away in cardboard boxes!

It would be easy to answer questions about illustrations in the original hardbacks as they are all on my computer so I wouldn't even have to count them!

I got asked this question twice today - at least I assume it is a question. In both cases the actual emails had nothing in them, the 'question' was just the title of the email.

Seeking genre name, purpose,structure and language features of the book titled; A Tale of the Blue-Eyed Cat & The Beautiful Pattern.

Here is one for you, Rob, which I know to my cost as I had to scan them all! Which Blyton Novel has the most illustrations? I won't ask you for a number though!!

I think I may know the answer, maybe. Can I answer the question?

It just happened that I've read that book only recently and I said to myself while reading the book, "there are so many illustrations!" But when I checked subsequent editions of the same titles, there were less illustrations compared to the first edition.

Tony Summerfield wrote: Here is one for you, Rob, which I know to my cost as I had to scan them all! Which Blyton Novel has the most illustrations? I won't ask you for a number though!!

I believe its 'The Boys and Girls Circus Book'?

But if I know the answer its only because I read it once in one of your Journal articles!

yes, you are right, Rob! I can't actually remember the number offhand but it is certainly over 100!

I know I'm weird because when I'm reading a book I never notice whether it has illustrations or not. If I've enjoyed the book, I look through it and that's when I see the illustrations!

I agree with you, Dot. Same here. But in The Boys' and Girls' Circus Book, there are too many illustrations that you can't help but notice them.

Maybe it has to do with a more artistic brain or a more academic one! I always have noticed the illustrations, and I'm definitely more 'arty' than academic!