The Enid Blyton Society

I've started reading again the Dossier which I bought a couple of years back, and just realized that Tony was the writer along with Brian Stewart.

A lovely book Tony, I've read it numerous times now and find it easy to read, flows through each page with no effort and I love seeing all the dust jackets from previous books. A very imformative book.

I'm going to order George Greenfield, Enid Blyton, and I've spotted a book I'll also order by Gillian Beaverstock - Memories of Enid Blyton.

Totally agree about the Dossier. An amazing read, with beautiful pictures. Whenever I'm feeling low-down and gloomy I look at the Dossier - just those lovely pictures makes me (and Aarham!) very happy.

It is a brilliant book. Its such a pity its not still in print. i love all the coloured dustwrappers and the illustrations etc. The timeline of Enid's life is also really clear and easy to read. It seems to put Enid's life into better perspective than any other biography (and I think I just about have them all!)

One of my favourites has to be 'The Story of my Life' by EB herself. It might be the version of her life Enid wanted us to see rather than the complete truth, but I love the pictures in it - brilliant black and white photographs, many from EB's private collection.

Robert Houghton wrote:
One of my favourites has to be 'The Story of my Life' by EB herself. It might be the version of her life Enid wanted us to see rather than the complete truth, but I love the pictures in it - brilliant black and white photographs, many from EB's private collection.

My mother has the book in an extremely good condition. The pictures are beautiful especially the ones that Enid took with Imogen and Gillian.

But Enid seems to be wearing the same old black dress in every picture!

Robert Houghton wrote:It is a brilliant book. Its such a pity its not still in print. i love all the coloured dustwrappers and the illustrations etc. The timeline of Enid's life is also really clear and easy to read. It seems to put Enid's life into better perspective than any other biography (and I think I just about have them all!)

Many thanks all, for the kind remarks! The Dossier had a bit of a strange history actually, the publisher went bankrupt just after it came out. The only people to get paid were the printers in Spain, and in order to do this he remaindered the book before it was even published! None of the major book stores would touch it as it was too big to fit comfortably on their shelves. If you look it up on Amazon you will see it has a different cover (and a completely wrong publishing date as it wasn't published until June the following year) as the publisher wanted a modern Noddy picture, but Brian and I changed it at the last moment for a picture by Beek without the publisher's knowledge!!

As far as the timeline is concerned I have used it as the chronology on this website and added one or two things that I have discovered since writing it.

I must admit that I got the Dossier from Waterstones in Birmingham, Tony: so at least one major bookstore carried it! they also had the Rupert Bear Dossier, which I didnt get, and now wish that I had!

Yes: many of the pictures for The Story of my Life were taken at the same time, in a selection of photographs taken especially, I think. But the photos of Old thatch interior, etc, and of EB's book signings etc were obviously from her private collection. Also, a phot of the original inspector Jenks inspiration!

I got mine from Waterstones in York so I imagine they carried it in all their shops. It was through the Dossier that I learned about the Society - there was a flyer inside and the rest, as they say, is history.

I have to say I use it as a reference book so only dip into it every now and then.....plus its too big and unweildy to read in the bath

No, it was only in a few Waterstone's stores - possibly in places where someone ordered the book as I believe managers can choose to stock books if they wish, but it was only in a handful of stores and generally the only place to buy it was in remainder bookshops! For a brief while it was also available in Past Times - that was certainly its only outing here in Salisbury.

The Dossier is a really great book. It's highly informative and the illustrations are amazing.

I was touched by the story of how Barbara Stoney suspected that the description in Six Bad Boys of the Father leaving the family home, was in fact a thinly disguised description of the night Enid's Father had left them. And how when Barbara put her theory to Enid's brother Hanly, he had cried and confirmed her suspicions (although up to that point he himself hadn't realised that Enid had actually written about the true life event).

I don't think I would ever have bought the book though if I hadn't seen someone else with it open, because it looks at first sight (to me at least) like a Noddy book (which I don't read).

The Enid Blyton signature is very big at the top of the cover, and underneath it is a big picture of Noddy and Big Ears (I assume it's Big Ears). It's a similar size book to comic annuals, Tintin, Asterix and the like - but probably taller. Sort of squeezed under the signature, but above the Noddy picture are the words (in much smaller lettering than the signature) "The Enid Blyton Dossier" - which I doubt I would have noticed.

As the book was never properly sold because of the publisher's bankruptcy, I don't suppose it mattered too much. But if the book is ever reprinted or reproduced in a similar way, I would suggest (I'm being very bold here ) that it might be made much more obvious what sort of material the book contains - by increasing the size of the lettering of the title if nothing else.

Viking Star wrote: But if the book is ever reprinted or reproduced in a similar way, I would suggest (I'm being very bold here ) that it might be made much more obvious what sort of material the book contains - by increasing the size of the lettering of the title if nothing else.

I agree Viking Star, I too thought it wouldn't interest me much until I looked inside. I just wish it was a bit smaller but then it wouldn't be as good - I really must get over my obsession with reading in the bath

I must admit that, when I first heard about The Enid Blyton Dossier, the word "Dossier" put me off a little! It made it sound to me as if the book would be something very formal and academic. But when I received my copy, it was page after page of joy and colour and I was riveted. As well as the stunning illustrations of book covers etc, it is packed with information - I find it very useful and often refer to it.

Anita

I know exactly what you mean, Anita, the word 'Dossier' doesn't exactly draw you to the book, it seems horribly academic - one look at the front cover might well have made others think the book was too juvenile with Noddy plastered all over it! Both were wanted by the publisher - Dossier as it was the third book in a series published by Hawk, the first two being The Dan Dare Dossier and The Rupert Dossier. Like so many other people the publisher simply associated Enid Blyton with Noddy and he therefore thought that was the best way to sell the book - as I said in an earlier post, at least we managed to ditch the terrible original cover!

I spent many hours proof reading the book - first time round with all the illustration captions etc. some pages had 50 or 60 errors. When I sent the pages back covered in red ink they returned with new errors, it was a nightmare. Despite all this proof reading I still failed to notice that I had left out one of the Famous Five short stories, I am sure someone will be able to tell me which one! A major blunder which, as is always the way, I noticed the first time I looked at the finished book.

Just looked at it again.

The quality of the pictures is just amazing - so colourful, and so clear too! Well done again Tony, and thanks.

The Enid Blyton Dossier was published eleven years ago. My co-author on the book was Brian Stewart, and it was with great sadness that I heard about his recent death. For those that would like to know more about Brian I am putting a link to his obituary in today's Guardian.

A fascinating and fulfilling life. Such a pity it was cut short and at this time of year too. My condolences to his family and friends.