An Article by Richa Gupta
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An Article by Richa Gupta
I have been sent the email below asking me to put a link to an article on our Facebook page, but as I enjoyed the article myself (should have been in the Journal!) I thought some of our forumites might enjoy it too. If it gets any comments I will send a link to Richa.
My name is Richa Gupta, and I am a high school student from Bangalore, India. Enid Blyton was probably the first author whose books I read and completed, and her influence lingers in my life even today. My article at The Huffington Post is an attempt to find those threads of memory, and to lace them together to form something more coherent and powerful.
Here's the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/eni ... bf74f03c6b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My name is Richa Gupta, and I am a high school student from Bangalore, India. Enid Blyton was probably the first author whose books I read and completed, and her influence lingers in my life even today. My article at The Huffington Post is an attempt to find those threads of memory, and to lace them together to form something more coherent and powerful.
Here's the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/eni ... bf74f03c6b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
- Julie2owlsdene
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. Richa says everything that I feel about Blyton's world of books, security, escapism, learning whilst young to relate to others etc. That article would be well read in the Journal I'm sure and would fit between the Journal pages nicely.
I loved reading Richa's article, and so nice that she feels to go back into these books after years away is like re-visiting old friends. I'm sure so many of us feel this way, too. That's why we love these books so much and the characters we've grown up with. They feel like real friends.
Great read.
I loved reading Richa's article, and so nice that she feels to go back into these books after years away is like re-visiting old friends. I'm sure so many of us feel this way, too. That's why we love these books so much and the characters we've grown up with. They feel like real friends.
Great read.
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"
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"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"
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- Anita Bensoussane
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
A very enjoyable article. It's a few decades since I first became acquainted with Enid Blyton but I still feel the same as Richa Gupta. My Blyton books are lifelong friends, always there whatever happens. They taught me a lot and helped shape me, and they continue to bring me pleasure. Even when life is busy and I don't have time to read them, simply knowing that they're there is a great comfort.
"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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- Rob Houghton
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
Perceptive article, and what a great writing style! I really enjoyed it, and agree with everything she wrote - going back into that comforting Blyton world is something I enjoy experiencing every day when I'm reading a Blyton book, and also when I'm writing one, I get a similar feeling! This article does indeed deserve to be in The Journal.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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- Courtenay
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
Yes, a wonderful article. I agree — Tony, could you please ask Richa if she would give permission for it to be published in the Journal? It definitely deserves to be there and I'm sure other EBS members around the world would love what she has to say too.
I especially appreciate what Richa says here about why Enid's books resonate with children:
I especially appreciate what Richa says here about why Enid's books resonate with children:
Even reading them as an adult, I can say that while I don't expect problems in my own life and the wider world to be "resolved within a few pages" either, Enid's stories still remind me that goodness and decency and courage and kindness do matter and they do make a difference in people's lives — and there's still plenty of those qualities in the world, if we look hard enough.It was all very idealistic, and nothing like the real world. But when you’re still in single digits, you’re in no hurry to escape the bubble you’ve conjured around yourself. You want to live in a world where problems can be resolved within a few pages, where innocent children can triumph over manipulative adults, where people don’t always have to have ulterior motives.
Blyton provided me with a safe world… a place where I could explore, question, hope.
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
I will certainly send a link to this thread to Richa and hope that she might like to register and reply to some of the nice comments. I'm afraid that even if Richa agreed it cannot go into the next Journal as I have already completed an 88-pager, but if she would like I can definitely offer to put it into our July Journal.
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
Lovely article! I especially liked her expression "Within minutes, I'd acquainted myself with old friends". That's exactly how I feel when I re-read a Blyon book I've not read for a while! Well done, Richa!
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
I really enjoyed reading Richa's article and how I could relate to it. Enid Blyton books shaped my life, gave me a safe escape from the real world (my home life wasn't the best). I
SwatIsaid!
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- Rob Houghton
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
I was lucky in that my childhood might be described as 'idyllic' except for a bit of bullying in my early teens - with freedom, long hot summers, bike rides, picnics, days out, hide and seek and building dens and fishing for sticklebacks and playing in a tree house etc. Reading Enid Blyton books as an adult takes me back to that idyllic sunny time!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
Society Member
- Lenoir
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
I can identify with the article "making friends with" and "getting to know" the characters in the books.
(not just Blyton books as well).
(not just Blyton books as well).
- Julie2owlsdene
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
I see that Richa has joined the forums, her name appears at the bottom of the Home Page, but as yet she's not commented on this thread. I do hope she has time to read this thread.
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"
Society Member
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"
Society Member
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
She has read it as she logged on soon after I activated her and she then sent me another email asking me to slightly alter my initial post which I did.
- Julie2owlsdene
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
Thanks for letting us know Tony.
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"
Society Member
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"
Society Member
Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
A great article. I would imagine copyright is with The Huffington Post, which might cause a problem in putting it in the Journal. I have added it to our Facebook page.
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Re: An Article by Richa Gupta
I would have thought that the copyright would be with Richa herself, and I wouldn't see any problem with putting it in the Journal as it would not be appearing on the internet and only available to subscribers. I recently had an article that had been published in The Lady in the the Journal and all it needed was the author's permission.