Five on a hike together

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 26 Sep 2006, 12:31

Hello

My favourite Famous Five book is "Five on a hike together". Now I have read somewhere that many places where the stories are taking place have been inspired by real places. Does anybody know if the lake in "Five on a hike together" really exists and if yes where ?

Many thanks in advance.

Pat.

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 26 Sep 2006, 14:31

It would appear that the moor featured in this book is most certainly Dartmoor, in Devon. There is a large prison there at Princetown.

http://tinyurl.com/zth5a will give you a rough idea of the area, there is a reservoir marked on the map, but I don't know of any lake. Princetown is just off the map to the south-west.

It has been mentioned elswhere, that Blue Pool, near Wareham in Dorset may be the inspiration, but I can't really believe it.

I do agree with you though, it ranks amongst the best of the FF books, along with Smuggler's, Run Away and Trouble - my personal favourites.

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 27 Sep 2006, 08:15

Thank you so much for your reply. Indeed it is very hard to tell about the favourite Famous Five books. None of the books suffers from a lack of suspense and imagination. I began to collect the Famous Five books when I was a child but I finished my collection much later. In fact, I read most of them when I was an adult. "Five on a hike together" is the first Famous Five book I read and it remains my favourite one. I am still tempted by reading it again every two years or so, though the suspense has gone as I know the story by heart.

Pat.

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 27 Sep 2006, 17:09

It is much easier to list the FF books that you don't like! Two or three are simply rather weak.

Viking Star · Post by **Viking Star** » 28 Sep 2006, 00:33

I very much agree with Moonraker that it's much easier to think of the few FF books one is less keen on. I'm resisting the urge to name some of them.

Since returning to Enid's books about 5 months ago I have yet to re-read the Famous Five books. I can empathise with most of the books Forum members have referred to as favourites on various strings. Two FF books I really enjoyed, but don't recall seeing mentioned by others as favourites are Five go off in a caravan (this was either the first or second FF book I read - for years after I wanted to go off on holiday in a caravan) and Five go to Demon's rocks - very atmospheric!

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 29 Sep 2006, 07:19

I'm not able to tell you straight away the ones I didn't like, or I liked less, I shoud rather say. But I am sure that my favourites are the books I read as a child. Certainly because I was then more impressed by the stories.

By the way, did you identify yourself to one of the Famous Five when you were a child ?
I was talking with a friend and she told me she was playing to be the Famous Five with her little friends. She was Georgina. As to me I never identify myself to any of them, but I wished I was WITH them, having adventures and mysteries. The closest to me could be Anne, as I really loved my dolls. But I never agreed with her when she said "I hate adventures" or "I hope we won't get involved again with some kind of an adventure".

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 29 Sep 2006, 07:29

I'd like to rectify : My friend was playing to be George and not Georgina. George would hate to be called Georgina !

Viking Star · Post by **Viking Star** » 29 Sep 2006, 14:53

Like you Pat, I think I wished to be with the Famous Five, or similar groups, rather than be a given character.

I seem to remember when I started up a group with a 'Five find-outers and dog' slant, I wanted to be in charge (nothing to do with wanting to be Fatty).

So perhaps I would have warmed towards being Julian in the FF as he was the leader.

On a related point, I often wished I had the gift that Philip in the Adventure series had - or similar characters - that all animals/dogs were friendly with me!

booklover · Post by **booklover** » 01 Mar 2009, 12:11

Greetings everyone!

One thing I like about this book is that it unfolds in a quite unexpected way. Once I read there was an escaped prisoner, I assumed (wrongly) that the children would meet, outwit and catch the prisoner ahead of the rude (and presumably bumbling) police. But the prisoner disappears from proceedings very early on. It's one of the few stories where I wondered whether Blyton initially had one plot in mind (the escaped prisoner plot) but another one took over as she wrote the story from her "mind's eye".

PS The eventual mystery is far more interesting than an escaped prisoner story.

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 01 Mar 2009, 13:05

Moonraker wrote:It would appear that the moor featured in this book is most certainly Dartmoor, in Devon. There is a large prison there at Princetown.

However, the boys' school is meant to be at one end and the girls' school at the other end.

It is of note on P130 that Dirty Dick's hair makes one of the four to think his name should be Golliwog.

Shades of Carol Thatcher?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZFEhWOmlew" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Julie2owlsdene · Post by **Julie2owlsdene** » 01 Mar 2009, 13:51

I always liked this book. When I first read it, shivers ran down my spine, when the bells tolled to tell of the escaped prisoner, made worse by the fact that it was growing dark and raining heavily. You could almost imagine this as a child. A lovely exciting read.

Philip Mannering · Post by **Philip Mannering** » 01 Mar 2009, 14:49

It's one of my favourites as well, although it's so long now since I've read it. Time for a re-read, I think.

Five On a Hike Together appeared at a time when the 'Fives' novels were at their best stage. What with Trouble, Into Adventure, this and Wonderful Time - the popularity of the Five must be at its peak then, back in the 50s.

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 01 Mar 2009, 15:08

It's a great story, but like so many Blyton's, the exciting part is over so quickly. From locating the loot to the end of the story took me 10 minutes to read!

Philip Mannering · Post by **Philip Mannering** » 01 Mar 2009, 15:14

Some people might choose to take this out of context and criticize her saying, "she spends so much introducing, then we have a speck of adventure, then a few exciting pages... and then, (whoops!)--the end."

But that's what's the charm of her books for me.

Lucky Star · Post by **Lucky Star** » 01 Mar 2009, 23:24

One of the very best FF's indeed. Blyton does spend a long time building up the atmosphere but what an atmosphere she creates. I can almost feel the danger in this book.