The Enid Blyton Society

Yes, sorry I see what you mean and thank you Moonraker.
Apparently I may have have over reacted--had just read this from my grandsons mother, when asked what he would have been like if not autistic..
"I think he would have been able to walk up to a friend and ask them to play with him. Instead, he just stands there and doesn't know what they are saying and walks away.
They want to play,and he wants to interact, but it's like they're a different culture with a different language. That's the saddest thing that ever happens."

I don't think you over-reacted at all, Liz. When we can closely relate to a condition, we can be forgiven if we do over-react! I confess I know little about autism, but your grandson's experience sounds heart-wrenching. We knew nothing of these conditions years ago, no labels or treatments, just a feeling that certain people were a little odd. At least we can understand better in current times. Back OT, I can't see that Enid was autistic. She liked her own world - and who can blame her. I must confess I often think a hermit's life isn't at all bad. Imagine living in a cottage or croft, overlooking a loch, no road to the house, even! I have a friend who lived in such a place, Ardroe, Sutherland. We had to leave the car in a track, then walk along a stony path for half a mile until we reached her cottage. Bliss.

I must be the only person on these forums who has never seen the film 'Enid'.

Kate

Moonraker wrote:

Fiona1986 wrote: For many people on the autistic spectrum a key 'symptom' if you like is a difficulty in connecting with and relating to other people. Which is exactly what Francis pointed out in Enid.

Francis was describing the programme as autistic, not Enid; that is why I thought he might have used the wrong word.

Francis wrote "this program's Enid had no warmth at all and seemed almost autistic" I take this to mean he is talking about the Enid of the programme not the programme itself.

Kate Mary wrote:I must be the only person on these forums who has never seen the film 'Enid'.

Make it two.

Make it three! I've got it on my shelf I've just never plucked up the courage to watch it.

Have been abroad for a few months. I saw Enid and thoroughly enjoyed it. It sure focussed on possibly the negative side of Enid, but there are two sides to a coin. Even a fairy godmother can have a dark side.

The trouble with the program was that it showed no warmth at all, Enid was
a control freak - something I just don't believe in. It leaves a nasty taste in the
mouth.

I would have liked to see a much more balanced program. That could have shown her
negative side made also her magic and warmth.

Saucepan Man wrote:Have been abroad for a few months. I saw Enid and thoroughly enjoyed it. It sure focussed on possibly the negative side of Enid, but there are two sides to a coin. Even a fairy godmother can have a dark side.

I didn't have a problem that the programme showed a less than cosy side to Enid's personality, but from what I can remember it was very one sided and I don't think that's fair. As I've mentioned before, she did a lot of charity work which is often over looked.

I also think the programme should be taken within the context of the time and class she lived in.

Saucepan Man wrote: Even a fairy godmother can have a dark side.

Fair point. I hope nobody ever makes a programme on my 'dark side'!

Fiona1986 wrote:Make it three! I've got it on my shelf I've just never plucked up the courage to watch it.

You indeed part like me. There are videos such as The Godfather series I have never bothered to watch to date, yet several of my siblings watched them in the cinemas when they were released four decades ago!!!
Stephen I.

I think I'd probably rather watch 'Enid' again than watch any of the Godfather films though.

Absoulutely in love with this film. Helen B. Carter portrays Enid very very well. 10/10 for me

I think the film is very one sided and only expresses the bad points of Enids life. For this reason, I think the film is very poor but the acting was good. The film creators sould have took a bit more time researching the good points of Blyton's life, instead of exaggerating those bad things.

honesty wrote:Absoulutely in love with this film. Helen B. Carter portrays Enid very very well. 10/10 for me

Have you ever read Barbara Stoney's biography about Enid? If not, you find it interesting. It's a long time since I saw the Enid film, but I found it very biased, with massive chunks of Enid's life ommitted, whilst concentrating too much on certain aspects of her personal life. As a period drama it was well filmed, as a well balanced documentary, I found it sorely lacking.