The Enid Blyton Society

I've just been half listening to the review of the Sunday Papers on BBC Breakfast, when a page about Blyton was shown, I think from the Sunday Telegraph.

It was reported that Duncan Mc.... who came to the Blyton Day says that Enid had revenge on her first husband by making his name into an anagram of Peterswoods most inept policeman.

It isn't.

Hugh Pollock

Theophilus Goon

I'm off to get the paper to see what this is about!

Viv

I think you will find it is in the Observer

I have just read the article in the Observer. I think, on balance, that I would rather spend my money on a second-hand Enid Blyton book than on this new biography. It would be better for my blood-pressure.

Kate.

An interesting article but I think its a bit far fetched. The clues he lists might be correct or then again it could be simply coincidence.

It does seem a bit far-fetched!

I have to say I like Goon because of his silliness!

Theophilus Goon? Oh, go on, PI*/sleuth

*Private Investigator

Just read the article;
"Oh dear!" Aunt Fanny
"Well I never!" Janet
"Fathead!" Fatty
"That's quite enough!" Uncle Quentin
"Piffle!" Larry
"Grrrrrr!" Timmy
"Gahhhhh" Goon ec etc

Anothe review of Duncan McLaren's book can be seen in the Daily Mail. I am not sure what this one will do to Kate Mary's blood pressure!

Okay, this is very rude of me, but this line made me laugh

"And the full fury of the Enid Blyton Society (see their website) to come down on his head like a ton of Bumper Blyton annuals."

Another view of Duncan McLaren's theory about Hugh and Goon can be seen in the Dorset Echo.

Having read the Dorset Echo report, all I can say is "Three cheers for Viv's sane and sensible response!" I wasn't too struck with Duncan McLaren when he introduced this book at the EB day in May and I'm glad I wasn't drawn to order a copy! Perhaps he inadvertently tells us more about himself than about Enid. Whatever her daughters thought about her in private they must surely have been proud of her achievements as they grew up and understood better her compulsion to write. Like so many others I grew up on a diet of Enid Blyton and learnt a great deal from her many books. Not only moral standards, but nature, gardening, farm and country life...All painlessly absorbed because the name Enid Blyton was on the cover!

I'm confused (not unusual). At the EBS day I thought he was introducing a book called "This is his Enid". This one is called "Looking for Enid". Did I mis-hear him at the day or did he change the title? Or has he written a second book? Either way the scenarios depicted in those reviews are not appealing to me. As Viv said in the Dorset paper it is possible that he is correct but more likely that he has come up with a theory and then found evidence to justify it. With 600 odd books and squillions of short stories to choose from one could find evidence for just about anything if one looked carefully enough.

The book was originally called This Is His Enid, but as listings incorrectly wrote it is This Is Enid, Duncan changed the name to Looking For Enid.

Ok that clears it up. Thanks Ming.

If I understood Duncan correctly (I am sure he will correct me if I am wrong!) the title of his book was changed to Looking for Enid at the suggestion of his editor, who thought that this title was more appropriate for the cover picture.

Going back to the first review in the Observer, I thought the wording 'vetted by the Enid Blyton Society' was a bit misleading. It implies that those of us who read the book agreed with everything in it - somebody from a radio station who phoned me that day thought that it meant this as well. The article concentrates on the Hugh/Goon theory and this was something that I totally disagreed with and I told Duncan this when I read the book six months ago. I think we agreed to disagree, but I respect that everybody is entitled to their opinion and I wouldn't want to take up the suggestion in the Daily Mail review of bringing my Bumper Enid Blyton Annuals down on his head - they are far too precious to be treated in this manner!

I actually don't think that this latter review is doing the book any favours with regard to Enid Blyton fans, I know that if this was all I had to go on it certainly wouldn't encourage me to buy the book. On this review alone the book would have far more appeal to Blyton detractors and scandal mongers - I know that Duncan will be reading this and perhaps he would like to comment at some stage.