The Ban on Enid Blyton.

[Muminah]

Hello Everyone! I came across an article in yesterday's local newspaper. It was about a ban that was put on Enid Blyton by BBC. I didn't know anything about this Ban and the article really shocked me. The ban was put because her stories didn't have any literary value and the ban continued for about 30 years.
Fancy putting a ban on her books just because there isn't any literary value. I mean, should books definitely have some literary value? The readers can read them for mere amusement. And than any other author's books that I have read, Enid's books contain Good Morals for children growing up.Personally I have learnt a lot from her books and this article really surprised me.

[Aurélien]

I think that you'll agree, Muminah, that children's books that are complete and utter rubbish die on the vine without any need for 'bans'. EB's books, on the other hand, are still being reprinted and still being read by new generations of children.

Those who insisted upon banning her books, from libraries, schools, or television were clearly in some form of 'denial', to use a term beloved of today's pc crusaders.

Need one say more?

‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’

[Anita Bensoussane]

You can read more about Enid Blyton and the BBC in the following thread, Muminah:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... t=archives" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Dick Kirrin]

Famous scientist Terry Eaglton once defined "literature" as "something people like to read". Literary value is in the point of view of the reader, if you ask me. Just because somebody tells me, that a book is good it doesn't mean that I've got to like it. I may appreciate the elegant way it is written, but what does literary style profit me if the plot is just boring? I for one cannot stand the later episodes of Harry Potter, too much violence for a kid's book, and besides who'd want to make friends with a boy whose friends are most likely to be killed?
I agree with Aurélien that bad books die out sooner or later.

Cheers

Dick Kirrin

[PeterRabbit]

Thanks for bringing this to people's attention folks

I had no idea about the ban, what utter rubbish! A large part of the literary value of a book surely comes from the affect that it has on the ready. EB's books have given pleasure to countless readers over the years.

Another aspect to literary value would have to be whether a piece of literature can stand the test of time, which the works of EB certainly do. They have prestige.

For the bbc to put a ban on them for over 30 years is just ridiculous. Apparently they considered her work "small beer" and "not strong enough".

[Moonraker]

Apparently they considered her work "small beer" and "not strong enough".

At least they didn't say "ginger beer".

[shadow]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5638163/r ... asy-books/

Looks like they've decided to pick on another author. History repeating itself.

[Katharine]

And then they wonder why children today are far more likely to have mental health issues than they did in my day and previous generations! For goodness sake, why don't these 'experts' let kids be kids????? Give them more challenging books at school and let them read what they want in their home lives. I was still reading Enid Blyton books well into my teens, which was the age that Enid Blyton intended many of them for. I read the books I was forced to for my O levels, which I mostly hated, so to be able to dip into something more to my taste from time to time was a real treat, and helped me get a home/school balance. Who knows, it may even have helped my stress levels (something that hadn't been invented for teenagers in the 1980s!), and stopped me having a nervous breakdown.

[Rob Houghton]

Obviously, I disagree with that report. When I was a teenager - age 13 and 14, I was still occasionally reading Enid Blyton books, which at one time were considered 'too easy'. I would only ever read books I found easy to read - didn't like a challenge - and I'm still the same now - which is why I have read very little Dickens. I did manage to read Emily and Charlotte Bronte, but didn't find them particularly pleasurable. I've always preferred accessible books such as Daphne DuMaurier, Harlen Coben, CS Lewis, etc.

So as a teenager the only 'proper' books I read were at school - like Lord of the Flies, The Chocolate War, Across The Barricades, etc. At home, I was reading Enid Blyton and occasionally Tom Sawyer or CS Lewis or Daphne DuMaurier. But I still got a Grade 1 in English Language and a Grade 2 in English Literature (equivalent to an A and a B).

As a child I read nothing but Enid Blyton, Mr Men books, annuals and comics like The Beano, Buster, Whoopee etc etc and very little else - but aged 10 I had a reading age of 14 - 15.

[Katharine]

As a child I read nothing but Enid Blyton, Mr Men books, annuals and comics like The Beano, Buster, Whoopee etc etc and very little else - but aged 10 I had a reading age of 14 - 15.

That reminds me, when I was eleven I had a reading age of a 15 year old, and I was reading mostly Enid Blyton books at that age.

[Rob Houghton]

I could have been 11 too - not sure. It just proves that a diet of Enid Blyton improves reading age, rather than stunting it!

[Katharine]

The reading test I took was probably part of the recently abandoned 11+, as I'm pretty sure it was in my last year at primary school. It was simply a list of words, and I had to read as many as I could. I do remember being proud of the fact that I knew 'pneumonia'. Silly really, as although I could pronounce the words, it wasn't an indication that I understood what they meant.

Personally I think it's more important for children to enjoy reading something, whether it is a comic or a simple book, at least they are reading! I don't think there's any harm in children having to read more challenging books for school, but leisure time should be for enjoying themselves. It's a bit like saying to adults they should only watch documentaries or thought provoking programmes, and never watching a feel good musical or a slap stick comedy like Laurel and Hardy. Similarly should we stop listening to pop music as it will stop us being able to appreciate 'proper' music like Beethoven. Personally I like a bit of variety in my books and music.

[timv]

I've never been able to really 'get into' Dickens - largely on account of the length of the chapters and convuluted plots or the supposedly amusing grotesque characters and soap-opera-like melodrama. I've only read a few of his books, mostly the better-known ones such as Nicholas Nickleby (the first, read it aged around 10), David Copperfield and Great Expectations - skipping the bits where nothing much was happening. I've found Victorian novels in general difficult and when I tried reading them as a teenager usually end up losing interest, though not if I had an idea of what was going on from having seen a film (eg Jane Eyre) or a TV adaptation (eg the Anthony Trollope Palliser novels which were on the BBC in 1974) first.
Inspired by TV ie the BBC 1970s adaptation with Anthony Hopkins, I did read (most of) Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' as a teenager. But I would never have read authors like Conrad or D H Lawrence if they weren't on my 'A' Level syllabus, ditto John Milton and Chaucer on the syllabus. (I did get a Grade A in English Literature but can't say I enjoyed the set books or felt inspired to do the subject at university.) Personally I always preferred lighter fiction like Daphne Du Maurier, 'sagas' (John Galsworthy's 'Forsytes' and R F Delderfield), historical fiction, or my favourite J R R Tolkien. I continued to read Enid and other 'younger age'/ adventure authors as a teenager, for relaxation. I read all the Narnia books at school aged 11-12, but found the religious symbolism and the 'bossy' Aslan a bit much!

[Rob Houghton]

I agree about the Narnia books - as a child, I didn't see the religious symbolism - but as a teenager and adult I find them a bit obviously preachy in many ways. Still enjoyable, but some of them leave a nasty taste in the mouth! They are just 'too much' as you say. I think The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe is very readable, as is The Magician's Nephew and The Horse and his Boy but I find some of the others a bit long-winded too.

I enjoyed doing 'O' level and 'A' level literature at school, but I never applied myself as I could have done. I always just slipped through - got a grade 1 and 3 for Lit and Lang at 'O' Level but if I'd have tried, I would have got even higher grades! I never revised and always just tried my luck. The same at 'A' Level - where I got rather dismal low passes ( I got a 'D' for both English Lit and Art). People are always amazed when I say I got a 'D' in A Level art but I did, lol!

I did enjoy a few books we read at A Level - although I found 'The Rainbow' by DH Lawrence laughable to say the least - like he was self-consciously just trying to shock his readers with ridiculous phallic imagery. I loved Chaucer on the other hand - but I think my love of his writing tied in with my love of history.

[Daisy]

I first read the Narnia books as a teenager and didn't immediately see who or what Aslan represented, but when I did, I really appreciated it. I like all the books but agree the first three are very readable, although I love the Dawn Treader too, though sad that some of the children are no longer included. I didn't "get" The Last Battle, the first time I read it, but now I think it is a really wonderful and touching book.