Uncovered!: Blyton's greatest character was modelled on Napoleon Bonaparte.
Her tales of high adventure and high teas have made Enid Blyton one of the best-known and bestselling children's authors of all time.
Stories featuring the likes of Barnabas Hugo Martin, Peter (surname unknown) and the Five Find Outers and dog have sold millions of copies.
Since her death in 1968, however, Blyton's reputation has been eroded by accusations of racist attitudes, non-pc names and various other charges too numerous to mention. That view won't be helped by revelations this week that there is good reason to believe that she was a fan of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Careful, independent analysis of her flagship mystery series, the Find Outers, has now revealed that the emperor is mentioned not once, but at least twice in the space of three books. In the first instance her strongest character, Frederick Trotteville (known by his un-pc name of Fatty to diehard, reactionary Blyton fans) disguises himself as a French boy and gives his name as Napoleon Bonaparte. The significance of choosing the name Napoleon Bonaparte as Frederick's very first disguise, cannot be over emphasized.
Just two books later in the same series Frederick poses as Napoleon in a wax work museum. Apparently Trotteville is like Bonaparte in appearance: he is not thin anyway, so out of all the figures in the waxworks museum Napoleon is the one he chooses. There must have been many British historical figures he could have chosen, but no, his build is (conveniently) like Napoleon's and so he dresses up as Napoleon and even refers to him affectionately as "old Napoleon" and later on as "poor Napoleon". The favouritism is obvious and the conclusions are equally obvious.
Frenchmen abound
Later in the same series we learn that Frederick is fluent in French, whereas the village policeman is not. Indeed, French characters are a recurring theme in the series: for example Henri Crozier, an invalid who comes to England to recuperate after a bad cold and cough: a likely story indeed! - and one that shows she would go to any length to find excuses to include Frenchmen in her stories.
Napoleon was exiled to remote St Helena island where he eventually died, and this fuels speculation that Blyton wrote the book "The Secret Island", (and indeed all her other books about islands, and there are a few of them) in memory of Bonaparte.
Blyton's propensity to write about lavish meals, high teas, midnight feasts and huge picnics clearly shows that she took the emperor’s famous quote "An army marches on its stomach" very much to heart, and is perhaps the most telling evidence yet found of her admiration for Bonaparte.
Not forgetting The Green Hands' Gang!Fiona1986 wrote:Enid also predicted the formation of the "Green Party". Look closely at her books and you will see a multitude of references to 'green countryside' 'green leaves' 'green trees' and even clothes in the colour green.
Crikey - she even called her house Green HedgesFiona1986 wrote:Enid also predicted the formation of the "Green Party". Look closely at her books and you will see a multitude of references to 'green countryside' 'green leaves' 'green trees' and even clothes in the colour green.
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I believe there was little or no publicity because it all happened at a time when the papers were full of news about the War. By the time Enid Blyton brought out her autobiography The Story of My Life, in 1952, she was able to refer to "my family," consisting of herself, Kenneth, Gillian and Imogen. There was no mention of Hugh! People reading The Story of My Life, and looking at the photos it contained, would assume that Kenneth was Gillian and Imogen's father. When Enid had the surname of her daughters legally changed from Pollock to Waters, Hugh wasn't even told! I'm surprised that his consent wasn't required, but Enid must have managed to get round that somehow.Ming wrote:I have a question here - if Enid was so worried about reputations of adultery during her divorce, then how come there wasn't a scandal when she remarried?
I've always wondered about that too. Ida Pollock says that she encouraged Hugh to try to make contact with Gillian and Imogen when Gillian was about fourteen, but that he had heard from Imogen's nanny that the girls were both well and happy and he didn't want to risk rocking the boat. Neither did he have any contact at all with his son Alistair from his first marriage (to Marion Atkinson) after the boy was about ten years old or perhaps slightly younger. I got the impression from Starlight that Ida never really understood his attitude. Did Hugh, like Enid, find it difficult to face up to troubles and acknowledge past mistakes in his personal life, I wonder? Like her, he could be secretive. I can't say any more about that because, for the sake of those who would like to read it, I don't want to reveal too much of what is in Ida's book. By the time Gillian and Imogen were grown up, he may have felt that it was too late to establish a fatherly relationship with them - who knows?Katharine wrote:I've always thought it extreme cruel and unfair for Enid to stop the girls seeing their father, and I understand they never saw him again after the marriage ended, but I see from the chronology link that Hugh actually died after Enid, and by that time both her daughters were married and adults, surely Enid couldn't stop Hugh from seeing them by then?
Where did you come across the "Napoleon Bonaparte" article, Lenoir? It's obviously meant as a joke!
I imagined our friend Lenoir wrote it himself! A brilliant piece, Lenoir!Anita Bensoussane wrote:Where did you come across the "Napoleon Bonaparte" article, Lenoir? It's obviously meant as a joke!
And were the Green Party's headquarters situated at Green Meadows?Viv of Ginger Pop wrote: Crikey - she even called her house Green Hedges
Lenoir? Yet another French name, though from another series!Moonraker wrote:I imagined our friend Lenoir wrote it himself! A brilliant piece, Lenoir!
green with envy over her sales figures.... 
I rest my case...Anita Bensoussane wrote:
Lenoir? Yet another French name, though from another series!
Are you sure it is meant as a joke, I just assumed that somebody had bought a copy of Stephen Isabirye's book!Anita Bensoussane wrote:
Anita
