The Enid Blyton Society

Really interesting to read. I really like both those wedding poems, but I think I prefer the second one which Anita posted. There is some lovely description in that one, I love the line about the veil of spiders web and the hawthorn 'throwing confetti'. I agree that they are both very similar though.

'The Wedding in the Woods' was first published in 1924 in Bo-Peep and was specially written for the book.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... %5B1925%5D" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's interesting, Tony. Should have known it'd be in the Cave! Interesting that the poem was illustrated by Molly E. Brett in Bo-Peep. When my children were little they had some picture books illustrated by Molly E. Brett and her artwork was absolutely gorgeous. I know she illustrated a few Enid Blyton books and jigsaws in the 1950s-60s.

I have a small book which I think is written by Molly Brett as well as being illustrated by her. It's a lovely little book.

Merged with an older topic.

Enid Blyton Revisit, Rare Story and Photos (Part 1&2)
As writer with such gigantic output, Enid Blyton can be found in many newspaper articles. Using digital archived sites, I had found some interesting Enid Blyton report and photos, that may be a rarity. At least, couldn't find it at google. Here some of the findings.

http://red-white-cross.blogspot.co.uk/2 ... y-and.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting. In the newspaper reports and articles while she is still alive, is there any mention of any anti gollies campaigns and such?

I've been reading a full page illustrated article in a magazine called 'The Australian Magazine - A.M.' for March 1, 1955 p. 17.
It's by an Australian journalist and author Patricia Rolfe and despite its title 'Little Noddy in Big-Business Land' it is a sympathetic account of Enid Blyton and her 'formula for success' - 'give the children what they want'. Blyton is described as 'in her forties' (actually late 50s), but the article mentions a few things I didn't know eg Blyton's pleased response to pirated Russian editions - 'it means that Christian ethics are being spread in Russia'. What particularly interested me was the reference that a 'guide to her works has been published for the help of booksellers'. Maybe it never reached Australia. I'd love to see a copy.

I think that this is probably the 'guide to her works' that is being referred to, Judith. It is not really as exciting as it sounds and it only lists the books that were in print at the time it was published, which means it certainly isn't what it says on the tin! As it is just a booklet and is now over 70 years old it would not be very easy to find, it was never all that common and might even be more difficult to find than The Blue Book of Stories for Children which I see you replied to on the Message Board. Books from the 1920s don't grow on trees (sadly) and you don't see them all that often, but those who ask if they are rare are normally trying to get a selling price! There actually isn't that good a market for them as very few people want them. I do have copies of both book and booklet which is why there is a picture of them in the Cave.

That's the one I was thinking of Tony. I couldn't locate it in the cave.

I remember first seeing it back in 2013. It was going for £260 second hand even then!

pete9012S wrote: ↑14 Jun 2013, 10:42 A Complete List of Books By Enid Blyton



Can anyone say what this book is like? is it just a list of books up to the published date?
Is its listing accurate?
Hard to find out more info about it.
It's for sale on Abe @ £260 plus post (their printing date is 1950??)

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5677&p=174210&hilit ... TE#p174210

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/boo ... hp?id=1069

That's the kind of booklet I'd be interested in owning, but definitely not for that sort of price.

Today I came across an unusual reference to Enid Blyton.

It was in the Christmas 2021 Radio Times, and was describing an upcoming programme Chucky. It was comparing the way that certain stories show teenagers proving their worth without the presence of adults.

From the sound of the programme, I don't think there would really be much comparison between that and the Famous Five going to Kirrin Island.

It just goes to show though, how popular some of Enid Blyton's characters still are to be used as a reference point - however obscurely.

pete9012S wrote: ↑28 Apr 2022, 12:13 I remember first seeing it back in 2013. It was going for £260 second hand even then!

I looked for a copy of A Complete List of Books years ago but gave up when I saw how much was being asked for it! Pieces of ephemera like that are interesting though.

You're right there, Tony. Questions of rarity are often linked to hopes of a sale. A book may be of extra-ordinary rarity and be quite worthless if no one wants it. I have quite a collection of these old books of stories because I like their appearance, the illustrators and the extraordinary variety in content, but I am very aware that most of them would not cover the cost of a cup of coffee - I have yet to meet a fellow collector of Renwick of Otley publications, for example, or Herbert Strang Big Books!
Compare these books with the Guide you helpfully drew attention to. Rare, everybody (sort of) wants it, huge price.

I do have the complete list of books booklet, but I didn't know it was considered rare. I purchased it many years ago & didn't pay much for it. It's interesting how rare (& valuable) people can think a book is when it is not a subject they are not interested in & so of course haven't come across a lot of that item!!

I'm not sure if this is the right topic for this, but I came across this Guardian article linked from the 'Bing' home page this morning:

Neil Gaiman: ‘Whatever I loved about Enid Blyton isn’t there when I go back as an adult’

Thanks for sharing that, John BB. Very interesting that Neil Gaiman remembers Narnia with such fondness (he's well known in Narnia fan circles for having written a fan fic story on "what happened to Susan" after the last book in the series), but just can't find anything in Enid Blyton any more! I'm glad that doesn't happen to all her fans... I can read nearly all the Blyton stories I loved as a child and still be transported into those happy other worlds as much as ever. And it's not a magic that only works with the ones I read when I was little, either — I discovered quite a number of new-to-me Blyton books in my 30s that were even more exciting and amazing than many of the ones I read in childhood! (The Adventure series and The Boy Next Door are the prime examples there.)