Andrew Maunder - Enid Blyton: A Literary Life

[Lucky Star]

In view of the strain she was under it is amazing that she actually made time to reply to all the personal letters herself.

Yes she could easily have employed a secretary to write the answers in her name. A tribute to her sense of duty to her fans. I wonder if all this unceasing work over so many years actually contribute to her final illness?

[Boodi 2]

I doubt it, but having said that I am no expert.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

I was half listening to Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4, when I'm sure I heard the Bishop quoting this book, and how Blyton struggled to balance work and parenting!

Viv

[Anita Bensoussane]

I have access to the digital version of The Telegraph, which I was given as a gift, and there's an article today by Jake Kerridge ('Brand Blyton: how Enid became the literary "influencer" of the 1950s') which references Andrew Maunder's book. I assume it's also in the print edition of the paper, though I can't say for certain.

I know many won't be able to access the article so I'll quote from it, but here's a link in case there is a way for non-subscribers to read it (sometimes it's possible to read a few pieces free of charge before having to pay to continue):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/autho ... cer-1950s/

The thrust of the article is that Enid Blyton's genius was commercial rather than literary, with the author creating a demand for her work "through brilliant marketing".

To quote:

In 1923, Teacher’s World gave the 26-year-old Blyton a weekly “From My Window” column, addressed to children, that ran for more than 20 years. As Maunder puts it, she “was particularly good at talking to her readers, saying what she felt, without any sense that it had been carefully crafted”.

The ways in which Blyton used the column to reel in her young audience have striking parallels with the approach of today’s social-media influencers: in particular, there is the sense of the privileged intimacy that comes with being allowed a glimpse inside a celebrity’s home and receiving regular bulletins about their personal life.

There's some confusion there as the 'From My Window' column was written for adults (teachers), though Enid Blyton did write plenty of other Teachers World material for children which made them feel that they knew her, her home and her pets.

To quote again:

...Maunder carefully examines Blyton’s business correspondence, especially the large cache of letters in the archives of Macmillan, one of the many firms that published her. These reveal her to be a shrewd negotiator, who convinced the firm to take her on in 1941 – “it would be lovely if I could give you some bestsellers” – even though it had not published children’s fiction for many years.

As it happens, Enid Blyton did give Macmillan some money-spinning books - the Adventure series - though the first Adventure title didn't appear until 1944. Macmillan still publish that series today.

Unlike most authors, she refused to take an advance for her books, but insisted instead on a minimum first printing of at least 25,000 copies, in an attempt to avoid losing out on sales through the habitual caution of publishers. She also asked for approval of dust jacket design and lettering. She trusted her own instincts and often overruled suggestions by her editors, including a request in 1943 that she refer to the war in a book – “[parents] prefer stories that take the children’s minds away from it, and this is quite right”.

I wonder whether the suggestion that Enid Blyton refer to the war was made regarding The Island of Adventure, which was published in 1944 but may well have been written and discussed in 1943? Like the early Famous Five and Find-Outers books, it takes place in an apparently warless early 1940s Britain. The ramifications of the Second World War are felt in The Valley of Adventure but it was over by then, of course.

Blyton worship is clearly now lodged so firmly in our DNA that it will never be shifted. She remains one of the titans of children’s literature, selling something like 10 million books a year around the world, having reclaimed her position as the world’s best-selling children’s writer from J K Rowling.

But one has to wonder how much this is due to the merits of her books and how much to that “amazing advertising campaign”.

I didn't realise that Enid Blyton has now reclaimed her position as the world's best-selling children's writer!

Enid's writing career was certainly helped by a number of things - being friends with the Attenborough and Thompson families who had connections, marrying Hugh Pollock who was an editor for Newnes, and gaining a vast audience of readers through contributing regularly to periodicals like Teachers World and writing magazines like Sunny Stories (and later Enid Blyton's Magazine). However, I think the fact that her books are still so widely read today shows that her work is of lasting worth, having special qualities that continue to appeal to children as much as ever. The effects of the "amazing advertising campaign" would surely only have lasted for a limited time. Enid Blyton's stories are still in demand today, more than fifty years after her death, because of their intrinsic value, being characterised by lively writing, readability, cracking plots, thought-provoking messages, relatable characters and interesting situations and settings.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Hear Hear!

Viv

[Lucky Star]

The effects of the "amazing advertising campaign" would surely only have lasted for a limited time. Enid Blyton's stories are still in demand today, more than fifty years after her death, because of their intrinsic value, being characterised by lively writing, readability, cracking plots, thought-provoking messages, relatable characters and interesting situations and settings.

Yes indeed. There is no way that any "amazing advertising campaign" could still be having an effect more than fifty years after it was last used. And especially when you consider that the only "advertising" related to Enid Blyton today is negative; coming in the form of the endless disparagement and sneering at her work. If anything children should be put off her books! Instead they continue to buy them in huge numbers and this is certainly down to the strengths of the storytelling and characterisation in them.

[Boodi 2]

Enid Blyton's stories are still in demand today, more than fifty years after her death, because of their intrinsic value, being characterised by lively writing, readability, cracking plots, thought-provoking messages, relatable characters and interesting situations and settings.

Thanks Anita! I fully agree and am delighted to hear that Enid Blyton has now reclaimed her position as the world's best-selling children's author. It is also clear to me that the effects of the "amazing advertising campaign" would only have lasted for a few years (or at most a few decades).

[Fiona1986]

I have free access to the digital version of The Daily Telegraph via my library subscription, and have been able to save the article as a PDF. If anyone wants a copy just let me know.

[pete9012S]

I'd like one as long as it put you out, thanks.

[Fiona1986]

No worries, Pete. I will try to remember to send you a copy this evening. Remind me if I don't!

[Moonraker]

She also asked for approval of dust jacket design

Five on Kirrin Island must have escaped her notice, then!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Here's a link to an article about Andrew Maunder's book in The Spectator:

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how ... -the-world

Again, the emphasis is on Enid Blyton being "a phenomenon in publishing" rather than "a phenomenon in literature".

Apparently, a psychologist once called Noddy an "educationally subnormal nit" and Big-Ears a "ridiculous dwarf"! I'm not exactly Noddy's biggest fan but throwing out insults isn't at all the same as giving a considered critique.

I knew Noel Streatfeild had been scathing about Enid Blyton's ability as a writer and I find it disappointing. Noel Streatfeild did a lot more research (e.g. spending months travelling with a circus before writing The Circus is Coming) but when it comes to adventure stories, most of Enid Blyton's are much better in terms of pace, structure, suspense and action than Noel Streatfeild's The House in Cornwall or The Children of Primrose Lane (which Noel didn't have time to research properly because of her war work). Both Noel and Enid have written some wonderful family books, e.g. Apple Bough by the former and The Family at Red-Roofs by the latter are skillfully crafted narratives with convincing characters, thought-provoking issues, emotion and drama in spades (coincidentally, both those titles revolve around a much-loved house which is a true family home). The two authors had different approaches and styles but both were clearly gifted and it's no wonder that some of their books have now attained the status of classics.

I haven't read very much Alison Uttley but I love A Traveller in Time and have read it a number of times since the age of eight.

[Lucky Star]

A very interesting article Anita, thanks for posting it. I'm disappointed that the writer chose to focus on the publishing rather than the content of the books themselves. I rather thought The Spectator would be a bit more supportive of Blyton since it often does champion traditional values. There are a number of true points such as the sumptuous feasts constituting an escape from dreary rationing and Blyton's self awareness of her own brand; probably summed up for me by her placement of "hints" in some of her books for other series like the FF mentions that occur in the S books etc.

But otherwise quoting people like the critic who derided Noddy is pretty lazy. I did love the story about Blyton and Alison Uttley at the luncheon though. I would say Enid definitely won that one.

[pete9012S]

I agree, John!

A favourite strand, for me, is that Alison Uttley of Little Grey Rabbit fame was a Beaconsfield neighbour (like Stella Street for children’s writers, perhaps); and, being both even snootier than Blyton and less successful, hated her like sin. The tone was set when they were first brought together at lunch by well-meaning mutual friends. Uttley to Blyton: ‘I know the book you wrote about a horse, but what else have you written?’ Blyton (icicles forming on her upper slopes): ‘Smith’s window is full of my books. You can see a few titles if you care to look.’

To be fair, Enid did warn us about 'grown ups' and all the perils associated with them!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Only just found an online article from The Independent which was published yesterday. It begins with the words "Blyton the racist" :

Blyton the racist, Blyton the astute businesswoman and Blyton who was beloved by a nation of children, yet who shut out her own daughters. The children’s writer’s various paradoxes are exposed.

The article is by Marianne Levy, who is intrigued by the "conflicting personas" of Enid Blyton that are discussed by Andrew Maunder but would have welcomed a little more analysis:

...is it wrong to have wished for just a little more comment from Maunder himself?

When he does speak, comments such as, “Mustering cheerfulness while being emotionally claustrophobic was, of course, what Enid Blyton did well” make the book much more interesting.

But mostly, he holds back on the pronouncements. It is laudable and restrained – yet, ultimately, so keen is the author to allow us to decide on Blyton for ourselves, he neglects to give us the benefit of his own judgement.

https://inews.co.uk/culture/enid-blyton ... ll-1355069