Favourite Five Find-Outers book

[Daisy]

That's where I think I'll stay too, Nigel!

[70s-child]

Sorry! I am really sorry. I re-read my posts and I think some of it came out sounding a lot more strident than I intended. David, no hard feelings - I hope!

Moonraker, I love all your emoticons!

[Anita Bensoussane]

You did seem a little strident at times but some interesting points have been raised about June and anonymous letters. Discussions like this show how strongly readers feel about Enid Blyton's stories and characters, which is by no means a bad thing!

Anita

[Moonraker]

Moonraker, I love all your emoticons!

I felt the load needed to be lightened somewhat! Seriously, it has been an interesting debate/argument/full-blown row [delete where necessary]. However, I think that constantly quoting others' posts and tearing them to pieces can be a tad intimidating! It somehow feels as if you are back at school, having your carefully written essay put in the shredder!

[Fiona1986]

Tiny fonted non-accusations aside, I feel the same Nigel. I'd have liked to enter the debate and add my points of view, but don't fancy having my opinion picked apart and criticised so I've just sat well back.

[Moonraker]

Ah, we could sit well back together, a beer in each of our hands, gently discussing our love of Enid's books...

[Fiona1986]

Hmm make that a hot chocolate and you may just have yourself a deal!

[Moonraker]

Hmm make that a hot chocolate and you may just have yourself a deal!

[Fiona1986]

Much, much funnier!

[Eddie Muir]

I felt the load needed to be lightened somewhat! Seriously, it has been an interesting debate/argument/full-blown row [delete where necessary]. However, I think that constantly quoting others' posts and tearing them to pieces can be a tad intimidating! It somehow feels as if you are back at school, having your carefully written essay put in the shredder!

As so often before, I find myself in agreement with you Nigel.

[Anita Bensoussane]

*Orders a new sofa for the Cave - sturdy, high-backed and bullet-proof!*

[Aurélien]

I'm glad that things on this thread have become more relaxed...it was certainly a vigorously conducted debate.

*Orders a new sofa for the Cave - sturdy, high-backed and bullet-proof!*

If that's the famous Cave of Books, Anita, you might try talking Tony into installing water-proof doors to keep the worst of the Spring/Autumn tides from floating the books away.....something the size of the River Thames flood barriers sounds about right.

On the other hand , it might be cheaper if Tony follows my (entirely selfless ) suggestion of flying his treasures out to me here in NZ for storage in my garden shed.....

‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’

[RainbowJude]

Not in so many words, but it was implied in the way you responded. The list of outcomes that you listed as examples were all physical and thus did not seem to consider what psychological effect the June's notes might have had on their recipients.

You are in effect saying that anything I didn't mention, meant that I was silently condoning it.... The point of the list of misdemeanors was to get you to keep things in perspective.... You will never hear me say that psychological consequences of bullying are irrelevant, because I have first-hand experience of that sort of thing, but I still think that all things considered, June's actions were not as serious as they are made out to be.

That is not what I am saying at all. This discussion has a context, a specific situation and relates to a specific situation. Your posts on the matter have consistently backed up June's part, which is not a problem in itself as one can quite easily muster up some empathy for the spankings she has received from her brothers or the fact that she's been picked on by the older girls at school, but I think it's inconsistent not give full weight to the impact that her letters could have on others. By not mentioning this, it has seemed that at times - in the context of this discussion rather than generally - as if you are offering a silent approval of June's actions even though they represent a form of psychological bullying. I understand that this does not represent your attitude towards bullying and I'm sorry if I misinterpreted you in that regard, but I do feel that your posts allowed that kind of misinterpretation in the first place, if only because you were so passionately arguing on June's behalf.

You say that I am lack perspective, but I don't see how my position that June's letter-writing was inappropriate behaviour implies this. You're arguing as if I'm saying that I'm in full agreement regarding June's proposed punishment and this is something that I have never debated in this conversation. My original point in relation to June's anonymous letters was never about whether the punishment for her actions suited what she had done. All I said was that knowing June's motives added weight to the story, which was for me the missing factor in The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters. Your response to that, which I've taken as the framework for everything that followed, begins with a statement that you couldn't "see much wrong in what June did". All I've been trying to say in the discussion that has followed is that, no matter to what extent we can understand the reasons that may have driven June to write the letters, either over time or in the short term, her actions are still wrong and still harmful to the recipients. The issue of June's proposed punishment is a separate issue and not one that served as the framework for my discussion in this thread at all.

David, no hard feelings - I hope!

Of course not. I hope there are none on your side either. The point of my responses above wasn't at all to disregard your very valid opinions on bullying and it has been an interesting discussion on the whole, I think.

At the same time, I'd like to say to some of the other people that have posted in this thread recently that I don't appreciate all the passive aggressive criticism aimed at my posting style that's surfaced above. We've been through this before and I've stated plainly that the reason I quote is to contextualise my posts, which is necessary as these threads often focus on several books or topics. If someone can't shift their attitude towards me or the way that I post when I've so clearly stated this point, then there's nothing more I can do about it - and I'm not going to let it upset me too much either. I also think that the majority of my posts are agreeable and often affirm points that I've quoted, so I think it is unfair to imply that everything I say is argumentative and for the sake of argument alone. Certainly, I make my mind known when I'm not in agreement about something and, yes, I do get a bit carried away sometimes, but I'm passionate about the things I love and I do love these books a great deal indeed.

Don't believe me? You don't have to, I suppose, but here's the philosophy that underpins my approach. Derek Walcott, a Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature in 1992, says: “Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole. The glue that fits the pieces is the sealing of the original shape."

You can take it or leave it, but that's all I have to say. I can't offer any further or better defence on my own behalf.

Later days
David

[Fiona1986]

I certainly didn't mean to cause offense David,and I certainly don't consider my posts to contain "passive aggressive criticism" but I think that fact that you feel the need to defend yourself, and also that fact that you assume we were referring to you and your posting style alone speaks volumes.

I realise my defending my posts may "speak volumes" also, but I don't feel I can defend the others who posted without putting words into their mouths.

[booklover]

Hi everyone

Just thought I would remind everyone that there are two threads on your Favourite Five Find-Outers book.
This one has the poll. Get those votes in!