Favourite Five Find-Outers book

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...

Your favourite Five Find-Outers book

1. Burnt Cottage
4
4%
2. Disappearing Cat
2
2%
3. Secret Room
12
12%
4. Spiteful Letters
14
13%
5. Missing Necklace
13
13%
6. Hidden House
6
6%
7. Pantomime Cat
8
8%
8. Invisible Thief
12
12%
9. Vanished Prince
2
2%
10. Strange Bundle
6
6%
11. Holly Lane
1
1%
12. Tally-Ho Cottage
10
10%
13. Missing Man
3
3%
14. Strange Messages
9
9%
15. Banshee Towers
2
2%
 
Total votes: 104

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sixret
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Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by sixret »

I entirely agree with BB, Poppy, Anita and Pete. :D

People who likes detective stories very much usually graduated from FFO series and the like for example Nancy Drew series, Three Investigators, Happy Hollisters, Brains Benton, Trixie Belden, Dana Girls, Kay Tracey, Judy Bolton and many more. These series are more popular in U.S. I have all of them. :D
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

The Find-Outers series is indeed a proper detective series, with an injection of mischief and fun. Poison-pen letters make for an intriguing subject as dark secrets of all kinds are dredged up, the victims are affected psychologically and the perpetrator is revealed to be bitter and twisted (though I'm not sure whether we get to know the motive in Spiteful Letters).
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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sixret
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Joined: 16 Aug 2006, 14:25
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by sixret »

I agree, poison pen can damage a person psychologically rather than physically. But it can lead the person to harm himself/herself because he/she can't stand anymore the torment.

Person who send poison pen is usually considered as a weak person. They scare to confront the person, so they sort their dissatisfaction by sending poison pen. :D
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
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sixret
Posts: 4130
Joined: 16 Aug 2006, 14:25
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by sixret »

When I googled, I came to the same result like Anita. If the poison pen contains death threat, then it is considered a crime. I can't remember the detail in Moving Fingers by AC( the plot revolves around poison pen) so can't be sure what's the British law regarding poison pen in 1940s.
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
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Anita Bensoussane
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Location: UK

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

The anonymous notes in Spiteful Letters probably don't contain threats of physical harm, though we don't get to see all the notes so we don't have the full picture. I get the impression that they're mainly gloating and malicious, designed to disturb people mentally rather than threaten bodily harm. Whether the sender could have been prosecuted in the 1940s is still uncertain.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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snugglepot
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Favourite book/series: Five Find Outers, Faraway Tree, Barney Books
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Location: Australia

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by snugglepot »

In Agatha Christie's "The Moving Finger", the poison pen letters are a smokescreen to hide the motive for murder and to present a reason why the victim would take her own life.

I am one of those people who love detective fiction and enjoyed the FFO as a child.
Like sixret, I too moved on to The Three Investigators, Nancy Drew, Brains Benton and Trixie Beldon, before discovering Agatha Christie at thirteen.
I still read detective stories when I get the time.
Last edited by snugglepot on 20 Nov 2014, 09:25, edited 1 time in total.
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sixret
Posts: 4130
Joined: 16 Aug 2006, 14:25
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by sixret »

It's nice to know someone who has moved to the same direction, Snugglepot. :D
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
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sixret
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Joined: 16 Aug 2006, 14:25
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by sixret »

Hignoramous- I've found this word in Spiteful Letters. I couldn't believe Enid had used this unknown word( to me). I have to find the meaning online. I've never used dictionary when I read EB books before! But no hignoramous in the online dictionary. I just found ignoramous. This is getting stranger. :shock:
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
User avatar
sixret
Posts: 4130
Joined: 16 Aug 2006, 14:25
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by sixret »

So far, I've reread the first 4 titles in FFO series, Spiteful Letters is the best. Currently, I am rereading Missing Necklace.

I loved and enjoyed reading Family at Red-Roofs but it has many sad moments. I need to read 2 titles in funny FFO series before I could tackle the next title in Family series. :lol:
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
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Rob Houghton
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Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
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Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by Rob Houghton »

sixret wrote:Hignoramous- I've found this word in Spiteful Letters. I couldn't believe Enid had used this unknown word( to me). I have to find the meaning online. I've never used dictionary when I read EB books before! But no hignoramous in the online dictionary. I just found ignoramous. This is getting stranger. :shock:
The word is 'ignoramous' but presumably, depending who uses the word (I can't recall) it's a way of depicting a 'Cockney' accent, whereby many words are pronounced with an 'h' where there isnt one, such as 'hignoramous' 'hidiot' instead of 'idiot' 'habsolutely' rather than 'absolutely' etc, as parodied in 'Pygmalion' with the saying 'In 'Artford Erriford and Ampshire, urricanes ardly Hever Appen' ! 8)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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sixret
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Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by sixret »

Thank you for the explanation, Rob. :D
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
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deepeabee
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Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by deepeabee »

The FFO and dog are up there with my favourite Blyton books. Has anyone else noticed that when Fatty dresses up he almost always uses dirty clothes?
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Lucky Star
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Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by Lucky Star »

deepeabee wrote: Has anyone else noticed that when Fatty dresses up he almost always uses dirty clothes?
Yes he usually dressed as some disreputable character like a tramp or an old night watchman or suchlike. I guess it's to make himself utterly different from his normal clean middle class self.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero

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deepeabee
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Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by deepeabee »

I know that but in Tally Ho he dresses up as an Indian with normal clothes and a turban yet the trousers are dirty and tight.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Favourite Five Find-Outers book

Post by Rob Houghton »

That's an interesting observation. I obviously knew he dressed up as various gypsies and tramps and generally 'lower class' people, but I didn't notice till now that he never dresses as a toff or an upper-crust type! Obviously the excitement was to mix with the lowly and unwashed of Peterswood! :lol:

I guess it was partly because of Enid Blyton's assumption that 'all' villains were lower class! people who wear clean clothes don't commit crimes!! :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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