Least favorite Enid Blyton book

Rob Houghton · Post by **Rob Houghton** » 20 May 2007, 15:06

Have we had a 'least favorite' section before? Apologies if so, I didnt check back past the first 20 or so subjects.

So what is your LEAST favorite EB book? It's hard to pick a favorite, but my least favorite has to be 'The Mystery that Never Was'. It promises so much but doest 'come up with the goods'. I remember disliking it even as a child.

Nearly every chapter ends with a supposed 'cliff hanger' - usually in the form of a 'writer intervention' (Enid's own voice coming through). But each chapter fails to do its job. What do others think?

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » 20 May 2007, 15:44

I can't remember the title, or the plot, but I can remember finding the last SS really quite annoying - and that's even allowing it the huge wodge of indulgence and excuses I always reserve for the SS! Saying that, there's so much Blyton I haven't read - just about everything that isn't one of the main series really, though this is the wrong place to confess that

. I keep meaning to ask for obscure(r) recs!

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 20 May 2007, 15:59

I am one of the few here, that like the Secret Seven! Although some of the plots are a bit weak, they still keep me entertained.

The weakest for me is Banshee Towers or Five are Together Again.

Paradoxically, I rather liked The Mystery that Never was.

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » 20 May 2007, 16:27

moonraker wrote:I am one of the few here, that like the Secret Seven! Although some of the plots are a bit weak, they still keep me entertained.
[/i].

I quite like them too actually, and don't even mind the plots - a couple of them are really quite endearing, I remember loving "Fireworks" as a child! The minutae - the FF books in the cave, the hideous sounding drinks, all that. But the last one was just a bit plodding and dismal - to me - I'm now afraid that it is someone's favourite, and I've offended them!

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 20 May 2007, 18:27

I don't like the Mr Pinkwhistle or Mr Meddle books much. Just didn't appeal.

jen · Post by **jen** » 20 May 2007, 18:33

Mr Twiddle...........what is the point?!

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 20 May 2007, 18:36

I hadn't even remembered Mr Twiddle when I posted but yeah, I put that in the same general category as the books I mentioned above. It could be that by the time I got around to them I was just too old - I can't remember how old I was but they were not among the first I read. But I just didn't identify with the characters .. didn't find anything exciting or believable about them.

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 20 May 2007, 20:26

Noddy Goes to Sea (such a long-winded, banal story) and The Hidey-Hole (just plain silly).

Anita

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 20 May 2007, 20:37

I've never liked any of the Noddy books, probably because I read them when I was over the age when I would have appreciated such a thing. I can't remember individual stories but I just remember being frankly rather bored by all of it.

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 20 May 2007, 20:47

Same here. I'd be perfectly happy if that particular book had been called Noddy Goes to Sea and Never Comes Back!

Anita

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » 20 May 2007, 21:10

Moose wrote:I don't like the Mr Pinkwhistle or Mr Meddle books much. Just didn't appeal.

Mr Pink-Whistle! That rings a bell! He was that exceedingly irritating do-gooder-vigilante who'd mete out justice where HE felt it was necessary instead of minding his own damned business! To be fair, I only ever read one book and there were several - so for all I know he underwent a radical character change and became a proper force for good.

*sarcasm mode off*

On the other hand, I DID like Mr Meddle who could be riotously funny. Remember that time he sneaked out in the fog against Aunt Jemima's orders, got lost, knocked on a random door to ask for directions as to where he lived and was promptly boxed on the ears by his Aunt Jemima who said "Yes! You live here!"? I loved that bit!

I guess it's because Meddle was portrayed as an anti-hero whereas Mr Pink-Whistle was SUPPOSED to be nice that I feel like this. And what's more, I can't believe after all these years I've just taken time to analyse and compare these two characters!

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 20 May 2007, 21:23

Hee hee - I rather liked Mr. Pink-Whistle but my daughter felt the same as you when she read the books a few years ago, Stephen. She said he seemed to get a kick out of punishing people! To be fair Mr. Pink-Whistle did reward people too, and often when he went to deal with something it was because a group of children who had been bullied (or whatever) had asked him to "interfere."

I liked Mr. Meddle as well. Another story I remember fondly is the one where Meddle goes home in the dark after a party and goes up to bed. When he wakes up the next morning, he can't understand why his room has been redecorated and his furniture has been moved round. Well, you can probably guess what happens when he rings the bell by his bed to summon a maid to bring him breakfast...

Anita

Ming · Post by **Ming** » 21 May 2007, 09:34

moonraker wrote:The weakest for me is Banshee Towers or Five are Together Again.

Paradoxically, I rather liked The Mystery that Never was.

Weakest for me too, just can't stand these two books. I read the new edition of The Mystery That Never Was, don't know what the original was like, but as far as I remember, I did like it a bit. At least it hasn't got a wailing banshee.

Jools · Post by **Jools** » 21 May 2007, 10:19

As a child, I recall being scared of Five go to Smugglers Top. The storm, the marsh, the mists, Block, Timmy hidden away. Very "dark".

Upon re reading (last week) I still find it a little spooky.

Kathelyne · Post by **Kathelyne** » 21 May 2007, 11:33

I don't have a least fav, but...
anything 'updtaed' or 'modernised' I like less than the origional, always, even if I haven't read the origional at all.