Your Top 3 Famous Five Books?

[Irene Malory Towers]

Yes I thought he was around 13. I wonder whether Smuggler's Top is the all time no. 1 for the Famous Five as so many people rate it in their top 3

[Wolfgang]

My three favourite Famous Five books are Five Go To Mystery Moor, Five On Kirrin Island Again and Five Go To Smugglers Top.
I have noticed in Kirrin Island, that when they meet Martin, he is described as ‘sixteen, about Julian’s own age’. Julian was surely nowhere near sixteen.

It's plausible. In treasure Island he was 13 if I remember correctly, in "run away together" he must have been 14 then, in "Five go off in a caravan" he must have been 15.

[Judith Crabb]

You're about right Wolfgang, though Julian is 12 in 'Five on a Treasure Island' and, chronologically, 14, in 'Five go off in a Caravan' which is a summer adventure. The next adventure on Kirrin Island Again is the following Easter which means he's likely to be 15.

[Barnard]

And so how old is Julian supposed to be in Five Are Together Again?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Yes, Enid Blyton originally intended the Famous Five series to be a set of six books, so she may well have aged the characters realistically in the first half a dozen titles. With Julian being fifteen in Five on Kirrin Island Again, a boy of sixteen could be said to be "about" the same age.

Edit: Just seen your question, Barnard. I think the children only age realistically in the first few books. Once Enid Blyton decided to extend the series, she rarely gave the ages of the characters (though it's mentioned somewhere that Julian is sixteen) and at one point she asked Eileen Soper not to make the children look any older (in fact, Eileen Soper made them look younger again rather than keeping them the same age).

[Judith Crabb]

Yes, that's quite right. Aunt Fanny in 'Five Fall into Adventure' chapter one says that 'Julian is sixteen now and can cope with anything that turns up'. And this is only the ninth book in the series. Thereafter age is not mentioned, so for most of the series real time does not apply.

[pete9012S]

I love everyone's ability to rank their Five's after their top three.

As mentioned my top three are Treasure Island, Hike & Fix.

After that I struggle to put them above or below each other.

I never liked Mystery Moor much because of Henrietta. But now, because it's a book I've re-read so little, I rather enjoy the book. It seems fresh and enjoyable.

Wasn't really a big fan of Secret Trail - when little I couldn't seem to understand the plot - still can't!!

And then, the other titles all seem to blend together. I like the last two because I knew they would be the last Five's I ever read.
So I forgave the strange plot holes. Just the Kirrins living near to George bothered me, and falling asleep whilst on Whispering Island was most strange to my young mind.

So I love all the twenty one books. When young I was like someone with an addiction - I just wanted my next Famous Five - nothing else in life mattered.

I get a little peeved when critics say reading Blyton stunts a reader from reading other more worthy literature.
As an avid reader of The Beano, Spider-Man comics, Star-Trek annuals and the Whizzer & Chips I feel I must protest strongly about that daft assertion!

[Debbie]

Yes, that's quite right. Aunt Fanny in 'Five Fall into Adventure' chapter one says that 'Julian is sixteen now and can cope with anything that turns up'. And this is only the ninth book in the series. Thereafter age is not mentioned, so for most of the series real time does not apply.

I think in "Five are together again", it's mentioned that Anne was games captain and Julian had exams. I'd take from that that Anne was 16 (in year 11/5th year) and Julian was A-level year, so 18yo. It might be in one of the other books. Anne's saying she wants a holiday not an adventure and Julian says she deserves one, if I'm remembering rightly. I might be wrong on the book, maybe it's "Mystery to Solve"?

[jubei]

I would never can made my 3rd of top 3 Famous Five books because they are so many of them and all of them are good to me. But for top 1 and top 2 are certain:



Top 1. Five Go Off Camp. In my Bahasa Indonesia version, the translation are more catchy , it translated as "Hunting the Ghost Train". This is FF book that I most remember. The camping in the train area theme are so fascinating to me at that time. The book also included a Mr. Luffy as insect nerd teacher, very memorable to me.


Top 2. Five Have a Mystery to Solve. This is my very very first book of FF so it has good spot in my memory. The imagination of famous five crew landed in mysterious island and solved mystery are so spot on in this book. Full of suspense as I remember. In B. Indonesia it translated as "Famous Five in Horror Island" so it more specific and provocative title.

for top 3 it can be any of these:
- Five Have Plenty of Fun (famous five thrill drama due to George wrongly kidnapped.. spoiler)
- Five are together again (circus theme Famous Five)
- Five Fall into Trouble (additional character , Jo )

[pete9012S]

Superb choices jubei.
All the better too to see the Betty Maxey / Maxey inspired front covers too!

The book also included a Mr. Luffy as insect nerd teacher..

What a fantastic description!

[jubei]

I just read almost the whole thread and found Five Go off Camp quite a favorite here. But Five have Mystery to Solve seems out of radar.

Btw, every time I need to refer to Famous Five, I need to find my translation for the title. It just I found the original English title for FF didn't really "describe" the adventure they going to be. Just as generic as "Famous Five Have A Wonderful Time"

Yes, Mr. Luffy very memorable to me.