Enid making reference to other authors in her work?

[Kitty]

I was reading The Sea of Adventure yesterday, and noticed Horace Tipperlong accusing the children of 'playing at being Just Williams.' I don't often notice Enid making reference to other authors (or their creations) in her work, but I wondered if it happened more often than I had supposed, since I'm not particularly widely read Enid-wise. I love it when nods like that creep into books - Brent-Dyer and Antonia Forest were great in that regard. But when it comes to Enid, I can think of Shakespeare being mentioned in the school stories, The Secret Seven enjoying the Famous Five, Bets' "The Little Saint", Fatty and Sherlock, the Deirdre Wilcox scandal - but not much else. I'd love to know/be reminded about any other nods to real books in EB land?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Barney the circus-boy also reads Shakespeare (The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet are named), while Jack in The Secret Island buys a copy of Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and he and the others take turns to read aloud from it in the evenings. In Six Cousins At Mistletoe Farm Cyril and Aunt Linnie quote poetry, including eight lines of Milton's L'Allegro. There are also references to traditional fairy-tales and nursery-rhymes in several books, especially the Faraway Tree series. Seems that circus-folk, boys in ragged clothes and farmers' wives are particularly fond of literature!

Anita

[Billie]

I think there is a reference to Sherlock Holmes in one of the Secret Seven books, though she has to spell it out and says something about "the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes."

[Philip Mannering]

I love the poetry quotes from Cyril and Aunt Linnie in Six Cousins at Mistletoe Farm. So matching to the scenes.

[pete9012S]

I think in one of the Famous Five's Dick says he is reading a very exciting book. I don't think the author is mentioned though.
I can't remember which Famous Five book either - can you?

[Boodi 2]

Was it in "Five Go To Demon's Rocks"?

[Hannah]

I've only found this one in Demon's Rocks regarding an "exciting book":

‘Did One-Ear Bill get it when he came out of prison?’ asked Dick, thinking this was a much more exciting story than he had ever read in a book—and a true one too!

[pete9012S]

That's a great reference! Thank you very much.

I wonder if that is the one I was thinking of?

[Boodi 2]

Thanks Hannah!
That is probably what I was thinking of, but as you point out, no actual "exciting book" title is mentioned

[Barnard]

In the Mystery of the Strange Bundle, Enid mentions Sherlock Holmes stories but not the name of the author.

[Inspector Jenks]

The first time I bought the Secret Seven book that mentioned the Famous Five, I was really excited as the back cover blurb led me to believe that Julian et al would actually be putting in an appearance, as opposed to Susie just homaging them in the name of her rival society.

[pete9012S]

Ooh, I'd like to read that blurb, but I can't even remember which Secret Seven book that was!

[Lucky Star]

Ooh, I'd like to read that blurb, but I can't even remember which Secret Seven book that was!

I think it was book four, Secret Seven on the Trail.



However if I'm right the "rival Famous Five Club" refers to Susie and her friends rather than Julian, et al!

[pete9012S]

Thanks John. I wouldn't have got that one.
I thought it was referring to the book in which one of the Secret Seven stores some Famous Five books in a Cave..or was it a treehouse??

[Lucky Star]

Treehouse I think but that was really only a passing mention of the fact that one of the boys (Colin?) was enjoying the FF books. Probably an advertising plug from Enid as the young SS readers could have been reasonably expected to graduate to "bigger" books soon so why not the author's own series for older children.