The Secret Island

[Philip Mannering]

I wonder whether Gillian liked the Famous Five books? I assume she did, but I don't know.

[hope189]

Secret Island is indeed my favorite book in the secret series. I like Moon castle, mountain and Killimooin too. But, I've always disliked Spiggy holes.

Ah......how lucky Gillian was to read Blyton books hot from the typewriter!

[manzanita]

Thanks for your reply! Glad to hear Hike is something of a favourite, I always thought it was one of the lesser known ones. I also remember loving 'Mystery to Solve' but not even managing to finish 'Together Again', maybe I should give it another chance, or is it really as awful as I remember? I think part of the reason I liked 'Castle' so much is because it was my introduction to EB - I used to have it on tape read by the great Bernard Cribbins and he had the perfect voice to send you off to sleep. I must admit I haven't read many of the series which features 'Rockingdown' (I don't even know what the series is called!). I definitely read 'The Ragamuffin Mystery' but it didn't leave much of an impression. Again, are they worth reading? Another fave of mine has sprung to mind: 'The Treasure Hunters'!

Just to echo previous readers - don't let "Ragamuffin" dissuade you from reading the other Barney stories, they really are an excellent set of books! The last two really do let the series down, Ragamuffin particularly in my opinion. I'm not sure that Ragmuffin and Rat-A-Tat were even meant to be written originally? Plus, I think Ragamuffin was failry late and Enid wasn't int he best of health at that time. They're surprisingly complex and have a long running story line behind them and the shorter storylines as well and... well, just read them!

I recently re-read "Treasure Hunters" myself! I can also recommend many of Enid's other one off books...

[Seymour Glass]

It's been ages since I read any of the Secret books (it seems to be quite an obscure series) but I enjoyed all of them. I liked the character of Prince Paul, so I was fond of the following books in which his character had a large role, but I really enjoyed The Secret Island as well.

[Blytonboy]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0365764638" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's your chance to own a first edition from 1938.

[Nearby]

I've always had a soft spot for The Secret Island as well. As a grown up, I like the fact that the children, helpless in their plight in the adult world, build a small one of their own on that Island.

As a child, I just liked the fact that escaped from the 'evil' adults and lived a self sufficient life on a Secret Island.

The Brendon Chase type formulas, always seem to appeal to a child's imagination and secret fantasy.

I quite like Enid's stand alone books as well, which without the comprehensive book listing found on this site, I would have never known about. These books tend to be a little deeper and darker, and have a lesson behind them. Oft with a recurring theme of the value of family, and how, by pulling together, they can overcome adversity. The best examples I think being 'The Family at Red Roofs' and 'The Six Bad Boys'.

[Moonraker]

As a child, I just liked the fact that escaped from the 'evil' adults and lived a self sufficient life on a Secret Island.

Oh yes; I still yearn to escape from a world of adult rule.

[Lucky Star]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0365764638

Here's your chance to own a first edition from 1938.

That is a very rare book indeed. I wonder how much the reserve is. The only one with a dustjacket I have ever seen was on these forums, some long term members may reacall that someone had a copy and was restoring it. There were photos posted, I'll have to search out the thread sometime.

[Blytonboy]

I think it is probably about £100.

The seller has mentioned restoration costs of £50 and a similar amount for the value of the book.

I can never recall anyone having seen the 1938 edition in its wrapper. Later editions turn up with a jacket and these usually date from the 1940's and contain details of the three "Secret series" books written between 1938 and 1953. I have no idea what would be on the back cover of a 1938 jacket and I'm highly unlikely ever to have that pleasure!

[jacktrent]

It's been ages since I read any of the Secret books (it seems to be quite an obscure series) but I enjoyed all of them. I liked the character of Prince Paul, so I was fond of the following books in which his character had a large role, but I really enjoyed The Secret Island as well.

As you say, it is a bit of an obscure series, undeservedly so I think, and not helped by the choice of a minor publisher - Blackwell - for the early editions, which were issued in a variety of formats (something Enid was normally keen to avoid), and with several different illustrators.

[Philip Mannering]

It is a bit of an obscure series, undeservedly so I think, and not helped by the choice of a minor publisher - Blackwell - for the early editions, which were issued in a variety of formats (something Enid was normally keen to avoid), and with several different illustrators.

Good point regarding the publishers. I'd never heard of Blackwell publishers before. And also yes, the different illustrators weren't very consistent, as far as I see, with their own different interpretations. E.H. Davie illustrated the first two books, then Harry Rountree for the third, Eileen Soper for the fourth and finally Dorothy Hall for the fifth. Seeing some of the illustrations on the site, I enjoyed all of the artwork.

[Blytonboy]

It didn't get above £30 so not sold!! Unbelievable for such a rare book.
The Secret Series are comparitively unknown and therefore not so collectable.

[Lucky Star]

If I was richer I would have put in a bid for it but alas there is no way that I can justify spending a hundred pounds or more for a book, even a very rare one like that. The seller is probably better off waiting till we come out of this recession.

[Ming]

The seller is probably better off waiting till we come out of this recession.

He'd have to wait for a pretty long time then.

[Tony Summerfield]

If I was richer I would have put in a bid for it but alas there is no way that I can justify spending a hundred pounds or more for a book, even a very rare one like that.

I think the biggest problem here is that no collector is that interested in buying books without a dustwrapper, they would far rather pay much less for a nice reprint in a dustwrapper. It is the dustwrapper that makes these books scarce and the condition of the dustwrapper that controls the price, which is why it is impossible to value scarce books without actually seeing them. I am not a bit surprised that the book didn't go beyond £30 as that would have been a fair price for it.

It amused me to see on that ebay listing in the questions and answers section, that someone was told that his copy in a dustwrapper was worth £10,000 - I nearly choked with laughter! I don't know what the seller is on, but I think we would all like some!