The Naughtiest Girl Series

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Paul Austin
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Re: The Naughtiest Girl Series

Post by Paul Austin »

IIRC Enid never explored the old adage "power indulged is power abused" with William and Rita.
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Re: The Naughtiest Girl series

Post by pete9012S »

Robert Houghton wrote:Considering what I wrote above, I still haven't reread the Naughtiest Girl books. I haven't read them for about 10 years, so it's time I did! 8)
Yes,I have never read any of the school books either,although I have them along with the St Clare's & Malory Towers series too.
I must make a start on them soon!
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Re: The Naughtiest Girl series

Post by Daisy »

Paul Austin wrote:IIRC Enid never explored the old adage "power indulged is power abused" with William and Rita.
No, because they were the wise head boy and girl who would not have held their positions very long if they had abused it.
The focus of the books was on the eleven year old Elizabeth and her peers anyway.
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Re: The Naughtiest Girl series

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Daisy wrote:I have just read the three Naughtiest Girl Stories after a long break and was struck by the number of "lessons of life" Enid managed to include in her usual imaginative way. I think it is here that I first got the idea that it is a sign of strength rather than weakness to change one's mind if circumstances indicate that one should.
That concept stuck in my mind too, as did Joan Townsend's remark that "people make their own faces, as they grow."
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Re: The Naughtiest Girl series

Post by Rob Houghton »

pete9012S wrote:
Robert Houghton wrote:Considering what I wrote above, I still haven't reread the Naughtiest Girl books. I haven't read them for about 10 years, so it's time I did! 8)
Yes,I have never read any of the school books either,although I have them along with the St Clare's & Malory Towers series too.
I must make a start on them soon!
You really should read them, Pete - all are well worth reading of course, but for me the Naughtiest Girl books stand out, because they are set in a school for both girls and boys, unlike the other two. I've read the Malory Towers and St Clare's books only once each, as they are very definitely aimed more at girls - unusual for Enid Blyton - but the Naughtiest Girl books I've read many times in the past. :-)
'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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Re: The Naughtiest Girl series

Post by pete9012S »

Thanks Rob for the tip.
I think I will hunt one out and make a start this long weekend.

I'm just finishing the 6th Secret Seven book which I'm reading because of John Pickup's exciting overview of it in the latest Journal.
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What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Rob Houghton »

Split from another topic.

I'm reading 'The Naughtiest Girl Is A Monitor' - and once again I'm reminded just how brilliantly written this book is! Its the most complicated of the Naughtiest Girl books, with many layers, and looks fairly deeply into human behaviour regards friendships and making enemies, deceit and truthfulness etc. Some of the characters (such as Julian) are incredibly complex for an Enid Blyton novel. Really enjoying it. Its always been my favourite of the three books - although I like books 1 and 2 as well!
'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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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I rate The Naughtiest Girl is a Monitor highly as well. Julian Holland is an amazing character and it's great fun meeting Arabella Buckley too. As for poor Elizabeth's difficulties, they make for extremely interesting reading. However, The Naughtiest Girl in the School is my favourite because I love the emotional story of Joan Townsend and the startling but understandable contradictions within Elizabeth. What a pity Enid Blyton only wrote three full-length books about Whyteleafe!
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Rob Houghton »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: I love the emotional story of Joan Townsend and the startling but understandable contradictions within Elizabeth. What a pity Enid Blyton only wrote three full-length books about Whyteleafe!
I agree - all the books are strong, and have some real emotional themes. It really is a pity that Enid didn't write more, as she was just 'warming up' with these three, and I'm sure she could have written three or four more. I personally like them much more than St Clares and Malory Towers.
'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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Re: The Naughtiest Girl Series

Post by Katharine »

I've just started reading The Naughtiest Girl Collection.

I'd read The Naughtiest Girl in The School a little while ago, but hadn't got around to hunting out the next book in the series. By co-incidence I spotted the combined book the other week, so thought I'd get it to add to my other Hodder collections. I think it's a little strange that they didn't include the first book, the blurb says it's a whole school year in one volume, but in my opinion, to leave out the first book in the series, is very odd. This book includes the short story which I've never read, so I'm looking forward to that.

The first part has been updated as far as pocket money is concerned, but at £2 a week and 50p for a lost library book, I think the sums are quite realistic, although I've spotted one slip where 2 shillings are mentioned. If it's been modernised in any other way, I haven't notice.

Unfortunately, I have noticed a few bits of 'sloppy' writing. For example, the small boy who is bullied is called Peter, and then the boy who is taken ill and can't play in the Lacrosse match is also called Peter. I know that is was quite a popular name at the time, and it's not unrealistic to have 2 children of the same name at the school, but I'd have thought Enid could have thought of a different name for one of the boys, just to avoid any confusion. I think she must have written the book in a hurry, and no-one proof read it for continuity, as in another part Elizabeth goes to see Eileen to say she wants Robert to take her place in the team, but later the games master says he'll give Peter's place to Elizabeth. So who exactly chooses the teams???? :shock:

I also think it's interesting that Enid uses the phrase 'shoot a goal'. I don't know if that's a specific lacrosse term, whether it was a more usual phrase at the time, or whether Enid didn't take much interest in sport (although I thought she was quite a sporty person). I seem to recall that in one of her earliest books she talked of 'kicking' a goal, again another phase I'd not seen before.


Overall though, I'm really enjoying the book, and at one point the 'one chapter' I'd intended to read ended up being about 4 chapters, as Enid certainly knows how to end a chapter in such as way that the reader is keen to know what happens next.
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Re: The Naughtiest Girl Series

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Interesting points, Katharine. I know you haven't got to the shorter story yet (taken from Enid Blyton's Omnibus!) so I won't say too much about it, but I find it disappointing. It seems hurried and inconsequential.

Funny that Enid uses the name Peter twice. The name Michael also comes up more than once in the series - I can think of two instances where it's used for a small boy. As for Joan, in the first book her surname changes from Leslie to Townsend!

In one of the books Enid Blyton mentions how much money Elizabeth has brought one term and it's not actually enough to cover her allocated pocket money! Maybe her parents give her more at half-term but that's never stated.

"Shoot a goal" doesn't sound unusual to me. It's a phrase I'd use myself (not that I talk about sport very frequently!)
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

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Re: The Naughtiest Girl Series

Post by Katharine »

I'll make sure I don't have any great expectations for the final story then. :D

I never noticed the change in Joan's surname, my copy is a paperback from the late 1960s, perhaps the mistake had been rectified by then? Or maybe I'm not that observant. :lol:

Maybe shoot/score a goal is a regional thing?
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Re: The Naughtiest Girl Series

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

The mistake regarding Joan's surname is still there in my 1973 Dean & Son edition. I think she's only referred to as Joan Leslie once or twice near the beginning.
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Re: The Naughtiest Girl Series

Post by Rob Houghton »

I've also never noticed Joan Townsend's name-change...even though I'm currently reading the books! Its quite amusing, as Joan Leslie was a well-known American film star of the 1940's! :-D

Edit - I've found it now - in the opening chapters where Enid introduces the new members of the school 8) - in my 1953 edition.

I haven't noticed the repeated names of 'Peter' etc either. I do much prefer reading the originals with proper monetary values. It makes sense, when Elizabeth spends a 'whole pound' on a cake, presents, cards, stamps etc for Joan...but surely in the modern version she would have to spend at least £20 to get everything she buys? What value of money is mentioned for this episode nowadays?
'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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Re: The Naughtiest Girl Series

Post by Moonraker »

My grandson is with us at the moment, and he read the excerpt from Enid Blyton's School Stories. He then read the complete book - although a shame to start with a later one! He is now reading the first one.
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