What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

[Sir Terence]

I am going throught the Barney mysteries in sequence, having acquired a full set with the wrap-around dust wrappers for what I thought was quite a reasonable sum (compared with the FF, FFO or MT sets, which are beyond my means). I have reached The Rat-A-Tat Mystery, which I last read in the early 1970's - trying not to be deterred by the comments I have read in these forums!

[lwindrush]

I have not read any Blyton for over 30 years but I'm going to take the plunge and reread FF in sequence. It's my guilty pleasure.

[Chrissie777]

Hi lwindrush,

I discovered Enid Blyton and the FF in 1965 (and watched the movie "Five on a Treasure Island" already in 1962 on German TV when I was only 7 years old and at that point still had no clue that it was based on a book) and with the exception of a few years in the early to late seventies when I was too busy to read during my training at the town hall, I basically read Blyton books all life long.
Not only Blytons, lots of adult novels and thrillers, too, but every once in a while I read one of her series of books or the stand alone books like "Cliff Castle" or "The Treasure Hunters".

For a very long time I was under the impression that I must be the exception from the rule, the only adult who still enjoys reading childrens books, so I always considered it a guilty pleasure and kept my mouth shut about it. I expected people would think I'm weird if I would admit that I still read Blyton books in my fifties.
Then in 2008 my husband discovered the Blyton Yahoo Group for me (he even did read "Five on a Treasure Island" in 2008 before we went to Dorset...Blyton is not as famous in the US as in Europe, India and Australia) and to my surprise I found out that there are thousands of others still reading and enjoying Blyton books although they are long grown up.

Right now I'm doing a FF readathon by myself, just for fun, but have only reached volume 2 so far, I do read them in chronological order and in the old (not updated) German translation. The first 15 volumes are my favorites.
I once read "Five on a Treasure Island" in English (in 2000) and had no trouble understanding every word, however, the real nostalgia feel only comes to me when I read my Blytons in German.

Hopefully the next few weeks won't be as busy as the last weeks have been and I can start vol. 3 soon...

[Anita Bensoussane]

I read Enid Blyton's Happy Story Book last night, which is an entertaining collection of tales. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't as "happy" as the title implied as I was halfway through a story when it came to an abrupt end. I realised that the last two and a half stories in the book were missing, the pages having been ripped out by a former owner. Ironically, the title of the "half" story was 'The Girl Who Tore Her Books'!

[Fiona1986]

How dissapointing, Anita!

I read the five Josie, Click and Bun books at the weekend and one of them was a bit spoiled by being messily coloured in. Part of the last frame had been torn away in one of them too.

[7upromana01]

I'm reading at the mo New Term at Malory Towers. It isn't an Enid Blyton one but it is a follow-on.

[lwindrush]

I read and enjoy many novels aimed for children such as Philip Pullman and Alan Garner both better writers than JK Rowling.

Awaiting some FF novels I bought on EBay to arrive, the post here is terribly slow.

[Katharine]

Just finished reading My Enid Blyton Story Book. Just 8 little stories, and rather predictable as they were obviously written for quite young children, but enjoyable nevertheless. The illustrations were lovely - typical 1950s style.

Now reading the Pole Star family which appears in the back of Playways Annual 1955. I've only read the story once so am enjoying reading it again. The first time I read it, it was in a fairly new 'all in one' edition. When I've finished reading I'm going to check the two versions as I suspect there maybe some updating. In the 1955 version there is a comment about the Queen Elizabeth being built by the British and how they were the best ship builders in the world - or words to that effect. I've a feeling the British reference may have been removed from the newer version. Trouble is, I can't remember where I've put my copy.

[lwindrush]

With all the constant updating of the texts it wouldn't surprise me to read the FF texting on their mobiles and wearing hoodies.

[Jill]

I had a peek in one of the new FF editions same story but cartoon things on front, don`t like that at all but was really pleased to see Dick and fanny have not been changed, I had thought they would be Rick and francis by now!

[Daisy]

In some updated versions they are Rick and Franny now!

[Katharine]

Are Rick and Franny 'modern' names then? I don't think I know anyone called Rick younger than about 35, and I've never met anyone called Franny. I do know someone called Fran and he's a little boy!

[Lucky Star]

In some updated versions they are Rick and Franny now!

Really? Thats dreadful. I knew that The Faraway Tree series has been updated and that Jo, Bessie and Fanny there have become Joe, Beth and Franny, but I didn't realise that the FF had been updated. Dratted modernisers.

[Daisy]

No I was referring to the Faraway Tree - Cousin Dick becomes Rick (I'm told) and little girl Fanny is Franny. I haven't read the updated books myself, but have seen the comments about name-changing which appear on here from time to time!

[Lucky Star]

Phew.