The Enid Blyton Society

Yes Missing Man is very funny, Eunice sounds like a complete nightmare, poking and prying into everything! The strangest part of this book by far for me though is the mention of the flea circus. I have always thought those were only a figure of speech as nobody, even insect lovers, wants to see or be anywhere near parasitic fleas?! Surely such a thing didn't really exist and it's there purely for the story to progress? (though in that case why not a nice butterfly or ladybird display instead!)

IceMaiden wrote: The strangest part of this book by far for me though is the mention of the flea circus. Surely such a thing didn't really exist and it's there purely for the story to progress?

Long before I discovered the Mystery series by EB, I've heard about flea circusses.
Check this out:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flea_circus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I too had heard of flea circus but I think it was probably because I'd read Enid Blyton books and made a point of finding out about them because as a child the idea fascinated me.


I've just read the school books (started with Naughtiest Girl, went on to Malory Towers and finished with St Clair's). Not sure what to read now - any suggestions?

You could always complete the school story fest by reading Mischief at St. Rollo's, though it's not as complex or as memorable as most of the other school books. Which school series is your favourite, Dot - or which individual titles appeal most if you can't pick out one series? Some of my favourites are The Naughtiest Girl in the School (dramatic and unexpected), Upper Fourth at Malory Towers (it's great to see the main characters maturing and facing new challenges) and Fifth Formers of St. Clare's (so many fascinating plot strands, masterfully interwoven).

As a child, my favourite was Naughtiest Girl and I really enjoyed reading it again. I think I enjoyed all the St. Clare's this time because, although I did read them when younger, I concentrated more on NG and Malory Towers so I didn't remember St Clare's quite so well. Naughtiest Girl is probably still my favourite.
I'll have a look for Mischief at St Rollo's. Thanks for the tip.

For me, Naughtiest Girl is still the best school series - mainly because it includes boys and girls. I've never really understood why, having written so many books for both girls and boys, she suddenly cut her prospective reading audience in half by creating such long school series' for just girls! Imagine how people would complain about her these days if she'd written a series aimed just at boys!!

Obviously, I never read any of the St Clare's or Malory Towers books as a child - they wouldn't have interested me in the slightest, even if I had known about them! I've read them since, but I can take them or leave them, even though some of the characters and situations are quite well written and intriguing. The over-riding thing that comes across from these two series' is that the schools seem to be populated by a great deal of snobbish bullies!!

I just finished listening to the German audioplay "Five get into a fix". It has never been one of my favourite records, maybe that's the reason it never occured to me (or if it did I forgot about it) how much of "Mountain of adventure" was recycled in that book. Both are set in Wales, there's a mysterious mountain on which a strange fog/smoke can be seen at times, Earthquakes resulting from the work of men inside.

Wolfgang, I've only read my old German translation from the mid 1960's a few times which was years ago, but I remember that I enjoyed it.
It also reminds me a bit of "Rat-a-Tat". Must be the winter atmosphere.

deepeabee wrote:As a child, my favourite was Naughtiest Girl and I really enjoyed reading it again. I think I enjoyed all the St. Clare's this time because, although I did read them when younger, I concentrated more on NG and Malory Towers so I didn't remember St Clare's quite so well. Naughtiest Girl is probably still my favourite.

Rob Houghton wrote:For me, Naughtiest Girl is still the best school series - mainly because it includes boys and girls.

Much as I like the Malory Towers series for its structure, following the girls all the way through the school until it's time for them to leave, I think the Naughtiest Girl series might well be my favourite too. Whyteleafe strikes me as a more joyful school with a family atmosphere. I suppose having both girls and boys makes it feel more like an extended family. Elizabeth Allen is a great character - you never quite know what she's going to do next - and I also love reading about Joan Townsend's family situation and the gifted Julian Holland with his "don't care" attitude.

Rob Houghton wrote:I've never really understood why, having written so many books for both girls and boys, she suddenly cut her prospective reading audience in half by creating such long school series' for just girls!

According to the biography by Barbara Stoney, it was Alan White of Methuen who suggested (after the success of The Naughtiest Girl in the School) that Enid Blyton write "girls' school stories with a more conventional background."

Rob Houghton wrote:Obviously, I never read any of the St Clare's or Malory Towers books as a child - they wouldn't have interested me in the slightest, even if I had known about them!

I've heard of quite a few boys who read and enjoyed the St. Clare's and Malory Towers books. Tim Rice said at an Enid Blyton Day that his parents were concerned at his strong attachment to the St. Clare's series and kept buying him books about boys' boarding schools in the hope that he'd read them instead, but nothing could tear him away from the adventures of Claudine and co!

Rob Houghton wrote:The over-riding thing that comes across from these two series' is that the schools seem to be populated by a great deal of snobbish bullies!!

There are quite a few characters like that but there are also plenty of girls I think I'd have liked if they'd been at my school - for example Mary-Lou, Darrell, Bill, Clarissa, Claudine, Carlotta, Gladys, etc.

Anita Bensoussane wrote: According to the biography by Barbara Stoney, it was Alan White of Methuen who suggested (after the success of The Naughtiest Girl in the School) that Enid Blyton write "girls' school stories with a more conventional background."

Thanks Anita - yes, I remember reading that now. Its a while since I read the biography and I'd forgotten - that explains why she chose to write them!

I think I may well have enjoyed the Malory Towers books if I'd come across them as a child - but I can't be sure, because I would probably have found them strange. I was so used to reading stories that contained both boys and girls. Never read any exclusively boys stories, or those aimed exclusively at girls, so they weren't in my reading experience at that time. Many of my Enid Blyton books had originally belonged to my sister - and as she never had any St Clare's or Malory Towers books I didn't know about them and didn't even know they existed until I was in my 20's!

I agree about the Naughtiest Girl books - I think you hit it on the head when you said they have a great family atmosphere. I wasn't a fan of school as a child, but Whyteleafe felt like a school that would be fun to go to. I find it absolutely stunning as an ideology as well. Maybe it wouldn't have worked in reality - but it feels unique, with the school committee and 'jury' the sharing out of money, the ideas of fairness and community. Makes me wonder if Enid had secret admiration for the communist system!

Enid Blyton had an enquiring mind and I'm sure she'd have taken a general interest in ideologies - although I imagine that in writing the Naughtiest Girl books she was simply exploring principles like sharing, fairness and solidarity rather than modelling the school on any particular political system.

Oh yes - I agree - but it has always struck me how communistic the ideals of Whyteleafe are! I'm amazed she got away with it, lol!

We've discussed before that Enid Blyton may have been inspired by A. S. Neill's school, Summerhill in Suffolk, where the pupils largely rule themselves and have regular meetings to discuss issues, rewards and sanctions. However, Enid Blyton's school is nowhere near as laissez-faire. Children at Whyteleafe have to attend lessons (lessons aren't compulsory at Summerhill) and teachers have a greater degree of authority. Enid referred to her own little school at Southernhay as an "experimental school" so she probably drew on memories of that too. Whyteleafe encourages children to be creative and hands-on, with activities like music, dancing, woodwork and gardening being mentioned quite often. Enid Blyton was Froebel-trained and that would no doubt have shown in her teaching. Froebel put a lot of emphasis on self-directed learning using games, music and manipulation of physical objects.

Rob Houghton wrote:Makes me wonder if Enid had secret admiration for the communist system!

Now I'm having visions...



(sorry — and absolutely no insult intended to Enid!! )

Chrissie777 wrote:
Long before I discovered the Mystery series by EB, I've heard about flea circusses.
Check this out:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flea_circus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My goodness I don't know what to think on that, I really don't. I'd heard of a flea circus of course but I didn't for one second think they could be real as it seemed too absurd an idea to really exist. One one hand I'm amazed that people could harness a flea given their size and speed, but on the other hand I can't believe anyone would want to go near the horrible things, just the thought of it is making me itch .

On another note, I have finished Mystery of the Strange Messages and whoever said it was one of the best in the series is right - it is! I thought I'd read it once before but after reading it now I don't think I have as I couldn't recall or remember any part of it. A marvellous and thoroughly enjoyable read, I wish I'd come across it sooner!