The Rubadub Mystery

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

My 1978 Armada paperback has "Queen's English" and "I bet the Queen says 'smashing' sometimes." It would be interesting to know exactly when the text was altered.
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by shadow »

1960 Collins with red boards says Kings English
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!

Post by Rob Houghton »

My 1969 paperback version says 'Queen's English' - so the change must have been somewhere between 1960 and 1969! :wink:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
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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 Wolfgang »

Well I checked my German versions, and they're using "king", but only in the context, the statement in German doesn't make much sense. Mr Lynton complains about the awful expressions, and Snubby responds that even the king might use them...
In the French edition I have this scene is completely missing.
Last edited by Wolfgang on 11 Nov 2017, 09:25, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Eddie Muir »

I have two editions of The Rubadub Mystery:

Collins 1965 hardback with yellow boards. Mr Lynton says to Snubby: “Can’t you talk Queen’s English?”

Award 2007 paperback. The sentences with “smashing” and “Queen’s English” have been omitted.
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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Rob Houghton »

Typical that in 2007 such references have been taken out altogether! :-( Depressing! Is it now considered 'xenophobic' to speak 'the Queen's English' perhaps? :roll:
'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 Rubadub Mystery

Post by Stephen »

I know I first brought this book up a few weeks ago, but after distraction after distraction, I've finally managed to finish The Rubadub Mystery! My goodness, this was a good book. It's very eye opening to read something like this as an adult. There were quite a few things that passed me by as a child. Not least that the baddie is a traitor and a spy, meaning to do a great deal of harm to people for some undisclosed political persuasion. I'm used to Blyton's villains being more interested in gold ingots or pearl necklaces. This on is a completely different level, and the hint of Mr Marvel's deserved fate is as chilling as it is subtle...
Nobody saw Mr Marvel again. That plausible, wily, traitorous rogue was dealt with in a way that made it quite impossible for him to do any damage to anything or anyone again.
Also, the way he exploited Barney was incredibly cruel for a Blyton villain. The first time I read it as a child, I thought the ending where he finally does meet his father was a bit rushed, seeing as it was resolved in one single chapter after four books, but I suppose there are subtle hints throughout this book that would lead to the happy ending. There's also an appearance of a jukebox and chewing gum - two things I wouldn't readily associate with Enid Blyton!

As I said before, I have the 1983 edition. This is one of the relatively few Enid Blyton books I got brand new at the time. As well as pictures of the four children slouching around wearing very modern clothes, the back cover description has references to "Matthew Marvels" and "Dunny". I presume the editor was having an off day? :?
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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Courtenay »

Stephen wrote:the back cover description has references to "Matthew Marvels" and "Dunny".
Oh dear... "Dunny" is Australian slang for a toilet. Particularly an old-fashioned outdoor one. :shock: :mrgreen:
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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Daisy »

"Dummy" was changed to "Dumpy" so where "Dunny" comes from I don't know, unless a second change has occurred.
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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Rob Houghton »

Courtenay wrote:
Stephen wrote:the back cover description has references to "Matthew Marvels" and "Dunny".
Oh dear... "Dunny" is Australian slang for a toilet. Particularly an old-fashioned outdoor one. :shock: :mrgreen:
:lol: I wouldn't put it past them!
'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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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Dunny?! :lol:

Even in the text, Mr. Marvel is called Mr. Marvels once or twice.


** SPOILER WARNING **

Stephen wrote:The first time I read it as a child, I thought the ending where he finally does meet his father was a bit rushed, seeing as it was resolved in one single chapter after four books, but I suppose there are subtle hints throughout this book that would lead to the happy ending.
When I first read The Rubadub Mystery I assumed towards the end that Barney had failed in his quest to find his father - for the time being at least. I was amazed when Enid Blyton managed to turn things around in just a few pages. The heartwarming resolution has all the more impact for coming swiftly and unexpectedly.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Stephen »

Daisy wrote:"Dummy" was changed to "Dumpy" so where "Dunny" comes from I don't know, unless a second change has occurred.
He's Dummy in the book. Just Dunny on the back cover!
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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Stephen »

As an encore, I've started to read The Rat-a-Tat Mystery which I see has been mentioned a lot in this thread. Like Rubadub, I last read it over thirty years ago. Unlike Rubadub, I can remember next to nothing about it. I can vaguely recall there was snow, and that was about it!
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Re: The Rubadub Mystery

Post by Rob Houghton »

I love the atmosphere of Rat-a-Tat but the plot sort of fizzles out, and Enid seems keen to make the threatening parts of the plot seem comical rather than truly scary! :-(
'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 Rubadub Mystery

Post by IceMaiden »

Rat-a-Tat reminds me of a programme that used to be on tv. People would tell of strange or spooky experiences/encounters they'd had which were spine-tingling and seemingly inexplicable at the time but then turned out to have a rational explanation that kind of spoilt it all by instantly taking away the suspense :P Nevertheless I do love RAT.
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