Five Go To Demon's Rocks

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Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by pete9012S »

I'm currently re-reading this one whilst on holiday.
I'm actually really enjoying reading it.
I'm reading the first edition with dust wrapper-internal illustrations are in black and white,some blue and some red.
Observations so far

I had forgotten that in this book the Five cycle from Julian's house to Kirrin,showing that they can't have lived too far away by book nineteen.

I don't remember as many different titles used for Quentin & Fanny in the other books as are used in this one;Quentin,Uncle Quentin,Mr.Kirrin Fanny,Ma,am Aunt Fanny,Mrs Kirrin.(but maybe I'm wrong)

The lighthouse is I think ten miles by sea,but much longer overland,they even have to stop for lunch on the journey.
I wonder how those distances/topography stack up if we imagined that Kirrin was near Corfe Castle and the Demon's Rocks light house was based on the lighthouse and the Tilly Whim caves..

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=f ... CAcQ_AUoAQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regarding the lighthouse and earthquakes we read;
In books
The lighthouse became a renowned structure throughout the world and is mentioned in many different pieces of literature. It was even described at length in the Zhufan Zhi (諸蕃志, "Records of Foreign Peoples") by Zhao Rugua (1170-1228), a Chinese customs inspector for the port city of Quanzhou during the Song Dynasty.[4]

Matthew Reilly uses this ancient wonder as the location of a piece of the golden capstone in his novel that states in the cultural section from Book 2 of the Cambridge Latin Course, the Pharos of Alexandria is mentioned, along with the history of Alexandria, as one of the greatest international ports of the ancient world. Also mentioned in Enid Blyton's "Five Go To Demon's Rocks", in a conversation between "Julian" and "Anne" about an earthquake destroying a lighthouse. (Published in 1961.)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=942562" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also of interest was this comment at the Kirrin Garage;
‘Let’s walk down to the garage and see if they have a car or a van to hire out to us,’ said Julian. ‘We’ll have to have a driver too, because someone has to take back the car. Come on, Timmy-dog!’
They all set off to the garage in the village. The rain held off for a while, and the sun came out, making Kirrin Bay sparkle and shine.
‘I wish we could have gone to stay on my island,’ said George. ‘But it really is too damp to camp out. Anyway, a light-house will be nice for a change!’
The man at the garage listened to Julian’s tale of wanting a car to go to the light-house. ‘It’s the old light-house at Demon’s Rocks, not the new one at High Cliffs,’ he said. ‘We’re going to stay there.’
‘Stay at a light-house!’ said the man. ‘This isn’t a joke is it!’
‘No. It happens to belong to one of us,’ said Julian. ‘We have a few things to take there, of course, and we hoped you’d have a car and a driver tomorrow for us. We’d let you know somehow when
we are ready to come back from the light-house, and you can send the same car for us then.’
‘Right,’ said the man. ‘And you’re staying at Kirrin Cottage now, you say? Oh - your uncle is Mr Kirrin? Well, I know Master George here, of course - but I wasn’t certain who you were. Some queer people order cars, you know!’
I had thought in earlier books that Julian had had dealings with the local garages when trying to rescue a kidnapped George,and maybe also in the short stories?
On top of this,Kirrin is a small place,they are THE FAMOUS FIVE.Surely everyone would have known them.
Plus,the Kirrins have been hiring cars and drivers to take them all over the place many times before...
I also smiled when it was decided that it was 'too expensive' for the children to stay in a local hotel...have they hit on hard times financially too? We read;
‘It sounds thrilling!’ said George, picturing them all marooned by fierce storms, waiting to be rescued from peril and starvation! ‘Get some biscuits, Anne. And bars of chocolate. And lots of ginger-beer. And a big bottle of lemonade. And a...’
‘Wait a minute - do you know who’s paying for all this?’ said Julian. ‘I am. So don’t ruin me completely!’ He took out his wallet. ‘Here’s a pound,’ he said. ‘That’s all I can spare at present! Dick can buy the next lot of food we want!’
It takes till chapter eight for them to break away from Kirrin and start their own adventure,but I must say I'm really enjoying this book so far.
In fact as I have brought my 1970's & 1990's series DVD's with me ,I think I will compare them with each other whilst reading the book! :D
Last edited by pete9012S on 18 Feb 2014, 18:04, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Five Go To Demons Rocks

Post by Maggie Knows »

This one is next for me, once I've struggled through Finniston. :cry:

I do recall, when I started reading the series as a kid, that I was particularly excited by the title of the Demons Rocks book, and I could hardly wait to get to it. I did manage to resist the temptation though, and read them all in order (apart from 4 and 6 which I received as Xmas presents and read first...)

I did/do enjoy Demons Rocks, and who wouldn't be thrilled at the thought of staying in a lighthouse. The part when they are trapped inside I always thought was very exciting; the more danger for the Five, the better !!!
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Re: Five Go To Demons Rocks

Post by pete9012S »

I think you will enjoy it!
Also,forgot to ask if anyone has later editions to see how Julian's pound increases and by how much with inflation?? :D
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Re: Five Go To Demons Rocks

Post by Moonraker »

In my 2013 edition, Julian uses PayPal.... :twisted:
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Re: Five Go To Demons Rocks

Post by Carlotta King »

I've got the 1992 Award edition with the lilac hardback cover, and Julian's money has increased to five pounds in this one. :)
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by Carlotta King »

Love this book. It's one of my favourites. :) This was one of the books I would always take on holiday with me.

Right from the beginning it is amusing, exciting and full of 'character'! I love the start of it, where everyone turns up at Kirrin Cottage. The two professors are grumpy and irritable, Tinker is just annoying with his pretend cars, Mischief is hilarious, and poor Aunt Fanny and Joan are at a loss to know what to do with everyone!

The scenes with Mischief are particularly amusing - the way he pelts Joan with her own raisins, and when she throws water at him and it drenches Uncle Quentin, then how Mischief is sat on Joan's shoulder while she rolls out the pastry, while talking away to him.

It's very exciting when they finally get on their way to the lighthouse! I wish I'd have had a chance to stay in a lighthouse when I was young!! :)
It has that nice holiday feel about it when they settle in and go for their first wander across the rocks into the village, like when you first get somewhere and know you've got a holiday ahead, and go looking around and perhaps stocking up in the local shop. :)

I'm currently alternating between Demon's Rocks and Smugglers Top, so will post more thoughts later! :)
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by pete9012S »

Well,I've just watched and compared the two TV versions of Demon's Rocks back to back.
I did not see either when young for some strange reason and I have to say for me,the 90's version is my favourite.
It seems to stick to the book more,the dialogue is accurate,the policeman is just how I imagined him(didn't he look older when he took his helmet off!)
The chauffeur was how I imagined him too.
Tinker was too tall and too old though,he should have been younger.
The baddies were excellent,as was Jeremiah Boogle.
Could anyone place the locals accents? To me,they sounded like they were aiming for Cornish,but maybe I'm wrong there?
I know if you grew up with the 70's version ( which I did) it's hard to be totally subjective,but overall I would give this episode a good 9/10,whilst the 70's would get a 6/10 in comparison.
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by Carlotta King »

I love the 90s episode too. As you say, the characters are all as I imagine them from the book! I don't actually mind Tinker as an older boy, more of Julian or Dick's age, he is very annoying as a young child and it suited the episode more to have him more sensible and not pretending to be a car! :)
Having said that I like him that way in the book, I just don't think it would have been so good in the tv episode.

I think, yes, they were aiming for some sort of westcountry accent in the locals, however Jacob has a distinct touch of some other accent when they are at his house and Julian is asking where their key is, and Jacob insists "I ain't gorrit, I tell yer!". :D
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by yarvelling »

Loved this one... :) The desolate setting of the old lighthouse; cut off from the mainland at high-tide and by stormy seas - how thrilling!! :)
The crooks were properly nasty in this too, so it became very tense as the story drew to a conclusion!
I never read the newer versions though; fortunately - somehow can't imagine an old salty sea-dog wanting half-pound of *sweets* putting aside for him at the *sweet shop* instead of half-a-pound of his favourite baccy ;)
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Maybe the sweets were Fisherman's Friends! :lol:
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by Carlotta King »

I don't see why they can't leave the baccy in the stories. Bill Smugs is always smoking and they haven't edited that out. How ridicuolous would it be to have strong, tough Bill, when he is puzzling over a mystery or some crooks, sitting having a think and opening a tube of wine gums?! Or going up to the deck of the Viking Star for a last toffee before bed?! :roll: :lol:

OK, the children bought the baccy and of course they wouldn't be allowed to do that nowadays, so in that case where's the problem, it's not as if children will get ideas of going to buy baccy these days and getting away with it - that would never be allowed!
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Re: Five Go To Demons Rocks

Post by deepeabee »

Moonraker wrote:In my 2013 edition, Julian uses PayPal.... :twisted:
:shock:
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by Ming »

Tsk, Nigel.

I loved Demon's Rocks too. The title is in my opinion one of the better ones of the series. It has a sense of mystery and adventure to it and I loved the descriptions of the lighthouse and the storm. I remember writing a poem about a lighthouse in sixth grade, inspired by the book. I'll need to reread this soon.
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by Moonraker »

If you were a lighthouse, I would be the lamp. :twisted:
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Re: Five Go To Demon's Rocks

Post by Maggie Knows »

Started this one last night, and have got through the initial chapters to the point where they arrive at the Lighthouse.

For Whiskey Pete's information, I accompanied this with a dram of Old Pulteney 12yo :) followed by a second dram of Laphroaig Quarter Cask... :D
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