Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

pete9012S wrote:To be fair,the more aggressive comments suggested that I didn't possess much of a 'sense of humour' which I'm sure many would readily agree with.. :D
:lol: :wink:
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Liam »

I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately, but when I saw this article I had to bring it to this thread. :)
If You Laugh at These Dark Jokes, You’re Probably a Genius wrote:
According to a new study published in the journal Cognitive Processing, your reaction could indicate your intelligence. In the paper, a team of psychologists concludes that people who appreciate dark humor— defined as 'humor that treats sinister subjects like death, disease, deformity, handicap or warfare with bitter amusement and presents such tragic, distressing or morbid topics in humorous terms'—may have higher IQs, show lower aggression, and resist negative feelings more effectively than people who turn up their noses at it.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smar ... id=DELLDHP" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Rob Houghton »

hmmmm...I just think people who find those things funny haven't experienced them for themselves and don't really understand them. Yes - I am quite capable of finding dark things funny - but it all depends on context. Trump obviously finds making fun of disabled people funny...does that mean he has a high IQ, show lower aggression, and resists negative feelings more effectively than people who turn up their noses at it.? :?
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I'll warm me with your echoes
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I wouldn't describe the "humour" of the Quercus Famous Five books as "dark", but then I wouldn't describe it as "light" either. The words that spring to mind are "contrived" and "feeble"!

I've just remembered some of the descriptions that Quercus put up initially, before any of the books were released:

Five Go Gluten Free:

https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/books/de ... 1786488008" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Anne decides that the old methods are the best and decides to have herself exorcised - which proves to be an awful lot of bother for everyone, and such a mess."

Five Go on a Strategy Away Day:

https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/books/de ... 1786482242" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Who's been sneaking messages through the hotel dumb waiter about secret assignations? Is there a smuggler's plot afoot? Or is Shelly from Production sh***ing Postroom Luke?"

I don't even remember those episodes, so either they didn't make it into the final versions or they're given such a brief mention that they failed to make any impression on me.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Courtenay »

I wouldn't say those jokes in the MSN article are seriously "dark" humour — they're all the same sort of jokes (some are almost identical, especially the Superman one) that we used to laugh at as kids in primary school. I can still laugh (or, more likely, groan) at most of them and that doesn't mean I would find those actual situations funny at all if they happened in real life. I wouldn't, any more than most other people would (I hope). But none of those jokes resemble the brand of "humour" in the adult FF books at all, as far as I've seen. I couldn't agree more with Anita here...
Anita Bensoussane wrote:I wouldn't describe the "humour" of the Quercus Famous Five books as "dark", but then I wouldn't describe it as "light" either. The words that spring to mind are "contrived" and "feeble"!
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by KEVP »

I certainly heard the Superman joke when I attended British school, but not when I attended American school. This may be one of the indications that the British sense of humo(u)r is more sophisticated, or just simply "better", than the American one.
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Courtenay »

Well, I heard it when I attended an Australian school, so I've no idea what that indicates. 8)
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Liam »

When I made the post above, I had in mind the prepublication discussion which debated whether the books would make fun of illness.

As for Trump, he is the last person I would think of as having a sense of humor. The guy doesn’t smile without a lot of effort, and is too thin skinned.

If Trump annoys you, then don’t read the first comment in the article. It has him besting Hillary in the intelligence department. Quite funny, if you dare!
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Courtenay »

Actually, that one was pretty good. :mrgreen:
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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by pete9012S »

Image
A grandmother was left embarrassed after she bought her granddaughter an expletive-ridden Enid Blyton book.

Julie Rider, 61, wanted to buy one of the classic children's titles for six-year-old Erin but accidentally picked up an R-rated spoof intended for adults.

She only realised her mistake after Erin had read several chapters and told her mother Louise Molloy she 'didn't really understand the book'.

Mrs Molloy, from St Austell, Cornwall, looked inside and found references to sex, alcohol and online dating. One of the chapters was titled: 'Five b****r something up again'.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... -book.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

'But don't worry,I'm sure Enid Blyton would have been positively delighted' declared a spokesman from the publishers...
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Rob Houghton »

Enid would of course be positively delighted. In fact she would have rewritten them in this manner had she been alive today. A spokesman said 'we contacted Enid and she said 'how delightful' when we read her one of the books over the phone.' :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: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by pete9012S »

Image

Perhaps this one will raise the tone??
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Can't understand why they sell!!! There's even more in the pipe line set to be on the shelves this summer!!! :roll:

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

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Re: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Rob Houghton »

What I don't get with the 'beach ready' cover is that Julian is wearing a ridiculous-looking Victorian swimsuit! In 2017? I don't get it. Its even more old-fashioned than any of the swimwear Eileen Soper depicted 8)
'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: Famous Five 'Adult' Books!

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I think with the swimsuit, it's a case of taking the P.

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

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