Least Favourite Enid Blyton Series?

[dsjlp]

Apologies if this thread is discussed anywhere else!
What is your least favourite series of books? For me it has to be The Secret Seven, I have just never really enjoyed these.

They are too many main characters to sustain; A megalomaniac leader; Most of the characters are very generic (the girls add nothing really, George & Colin only come to the fore very occasionally); Even Scamper is a bit pointless (and is no comparison to Timmy or even Buster); I can never remember what happens in any book from the title, and the books' most memorable character (Susie) is not even part of the group (see elsewhere for my defence of Susie!).

What does anyone else think?

[Anita Bensoussane]

I think it's probably the Caravan Family series for me. Although the books contain some interesting observations and lovely incidents, on the whole they're pretty tame and their main purpose seems to be to teach young readers about life on a cruise ship, in the USA, on a farm, on a canal, etc.

[Rob Houghton]

I don't think I really have a least favourite series. If I was pressed, it would probably be the St Clare's series followed by Malory Towers, which I find less interesting as they were written for girls rather than for everyone.

[Deej92]

I don't believe I have a least favourite series either. I actually quite liked the Secret Seven books. I'd agree with Rob, probably the Malory Towers and St Clare's series for the reasons outlined, although The Naughtiest Girl is one of my favourites.

[Francis]

I haven't found my least favourite series yet. I just have a lot of favourite series in order of my liking them!

[Rob Houghton]

I don't believe I have a least favourite series either. I actually quite liked the Secret Seven books. I'd agree with Rob, probably the Malory Towers and St Clare's series for the reasons outlined, although The Naughtiest Girl is one of my favourites.

I agree that The Naughtiest Girl series is one of the best! I'm quite surprised that Enid did the St Clare's and Malory Towers series and deliberately excluded her male fans...but never wrote a series just for boys! And they say Enid was sexist? Hmmmm....sexist against boys, maybe!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

It was at the suggestion of Methuen that Enid Blyton began writing the St. Clare's and Malory Towers series. In Enid Blyton - the Biography, Barbara Stoney says that the success of the first Naughtiest Girl book "decided her [Enid Blyton] to take up the suggestion of Alan White of Methuen that she should write other girls' school stories with a more conventional background." Traditional school stories typically involve single-sex establishments, but it's a pity that Enid's attention was diverted from the Naughtiest Girl. Much as I like the Malory Towers and St. Clare's books, Whyteleafe is special and I'd like to have seen Enid set more than three full-length books there.

And they say Enid was sexist? Hmmmm....sexist against boys, maybe!!

I can't help noticing that all the naughty children in the Mr. Pink-Whistle stories are boys - and of course the six young offenders in The Six Bad Boys!

[Rob Houghton]

And they say Enid was sexist? Hmmmm....sexist against boys, maybe!!

I can't help noticing that all the naughty children in the Mr. Pink-Whistle stories are boys - and of course the six young offenders in The Six Bad Boys!

If they'd been gollies they would have been banned by now, lol!

[Daisy]

It was at the suggestion of Methuen that Enid Blyton began writing the St. Clare's and Malory Towers series. In Enid Blyton - the Biography, Barbara Stoney says that the success of the first Naughtiest Girl book "decided her [Enid Blyton] to take up the suggestion of Alan White of Methuen that she should write other girls' school stories with a more conventional background." Traditional school stories typically involve single-sex establishments, but it's a pity that Enid's attention was diverted from the Naughtiest Girl. Much as I like the Malory Towers and St. Clare's books, Whyteleafe is special and I'd like to have seen Enid set more than three full-length books there.

I have read the Stoney biography, but hadn't remembered that point Anita.. It is a good reason to suggest Enid was certainly not sexist - that she chose a mixed sex school to write a school story about and it was her publisher who suggested the more conventional school story.

[Machupicchu14]

I don't think I really have a least favourite series. If I was pressed, it would probably be the St Clare's series followed by Malory Towers, which I find less interesting as they were written for girls rather than for everyone.

Rob! Really??

[Machupicchu14]

I think I like all of them. They are very nice!!!
I just can't find one that is not very good.

[Fiona1986]

Mine would have to be The Secret Seven. I never read them as a child, and as an adult I find that they all blur into each other and I can't remember many plots. There are also a lot of children to keep track of, they are also hard to tell apart. Particularly the girls who don't have many identifying features.

[Lucky Star]

Her series' are like apples and oranges. Each is unique in its own way so it's impossible to say that one is worse than another. The Secret Seven can incur many criticisms but they are aimed at very young children and are actually perfect for that age group.

My own least favourite would probably be St Clare's simply because I didn't read them until I was an adult so they have little resonance with me. If I'd read them as a young girl it would likely have been quite different.

[Daisy]

I echo Fiona's sentiments.... I only read the first 2 books in the series as a 12 year old and liked them well enough, but the other series do eclipse the Secret Seven for me. I am quite unable to attach any title to any particular story although I do have the whole series now and I reread the books every so often. Many of the plots are good and I think were probably a great introduction for younger readers.

[John Pickup]

I was introduced to Enid's work via The Secret Seven books and I believe it's an excellent series aimed at younger readers. I don't really have a least favourite series and I can't comment on the Malory Towers or St Clare's ones as I haven't read them all. If I was pressed to make a decision it would probably be the Noddy books.