Least Favourite Enid Blyton Series?

[Irene Malory Towers]

I think the trouble with the Adventurous Four is that they are not really a series, 2 full length novels and one short story. The first one is one of a handful of stories written in war time and about war is excellent. I think it is EB's best wartime story. I read it first time as an adult and I was both thrilled and nervous about the ending. But the 2nd does fail to match up to the suspense and drama of the first and the short story, is .. just a short story. There are 4 characters - Andy the leader, Tom the stubborn slightly rebellious one always thinking about food and identical twin girls - both physically and mentally identical. With only 2 meaty stories there is no opportunity to develop the characters. And with the setting on the islands there is very limited scope on the sort of adventures they can have, only so many remote islands they can visit so she couldn't have written any more without fundamentally changing the lifestyle and strengths of the characters.

Re the Secret Series - I quite like them but they are not as good as the other adventure or mystery books like the Famous Five, Five Find outers etc. I am not sure why though, maybe not enough in the series or the characters are not strong enough apart from Jack and even he loses his leadership qualities by the 3rd book. The stories are a bit too far fetched for me, they really strain the credulity particularly the Killimooin and Mountain novels. There are 2 unusual aspects of the secret series - one is that 2 are set abroad and the second is that adults play an important and active roles in the 3rd book onwards. They don't just come to the rescue at the end like most of EB's books. I think the first Secret island is by far the best and works well as a stand alone book, it has a wonderful dreamy magical quality about it and I prefer the group without Prince Paul who is a bit precocious and spoilt (he is a Prince after all).

[Bertie]

Yes, Irene, I agree with all of that.
I like the first Adventurous Four book a lot. The second is also decent, but is too similar in format, but not as good, so just reads like an inferior imitation to me. And the setting makes it difficult to see how other stories could have been much different. Of the four characters, I only really like / admire Andy. And I do always like some pets in the group, especially ones that are key characters like Timmy, Kiki, etc, which this series lacks. I like the books, especially the first one, but think two full length ones was probably all it had in it.

And I fully agree about the 'Secret...' series. You've named pretty much all the things that I'm least fond of about the series. I like Secret Island a lot. And Spiggy Holes and Moon Castle are decent. But I'm not fond of Secret Mountain or Killimooin and rarely re-read those two. And, as you say, the group lacks a 'leader' by book 3 as there's more adult involvement than normal and Jack becomes more like the rest of the children. It's also another series, like Adventurous Four, that doesn't have a pet as an extra character. They're the only two, of the seven main Mystery/Adventure series, that don't have one and I think they suffer for it.

[Irene Malory Towers]

Thanks Bertie. I remember not liking the Moon Castle one but i haven't read it for a long time so maybe it needs a re read as lot of people like it. I remembered being a very strung out story and like so many unfortunately of the last in her series book the ideas had run dry. I find that with most things in life and generally if a TV or book series is very long the last few episodes are mediocre. There are a few notable exceptions, Faulty Towers (but then there only were 2 series) and Blackadder goes fourth where the last series and particularly the last episode is not only excellent but exceptionally powerful. But there were only 4 series there I think and actually the first one was the weakest. But I stray from the point, I very recently reread the Adventurous Four and the Secret Series and so these points were fresh in my mind. I hadn't thought about the absence of pets but yes they do add an extra woofy dimension and they are missing.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I like the expression "an extra woofy dimension", Irene! Even though the Secret children don't have a pet and aren't given much individuality after the first book or two, I love the Secret series because it's so fresh and unexpected, with a vast array of settings and atmospheres (and even the addition of a new main character partway through the second book). The plots never become formulaic and there's a feeling that absolutely anything might happen. The Secret Island (a favourite of mine) is gloriously dreamy, The Secret of Spiggy Holes (my least-liked of the five titles) is a little slow although I enjoy the mysterious elements and the seaside location, The Secret Mountain (another favourite of mine) is one of the most hair-raising adventures Enid Blyton ever gave us, The Secret of Killimooin transports us to a thrilling realm of folklore and lost tribes, and The Secret of Moon Castle, although it takes time to get going, is deliciously sinister and quite spooky. These books really caught my imagination as a child and widened my horizons.

Turning to the Adventurous Four, I agree that the setting on the islands limits the scope, Irene, and that it's not surprising that Enid Blyton only wrote two full-length novels and one short story. The fact that Andy has already left school and is working as a fisherman ties him to that place, and he's clearly perfectly at home in that environment and looks likely to stay there.

[Moonraker]

Currently, I would list The Naughtiest Girl as the series I least enjoyed - maybe not weakest, but much of it I found irritating.

[Nair Snehalatha]

For me, The Adveturous Four , though lovely to read are the least interesting out of a whole host of glorious reading
Perhaps it's my fear of the sea that maked me geel the wsy I do-- Andy is perfectly.at home on tje sea as.are the others

[Hannah]

Currently, I would list The Naughtiest Girl as the series I least enjoyed - maybe not weakest, but much of it I found irritating.

I forgot the Naughtiest Girl series when I wrote my last post. That one would be low down too - though I'm not sure if above or below the Secret Seven.

[Moonraker]

it's my fear of the sea that maked me geel the wsy I do

I see what you mean!

[Moonraker]

I forgot the Naughtiest Girl series when I wrote my last post. That one would be low down too - though I'm not sure if above or below the Secret Seven.

Definitely below! I love the SS, takes me back to my childhood.

[Wolfgang]

Actually the German edition of the Naughtiest girl is pretty bad - it doesn't deserve the name translation. If I had come up with it at school, it would have been "abominable".

[IceMaiden]

I wonder how many of people's choices are influenced by when they read the books, as children or when they became adults.
I was lucky to read all of the mystery/adventure books as a child but I can understand some people not taking to the Secret Seven series for example, if they didn't come to them until they were grown up.

In my experience it doesn't make any difference, a good book is a good book and if you enjoy it it doesn't matter what age it's aimed at or what age you are! The Secret Seven are a series I didn't read for the first time until a couple of years ago because we didn't have them in the house when I was a child so I went straight to the Famous Five, Barney's, Adventure, Mystery and countless short stories we did have. When I finally did read the SS though I didn't find them any less likeable or get any less enjoyment from them than I would have done if I had read them at about 6 or 8. I find them to be well done, very imaginitive and enjoyable little stories, perfect for a quick delve into Enid Blyton's wonderful world. To me they are the book equivalent of a 200 piece jigsaw when you don't quite have the time or feel like a 1000 piece - it's the same enjoyable item in a smaller simpler package. I can see why other series would be preferred but I really don't understand why they seem to be so actively unpopular.

[Moonraker]

To me they are the book equivalent of a 200 piece jigsaw when you don't quite have the time or feel like a 1000 piece - it's the same enjoyable item in a smaller simpler package. I can see why other series would be preferred but I really don't understand why they seem to be so actively unpopular.

That is a really good description! The series is still popular with the masses, it just seems to have fallen slightly out of favour on the forums!

[Hannah]

Actually the German edition of the Naughtiest girl is pretty bad - it doesn't deserve the name translation. If I had come up with it at school, it would have been "abominable".

I agree. Naughtiest Girl, The Secret Island and also The Secret of Killimooin have been altered a lot (Moon Castle is mostly alright, but I haven't compared Secret Mountain and Spiggy Holes).
There are things missing in the translations of St. Clare's and Malory Towers - especially the whole story around Jo in the last book - but what has been translated hasn't been altered too much.

[GloomyGraham]

All pf the aeries are good in my opinion and I've re-read many of them recently.
Tne trouble is that all the series had a number of stinkers Yes The Secret Mountain and The Adventure story about the mad scientist and his flying wings seemed ridiculous even ti a 7 year old

Much older than 7 now, the Secret Seven books are hard to re-read as I find them much more childish. But I probably couldn't name one as they all feature some very good reads.

i must admit that my favourites are probably not from series. The family stories like Redroofs, Green Meadows or even Mistletoe I think I agree with earlier comments abut Adventurous 4 being too short to be considered a series so same would apply to Six Cousins

[Anita Bensoussane]

I agree that all the series have their good points, and my sister and I certainly enjoyed reading the Secret Seven books as children. They prompted us to form a detective club with two of our friends, complete with badges, passwords and shed, and we practised shadowing people (not to mention writing in invisible ink, escaping from a locked room and disguising ourselves - though those activities were inspired by the Find-Outers series). After about a year we still hadn't solved any mysteries so we turned our club into a Book-Lovers' Club instead.

Even as an adult, I like many of the plots despite the fact that the friction between the Seven and Susie becomes tiresome. On two occasions I spent an extremely enjoyable afternoon/evening reading The Secret Seven with snow falling thickly outside and I found that the weather enhanced the reading experience, making me feel that the events of the book were taking place right outside my house! That Secret Seven title and several others are genuinely intriguing mysteries with a degree of danger. They're especially exciting when read for the first time as Enid Blyton has a few surprises in store for the reader. These days I know what's going to happen but it's still fun to enter that world from time to time and soak up the atmosphere. It's just that in general I prefer Enid Blyton's longer books, which tend to have meatier plots with more twists and turns and place greater emphasis on character development.

Inevitably, some people's favourites will be viewed by others as unappealing. We're all drawn to different aspects based on our individual interests, experiences and circumstances - and memories of past readings might also play a part. The Naughtiest Girl series and The Secret Mountain are near the bottom of the pack for some but I love the first Naughtiest Girl title (The Naughtiest Girl in the School) for the interesting psychology (e.g. Elizabeth's conflicting attitudes to the school, her ill-considered arrangements for Joan's birthday and the poignant revelations regarding Joan's family situation). The Secret Mountain is another favourite of mine despite the improbabilities and coincidences because it immerses the reader in a world that is at once terrifying and thrilling. I was eight when I first read it and found it hard to tear myself away from it even to eat a meal. I was so wrapped up in the story that real life no longer seemed as real as journeying through hot, mountainous terrain with Jack, Mafumu et al.

I'm like GloomyGraham in that some of my favourite Enid Blyton titles are not from the main series. These would include the Six Cousins books, The Six Bad Boys, The Family at Red-Roofs, Come to the Circus!, The Enid Blyton Book of Brownies and Mr. Pink-Whistle's Party. One thing I've always admired about her is her incredible versatility.