Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books

[Katharine]

The audio version I listened to seemed a lot ruder than the printed words, so tone can make a big difference, so maybe it wasn't meant to be as rude as it came across when I heard it. Having said that, I'm pretty certain that my parents wouldn't have dreamed of withholding information from their parents, and if they had, it would have resulted in some kind of punishment.

I think the whole passage is a little strange though. Surely it would have been up to Uncle Quentin as 'the master of the house' not Mr. Roland, to say that George would have to tell them when she got home, but then Uncle Quentin always strikes me as a pretty weak sort of person.

I do enjoy the story on the whole though. The thought of discovering a map, a hidden way, and secret panels would thrill me even now.

Just thought, Enid didn't really stray far from her first book with this plot did she. A secret map, the frustration of finding the entrance, and then stumbling across it by accident.

[db105]

Do the audio versions stick to to printed editions word for word (text updates included of course) ?

I believe so, more or less... The audiobook is complete, but I don't know if it's exactly one of the versions of the book or if there are some very minor edits exclusive to the audiobook. The audiobooks have jeans instead of shorts, but the references to spanking and the quaint old expressions (jolly good!) are retained. In Caravan, though, the gypsies are travellers. In any case, I'm comfortable with it, as it clearly isn't the thoroughly modernized "modern" edition.

[db105]

I was thinking it would be good to have a dedicated thread too, Pete.

Thanks for your work creating the new thread and splitting the posts, Anita!

[db105]

I think the whole passage is a little strange though. Surely it would have been up to Uncle Quentin as 'the master of the house' not Mr. Roland, to say that George would have to tell them when she got home, but then Uncle Quentin always strikes me as a pretty weak sort of person.

Yes, and later on when Tim is banished from the house and George changes her attitude, Quentin seems about to lift the punishment and Mr. Roland rushes in to say the punishment should be maintained, and Quentin goes along with that.

I think that Quentin is focused on his work and does not understand children. He is not really comfortable when he has to deal with them. Since he has hired a tutor, he probably is relieved to have an "expert" to folow.

He has a touching scene in that book when he is talking with George and thinks how difficult she is and then reflects that he also was called difficult as a child, and that maybe George is a bit like him in that respect.

I do enjoy the story on the whole though. The thought of discovering a map, a hidden way, and secret panels would thrill me even now.

Just thought, Enid didn't really stray far from her first book with this plot did she. A secret map, the frustration of finding the entrance, and then stumbling across it by accident.

Well, yes, there are certainly many familiar elements throughout the series. Secret passages, surly and menacing villains...

[Rob Houghton]

He has a touching scene in that book when he is talking with George and thinks how difficult she is and then reflects that he also was called difficult as a child, and that maybe George is a bit like him in that respect.

It's interesting to compare them as characters, as George is very much like her father - probably that's why they rub each other up the wrong way so often! George is quick tempered like her father, and she is stubborn like her father, and she doesn't befriend people easily. She is probably also a bit eccentric, like her father, given her way of dress etc in an era when that would have been unusual. She's certainly not conventional - and neither is her father. She's probably also very clever, like her father.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I think that Quentin is focused on his work and does not understand children. He is not really comfortable when he has to deal with them. Since he has hired a tutor, he probably is relieved to have an "expert" to folow.

He has a touching scene in that book when he is talking with George and thinks how difficult she is and then reflects that he also was called difficult as a child, and that maybe George is a bit like him in that respect.

Last time I read Five Go Adventuring Again I was struck by Quentin saying at one point, "I was always against having children in the house." In the same book, he hugs the papers containing his scientific formula "as if they were a precious baby."

However, he's obviously aware that he and his daughter are similar in a number of ways - and perhaps George feels that too. She clearly understands how much her father's work means to him as she risks facing the two artists (with Timmy to protect her) so that the others can escape with their uncle's papers. Both George and her father inhabit their own little worlds to some extent - worlds which mean a lot to them and which they're eager to defend. Quentin's world consists of his study and his scientific work, while George's world revolves around Timmy and her island. They are alike in their stubbornness and drive too, and sometimes have moments in which they understand each other well. The trouble is that they're not very good at communicating their feelings to one another.

Smuggler's Top was the first Famous Five I ever read (in the annual version rather than the novel, but I read the novel shortly afterwards). I loved it, and I still think its one of the best of the Five books today - though I'm never sure what order to put them in! Smuggler's Top, Hike, Trouble, Mystery Moor and Caravan are always around the top of my list!

I think my top five would be Fall Into Adventure, Smuggler's Top, Hike Together, Caravan and Run Away Together.

[db105]

Last time I read Five Go Adventuring Again I was struck by Quentin saying at one point, "I was always against having children in the house."

I interpreted that as "I was always against having children in the house this holidays", which is still heartless but less heartless than the wider interpretation.

[pete9012S]

I decided to re-read what a commentator of renown wrote about Uncle Quentin.

Uncle Quentin:

Quentin is George’s Dad as well as uncle to Julian, Dick, and Anne. He is an inventor and scientist. Thus, we could contend that he is a “self-made” man. His work makes him quite absent-mind, which in symbolic terms is responsible for his quick kidnapping or capture by criminals and circus folks in Five Go To Smuggler’s Top and Five Have A Wonderful Time, respectively.

He also has fiery temper that may run in all of the Kirrin Household as demonstrated by periodic outbursts from George and even Anne as we have already seen.

Because of his profession and time schedule, he has little time for the children; an aspect which George, his daughter, oftentimes laments about, though he heartily participates in key events such as family picnics as some Eileen Soper illustrations demonstrate.....

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[db105]

Five Go Off in a Caravan (Famous Five #5, 1946)

Blurb: **The story begins on a hot sunny day when the children sees a circus go by. This gives George an idea for a camping holiday. The others are excited about this and Julian asks his mother to hire a caravan. After a few days they leave for Merran Lake where they befriend Nobby, a boy who works for a circus. The Five camp near to the circus and soon find that some of the people including Tiger Dan, Nobby's uncle, are less than happy with their presence.**

Spoilers ahead:

I remembered this as one my favorite Famous Five, and it still is. As much as I enjoy other books in the series with a more oppressive atmosphere (basically all the previous ones except the first), this is the kind of Famous Five story I remember most fondly: it has that sense of freedom and joy that permeates all the pre-adventure part. That feeling extends then to the adventure part, and makes me read (or, in this case, listen) with a wide grin. This is a perfect example of the series: everything about it is very enjoyable.

Random thoughts:

The pre-adventure part of this book is particularly wonderful. It's just fun and exciting as the five make plans for their caravan holidays and set off on their own. Apart from their camping on Kirrin Island in previous books, it's the first time they get to go on holidays with no adult supervision whatsoever, and that's something that really appealed to me as a boy. Even today, having mountain trekking as one of my hobbies, I much prefer organizing the trip with just a group of friends rather than joining guided trips.

When you think about it, it's kind of sad that George's parents send their daughter to boarding school and on her holidays they don't want her to be with them because of Uncle Quentin's work. Reading this as a boy it did not bother me. I accepted that the convention of these books is that the parents' role is getting out of the way so that the children can have their great adventures. But reading now I notice it more. Did parents in the 50s put less value on enjoying their children's childhood?

We get to meet Julian, Dick and Anne's parents. Well, we met them briefly in the first book, but here we see a bit more of them and their home life. They seem quite nice, nothing like the fierceness of Uncle Quentin but, as I commented, their role is getting out of the way. This time it's not an illness, but their father has to travel and would like to bring his wife with him, so they are receptive to the children's plan of going off on their own for a couple of weeks.

The adults stress that they give their permission for them to go on their own because they trust Julian to be in charge, and because Tim will look after them too. All that leadership and responsibility on Julian's shoulders would perhaps be more natural if he were two or three years older than George and Dick, instead of just one. One year is not that much, although it's true that Julian is just quite responsible.

Julian says that he is going to lock the door of the girls' caravan, just in case a tramp or something tries to get in during the night. George rebels, saying that she is not going to be locked in and that Tim is more than capable of protecting them. This is so obviously true that Julian has to agree. However, later in the story, when there's more tangible reason to worry, George accepts because she notices Anne is scared. However, wouldn't it make much more sense for the girls to lock the door from the inside, rather than Julian locking them in? If the boys are in trouble, George can't even let Tim out to help, and Tim is the hero who can defeat any rogue threatening the children.

I really enjoyed Pongo the ape and his tricks. Quite funny. As much as I love Timmy, he does not have the flair for comedy that Kiki the parrot has in the Adventure series, so it was good to have such a funny animal in this book. I loved how he would cover his face with his hand as if he were ashamed when he was scolded for something, but at the same time he looked mischievously through his fingers, not a bit sorry.

A horse named Dobby and a boy named Nobby in this story. Way too similar. Didn't Blyton have an editor?

How wealthy were the Five? Their families, I mean? Blyton is sometimes criticized for being classist, for having these posh children fighting lower-class, unwashed criminals. Compared to the circus folk they were certainly "posh". However, as a child the Five never seemed very posh to me. After all, the kind of activities they did seemed middle-class. What super-wealthy people spend their holidays on a caravan pulled by a horse, or camping in rural areas? Sure, the Kirrins had a cook, but on the other hand they had recently found a lot of gold. Before that, they had serious money problems. Now I understand that sending the children to boarding schools was something that only relatively wealthy families could do, but still they do not seem very posh to me. Depends who you compare them to, of course. Perhaps at that time anyone of a higher social class than the servants was posh.

How nice were the owners of that farm near the lake. The children really ate well thanks to them. People often joke about Blyton's obsession with food, and it's true, but I just enjoy it. She knew her audience. What child does not enjoy good food? It just contributes to the cozy atmosphere.

The adventure was excellent. I remember as a boy being thrilled when Julian was on top of the caravan watching to see what the bad guys would do. How clever, but also dangerous! One of my favorite moments in the whole series.

George didn't shine here as much as in other books. Julian gets to hide on the roof of the caravan and discover Dan and Lou's secret, and Dick is the one who slips away from the cave where they were imprisoned and gets help.

I found it funny, how Anne took charge when it came to meals and household chores, and in that context she ordered everyone around. She seemed really happy doing that. Sexist? Well, as long as girls (i.e. George) are not forced to do more than the boys just because they are girls, I don't see why Anne shouldn't enjoy it if she is so inclined. Still, something like that would not be politically correct enough to be published today. If someone enjoys cooking, it'd better be a boy.

One thing that bothered me in Smuggler's Top is that the plan of the bad guy turned out to be absurd. Here, we have no such annoyance. Sure, it was an incredible coincidence that they would put the caravans right on top of the entrance to the caves where Tiger Dan and Lou had the stolen goods, but coincidences are OK in these books as far as I am concerned. How else would these children have so many adventures? (Besides, I was very amused as a child imagining how frustrated the bad guys had felt).

Dan and Lou were really nasty. Poor Nobby! And on top of everything else, they wanted to leave the children to starve in the cave, and only decided against it because it would cause all the police to go after them. There was very real danger in this adventure. Even shots.

I wonder whether Nobby enjoyed life at the farm after the story. Sure, he could work with the horses, and sure, he was free from mistreatment, but life with the circus folk seemed a lot of fun. There always seemed to be something interesting happening. Maybe it's not so much fun when you are there all the time... Well, one thing is certain, Nobby would eat well at that farm!


Oh well, this is my favorite book in the series so far.

Coming next: Five on Kirrin Island Again (1947)

[Courtenay]

As much as I love Timmy, he does not have the flair for comedy that Kiki the parrot has in the Adventure series, so it was good to have such a funny animal in this book.

Oh good, someone else who likes Kiki! She comes in for a bit of flak in these discussions sometimes...

Thanks again, db105, for your very interesting posts. I'm avoiding reading this one too carefully, though, as I haven't read Five Go Off in a Caravan in full — I started it many years ago and was really enjoying it, until I found our copy (second hand) had a page missing, and I couldn't get hold of another copy at the time, so I never got any further than that! One of these days I'll get back to it...

[Rob Houghton]

Caravan is certainly one of my favourite stories in the series - and probably more for the lead-up than the actual adventure. I love the way Blyton captures the holiday atmosphere so well, and I enjoy the leisurely start. The adventure is good also, mainly because of all the threats and 'abuse' from the villains, who seem particularly dangerous. They are prepared to beat Nobby, and to whack Pongo on the head, and who knows what else they would do? they also have guns, which immediately makes the story more realistic and the villains less comic than some appear to be.

When I wrote my Famous Five continuation 'Five Go Off On A Narrowboat' (available on here to EB Society members) I have to admit I based it heavily on Five Go Off In A Caravan. I enjoy the slow build-up and the sunny summer holiday before the adventure begins in 'Caravan' and I copied it a little in my story!

[db105]

Oh good, someone else who likes Kiki! She comes in for a bit of flak in these discussions sometimes...

I love Kiki! Who else would scold the bad guys or any particularly stuffy adult, and tell them to wipe their feet and "Where's your handkerchief?"

Thanks again, db105, for your very interesting posts. I'm avoiding reading this one too carefully, though, as I haven't read Five Go Off in a Caravan in full — I started it many years ago and was really enjoying it, until I found our copy (second hand) had a page missing, and I couldn't get hold of another copy at the time, so I never got any further than that! One of these days I'll get back to it...

Thanks! And do read it when you can. It's one of the best

[Rob Houghton]

I don't mind Kiki now I'm older, and sometimes I even find her quite enjoyable, lol - but as a child I couldn't stand her - in fact she was the reason I started 'Island of Adventure' aged 12 and never finished it! The first chapter put me off completely.

I've since read all the Adventure books and enjoy them all - but I guess I was unusual as a child - didn't think much of Timmy or Kiki or Miranda or Loony or any of the animal characters!

[Anita Bensoussane]

... this is the kind of Famous Five story I remember most fondly: it has that sense of freedom and joy that permeates all the pre-adventure part. That feeling extends then to the adventure part, and makes me read (or, in this case, listen) with a wide grin. This is a perfect example of the series: everything about it is very enjoyable.

I love it for the same reasons. The Sea of Adventure is another Blyton book that has a wonderfully long, dreamy section near the start, with the characters relaxing and enjoying scenes of beauty, followed by an adventure involving real menace and danger.

I really enjoyed Pongo the ape and his tricks. Quite funny. As much as I love Timmy, he does not have the flair for comedy that Kiki the parrot has in the Adventure series, so it was good to have such a funny animal in this book. I loved how he would cover his face with his hand as if he were ashamed when he was scolded for something, but at the same time he looked mischievously through his fingers, not a bit sorry.

Apologies to Timmy, but Pongo is my favourite animal character in the Famous Five series - followed by Mischief. And Kiki from the Adventure series is the best of the lot! I love the creatures that are slightly mischievous and full of personality.

A horse named Dobby and a boy named Nobby in this story. Way too similar. Didn't Blyton have an editor?

Despite reading the book a dozen times and watching both TV adaptations, I don't think I ever noticed that!

Dan and Lou were really nasty. Poor Nobby! And on top of everything else, they wanted to leave the children to starve in the cave, and only decided against it because it would cause all the police to go after them. There was very real danger in this adventure. Even shots.

... The adventure is good also, mainly because of all the threats and 'abuse' from the villains, who seem particularly dangerous. They are prepared to beat Nobby, and to whack Pongo on the head, and who knows what else they would do? they also have guns, which immediately makes the story more realistic and the villains less comic than some appear to be.

I agree that Lou and Tiger Dan are truly sinister. I was terrified by them as a child - enjoyably terrified, I hasten to add!

[Rob Houghton]

There's also a genuine threat - the first time the children are on holiday on their own, in a remote area, and the threat of Tiger Dan and Lou is very real. The fact they keep popping up on remote footpaths etc and are quite aggressive when they see the children, really adds to the tension.