Re: Listen-Through/Discussion of Famous Five Audio Books
Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 12:47
Like Rob, I haven't been to Brownsea Island. I've just seen it from a distance.
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Well, that worked for me because it didn't come completely out of nowhere. Blyton had planted the seeds in previous books, where Anne gets upset at being called a scared little mouse and warns that she might turn into a tiger. Besides, it's not absurd a quiet, gentle kid could explode sometimes, particularly one in her early teens.Anita Bensoussane wrote: Anne turning into a "tiger" (or "tigress" as you say, Db105) seems contrived to me and I find it hard to warm to Wilfrid, who blows hot and cold.
Well, yes, completely right. But incongruities of this kind have been present in the series from the beginning (like the whole Barnard/Kirrin mess, and just exactly how is George related to her cousins). I mean, it's clear that Enid wrote fast and did not very careful check that she had got all the continuity details straight, and obviously her editors were not much into editing. At this point I accept these things. They are fun to point out but they are details and don't prevent me from enjoying the story.Moonraker wrote:Now we come to the visitor. Mrs Layman—of whom we have never heard before. Yet Julian says: "Mrs Layman's a nice old thing—she was always giving us little treats when we were little." Really? Did Mrs Layman live in London at the time? However, in the following chapter, George says: "I say, who's this Mrs Layman who's coming to tea?" This suggests that Mrs Layman hasn't always lived near Poole Harbour—as surely it would be George who knew her and not Julian. However, when Mrs Layman arrives, Julian's mother introduces her to the others, saying, "This is Mrs Layman, children," — which seems to give the impression that in spite of being at the receiving end of 'little treats' when they were little, have now totally forgotten her in the past few pages.
As far as I know, it doesn't have any unwelcome connotations. When referring to the essence of the animal, as Enid is in Five Have a Mystery to Solve, it's fine to use "tiger" even though the person concerned is female.db105 wrote:I used tigress because it seemed natural as a female tiger, but of course English is not my first language. Is the word "tigress" just not used? Or does it have connotations that I'm missing?
Yes, I agree with you. As a child I read the books out of order so luckily Five Have a Mystery to Solve and Five Are Together Again got buried amid the better titles.db105 wrote:...the only two ones that where the decline is clear are the two last ones, Five Have a Mystery to Solve and this one, Five Are Together Again.
If you consider the elements of the story - a circus, a boy with a monkey, a tower, scientific secrets, Kirrin Island and a mysterious man who is a whizz at maths - it sounds as though it simply couldn't be poor. However, Enid Blyton fails to make the most of these promising ingredients and the story is slow, disorganised and clashes (in certain respects) with what we've been told in earlier books. I noticed some of the continuity errors as a youngster and was particularly perplexed by Timmy no longer going to George and Anne's school. As you say, Db105, did no one edit the books? It's amazing that details like that weren't queried.db105 wrote:This book is like a lower-quality remake of the wonderful Five Go Off in a Caravan, camping next to the circus folk, with elements of Five Have a Wonderful Time too.
Good point!db105 wrote:... so many elements borrowed from other books... even a donkey costume like Clopper from Five go Down to the Sea. No one seems to notice all the similarities, but the Five should be going through a permanent deja vu in this adventure.
As children my sister and I went out of our way to get Five Are Together Again after having read a dozen or so of the other titles, as we wanted to see how it all finished. We imagined there would be something significant about the last book that denoted "the end" and we even speculated that Timmy might die! We were disappointed when it turned out to be "just another adventure" - and not a very exciting one at that! However, I now feel the same as you, Db105 - that it's good that the series doesn't have a definite end and we can think of the Five as eternal adventurers.db105 wrote:"What an exciting time we've had! I really did enjoy every minute of it." So did we, George. Hurry up and fall into another adventure. We are longing to hear what you and the others will be up to next. How we wish we could join you! Good-bye for now — and take care of yourselves, Five. Good luck!" ... thus finishes the series. Yes, good-bye, Famous Five. I like that the series finishes that way, without announcing that this is the last adventure. In my imagination, the Famous Five will forever be having new adventures, filled with emotion, freedom and joy, even if they are not written down.
Anita Bensoussane wrote: We imagined there would be something significant about the last book that denoted "the end" and we even speculated that Timmy might die! We were disappointed...
Well otherwise we wouldn't have 24 Voilier Famous Five books, the continuation novels in the Secret passage, no 30 Sarah Bosse continuation books and (contemporary) 92 additional German dramatised audiobooks...Anita Bensoussane wrote: As children my sister and I went out of our way to get Five Are Together Again after having read a dozen or so of the other titles, as we wanted to see how it all finished. We imagined there would be something significant about the last book that denoted "the end" and we even speculated that Timmy might die! We were disappointed when it turned out to be "just another adventure" - and not a very exciting one at that! However, I now feel the same as you, Db105 - that it's good that the series doesn't have a definite end and we can think of the Five as eternal adventurers.
You're welcome, and thanks to you all for accompanying me. It makes sense to end with a better book like you did, although On a Treasure Island is important to introduce the characters, so did you read it twice, first and last?Rob Houghton wrote:Thanks again for a great review. I agree with everything you've written about Together Again - its not a great book, and its such a shame the series ended with these two inferior books - but, for me, the series remains fairly strong until Mystery To Solve, and o enjoy the first 19 books very much. When I read the series last year I purposefully ended with 'Five On A Treasure Island' just so I didn't have to finish with Together Again, which I find quite a depressing read, a bit like the last book in The Secret Seven series and also the Find Outer series.
Yes, I can understand the eagerness to see how it all ends. I remember something like that when reading the last Happy Hollisters book (and American children's series). But I'm glad we did not see the Five grow up and that Timmy did not die (shudder). Your Blyton-themed childhood games with your sister sounds a lot of fun.Anita Bensoussane wrote:As children my sister and I went out of our way to get Five Are Together Again after having read a dozen or so of the other titles, as we wanted to see how it all finished. We imagined there would be something significant about the last book that denoted "the end" and we even speculated that Timmy might die! We were disappointed when it turned out to be "just another adventure" - and not a very exciting one at that! However, I now feel the same as you, Db105 - that it's good that the series doesn't have a definite end and we can think of the Five as eternal adventurers.
Carlotta King wrote:The Timmy at school thing reminds me of Castle of Adventure where Lucy-Ann tells Dinah that Kiki wasn't allowed at school because she was so disruptive and that Jack had got a friend to look after her, then a bit later Kiki tells someone (the porter i think) to open their book at page 6 and Jack said that she got that from one of the masters.
Oh, I'm sure they would have made continuation books even if there had been a definite end to the series. they could always say those adventures took place before the last book.Wolfgang wrote: Well otherwise we wouldn't have 24 Voilier Famous Five books, the continuation novels in the Secret passage, no 30 Sarah Bosse continuation books and (contemporary) 92 additional German dramatised audiobooks...