Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

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josepmcb
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Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by josepmcb »

Uncle Quentin has become a celebrity: conferences in America, Julian's teacher reverends him, hes's said to be well known all over the world, newspapers talk about him, and about Kirrin Cottage...Obviously, this information may produce some unwelcome effects: a mysterious man called Red Tower hires to gypsy men, ups sorry, travelers, to steal Uncle Quentin's notebooks. One of them, Simmy, has a daughter called Jo, who help his father on his misdemeanors… A first attempt to burglar Kirrin Cottage fails because of Anne's screams, the second one succeeds but the burglars don't get what they want, so, next step: kidnapping George and and ask for the notebook as a ransom. Jo, grateful of Dick's kindness, betrays his father and starts helping the five in finding George.

I would say this is the most thrilling FF adventure, it almost reaches The Adventure Series standards. Unlike other FF's, the adventure starts at the very beginning and you're not given any rest. The final chapters set in Red Tower's place are really brilliant and shaking, the adventure boils up indeed.

We have also the best guest character throughout the series. In fact the book could have an alternative name: "The story of Jo, the ragamuffin", and it is really a sad and moving story. A little circus girl who lost her mother and was dragged to a criminal life by her abusive father Only one person, Dick, shows kindness to her, and this fact turns the events and sets the path for her redemption.

I consider it one of the most moving stories in all FF series. I like particularly the chapter "Ragamuffin Jo", where EB describes the individual thoughts of each one while looking at Jo. I can't remember any similar moment in the series.

The characters:

A guest character, Jo, becomes the true star, specially in the last chapters: she's brave, clever and funny. It is really a great character, much more realistic than, let's say, Barney. Jo appears again in two later deliveries , both far poorer than this one.

Her lead role overshadows the rest, specially George who is absent (kidnapped) most part of the time. Before being kidnapped, she's rude with Jo (remarks about her supposed smelling...). After being rescued she's grateful with her, but, as we can see in follwing deliveries, the rivalry remains.

Anne shows intolerance as well. She clearly deislikes Jo, and she explicitly states "I hate Jo". Again, she doesn't like adventures, she cries, and she's left aside in the final part. Sad performance.

Julian rules, but less than usual, as Jo proves to be smarter than him., he looks a bit awkward indeed as he himself admits. In the original edition he is said to be 16, this data dissappears in the modern edition. Why? A possible explanation: According to FF stated ages in FF no1, this would mean tha George is 15, and Anne 14 somethig difficult to reconcile with what we read about them.

Tim has also a poor performance: absent (kidnapped) most of the time, and doped when free. He was out of shape: he losses the burglar the fist day, he doesn't react when the burglars get in the second day, and he's kidnapped the third day, this is not our Timmy!

Dick shines at his best. Although he usually keeps a secondary role, frequently overshadowed by Julian and George, he's the most prominent traditional character in FFIA. He's the funny guy at the beginning, . speaking French and teasing George, he has some good ideas, Sid's "kidnapping" for instance he's the only one who treats well Jo. Probably, FFIA is the best Dick performance. Well done, Dick!

Quentin and Fanny are on holiday in Spain, and they send a telegram from Sevilla, I guess they had a wild time enjoying la Giralda, los Reales Alcázares, watching bullfights in La Maestranza and visiting some tablao to listen and dance flamenco… In the meantime, their house burglared, her daugter kidnapped,...

Inconsistencies:

Reading with an adult approach wouldn't be that funny without noting all inconsistencies and imperfections, and certainly FF's series are full of them.

- The face in the window incident is never properly explained. Late in the novel, Julian guesses it should have been Jo, but she doesn't confirm it. Certainly, Anne's face description-nasty gleaming eyes, dark, probably a black man (this has been erased in modern edition)- doesn't match with Jo, and neither does the fact of Tim getting into the sea hunting the intruder. Tim would't bite Jo.

- The letter sent by the kidnappers says that George and Tim will be released after a hoot like and owl, something that doesn't happen, but the funny thing is that no one seems to expect it, although it is clearly stated in the letter.

- Or Sid's arriving home late and finding his mother has already gone to sleep. What a wonderful mother, her kid doesn't arrive home (child labour, by the way). Does she go out to find him? Call the police? Does she stay awaken consumed by anxiety as every mum would do? No, she just goes to sleep. Who cares about poor Sid? Funny

- George and Jo are supposed to be very much alike, even Julian confuses them once but. Jo is supposed to be gypsy, I don't know exactly how English gypsies look like, but , at least in Spain it would be unlikely to confuse a gypsy girl with a non gypsy one because they are physically different: skin colour, facial characteristics, etc.

- Surprinsigly, George's boat has become a sailboat. This sail hadn't been mentioned in previous books, neither in the upcoming ones

- In a violent scene in chapter 2, Dick punches Jo making her fly. Fly? Really? Perhaps he is a kind of George Foreman knocking Joe Frazier fly, but honestly, I think this is quite unrealistic. And Jo isn't even knocked out, just a bruise.


FFIA was first published in 1950 , it's the 8th book in the series, the 5th set in Kirrin. The action takes place in summertime during 6 days, 5 nights. We have echoes from other books: the secret tunnel that connects a cave in the beach with the house identical tunnels had appeared in previous books as The Secret of Spiggy Holes or The Island of Adventure. We find them again in Five go down to sea or The Mistery of the Ragamuffin, among others. An old gypsy woman with a pot that looks like a witch… this isn't new, Old Ma in Rilloby Fair, for instance

It is, undoubtedly, one of FF's top 3, I would personally rank it no 1. Tremendous!
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by pete9012S »

Nice review!

This is one of the very first older red Hodder hardbacks I was given when very young - I was also given an original Five Have Plenty Of Fun at the same time and used to get a mixed up between the two stories,both containing a kidnapping!
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I think its always a matter of opinion as to which the best Famous Five is, and also personal taste. I certainly rate it pretty high myself. Its also the longest Famous Five book, I believe.

My own personal favourite is Five On A Hike Together - followed by Five Get Into Trouble. I do love Five Fall Into Adventure - but funnily enough I prefer Five Have Plenty of Fun, which, as Pete says, is a very similar plot! :D
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Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by snugglepot »

I prefer Five Have Plenty of Fun, as well. It was the first FF book I read and I love it.
I never really liked Five Fall Into Adventure and was not fond of Jo.
My other favourites are Five Run Away Together, Five Go To Smuggler's Top and Five Get Into Trouble.
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by John Pickup »

I also prefer Plenty Of Fun over Fall Into Adventure, probably because I read Fun first. That's a very good review though.
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by timv »

When I first read the series I rated Fall Into Adventure the third most exciting book in terms of the danger and the exciting plot, behind Get Into Trouble (where Mr Perton and Rooky are as menacing as Red Tower if less of the 'international master-villain' type) and Caravan (where Dan and Lou are as menacing and thuggish and there are also villains with guns who are clearly capable of shooting people or dogs). Somehow Pottersham in Wonderful Time doesn't come over as so dangerous. Overall I'd also rate it behind Mystery Moor, Go Down To The Sea, and On A Hike Together, largely on account of less of an 'atmosphere' of a location and the inconsistencies in the plot as highlighted in the review. Anne doesn't seem to do much - presumably as regarded suitable for a conventional 1950s thriller where the boys and the tomboy girls take the lead.

I assumed that the 'face at the window' was Jo, but she'd rubbed charcoal on her face so if the children saw her she was less recognisable. The 'we will return George after the papers have been collected as shown by the owl hoot signal' may have meant that Simmy and Jake would hand her back later, probably next day after they had taken the papers to Red Tower so he could be sure they were the right papers. Logically I suppose Jo was supposed to be watching Kirrin Cottage for Simmy and Jake to check the children didn't go to the police when she 'defected'.

Enid refers to the nearest town to Red's house, on a rocky coast with only a few small coves a few hours' sail from Kirrin, as 'Port Lynn'. Was she thinking of the rocky Isle of Portland, a few hours' sail from Swanage?
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Like you, Jose, I think I often put Five Fall Into Adventure in first place when asked to list my favourite Famous Fives - though Five Go to Smuggler's Top, Five on a Hike Together and Five Go Off in a Caravan are favourites too.

Jo's story is touching and the adventure is thrilling but there are also some wonderful comic moments, the most memorable being the scene with Sid the paper boy. It's fun to see the Five messing around on the beach too, making hollows in the sand and (in Dick's case) spitting damson stones. The "Red Tower" clue is deliciously mysterious as well. Lots of details from this book have stuck in my mind since my very first reading.
josepmcb wrote:Or Sid's arriving home late and finding his mother has already gone to sleep. What a wonderful mother, her kid doesn't arrive home (child labour, by the way). Does she go out to find him? Call the police? Does she stay awaken consumed by anxiety as every mum would do? No, she just goes to sleep. Who cares about poor Sid? Funny
I can't remember whether Enid Blyton gives us any indication of Sid's age, but if he's about 15 - 16 he might already have left school and have a fair degree of independence despite still living at home. I wouldn't call delivering papers "child labour". It's still considered perfectly acceptable for children to do that sort of work (part-time) from the age of 13.
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by josepmcb »

Rob Houghton wrote:I think its always a matter of opinion as to which the best Famous Five is, and also personal taste. I certainly rate it pretty high myself. Its also the longest Famous Five book, I believe.

My own personal favourite is Five On A Hike Together - followed by Five Get Into Trouble. I do love Five Fall Into Adventure - but funnily enough I prefer Five Have Plenty of Fun, which, as Pete says, is a very similar plot! :D
Yes indeed, Five Have Plenty Of Fun could be a good example of selfplagiarism. In both books we have George kidnapped, gypsies hired to do the job, same location, same motivation, Jo appears again,... Too many coincidences. But we don't have a single reference to FFIA, forgetful characters... :lol:

I'm surprised that most of you prefer the second one. Well, it's just a matter of taste :wink:
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by Rob Houghton »

The main reason I prefer the second one, 'Five Have Plenty of Fun' is mostly because I enjoy the dynamic between George and Berta, which I think adds to the book. :-)
'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: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by pete9012S »

Perhaps feasting your eyes on the indescribably superb Betty Maxey illustrations of Five Fall Into Adventure could bolster the case for this being the best Five adventure?

9.Fall Into Adventure - Betty Maxey Illustrations (1968)

https://imgur.com/a/3kLyZ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Joking aside, those are some good Betty Maxey illustrations Pete - I really do think they are some of her best illustrations. She was in fine form in that book!

What are her illustrations like for my favourite FF 'Hike'?
'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: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by pete9012S »

Not bad at all - I'm bound to say that though aren't I!! :D

Hike - Betty Maxey (also 1968)

http://share.pho.to/A1ILl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Thanks Pete! yes - those are pretty good illustrations, too - full of action, which isn't always the case with Betty Maxey. Sometimes her illustrations could be a bit static. Nice to see some of the annual illustrations too! :-D

her cover for 'Hike' is one of my favourites - love the cold still gloomy look of the lake!
'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: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by Nick »

It is always interesting to see how people rate this book. For me it is very, very *meh*. Sometimes I read it and really, really enjoy it and at other times not so much.

I do wonder if part of the reason is that this was the last of series that I read and I was probably a few years older than when I first discovered the FF. I remember being annoyed that I had the 86 version and the cover illustration was not on a par with the uncredited 83 versions that I collected!
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Re: Five Fall Into Adventure: the best FF book?

Post by Rob Houghton »

that sort of thing used to influence my feelings about books, too! I had some books as a young teenager (such as some photo-cover Find Outer books) that were not up to the standard (in my opinion!) of the earlier covers, and generally I enjoyed those books less - but I'm never sure whether I was just 'growing out of' the books or whether I was being influenced by the cover. One of those books was the Mystery of the Burnt Cottage, which I now rate quite highly, having read the hardback...so maybe it was indeed the covers I hated!
'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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