Enid Blyton and the boxed set

[Judith Crabb]

They are everywhere now, but during my childhood (1950s) the only ones I was aware of were Noddy's and I arrived too late to Blyton (7 years old) to be concerned with such juvenilia. (If there had been a boxed equivalent of the Faraway Tree books I would have gone without icecream for as long as it took to save up the necessary.) Now it's different, of course, and I was delighted to enjoy the little shaped boxes and their small contents at Aussie Sue's the other day - Noddy's Ark, Station, Castle, House, Shop and Garage. I've liked boxed sets for a long while, the smaller the better, and when I got home I looked at my 'Tip Top Library. Six Popular Fairy Tales' published by Birn but I understand most unlikely to be the word-children of Enid Blyton. Perhaps Enid remembered the publication, even if she were not directly responsible. It is very similar in size and construction to "Noddy's Garage of Books". The doors that open at the front are those of a book case and the top of the box is open to receive the books - The Three Bears, Cinderella, Aladdin and his Lamp, Dick Whittington, Puss in Boots and Red Riding Hood, all of which I read last night. They are profusely illustrated with eye-catching covers and while the re-tellings are lively they don't seem to me Blytonesque, even if it is Red Riding Hood's father who kills the wolf at the end, and 'picked up Red Riding Hood who was sobbing with fright, and hugged and comforted her' as undoubtedly Enid's father would have done for Enid, had the circumstance arisen.
Have you a favourite boxed Blyton set?

[pete9012S]

My favourite box sets are both from around 1979/80 ish.

A set of about five or six Betty Maxey Famous Five's and also a set of about five or six Find-Outers books.
I got both sets cheap and I love them because the paperbacks inside are all in pristine, new book condition.

The Mystery set is like this one:

Enid Blyton Mystery Stories (Box Set)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173412790138

[aminmec]

I liked the secret series box set .Pity they didnt do one of the mystery series ..

[Anita Bensoussane]

It's very interesting hearing about the boxed sets, especially the early ones. The Betty Maxey Famous Five one sounds great too, Pete.

I have a boxed set from the 1970s containing the Blue Dragon books Billy-Bob Tales, Tales of Betsy-May, The Adventures of Mr. Pink-Whistle, Ten-Minute Tales, Eight O'Clock Tales and Don't Be Silly Mr. Twiddle! A nice assortment and the "spine" of the box has a lovely picture of Betsy-May on her swing (taken from the cover of the Betsy-May book). The front and back of the box have pictures taken from the covers of two of the other volumes.

[Katharine]

I'm trying to think back and see if I ever remember seeing a boxed set of any books as a child, and just can't think of any.

My grandmother had a few of the little Noddy books, but they weren't in a box - I suspect they were odd ones she picked up at a school/church fete. I don't think I realised until I discovered The Cave, that they came in boxed sets.

I have a boxed set (maybe 2?) of the Noddy books, but was slightly disappointed when I recently read an article in an early Journal, to discover that my set was a re-print and not original.

I've made up for my lack of boxed sets in recent years though, as I have complete sets of Malory Towers, The Famous Five and the Five Find Outers (all fairly modern editions). I do think they look nice in a set.

Perhaps the first boxed set I ever bought was a set of the Narnia books, which I think I got from The Works. Not quite sure when I purchased that, but it was printed in 1998.

[Anita Bensoussane]

In some sets, the books fit very snugly into the box. One you've read them, particularly paperbacks, they "fluff up" a little and it's sometimes a job to get them all back into the box!

[Katharine]

I hate it when it happens - surely it wouldn't make too much difference to production costs to make the boxes a millimetre or two bigger?

Giving the subject a bit more thought, I think some of the earliest boxed sets that appeared in my house are Enid Blyton mini book sets which were bought for my children back in the late 1990s. They all contain short, and possibly abridged stories, mostly Christmas ones I think, they are very well thumbed, but being board books have survived quite well.

[Boatbuilder]

I agree there, Anita. It’s even sometimes difficult to get them back in the box when they haven’t been read just after you get them, especially the larger sets like the 21 Blyton Famous Five or 15 Findouters. Maybe for shipping they should include a cardboard spacer in the set equal to another book thickness which can be removed and disposed of when you receive them. That would make things much easier.

[Aussie Sue]

I love box sets. Another lovely early Blyton box set I have is - The Enid Blyton Album of 4 Picture Story Books (that is what it says on the front and then the 4 names of the books are around the edge of the box. The books are:- Lisette and Her Donkey, Little Red Riding Hood, Neddy Learns to count, and Scamp goes to the Zoo.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I've just looked up that set of books in the Cave, Sue, and it looks really sweet.

[Judith Crabb]

Yes Sue that is an awe-inspiring set, and Boatbuilder that is one bright idea. I understand manufacturers can't afford to have books slipping around and falling out, but a filler would solve that. And just imagine the second-hand trade, describing the boxed set and chortling over 'in unused condition with the original filler still present'.