Journal 36

What did you think of the latest Journal?
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Rob Houghton »

Lenoir wrote:Pantomime Cat again ...
In chapter 13 Zoe says: “He (Goon) also wanted to know what kind of cigarettes we smoked.” She showed him a box of Player's, so Zoe and her sister both smoked it seems.

In Five on Kirrin Island Again, Uncle Quentin states that he doesn’t smoke cigarettes “and nor do any of you!” (Referring to Fanny and the 5).
Interesting though that it seems to be mainly 'baddies', 'lower classes' or 'show business types' who smoke. Obviously it was OK for Zoe and her sister to smoke, as they were in show buisiness, and fairly 'lower class'.

The second passage sort of backs up my theory: no one in Kirrin cottage smoked (upper class) and probably not any of Enid's other 'upper class' characters either (unless it was men smoking pipes!) :wink:
'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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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Of course, in The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat the plot demanded that a number of the suspects should be found to smoke cigarettes (because of the cigarette ends "clue" which, along with a number of other "clues," was devised by Enid to add to the general confusion.)

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Re: Journal 36

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Tony Summerfield wrote:The latest edition I have of Pantomime Cat is the 1997 Dean hardback and that paragraph is still there. Funnily enough the most recent version of the book is also a Dean hardback, published a few months after the latest paperback, and I am willing to bet that the paragraph is still unchanged in it. I have noticed that Dean make very few changes when they bring out new editions, unlike some publishers. It will be interesting to see if the Egmont edition has been altered, possibly not, as they are the same 'stable' as Dean.
I was in WHSmith this afternoon with my son and daughter so I had a look at the current Egmont paperback edition of Pantomime Cat. Zoe and her sister still smoke Player's cigarettes but Fatty's reply to John James has been slightly altered to, "Keep the whole box. I'm not going to be a smoker at all."

Anita
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"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I suspect that as the cigarette ends are considered as 'glues' they can't afford to change it, unless they had dropped their chewing gum wrapper instead!
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Ming »

Speaking of chewing gum, in which book was it say that only Americans chew gum and that it was a disgusting habit? I think it was Five on Finniston Farm but I'm not too sure.

I can't say I agree about only Americans chewing gum, but I do agree that it is a disgusting habit because it ends up with a 300 word essay on chewing gum if caught! :lol:
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Snubby chews gum in The Rubadub Mystery. Roger and Diana disapprove and play a trick on him, replacing his gum with plasticene of the same colour. It tastes so revolting that Snubby vows never to chew gum again! I can't believe he doesn't suspect anything, but it's quite an amusing episode.

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Re: Journal 36

Post by Lenoir »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:
Lenoir wrote:It might be an idea to look out for some of his [Arthur Mee's] books next time I go to the bookshop!
I take it you mean a second-hand bookshop! :)
Anita
I found 3 of them today. Thick, old books they are.
One Thousand Famous Things
One Thousand Beautiful Things
Arthur Mee's Wonderful Day – must have been a first edition as it was given to someone as a prize in 1923, according to the insert!
I had a look at them but left them on the shelf.
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Interesting that you found some, Lenoir. Arthur Mee was a prolific writer but I've never seen any of his books except the Children's Encyclopaedia (wonderful volumes which I, like Enid, read and re-read avidly as a child) and the Letters to Girls and Letters to Boys, which I bought on the Internet.

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"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Wolfgang »

Robert Houghton wrote:
Lenoir wrote:Pantomime Cat again ...
In chapter 13 Zoe says: “He (Goon) also wanted to know what kind of cigarettes we smoked.” She showed him a box of Player's, so Zoe and her sister both smoked it seems.

In Five on Kirrin Island Again, Uncle Quentin states that he doesn’t smoke cigarettes “and nor do any of you!” (Referring to Fanny and the 5).
Interesting though that it seems to be mainly 'baddies', 'lower classes' or 'show business types' who smoke. Obviously it was OK for Zoe and her sister to smoke, as they were in show buisiness, and fairly 'lower class'.

The second passage sort of backs up my theory: no one in Kirrin cottage smoked (upper class) and probably not any of Enid's other 'upper class' characters either (unless it was men smoking pipes!) :wink:
In "The island of adventure" Bill Smugs smokes (or tries to smoke) cigarettes. In chapter "A Glimpse of the Isle of Gloom" it says: "The girls' hair streamed out behind them, or blew all over their faces, and Bill gave an exclamation of annoyance as the wind neatly whipped his cigarette from his fingers and swept it away." And it was a cigarette-end that showed them that someone was just around when they were looking for the owner of the boat in chapter "Bill Smugs". I know that it is mentioned in Circus of adventure that Bill smokes a pipe - which makes me wonder if Enid Blyton is using stereotypes to mislead on purpose, or if she intended to be Bill Smugs a baddy and make Jo-Jo despite his queer behaviour a goody ;-)?

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Re: Journal 36

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I think Bill also smokes a pipe in The Castle of Adventure so perhaps the cigarette-smoking in Island was part of trying to conceal his true identity?

Anita
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"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Rob Houghton »

Goodies smoke pipes, and baddies smoke cigarettes! :lol:
'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: Journal 36

Post by Katharine »

I've just finished Journal 36, and once again it was full of great articles.

It kicked off with John Lester's thoughts on Enid's books, in particular The Boy Next Door. I only came across this book a few years ago, and really enjoyed it, however, I never noticed before that one of the adults is called Mr Cunningham - interesting that Enid should have used that surname more than once. I enjoyed seeing a mixture of illustrations accompanying the article, as I only have one version of the book. It was also interesting that John made comparisons with Violet Needham's book The House of the Paladin which I read for the first time a year or two ago and really enjoyed. I know it's an Enid Blyton Journal, but I do think it's nice to have other favourite authors mentioned from time to time. It would seem that often us 'Blytonians' have similar tastes elsewhere too. :)

Sheila Ray's article compared Elinor Brent-Dyer and Enid Blyton. I have read a number of the former's books, so again it was interesting to see someone else's thoughts on an author that I am familiar with. Personally I much prefer Enid Blyton though. :)

David Cook looked at The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat which he described as Enid's best whodunnit. I do agree it is certainly one of her best plots. I was also interested to read that he had performed in the Pirates of Penzance in Bourne End. Not only have I visited Bourne End, but I've also been in a production of that play.

David Chamber's article contained a selection of Enid's letters from Teachers World. I particularly enjoyed the one about Enid having a 'marrow doll' as a child. Something that I'd had briefly myself as a child too, although I did have plenty of 'normal' dolls too.

I really enjoyed Terry Gustafson's examples of Enid and her characters being mentioned in the media. Who would have thought that Jackie Collins and Round the Horne would have something in common? I also enjoyed the example from Joyce Grenfell whose style I particularly enjoy.

The selection of First Day covers was fascinating as I had no idea there was such a variety. I assumed it was just an ordinary envelope with all the Enid Blyton stamps on it. I do have the set of postcards that were issued at the same time.

I liked Imogen Smallwood's article about the book 'Mary Carries On' which includes an item about Enid Blyton - I will see if I can track down a copy of that. It always seems a little strange to me to see Imogen writing about 'Enid' rather than 'my mother' though.

Robert Houghton reviews The Hidey-Hole, which again I only read for the first time as an adult. I remember next to nothing about the book, but assumed it was because my memory isn't as good these days, but from his summary, I wonder if it was because the book isn't a particularly memorable one, unless one enjoys lengthy descriptions of blackberry picking. ;) When I first started reading his articles on the 'Family' books, I assumed it would end once he had covered all those about the 'caravan' children. I've found it very interesting that he's included so many more books under that heading.

It was very interesting to read Nicolette Jones' talk from the Enid Blyton Day of 2008. I was rather annoyed to read of Philip Pullman's scathing comment about Enid's books - apart from wanting to leap to her defence, I thought it very narrow minded of him to make such a sweeping comment that all Enid's books are "..... such absolute trash". I've never read any of his books, from what I've heard of them, I don't think they'd appeal to me, and after reading that comment, I don't feel I want to even try them. I wonder if his books will still be in print in 100 years or so??

Anita gives a spoiler alert at the beginning of her concluding review of The Family at Red Roofs. Fortunately I'd read the book so was able to read her comments. This is yet another book I only read as an adult, and to begin with I couldn't really get into it, and actually put it to one side without finishing it, before eventually starting again. I think probably I found it very similar to other books and so it didn't hold my interest quite so much. However, I did find Anita's comments about the ending very interesting, as they are completely opposite to how I would have felt as a child. I'm sure that if I'd read it at the 'correct' age, I would have enjoyed it as it finished as I would expect an Enid Blyton book to end. Her comparison to the endings of books such as A Little Princess is exactly the reason why I turned to Enid Blyton books far more than other authors. I especially felt a kindred spirit to Enid where she was quoted as not enjoying the Grimm's fairytales as being "cruel and frightening".

I really enjoyed her inclusion of comments by Arthur Mee which I think would be of a great help to people who sweepingly describe Enid as sexist - society in the 1940s and earlier when Enid was growing up was very different to what it is today. I did feel though that Arthur Mee was writing for middle class women, as I don't think any of my female ancestors would have had an opportunity to develop their talents alongside running a house. I suspect his idea of a woman 'running a house' was more along the lines of making sure they knew how to train up their servants/cooks etc. Something Enid apparently followed as Gillian Baverstock is quoted as saying that her mother couldn't manage much more than tea and boiling an egg and paid other people to do things for her instead.

I loved the article on "Manners" from 1925 - I wonder which shops Enid went to, and which department store was so helpful? The way she describes being passed from one assistant to another put me in mind of 'Are You Being Served'.

Dennis T. Worley gives a very interesting review of all the characters of the Secret Seven. Usually conversations seem to focus mostly on 'bossy' Peter and 'annoying' Susie, so it was good to see what information is available on the remaining members of the SS.

The penultimate page is a gorgeous illustration by Eileen Soper and the back page feature yet another discovery of a Birns Brothers book - always fascinating to have a glimpse of some of Enid's earliest works.

Sorry for such a lengthy review, but I really couldn't single out just one or two 'best bits' as they were all good. ;)

Just as a little aside, I discovered a 'book mark' in this Journal. It contains a voucher for a free gift when ordering a catalogue. As there may be people reading this of an innocent nature, I will not give any further details, other than to say that anyone putting in an order has to be over 18, and is assured that the catalogue will arrive in 'discreet packaging'!! I can't remember where I bought this particular journal from - I know it didn't come directly from Tony. :) Either whoever first owned the journal had a very wide ranging taste in literature, or it was sold via a shop of some sort, and the bookmark may have been accidently pushed inside at some point. :)
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I can hardly believe it's more than 15 years since Journal 36 came out!

Reading your comments on John Lester and Sheila Ray's articles, Katharine, I agree that it's interesting when contributors bring in references to other authors and make comparisons. Even though I haven't read many books by Violet Needham or Elinor Brent-Dyer, I enjoy having the chance to learn more about them.

I must admit I loved being scared by trolls, ogres, witches and wolves in fairy tales as a youngster. I do remember finding some of the tales heartbreaking, such as Chicken Licken, and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but that didn't stop me reading and rereading them! Funnily enough, two stories that made me feel very sad (but which I felt compelled to read over and over nevertheless, because they were so beautifully told!) were Enid Blyton's retellings of the Greek myths 'The Story of Echo and Narcissus' and 'The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice' (in Tales of Long Ago, Dean & Son).

Crumbs - I can just hear Mrs. Hilton saying, "Well, really, Katharine, I cannot approve of your bookmark!" :lol: :wink:
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Moonraker »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: 17 Sep 2023, 20:46 I can hardly believe it's more than 15 years since Journal 36 came out!
Goodness me, Katharine - how on earth are you 15 years behind?
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Re: Journal 36

Post by Katharine »

Because I didn't sign up for the journal until probably about 10 years ago, and it took me a while to get hold of all early editions, and I wanted to read them in order.

I could have caught up by now, but I like to have a mix in my reading, so after I've read a Journal, I'll probably read 2 or 3 other books before going on to the next one. :)

I have already hunted out Journal No. 37 in readiness.

I also had a look on my spreadsheet to see where I purchased Number 36 from - it was a book dealer, so no idea when/how the bookmark got added.
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