Journal 44

What did you think of the latest Journal?
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Moonraker
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Moonraker »

May I remond everyone that the easiest and quickest way to re-subscribe (or subscribe for that matter) is to use PayPal. A few clicks, and you're all signed up for another year! Swatido!!!
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Eddie Muir
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Eddie Muir »

Robert Houghton wrote:I havent actually read much of Journal 44 yet, despite it arriving last week, mainly due to having a rather nasty stomach/flu type bug :cry:
I'm sorry to hear that you have been unwell, Rob and hope that you have now fully recovered. I've enjoyed reading your studies of the Mary Pollock books. :D
'Go down to the side-shows by the river this afternoon. I'll meet you somewhere in disguise. Bet you won't know me!' wrote Fatty.

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Julie2owlsdene
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Just a quick thanks, to Sally and L.S. Glad you enjoyed reading Buster's thoughts! :lol:


8)
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Francis
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Francis »

Should I have received journal 44 by now or should I be
panicking?!

Francis
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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Francis wrote:Should I have received journal 44 by now or should I be
panicking?!

Francis
Yes, you should have received it, but you haven't as I never sent it! :oops:

"Your" Journal went to someone with the same surname as you and they must have had a nice surprise as they shouldn't have had one - it is probably time for me to be put out to pasture when admin errors start creeping in.

Many apologies, it will be in the post tomorrow. :oops: :oops:
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Lucky Star
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Lucky Star »

Tony Summerfield wrote:it is probably time for me to be put out to pasture when admin errors start creeping in.
The Society members would just come out to your pasture and drag you back in Tony. We need you, nobody else can do all that you do and thats a fact. :D
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero

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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I've read Journal 44 twice already and will be returning to some articles again. So much to take in and savour, as always. One of the highlights for me was Enid's article on 'The Writing of Family Stories for Children'. I was struck by the observation that "a child does not always identify himself with a child similar to himself, but more often with one that he would dearly like to be". That was certainly true of myself when I was young. I identified with Jack Trent and Fatty, admiring them tremendously and longing to be like them, but in reality I was probably more of a Lucy-Ann. Despite Enid Blyton's remark that she deliberately made the Famous Five children "very varied", I didn't connect as readily with any of the Kirrins, which might explain why the Five books never meant as much to me as some of the other series.

I smiled at the truth of Enid's comment that "mothers and fathers, aunts, uncles and grannies come into their own here [i.e. in the Family story], and must be as real as the child characters. In Adventure and Mystery books they so often have to be in the background, because, I regret to say, parents are somewhat of a nuisance to Adventure-writers, where the sharing of an Adventure is concerned. If they are allowed to obtrude and interfere, as they most certainly would have to in real life, the Adventure would come to a sudden end - and so would the book!" It was also good to see Enid Blyton putting such emphasis on the notion of "one for all, and all for one" which is central to her Family books and also describes the relationship between the main characters in the Mystery and Adventure books - the way they stick together and help one another.

'The Packman in Sicily' is unusual, especially as it seems that Enid read it aloud at a birthday party. She says that it's a true story - is it one that's well-known in Sicily, I wonder?

What an exciting contribution by David Chambers! He's a real Find-Outer, tracking down so many of Enid's earliest poems and short stories to a Merry Moments periodical that he hadn't realised existed. I was interested to see the Whit Monday story ('Coran's Whit Monday Adventure') as I always liked the Whit Monday story ('The Lost Golden Ball') in The Enid Blyton Book of Fairies.

Tricked on the Track is also a wonderful find and has a particularly attractive cover.

Like Lucky Star, I'm not overly impressed by most of Blyton's adult fiction. I enjoyed the humour of 'The Eligible Bachelor' in Journal 43 and the psychology of 'A Proper Knight', also printed in a past Journal, but 'Vantage In', like some of the other adult stories that have come to light, seems to be little more than an expanded version of a rather feeble joke. It's fascinating to have access to these rare pieces of writing though, and see another side of Enid.

A nice, poetic 'From My Window' article about the Sussex Downs, and it was fun comparing the different incarnations of Mr. Stamp-About by various artists over the years, while reading John Lester's interesting observations.

A cracking Journal - roll on the next one! :wink:
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Francis
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Francis »

Tony Summerfield wrote:
it is probably time for me to be put out to pasture when admin errors start creeping in.
Thanks for yout prompt action - you see you're just too valuable to be let go! We need
you more than you need us.
Thanks again, Francis
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Lenoir
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Lenoir »

Yes, and the person who got the surprise might decide to join up!

I am reading a few articles each night, it’s a nice way to end the day.
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Susan Webster
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Susan Webster »

hi , i did have the journal some time ago but sadly cannot afford it now as money is so tight . i miss it so was wondering if anyone has any old ones they no longer want that i could have ? cheers sue. :)
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Jen-Jen
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Jen-Jen »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: One of the highlights for me was Enid's article on 'The Writing of Family Stories for Children'. I was struck by the observation that "a child does not always identify himself with a child similar to himself, but more often with one that he would dearly like to be".
This article was a highlight for me too Anita, and just like you I really quite liked Enid's observations of what characters we gravitate towards.


I also was very interested by David Chambers discoveries - I particularly loved that little poem titled A "Grate" Sight.

I enjoyed Eileen Sopher's illustration from the Pennant reader. The little boy, I think, looks like a younger version of Dick from the Famous Five.
"I should think that if it came to pushing, Eunice might send old Fatty flying" - Larry The Mystery of the Missing Man
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Nick
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Nick »

I've just finished a cover-to-cover read of Journal 44 and once again a truely brilliant.

Highlights for me were Angela Canning's Nature Lovers book, Anita's continued look at The Naughtiest Girl and Roberts study of the Mary Pollock books.

I must admit that I haven't read David Cook's look at the FFO having not read that particualr story and will re-vist the journal when I have.

Roll on 45 :D
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Aussie Sue
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Aussie Sue »

Thank you Tony a wonderful journal. I was particularly thrilled to read David Chambers article on the Exciting New Discoveries as I was the lucky winner of that lot of poems at the auction. It was wonderful to learn about the Merry Moments magazine and to find so many of these poems were printed back in 1922.

The topic on Enid and the War on the forum at present is interesting because in one of the lots I purchased at the auction there was a script for a play called 'Christmas 1942' and the characters are an English Mother, Her Son & Her daughter and a German Mother, Her Son & Her daughter, a German Grandfather & Grandmother, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Mary Joseph, Angels, Field Marshel Rommel, Field Marshal Montgomery, Several British Soldiers and Several German Soldiers.

How exciting to find another Birn book, incredible. And I particularly enjoyed reading Enid's article on Writing Family stories for Children, it is so good to read what Enid thinks about anything to do with her writing, rather than reading what other people say she thinks.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this journal. Roll on Journal 45.

cheers
Sue
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

You did very well at the auction, Sue! :D I remember looking at the listings online and thinking that the play Christmas 1942 sounded particularly interesting and unusual. As for all those early poems, what a find!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Aussie Sue
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Re: Journal 44

Post by Aussie Sue »

Yes Anita I was very lucky. How I wish I could have actually been at the auction and actually seen all those amazing items, just reading about it was exciting. I was on the phone bidding through a friend and it was very difficult as I wasn't sure what it really was I was bidding on, but it was worth the risk in the hope of owning something that was actually from Enid herself. So it was amazing to go through the couple of lots I won as there were several things that were from her very early period which I will always really treasure.
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