Journal 63

[Rob Houghton]

My Journal has arrived also. Many thanks to the Big Boss Man - Tony - and all the contributors! looks like a great issue as always - and I look forward to dipping into it later. The first article I read is always my own, lol - because I'm so self-critical and have to pick out all the things I should have done differently!!

[Courtenay]

Ooh wow, already?? I don't think we've had the post here yet, so I may have mine to look forward to today as well — I hope!

[sixret]

I hope my copy will arrive within next week. Usually, my copy arrive one week after UK subscribers have got theirs.

[IceMaiden]

Mine arrived this morning. What a lovely thing to wake up to on a saturday - beautiful summer sunshine and a new journal to get absorbed in .

[Rob Houghton]

I've already read the editorial and Anita's excellent opening article about The Mystery That Never Was. I was interested to read this, as my opinion of it is similar to Anita's - and also the circumstances in which I read it! I had the same paperback version as Anita, and likewise I was thrilled to discover a 'new' Enid Blyton novel. Like Anita I was also 13 (according to what's written in the front of the paperback version I have) and like Anita I was disappointed with it once I read it and thought it might have had something to do with being 13 (almost an adult, lol!) and having outgrown Enid Blyton books. I thought I was suddenly able to 'see through her' as an author and was failing to be convinced, as I had been as a younger child.

I still feel that the Mystery That Never Was is one of Enid's weakest - and as Anita says, I now know why this is -
because of Enid's failing mind and illness. However, I do have a first edition with DW these days, and I must admit its tempting to reread it now I've read Anita's excellent article. Anita has a great knack of making things sound exciting and enticing! Somehow she has managed to make The Mystery That Never Was sound like something well worth reading!

Given all the elements that make up the story, it certainly SHOULD have been a great book. There are some brilliant ideas there, and some fairly strong characterisations (on the surface at least) as well as Blyton conventions (old castles, flashing lights, clues, secret codes etc) that I would usually enjoy - so its a real disappointment that the book failed to live up to my 13 year-old expectations. Its one of the few EB books I've only read twice! Perhaps I should give it another go shortly!

[Eddie Muir]

I've just arrived home and found mine awaiting me. It looks great and I look forward to reading it later today. Many thanks, Tony.

[Domino]

Interesting to note that the television programme referred to in "A letter from Enid Blyton - No: 24" was "Readers and Writers" (Tuesday, April 21st, 1951, at 3p.m.) in which she was interviewed by Frank Tilsley, assisted by his 13 year old daughter, Jill.
This was only the second programme in this fortnightly series. In the first, the interviewee was no less than Sir John Squire, the famous writer and parodist.
So it would seem that Enid was not always held in such low esteem by the BBC as is sometimes suggested.

Dave

[pete9012S]

Mine did not arrive today - but I do live in the frozen north.

[Courtenay]

I live in the sunny south and I don't seem to have got it yet either! But then, I haven't seen the postie come today at all, and he's usually here before lunch time...

[shadow]

Mine arrived and as I'm still having WiFi problems I've read about half so far. Hopefully in the five minute window where there is a connection I can post this!

Loved the letter from Enid Blyton on page 84.

[Daisy]

I've been told it has arrived in Germany today. I have found the post is sometimes quicker from the UK to the continent than it is from one end of our country to the other!

[Lucky Star]

Mine has arrived safely and looks great as always. The centrespread commemoration of Five on a Treasure Island is beautiful and really illustrates how the styles of cover have changed through the years. I shall get to grips with the articles on my next days off.

[John Pickup]

I've just arrived in Devon so, sadly, my journal will probably be lying on the mat in an empty house. Something to look forward to though.

[Kate Mary]

My copy has arrived too and I spent an hour in the garden with a cup of tea and the Journal. I turned straightaway to Anita's article on The Mystery That Never Was. I actually quite like this book, despite it being one of the last books Enid wrote. I love Eric Parker's illustrations too (I'm in a minority of one there I think) it's quite possible I read it when it was serialised in Princess comic, I was an avid comic reader then, which probably explains why I like the pictures so much.

Another super issue, many thanks.

[Rob Houghton]

Mine has arrived safely and looks great as always. The centrespread commemoration of Five on a Treasure Island is beautiful and really illustrates how the styles of cover have changed through the years. I shall get to grips with the articles on my next days off.

The centre-spread is really great, I agree. Of course, not being a fan of the latest covers, it also serves as a great demonstration of how the artwork has deteriorated over the last two years! Up until 2015 the cover illustrations were all brilliantly evocative and well drawn, and often atmospheric. Then came the last two versions. Funny how much children's taste in cover styles has changed just recently to the extent that they would reject the other 10 previous covers as being boring!