Journal 63

What did you think of the latest Journal?
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Rob Houghton »

8)

Just a few more articles to read now - and I'll give my thoughts later! :-D
Last edited by Rob Houghton on 13 Jul 2017, 20:42, edited 1 time in total.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
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Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
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(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Rob Houghton
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Rob Houghton »

I do actually agree with Courtenay here though - and I mean no offence to anyone who writes such articles - they just aren't my cup of tea. Because I've read every EB book at least three or four times, and often many more, and I know the plots backwards, I generally enjoy reading people's thoughts and opinions, rather than a resume of the plot. I tend to just not read articles if they reprise the plot without further comments. Its not often that articles do that these days though, thankfully. :-D
'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 63

Post by Rob Houghton »

I was in the process of replying to your post when it disappeared, Pete!

Just to say - go ahead and write an article on Miss Dimnity - no need to ask Tony's permission - unless of course John is doing another article about Miss Dimnity in a later Journal. :-)

As I said, these articles that reiterate the plot are probably of interest to many people - especially if they have no intention of reading the book in question. My main gripe is that I already usually know everything that they're telling me (ie the plot), so I rarely learn anything new - which is something I like to do when reading The Journal.
'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 63

Post by Courtenay »

I've edited my previous post to remove something that could have been taken as a personal slight against a Journal contributor... that wasn't my intention, but the post was a bit too snarky and I've toned it down a fair bit. I apologise sincerely if I did upset anyone who was reading this thread. I really shouldn't write when I'm on the verge of dinner and am hungry! :wink:
Last edited by Courtenay on 13 Jul 2017, 21:47, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Journal 63

Post by pete9012S »

I think that was a very considerate thing to do Courtenay.Well done.

If I'm honest, I was drawn like a magnet to Julie's article about Susie in the latest Journal and loved it.But others will be attracted to different topics first,I'm sure.

The Journal is a group effort,and the fact that it is written as a labour of love by enthusiasts on a number of topics,by writers all using different styles is what attracts me most to the Journal.

If Tony gives the go ahead and considers letting me write an article on Miss Dimity I guarantee you will all have more than enough ammunition to dissect my writing style,punctuation and content for quite some time! :D

You may indeed say come back Dr Stephen,all is forgiven.... :D :shock:
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Courtenay »

pete9012S wrote: If Tony gives the go ahead and considers letting me write an article on Miss Dimity I guarantee you will all have more than enough ammunition to dissect my writing style,punctuation and content for quite some time! :D

You may indeed say come back Dr Stephen,all is forgiven.... :D :shock:
I'm sure we're all gathering our ammunition already, Pete, don't worry. :twisted: :wink: :wink:
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

So glad you enjoyed my article, Pete, I'm sure that any article you put forward will be accepted and appreciated by Tony, and all who read it. As you say, members write their articles because of their love of Enid which they want to share with others members.

And without their input there would not be a Journal for us all to read and enjoy. :)

8)
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Tony Summerfield »

pete9012S wrote:If Tony gives the go ahead and considers letting me write an article on Miss Dimity I guarantee you will all have more than enough ammunition to dissect my writing style,punctuation and content for quite some time! :D

You may indeed say come back Dr Stephen,all is forgiven.... :D :shock:
I have already searched for Dimmy illustrations, but can only find three - hopefully there are one or two more that I have missed. Susie was hard enough as all the girls tend to look alike, so I had to go through all the Secret Seven books pre Sharrocks (I wasn't prepared to use him!!) reading to see if the girl in the illustration was Susie. Likewise Miss Pepper who was not present in many pics.

Go ahead Pete!! :D
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Rob Houghton »

Of course, there are also pictures of Miss Dimnity in the paperbacks and later Dean versions... ;-)

Pete can't back out of it now - we are all waiting for his article! :-)

Yes - I enjoyed reading all about Susie - and also about Miss Pepper - although I have only scanned that one so far - I have about three or four articles to read - including Enid's short stories. :-D

I love all the different styles of writing to be found in The Journal.
'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 63

Post by Chrissie777 »

Journal 63 arrived safely in the US yesterday. Thank you, Tony :) :) :)!!!
We leaved through it and it looks gorgeous.
Chrissie

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Rob Houghton »

John's article on Miss pepper was very enjoyable indeed. I have always liked Miss Pepper and felt her to be a very rounded and realistic character - one of Enid's best and most likeable adult characters, as John says. I rather wish I'd read Johns article before I wrote my Barney book, however, as I overlooked the fact she was a poor cook, and have her baking cakes! Oh well - maybe she learned! ;-)

One other thing I learned from John's article that surprised me was that Gilbert Dunlop doesn't supply an illustration of Miss pepper until The Rubadub Mystery! Unbelievable really, as she is such a main character. I know he more than makes up for it in the final book though, which is where most of my visualisations of the character come from.

A great article - you have such an easy-to-read style, John. Hope to see some more soon! :-D
'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 63

Post by John Pickup »

Thank you Rob, I appreciate your comments. I've only just returned home from holiday so I hope to start reading my copy of the journal tomorrow. I shall post my views in due course.
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I've been very busy but have thoroughly enjoyed the Journal and will comment on it when I get the chance. It's lovely to read people's thoughts and observations.
Tony Summerfield wrote:I have already searched for Dimmy illustrations, but can only find three - hopefully there are one or two more that I have missed.
Looking in the Cave I can see 7 or 8 pictures of Dimmy in Spiggy Holes and 3 or 4 in Moon Castle. I think the final illustration in Secret Mountain might also show Dimmy, though it's a bit confusing having different illustrators! It'll be interesting to read your article in a future Journal, Pete!
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Lucky Star »

I know I say this every time but what a wonderful edition of the Journal number 63 has turned out to be. Truly a feast of Blyton articles, there was something to hold all interests and indeed most of it was right up my own street interest wise. For once I have been reading it straight through from cover to cover instead of dipping in and out as I usually do. I think this is because the articles this time seem particularly well constructed and ordered so that I have felt no need to refer to the contents page to see what I will read next; I've just ploughed on through.

And so Anita's article was up first. I was intrigued by the series of coincidences Anita describes by which aspects of The Mystery that Never Was greatly resemble incidents which occurred in earlier Blyton books. It sounds almost like a Blyton "Greatest Hits" collection. :lol: Albeit one that apparently doesn't quite come off. Not for the first time a Journal article has inspired me to search ebay for a copy of the book in question. I am now bidding on a hardback with tatty D/W edition in order to see for myself how this book is.

Emilia Brooks' article on Dorset reminded me of my own travels there a few years ago and awoke in me a longing to go back. Perhaps the Journal will now also be guiding my holiday plans as well as my reading. :lol:

One Winter Afternoon by the lady herself was a wonderful little story thankfully rescued from obscurity by Tony. It might have been better off in the winter journal rather than the blazing heat of July but it still made a lovely change of atmosphere. Unusually for Enid her characters faced actual death in this story. Normally the worst that can happen is that they miss their birthday party or get a spanking from a goblin but in this case little Arthur was moments from drowning!

Julie's Susie article was also very interesting. I too have always felt that the SS would have been better off co-opting Susie rather than making an enemy of her. The power struggle between her and Peter would have been epic though. In the end I think Enid Blyton knew exactly what she was doing; the ongoing war between Susie and the Seven lends a unique aspect to the stories rather like the Fatty Vs Goon war in the FFO series. In both cases the rivalry adds a whole extra subplot which the reader is drawn into following almost as eagerly as the main mystery plot itself.

Rob Houghton often has very ingenious and offbeat ideas for his articles (Desert Island Blytons springs to mind) and I was delighted to see another one beginning with his Cookery Book series. Somewhere above in this thread Rob says it is a lazy series (or somesuch) but I would disagree there. I thoroughly enjoyed this very lively romp through some of Enid's greatest magical books. Alongside her most famous mystery and adventure stories I always feel that Enid was at her very best when she created imaginary magic worlds peopled by fairies,wizards, elves etc. Rob's own love of these stories shone through his writing for this article and I'm very pleased that this was only Part 1. I shall enjoy reading the continuations in the Journals to come.

Phew Journal 63 is unputdownable at this point. I moved on to John Lester's lovely article about covers. I love Blyton dustwrappers; I don't own all that many and the ones I do have are tatty but it was great to see an article devoted to them. I too love the FF night covers and thought he made an excellent top ten at the end although I agree that there couldf be mighty arguments over which covers are the best.

Sheila Ray's article was hugely informative although I was surprised to read that boys stop reading fiction at the age of 9 or 10! I'm still reading it at the age of 50. Maybe I'm just a weirdo. :lol: Nevertheless she has certainly had a deep involvement with Blyton and I'm delighted to hear that her archive now resides safely in Seven Stories.

Nick Hopkins moves on to the Secret Series TV series now and part one augers well. I was particularly interested in the producers decisions to eliminate the "racism and sexism" of the books. While I don't personally consider the book sto have and racism or sexism I do acknowledge that some of their scenes would be "old fashioned" by today's standards. I should really try to track down the series and watch it to see what the end results of their policy actually were.

On to Daisy's Anne Kirrin continuation. After part one I expressed the hope that poor little Anne's lot would improve in part two and initially at least it did not seem to be so. Indeed if anything it got worse! It takes a very skillful writer to draw readers in so thoroughly in what is after all a fairly short piece of writing but Ilsa manages it beautifully. I really agonised over poor Anne's seeming hopeless situation, hemmed in by the conventions of her time and the poverty of her circumstances. The early Victorian milieu is strongly but subtly evoked as the story goes on and I several times gnashed my teeth as I considered that Anne would probably have been well capable of sorting herself out yet was reduced by the constraints of the time to sitting at home waiting for her Uncle and the Vicar to sort stuff out for her. This was a very powerful piece of writing which held me completely and, yes, I was glad to see that as we approached the end poor Anne received some measures of joy in her life. Ilsa very ably brought in at the end scenes and characters with which any Blyton fan will be familiar and we can almost guess the family progression from where she leaves us up to where Enid took over. Excellent stuff.

OK I can type no more here so I will review John Pickup's article on Miss Pepper and Angela Canning's article later. In the meantime thanks yet again to Tony and all the contributors. You all really surpassed yourselves this time. :D
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Re: Journal 63

Post by Daisy »

Thank you very much for your words of appreciation John. I am delighted you enjoyed the piece.
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