2 Mysteries by Enid Blyton - Review

The Secret of Moon Castle was one of my favourite Enid Blyton books when I was a kid. I had it in a compendium of three stories, and it was the first story in that book. The book is probably still in my mother's attic, but a few years ago when I wanted to reread it I bought this book, which has two stories in it. I am entirely sure that I've never read the first story in this book, so maybe I just read The Secret of Moon Castle when I bought this several years ago. 

I was looking for something short to read so picked this off the shelf. I decided to read the first story, even though I didn't know the characters. It's cute, I quite liked it. The main character is Nicky and he has a dog called Punch. In the book, it's the first day of the Easter holidays and Nicky is exciting to be rushing around with the dog and his best friend, Ken, who lives next door. 

Then they get the good news that Nicky's Uncle Bob is coming to stay! He is a private detective and Nicky is thrilled, and wants to set up some mysteries for Uncle Bob to unravel, even though he is supposed to be coming to rest and recuperate. Nicky and Ken start flashing lights at night - but then someone flashes back! Nicky and Ken set up a note for Uncle Bob to find, thinking they are clever, but Bob is on to them. But then they end up embroiled in a real mystery, including Ken's sister Penny and her friend Winnie. The boys can't stand them but they end up having to work together. I thought this was a cute mystery. 

The Secret of Moon Castle stars Jack, Peggy, Mike, Nora, and Paul. Peggy, Mike and Nora are biological siblings. Jack is their adopted brother - I can't remember if this is explained in earlier books, as I know I read a couple of them. And Paul is Prince Paul of Baronia, because of course he is. He has his manservant, Ranni, with him. There is some racism in how these two characters are portrayed, which did make me roll my eyes. 

Anyway Paul's parents, the King and Queen of Baronia, obvs, want to come and stay in England and rent a castle. Of course. So the childrens' mother, Mrs Arnold, requests the particulars for castles, and starts looking through them. The children pick up one of the ones she's discared, about Moon Castle. They don't understand why she has discarded it so ask her; she thinks it is far away from anything. But they decide to go visit anyway and set off on a two hundred mile round trip in Ranni's huge car. Of course. 

When they stop for lunch they mention to the castle to the waitress, who says that strange things happen there, that the place is haunted. The children and Mrs Arnold ignore her and go anyway. They meet a hostile welcome, though. The caretakers are Mrs Brimming and her sisters, and they do not want to show everyone around the castle. They keep saying that Mrs Brimming's son, Guy, who is a scientist, will be fuming that they let the visitors in. Mrs Arnold insists on it, though. 

She decides the castle will be fine for Paul's family so rents it, but before the Baronians can come over, two of Paul's brothers get the measles or something, so their visit in postponed. No matter, the children can go visit instead, supervised by their nanny? type of woman, Miss Dimity (who they called Dimmy). They go, assured that Guy has cleared out of the Tower, which they are desperate to visit. 

But as the children settle in, strange things do start to happen! Stringed instruments start to play themselves, and vases jump off shelves! The children start to investigate and visit the nearby ruined village of Moon. 

I still loved this mystery, it's really cute and kept my interest. In all I'm giving both books four out of five. Nostalgia reasons, I'm sure, but I liked my reread. 

 

Five Have Plenty of Fun by Enid Blyton - Review

I read the second in this little boxset of Famous Five books straight after the first one, because I was just in the mood for something easy to read. Again, I really didn't remember this book, if I had ever read it before, so it was new to me. 

I will also say that I've really enjoyed the new series of The Famous Five that has been on the BBC recently. It's got George as a mixed race kid, and Uncle Quentin is less annoying than he is in the books. Anne was probably my favourite in the TV series. There was a new one at Christmas and it really felt like good Christmas viewing, nice and homely. So I would recommend that if you, like me, grew up on the Famous Five and would like some nostalgia. 

In this one, all five are at George's house for part of the holiday (these children as always on holiday!) and Uncle Quentin is going loopy at the thought of children in his house, as usual. He has got two scientist friends coming. They have been working on something to do with alternative energy and it's all very hush hush. One of them is an American, and some people threaten that they will kidnap his daughter, Berta, if he doesn't reveal some of the secret information. So he sends Berta to stay with the five. 

She is American and apparently says 'wunnerful' not 'wonderful' and she has a little poodle called Sally. George can't stand her. They disguise her to put any would be kidnappers off the scent. The five kids and two dogs spend a lot of time swimming etc, enjoying themselves. Quentin has to go to London so Aunt Fanny decides to go with him, of course, leaving the children with Joanna, the cook. Because that's sensible when there are kidnappers around. 

The five realise that someone is on Kirrin Island, possibly spying on them, so they head off there, of course. I thought the end of this book fizzled out a bit and didn't find it as satisfying as the previous ones, so I'm giving it three out of five. 

Five Go to Mystery Moor by Enid Blyton - Review

I recently got a collection of three Famous Five books for 99p on Kindle because I was feeling kind of nostalgic I guess. I read a lot of the Famous Five books when I was a kid, but I didn't remember this one. I had a bunch with this cover, though, that were borrowed off my uncle's family and which probably did the rounds among a bunch of us in the family when we were younger. This one was probably there, but I have totally forgotten it.

So, Anne and George are spending their holiday at a riding school with a bunch of younger children and a girl called Henrietta, who like George, prefers to be called Henry and dress as a boy. George can't stand her, but Anne basically thinks she's fine. I can't remember the exact circumstances but obviously Julian and Dick turn up too. They're also on holiday and they have to sleep in the stables because there's no room for them in the house. They of course think this is great japes, though. 

Meanwhile, a local Gypsy boy called Sniffer has brought his horse to the school for some treatment. He has a dog, Liz, who Timmy is very excited to meet. In my issue of the book the word Gypsy had been changed to the word 'traveller' which is not exactly the same thing, but never mind, and it did leave to some confusing sentences, but I do understand that it was probably done to modernise the text for a book that is over seventy years old. 

Sniffer's dad wants the horse back because the group needs to move to the middle of the moor. He gets very angry when he isn't allowed because the horse is still injured. Julian has a proper go at him, because of course, he is posh and middle class and the man isn't, so he even as a child has the right to speak to this man horribly! I really didn't like this but it was something I picked up on last year when I read Five on a Hike Together. These children really are incredibly irritating at times. 

Anyway, the Five decide to go on a camping trip to the moor together, because they just can't leave things be, and they end up finding a smuggling racket involving the travellers. Of course. I did like the ending though, with Henry coming into her own. This was a quick read of course and I just thought it was fun. Four out of five for nostalgia. 

Five On A Hike Together by Enid Blyton - Review

So this was a bit of an unusual read for me. I don't usually read children's books, and I wouldn't generally choose Enid Blyton to read for many reasons, but I did have a good reason. I was away at a spa hotel at the beginning of April with my partner, and there was a lake just down from the outside hot tub. On the Saturday morning before we came home we could use the spa again, and we were watching two people row out on the lake to the middle. I remembered that in this book the Famous Five have to orientate themselves in the middle of a lake to find some sunken treasure. I was telling Lee about it and thought I would like to reread the book. It was on Kindle for 78 pence so I bought it!

So, the Famous Five have got a half term holiday weekend from their schools, so they decide to meet up together to go on a hike on what is probably Bodmin Moor. They meet up and set off on their hike, planning to stop at inns and farmhouses along the way for the next few nights before they have to go back to school on the Tuesday. But then Timmy goes down a rabbit hole and injures his leg, so the four kids have to split up. Julian and George go to see a farmer who may be able to help, and Anne and Dick carry on to Blue Pond Farm, where they will hopefully get a bed for the night, and where Julian and George will meet up with them later on. However, Anne and Dick get lost, and they end up at a different farmhouse. The woman who lives there is deaf, and she really doesn't want them in the house on account of her son. But she agrees to give Anne a bed in a little loft room, as long as Dick will sleep in a barn or something. The children are quite scared and tired, so they agree. They have also been scared by some loud clanging bells, the reason for which they're not sure of. But they each bed down for the night, still hoping that Julian and George will turn up (they don't realise they're in the wrong place). 

Then in the night, Dick is woken up by someone scratching at the barn window. The man is asking for Dick by name... but surely he can't mean Dick?? But he has a message, something about Gloomy Water, Two Trees, and Saucy Jane. Oh, and Maggie knows. Dick is totally baffled, but goes back to sleep. But then he is woken again by someone coming into the barn - someone who is clearly waiting for a message. They eventually leave, and Dick is able to go back to sleep. 

In the morning Dick and Anne have to make a quick getaway from the farm, realising it's the wrong place, and before they incur the wrath of the woman's son. They head back to the village and meet up with Julian and George, and Timmy, who is doing much better after some treatment. Dick remembers the strange night time happenings, but no one believes him... until he produces a map. They can't make head nor tail of it, but asking around they realise Gloomy Water is the name of a small lake nearby, and that Two Trees is the house that used to stand on its shores. They try to tell the police about the message and learn that the clanging bells meant that a prisoner has escaped from the nearby prison, but the policeman has no time for the children. So of course they set off to Gloomy Water themselves to see what they can find, and to see if they can decode the map. 

I really liked the adventure, still. It feels like a good one and I liked how the children decoded the mystery. In that, I think it stands up to time. But obviously Enid Blyton is problematic and there's a reason we've moved beyond her in the seventy odd years since this book was first published. One thing I did find stood out was maybe the class issues in the book. Julian and the others NEVER say please or thank you to any shopkeepers or innkeepers who serve them, and they are treated very well by these people, and deferred to, which I think might be a class thing. For instance one inn landlady calls Anne 'miss' even thought she's about ten. The lack of saying please or thank you really annoyed me. They're pompous. Modern Britain really isn't like that and neither should it be!

But I did enjoy the foray into my past with this book, and for that I'm giving it four out of five.