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Adventure #2
The Castle of Adventure
What is the secret of the old castle on the hill, and why are the locals so afraid of it? When flashing lights are seen in a distant tower, Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann, and Jack decide to investigate—and discover a very sinister plot concealed within its hidden rooms and gloomy underground passages.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,597 books5,846 followersSee also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Енід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897 - 1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Енід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897 - 1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
March 22, 2024
A rip-roaring mystery adventure with suspected spooks in the castle that is visited by four friends, their parrot, a friendly fox and a gypsy girl. Lots of mysterious goings on and the children get locked in the spooky place with, semmingly no hope of escape.
But that is not the case as, with the help of some older, and wiser friends, one of them manages to get out and bring help so that the mystery is eventually solved but not before lots of heartache for the children.
A pleasant out of the ordinary read, ideal for a change of pace and setting.
But that is not the case as, with the help of some older, and wiser friends, one of them manages to get out and bring help so that the mystery is eventually solved but not before lots of heartache for the children.
A pleasant out of the ordinary read, ideal for a change of pace and setting.
April 11, 2017
The first of the "Adventure" series that I read. I remember loving Kiki the parrot, and Philip's endless procession of exotic pets.
September 27, 2022
I love adventures set in castles, especially ones that have dungeons, tunnels and secret doors.
The book has all that and again the children are in real danger.
They meet Tassie when they are holidaying in a cottage near the castle. She's a funny little thing. Blyton was great at bringing new and interesting characters into the books from time to time to keep things fresh. We have some lovely evil villains again and the mystery is intriguing.
Definitely one of the best in the series. Very enjoyable.
The book has all that and again the children are in real danger.
They meet Tassie when they are holidaying in a cottage near the castle. She's a funny little thing. Blyton was great at bringing new and interesting characters into the books from time to time to keep things fresh. We have some lovely evil villains again and the mystery is intriguing.
Definitely one of the best in the series. Very enjoyable.
December 23, 2018
I really loved this book! Pros: Kiki is absolutely hilarious and you find my self laughing out loud when her crazy antics are being described. I also really liked how each of the children had character and weren’t all perfect. They were like real kids, sometimes having arguments, but also working together very well. The plot is very original and the book sucks you in at the end of each chapter, making it hard to stop reading. Cons: I felt like it did get a bit long for 2 or 3 chapters towards the end. Writing style is old and British, which I like, but I know others don’t. But those cons didn’t change the way I like the book and I’m very glad I read it and I totally recommend you reading it. 4.5 stars.
May 11, 2012
I used to read a lot of Enid Blyton as a child and I've decided to go back and revisit them! I do remember reading this series but I don't think I read many of them, not this one anyway I don't think. I think this is my favourite series out of the sort of childrens' mystery genre. I loved this one! It just puts a smile on my face and really look forward to picking it up. I can't wait to read more of this series.
May 24, 2020
This pandemic has forced most of us into our proverbial comfort zones. Some are re watching friends. Others are turning to reread Harry Potter or LOTR. I decided to crawl into the arms of Enid Blyton and see if her books could hold me captive like they did years ago when I was 12. Turns out they could.
This book has an abandoned castle, picnic baskets, hidden passages, curious children, a hilarious parrot and a thunderstorm. It has all the ingredients of a perfect page turning adventure.
This book has an abandoned castle, picnic baskets, hidden passages, curious children, a hilarious parrot and a thunderstorm. It has all the ingredients of a perfect page turning adventure.
May 26, 2023
I loved this series it was full of adventure, fun and mystery. I would recommend this to any adventure or mystery lovers. It’s a true Enid Blyton classic!
June 27, 2022
Amazing cool book Kiki still my fav
August 12, 2014
I love all books by Enid Blyton. I first read this book about 35 years ago. I still love it 35 years hence. The adventures the four children had in the castle on the hill have engrossed my sister and me for a long time. The boldness of the children to explore things on their own, the courage to enter a castle which looked scary and overgrown, and their adventurous spirt all fascinated me as a child and still do. I loved the character of Philip because I am an animal lover myself. My only disappointment is that my daughters do not appreciate Enid Blyton's style of writing as much as I did at their age. They tell me they can't relate to things written in her books and perhaps its true. For those were the good old days ,
Children in Enid Blyton's books were let free to grow up on their own, with a limited level of guidance and support from their parents. This made them strong and independent, yet retaining a degree of their childhood innocence. The age of the Enid Blyton books is perhaps dying out but the readers who used to enjoy these books as children can encourage their children to continue reading these classic children's stories, to keep them for posterity.
Children in Enid Blyton's books were let free to grow up on their own, with a limited level of guidance and support from their parents. This made them strong and independent, yet retaining a degree of their childhood innocence. The age of the Enid Blyton books is perhaps dying out but the readers who used to enjoy these books as children can encourage their children to continue reading these classic children's stories, to keep them for posterity.
Read
June 3, 2020Probably read sometime between 2001-2005
March 24, 2024
Classic Enid Blyton adventure mystery if you like the famous five you will love this
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
February 26, 2023
This took ages to finish because I had been reading a chapter every now and then as a read aloud for homeschool.
We've absolutely been loving this series of adventures by Enid Blyton! The Castle of Adventure was tense & Kiki is always the best comic relief!
It's questionable that the children would be left alone like they were in this story but they are magnets for adventure and the stories are a lot of fun to read.
We've absolutely been loving this series of adventures by Enid Blyton! The Castle of Adventure was tense & Kiki is always the best comic relief!
It's questionable that the children would be left alone like they were in this story but they are magnets for adventure and the stories are a lot of fun to read.
August 23, 2023
My daughter has started reading Enid Blytons so she got a bunch for Christmas and guess who reads them first? Still find these enjoyable though now as an adult I can't fathom how the adults let these children loose with no supervision at all. Is this a make believe situation or did children actually have more freedom those days. There was a scene where Jack (and before him the 'wild girl' Tassie) travels through an underground tunnel where they get stuck in places where it narrows. This makes my blood runs cold though in the book it is a minor scene. Not to talk about the storm at the end of the book and the narrow escape by all concerned. Of course as a child these never bothered me so maybe I should just forget about these and just sit back and enjoy the story.
April 14, 2019
I loved this book as a child. It works for adults if you can suspend your disbelief a little - “Ooh, what fun and jolly japes: we’re being locked in an old castle by a group of men who may or may not kill us! What an exciting adventure!” Kiki the parrot is brilliant and the plot romps along with chapter titles such as “Things go on Happening” - all in all it’s just as thrilling a read as it was 30 years ago.
November 20, 2016
This has become my new favorite series of the Enid Blyton mysteries. I won't say much about the story. You'll have to read it. Kiki the parrot is one of my absolute favorites, as well as Philip and his "pets". Inspector Cunningham, aka Bill "Smuggs" was also another favorite, and I was glad to discover his character was used in the other books, too.
March 18, 2018
This book I also read as a very young reader. (I liked castles and adventure.) Acquired a 1952 edition of this book and re read it. Again, enjoyed the flashbacks experienced as I progressed through the story. Reliving my childhood?
December 18, 2017
Good old Enid, a few simple words go a long way! A bit dated, but a still a good kiddies adventure. Read for a toppler challenge... The team needed a book about a castle.
September 22, 2018
The Castle of Adventure is the second book of the series. This was the one I read first and got introduced to the series. This book opens at a school. That way the settings are similar to island of adventure. Isle of Adventure started at a master’s house. This one starts at the hostel of the girls’ school where Dinah and Lucy Ann study. They break off a day before the boys and arrive at a cottage Dinah’s mother has arranged for them. Once again it is a remote location away from the hustle and bustle of human activity. This kind of setting is one of the best part of Enid Blyton books. You yourself feel like you are in a relaxed peaceful vacation. The castle on the hill looms ominously in the background but once again it is a slow start with a leisurely beginning where children meet up after vacation and settle down in a new place. We are also filled in on what happened in their lives since the last book and also about the characters for people who are starting with this book. That way people can read this stand alone.
There are parallels between Isle of Adventure and this one. There, the children are led by Jack’s pursuit of Great Auks to the island of Adventure. Here they are led by Jack’s pursuit of the golden eagle. The Castle of Adventure has an even more placid start than Island of Adventure. Here it starts off with curiosity about the Castle that changes into a desire to get in when it is discovered the eagles are nesting inside the castle. Before they manage to enter the castle, they acquire a local girl as a friend and Phillip gets one of this exotic pet that is a special aspect of every book. The pet plays a major role in the story as well like his pets do in quite a few of the books of this series. I won't mention what the pet was because one of the things I looked forward to while reading every book was to discover what the pet would be. I am hoping my review would inspire someone who has not read this one to pick up and read and enjoy.
I liked this story better than Island of Adventure because here the children remain inside the Castle of Adventure for more days. That feels much more exciting. In island of adventure, the children don’t remain so much in the island of adventure. Here also, till half the book, there is no sign of any criminal activity. Like the stories about Isle of Gloom, there are stories about a wicked old man who used to live in the castle, keep prisoners and torture them.
There is the usual Comic relief of Kiki making her funny remarks that sometime make sense in a funny way. Kiki frightens the villains. Kiki in many of the stories works both ways. She flies away and has Jack follow her and gets him trapped. At the same time, she makes human and animal sounds to scare the villains and rescue him as well. I used to like Kiki so much I would pester my mother to get me talking parrot for one of my birthdays.
This book also has secret passages and hidden rooms. There is again pulse pounding action in the last part of the book - tussle with the bad guys as well as fleeing from a cataclysmic disaster.
There is just one surprise in this story and that too a small one. This was one of the reasons I liked to read it so many times – because nothing is lost by having it read it already.
One thing I find about these books though is that the criminal elements seem too soft. Enid Blyton portrays a world where sex and death do not exist. There is rarely any romantic sentiment expressed ever in her book and even the villains usually do not die. Villains always only imprison the kids and at worst whip the boys. That way it is fairy tale of sorts. Real world criminals would kill without slightest compunctions and going to lonely places like castle and islands of adventure carries a great risk of running into sexual perverts. As a child I wanted so much to emulate the children in the stories. But now as an adult, I realize how dangerous it could turn out to be. Like one of my friends told me – he prefers all adventures in dangerous jungles and all in the safety of his bed at home curled up with book rather than actually going to such places and exposing himself to real dangers. While on this point, I also wanted to mention about this talk of not exposing sisters to dangers that comes up often. In a sexless world, what extra dangers would a girl be exposed to that a boy is not? Here what is talked about is dangerous climbing and such which kind of implies women are less suited to physical exertion than men which might not go too well with modern ethos.
The characters begin to grow on us by the time we are into the second book. Jack is easy going, enterprising and sensible. And of course his crazy love for birds which contributed to plot development in both Island and Castle of Adventure. Phillip comes across as a bit more brasher and impulsive as well as dominating, given to tempers and also to teasing sometimes bordering on nastiness. He has that magnetic personality that makes him attractive not only to animals but neglected children as well. Dinah is the sensible no-nonsense girl, not a tomboy like George of Famous Five but still bold and not easily cowed down, not too sentimental, impatient and irritable. She also has a dominating nature that often brings her into conflict with her brother other than his love for animals and insects and her repulsion towards them. Lucy Ann is kind of opposite of Dinah, soft and sentimental, devoted to her near and dear ones and tendency to be easily scared. There is a strong endearing quality to her and the reader immediately feels he wants a sister like her.
This was one of my favorite books during my childhood and was devastated when my mother ripped it apart to pieces.
There are parallels between Isle of Adventure and this one. There, the children are led by Jack’s pursuit of Great Auks to the island of Adventure. Here they are led by Jack’s pursuit of the golden eagle. The Castle of Adventure has an even more placid start than Island of Adventure. Here it starts off with curiosity about the Castle that changes into a desire to get in when it is discovered the eagles are nesting inside the castle. Before they manage to enter the castle, they acquire a local girl as a friend and Phillip gets one of this exotic pet that is a special aspect of every book. The pet plays a major role in the story as well like his pets do in quite a few of the books of this series. I won't mention what the pet was because one of the things I looked forward to while reading every book was to discover what the pet would be. I am hoping my review would inspire someone who has not read this one to pick up and read and enjoy.
I liked this story better than Island of Adventure because here the children remain inside the Castle of Adventure for more days. That feels much more exciting. In island of adventure, the children don’t remain so much in the island of adventure. Here also, till half the book, there is no sign of any criminal activity. Like the stories about Isle of Gloom, there are stories about a wicked old man who used to live in the castle, keep prisoners and torture them.
There is the usual Comic relief of Kiki making her funny remarks that sometime make sense in a funny way. Kiki frightens the villains. Kiki in many of the stories works both ways. She flies away and has Jack follow her and gets him trapped. At the same time, she makes human and animal sounds to scare the villains and rescue him as well. I used to like Kiki so much I would pester my mother to get me talking parrot for one of my birthdays.
This book also has secret passages and hidden rooms. There is again pulse pounding action in the last part of the book - tussle with the bad guys as well as fleeing from a cataclysmic disaster.
There is just one surprise in this story and that too a small one. This was one of the reasons I liked to read it so many times – because nothing is lost by having it read it already.
One thing I find about these books though is that the criminal elements seem too soft. Enid Blyton portrays a world where sex and death do not exist. There is rarely any romantic sentiment expressed ever in her book and even the villains usually do not die. Villains always only imprison the kids and at worst whip the boys. That way it is fairy tale of sorts. Real world criminals would kill without slightest compunctions and going to lonely places like castle and islands of adventure carries a great risk of running into sexual perverts. As a child I wanted so much to emulate the children in the stories. But now as an adult, I realize how dangerous it could turn out to be. Like one of my friends told me – he prefers all adventures in dangerous jungles and all in the safety of his bed at home curled up with book rather than actually going to such places and exposing himself to real dangers. While on this point, I also wanted to mention about this talk of not exposing sisters to dangers that comes up often. In a sexless world, what extra dangers would a girl be exposed to that a boy is not? Here what is talked about is dangerous climbing and such which kind of implies women are less suited to physical exertion than men which might not go too well with modern ethos.
The characters begin to grow on us by the time we are into the second book. Jack is easy going, enterprising and sensible. And of course his crazy love for birds which contributed to plot development in both Island and Castle of Adventure. Phillip comes across as a bit more brasher and impulsive as well as dominating, given to tempers and also to teasing sometimes bordering on nastiness. He has that magnetic personality that makes him attractive not only to animals but neglected children as well. Dinah is the sensible no-nonsense girl, not a tomboy like George of Famous Five but still bold and not easily cowed down, not too sentimental, impatient and irritable. She also has a dominating nature that often brings her into conflict with her brother other than his love for animals and insects and her repulsion towards them. Lucy Ann is kind of opposite of Dinah, soft and sentimental, devoted to her near and dear ones and tendency to be easily scared. There is a strong endearing quality to her and the reader immediately feels he wants a sister like her.
This was one of my favorite books during my childhood and was devastated when my mother ripped it apart to pieces.
April 5, 2020
Re-read. Iseng. Suka seri cover barunya ini.
#GD
#GD
April 30, 2020
Super knjiga!
February 26, 2024
Enid Blyton wows me again! The book was the perfect example of a cozy mystery. Set in an abandoned castle, the book takes you on an escapist adventure
August 26, 2021
I absolutely loved this series as a kid, although even then I found the rigid gender roles infuriating. These days I'm also aware of the class and privilege, while the portrayal of local gypsy girl Tassie leaves a modern reader wide-eyed.
With so much excellent modern children's fiction available, this is best left as a nostalgic romp for us readers of a certain age.
With so much excellent modern children's fiction available, this is best left as a nostalgic romp for us readers of a certain age.
August 8, 2020
This whole covid19 stay indoors thing was getting me down so I wanted a book that would be fun and silly and full of adventure. I remember enjoying the Adventure series loads as a kid. Kiki the parrot and Button the fox were great (I still laughed out loud at some of their antics), the castle was atmospheric and well described and I enjoyed the kids and Tassie the gypsy girl. I took a star off for sexism (the girls weren't allowed to do anything while the boys were, which was not only sexist but I didn't buy Bill Smugs would even allow it given the dangerous criminals with guns he was dealing with) and for the standing around and then attacking in suits of armour thing (are they really that easy to maneuver around in? I didn't think so). Still, a grand nostalgic time.
August 15, 2019
This is got to be one of my favourite Enid Blyton books. I really like most of the Adventure series, But this is my favourite one of all of them.
Four children and a cockatoo Go on holiday together and wind up falling into an adventure of a lifetime. Of course they Are always falling into adventures, But its best if we forget How convenient this always is.
I’m not gonna Do a major spoiler review here, these are just my personal thoughts;
Love the children, This book never talks down to kids, It allows the responsibility for their actions, it lets them go and do what are used to do to learn to be future adults. It is so far from The way the parent today... We could learn a lot. Yes there is danger, but that’s just life. The kids in this are courageous and look after one another. There is maybe a slight leaning on the side of misogynous tendency but that’s just the time it was written. Enid was very much in favour of equality and that comes across in all her books, this one in particular.
If Is actually almost scary in parts. Maybe it’s because I’m looking at them from an adult perspective now, the mess the kids are in, the creeping sense of danger earlier in the book, the slightly claustrophobic feelings. Very good. Very well written.
I just have to make comment on bill smugs. I remember him in The ship of adventure. A slightly odd character who makes himself quite comfortable in the house the children are staying in even though no one is there. He seems so hugely unconcerned about the children’s welfare it made me laugh a lot.🤣
Honorary mention has to be for Kiki. So much of the humour comes from this beautiful bird. The perfect pet. I’d be very worried about him with those eagles all around but jack seems very unconcerned. And buttons of course. Love both animals so much.
Four children and a cockatoo Go on holiday together and wind up falling into an adventure of a lifetime. Of course they Are always falling into adventures, But its best if we forget How convenient this always is.
I’m not gonna Do a major spoiler review here, these are just my personal thoughts;
Love the children, This book never talks down to kids, It allows the responsibility for their actions, it lets them go and do what are used to do to learn to be future adults. It is so far from The way the parent today... We could learn a lot. Yes there is danger, but that’s just life. The kids in this are courageous and look after one another. There is maybe a slight leaning on the side of misogynous tendency but that’s just the time it was written. Enid was very much in favour of equality and that comes across in all her books, this one in particular.
If Is actually almost scary in parts. Maybe it’s because I’m looking at them from an adult perspective now, the mess the kids are in, the creeping sense of danger earlier in the book, the slightly claustrophobic feelings. Very good. Very well written.
I just have to make comment on bill smugs. I remember him in The ship of adventure. A slightly odd character who makes himself quite comfortable in the house the children are staying in even though no one is there. He seems so hugely unconcerned about the children’s welfare it made me laugh a lot.🤣
Honorary mention has to be for Kiki. So much of the humour comes from this beautiful bird. The perfect pet. I’d be very worried about him with those eagles all around but jack seems very unconcerned. And buttons of course. Love both animals so much.
February 24, 2024
THIS BOOK WAS THE BEST!!!!❤️At first I was going to rate this book three stars but at the end there was a GIANT twist-at first the main characters lost and it wasn’t very interesting BUT THEN THE EVIL PEOPLE WERE FOUND INSIDE A POLICE CAR AND ONE OF THE VILLAINS HAD A CONCUSSION AND WAS KNOCKED OUT AND THE OTHER HAD A BROKEN LEG AND HE WAS STUNNED TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVED THIS BOOK!🫶🏻☺️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
LOVED THIS BOOK!🫶🏻☺️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 26, 2017
Enid Blyton's best-known series is the Famous Five but, as much as I love the Five, if we had to say what's her best series, this would probably be it. The idea is rather similar to the Famous Five (a group of children having thrilling adventures), but the danger here seems more real, the situations grittier and a bit more "realistic" (as far as a group of children getting into so many amazing adventures can be realistic), the bad guys scarier.
This second book in the Adventure series is also very entertaining thriller for children. The courage and adventurous spirit of the children, the comics relief provided by Kiki the parrot and by Philip's collection of pets, and the tension of the plot, with the children locked up by the bad guys in an old castle, with no way to escape, make this an excellent story for young readers.
This second book in the Adventure series is also very entertaining thriller for children. The courage and adventurous spirit of the children, the comics relief provided by Kiki the parrot and by Philip's collection of pets, and the tension of the plot, with the children locked up by the bad guys in an old castle, with no way to escape, make this an excellent story for young readers.
January 5, 2020
2017: As said, slightly darker than for example the Famous Five, and more suitable for a bit older readers. Very enjoyable and Tassie is a welcome member to the cast of characters. The excitement doesn’t let up until the very end. It can be read out-of-order without any major problems to follow the plot.
2014: I think it’s a really great book. It’s got everything; fun, adventure, mysteries and cosy at the same time. Kiki all ways gives a performance, even when they’re in the “middle” of the adventure. I would like to see how Spring Cottage and the Castle looks like, they seem to be positioned in the most wonderful place! I like Tassie, she’s very brave and cute in a special way. (...) All of them are so brave! You never know what happens next. (...) Now, I just have to wait on the delivery of the next two parts of the series! I think they’ll be just as exciting! 5/5 stars.
2014: I think it’s a really great book. It’s got everything; fun, adventure, mysteries and cosy at the same time. Kiki all ways gives a performance, even when they’re in the “middle” of the adventure. I would like to see how Spring Cottage and the Castle looks like, they seem to be positioned in the most wonderful place! I like Tassie, she’s very brave and cute in a special way. (...) All of them are so brave! You never know what happens next. (...) Now, I just have to wait on the delivery of the next two parts of the series! I think they’ll be just as exciting! 5/5 stars.
December 7, 2012
I think this book is really good because every thing is so excising and adventurous. Some books are just straight to the point but this book is so long and steady. I that's the kind of book I like. As well in this book it explains to different kind of people poor and rich because in this book there is a girl and she went to the rich persons house and there mother said she had to have a bath and some new clothes,shoes.So after she'd had the bath the poor person put the shoes around her neck thinking it was a necklace. That's what I mean by poor and rich are different.
December 28, 2023
NOT THAT GOOD
Yeah Enid Blyton does not read the same all these years later, not like Dahl or Winnie-the-Pooh. Definitely just for kids, this author. It was interesting to revisit though, see just how dated the gender and cultural ideology was. Tassie, easily the coolest character, is portrayed as some sort of freak, and the other two girls are just considered silly and useless, unable to accomplish anything and completely removed from the finale while the boys barely a year older get to partake in espionage and risk their lives. Probably won’t read this to any kids I have.
Yeah Enid Blyton does not read the same all these years later, not like Dahl or Winnie-the-Pooh. Definitely just for kids, this author. It was interesting to revisit though, see just how dated the gender and cultural ideology was. Tassie, easily the coolest character, is portrayed as some sort of freak, and the other two girls are just considered silly and useless, unable to accomplish anything and completely removed from the finale while the boys barely a year older get to partake in espionage and risk their lives. Probably won’t read this to any kids I have.
August 10, 2019
It has been a lifetime since I read this series. The only Enid Blyton series I only read once when I was young so I was hazy on the plots. Each book is pure Enid Blyton and despite all of the old fashioned language and narratives I still find reading joy in her books as they take me back to my childhood and it is exactly why I will read them forever. This title I remember more vividly than some of the others for some reason but still enjoyed the characters and the mystery of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews