Enid Blyton’s fiction remains extraordinarily popular. Despite the disdain of literary critics much of her vast output remains in print because, as publishers know, her work sells. I was brought up on the Noddy books, migrated to the Famous Five and then on to the Secret Seven. I never got onto Malory Towers or St Clare’s (girl’s stuff, of course) or anything else that wasn’t part of a series. Re-reading Five on a Treasure Island as an adult it’s clear why Blyton is criticised, made fun of and parodied: the writing is stilted, employs a limited vocabulary (anything out of the ordinary is ‘queer’) and frequently mundane. But it does appeal to young readers, mainly because it is told from their point of view – their passions, their fears, their expectation that every morning holds the promise of adventure.You have to hand it to Blyton – she knew how to push the right buttons. First off the title, no doubt consciously borrowed from Stevenson’s novel, raises expectations of the sea, maps, hidden treasure, pirates, danger. We’re introduced to siblings Julian (12), Dick (11) and Anne (10) who go on holiday to the Dorset cottage of their reclusive uncle Quentin Kirrin and Aunt Fanny. Here they meet their cousin Georgina (11), a sulky tomboy who prefers to be called George, and her secret pet, Timothy the dog (called Timmy in the sequels). George is due to inherit Kirrin Island in Kirrin Bay and in due course we are indeed introduced to boat trips, a map, hidden treasure, villains and, for good measure, a ruined castle on the island.The fictional Kirrin Island appears to be an amalgamation of at least two real-life locations. Corfe Castle on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset is usually cited as the original. It is certainly ruinous, and has the requisite towers and wells that are mentioned in the book. Enid and her husband Kenneth spent holidays in nearby Swanage in the thirties and forties, making Corfe Castle a good candidate for Kirrin Castle even though Purbeck is not a true island but a peninsula. On the other hand Enid went on honeymoon with her first husband in 1924 to the Channel Islands. In a letter she wrote about “an island I once visited several times when I was in Jersey” which “lay off the coast and could only be reached either by boat or by a rocky path exposed when the tide was out. It had an old castle there and I longed to put the island and castle into a book. So I did, as you know!”One curiosity about Five on a Treasure Island is that it was published in 1942, at the height of the Second World War, and yet you will seek in vain for any mention of it. No evidence of rationing from descriptions of the children’s meals, no suspicion that a war might curtail holidays to Scotland or the south coast, no hint that the children’s parents or aunt and uncle are involved in the war effort. It’s as if the Famous Five are locked into a Neverland where outside events don’t impinge and time is slowed down (the children hardly seem to age through dozens of adventures).It’s interesting to compare Blyton’s treatment of children on holiday with that of another near contemporary classic. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was published in 1950, five years after the war ended, but some of its origins lie in an incident that took place previously. In September 1939 three schoolgirls were evacuated to C S Lewis’ home near Oxford to escape possible attacks on London and other cities. This gave Lewis the germ of an idea for a story:“This book is about four children whose names were Ann, Martin, Rose and Peter. But it is most about Peter who was the youngest. They all had to go away from London suddenly because of Air Raids, and because Father, who was in the Army, had gone off to the War and Mother was doing some kind of war work. They were sent to stay with a kind of relation of Mother’s who was a very old professor who lived all by himself in the country.”In the first Narnia book the four children had morphed into the Pevensie siblings – Peter, Susan, Edmund and the youngest, Lucy, and “the story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids. They were sent to the house of an old Professor who lived in the heart of the country…” This parallels Blyton’s tale about siblings who, failing a holiday in Pozeath in Cornwall, travel from the city to stay in the house of their scientist uncle who lives in a cottage near the sea. Of course the parallels aren’t exact, and Lewis’ frame story is one that would have been replicated several times over during the war. Added to which, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy while Five on a Treasure Island is, perhaps marginally, more realistic. But there is another aspect to the Narnia tale that reminds me of the Famous Five tale.Lewis makes much of Cair Paravel in his fantasy, a castle by the sea, of which the Pevensie children eventually become the rulers. By the time it reappears in Prince Caspian (1951) the castle has become a ruin and is now located on an island. How reminiscent this is of the Kirrin cousins who come to see themselves as rulers of Kirrin Castle on their island! Lewis may have intentionally based the family name of the Pevensie children on Pevensey Castle, the ancient ruined fortifications on the East Sussex coast, borrowing its appearance and location for Cair Paravel. But it’s tempting to wonder whether, even assuming he’d come across Blyton, Lewis unconsciously assimilated some themes from her story. Highly unlikely, I know, but worth speculating about.L P Hartley suggested in The Go-Between that ‘the past is another country’. Some seventy-odd years later Five on a Treasure Island is another world for many readers, where children wander the countryside unsupervised, automatically go to boarding school, rarely cheek adults and seem to routinely carry torches, string, matches and other accessories in their copious pockets. Above all, boys will be boys and girls are expected to be girls (apart from rebellious George, who is based on Blyton herself). But children remain children for all that, and modern day children — of all ages — can still enjoy the vicarious thrills of exploring ruins, finding treasure and being scared out of their wits.http://wp.me/s2oNj1-five
This is SO interesting upon a reread! I read this series many, many times growing up. It's like Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys...but WAY BETTER. And it's interesting how my reading of the characters has changed as an adult.When I was growing up, I was very much like George. In fact, in 3rd grade I made everyone call me George. I thought she was the coolest character I'd ever met, and we agreed on a lot of things (mostly on how being a girl sucked). Reading this as an adult is interesting. In some ways George being adamant about being a boy comes off as that boys seem more interesting/have more control/independence (certainly where my wish to be a boy came from). But mostly it comes off that George is transgender, and I can't even tell you how incredible that is in a novel written in 1942. When you get lines like this:"So it is,' said her aunt. "But George hates being a girl, and we have to call her George, as if she were a boy.""I'm George,' said the girl. 'I shall only answer if you call me George. I hate being a girl. I won't be."George is the strongest character by far, and I don't think I was close to being alone in having her as a favourite. Apparently Enid Blyton based the character on herself, which might have a lot to do with it. I also think it brings up some interesting thoughts on Enid Blyton herself. I'm not certain how much was none about transgenders in the 40s, but I'd love to know if maybe Enid herself felt like George, because while other characters (particularly adults) don't approve of George's adamance that she is a boy, it doesn't reflect a disapproval of the character herself. Instead, she's by far the most interesting character of the lot.On the flip side of things...it paints Anne in a bad light. As both a girl who likes girly things AND the youngest child, Anne is the most easily frightened and is the only one who likes things that are looked down upon by the boys and George as being childish or girly. I remember growing up that I always thought Anne was a bit of a wet blanket and that she was dull. I hated that her name was my middle name. And I think that's a shame, because the book paints only boyish things as interesting and worthwhile. (This may change in the later books, it's been so long I can't remember.) I almost wish that Dick had been the youngest instead of Anne because I think that Anne's characterization is actually pretty spot on when it comes to being the youngest child and a girl who likes girly things - it's just how she's framed by the other children that makes her interests and temperament dull. Or if she got to have a bit more of the discoveries (she does discover the entrance to the dungeons, but she discovers it by being tired and sitting down, so it takes away from her being the one who discovers it).All of that being said, I loved the adventure just as much as I did when I read the books as a child. It made me just as excited, even though I knew how it ended, and I'm so excited to be rereading the series. I can't wait to introduce the kids to it, I'm hoping it's going to be a big hit!
Do You like book Five On A Treasure Island (2001)?
Back when I was a kid, Enid Blyton was MY author. Reading her books - and I read dozens of them - taught me, not to read, but to actually ENJOY reading. I remember feeling how it was a magical experience and twenty years later I still feel that when sitting down with a book today.I've been wanting to catch up with Blyton as an adult, to see how her work stands up, and I finally got my chance with this handsome hardback. I remember that the Famous Five and the Secret Seven weren't my favourite of her books - that was the Five Find-Outers - but FIVE ON A TREASURE ISLAND was nonetheless a book I read because it was the first in a long-running (21 books!) series. I also had the computer game of this back on my old ZX Spectrum so after reading the book I could go and 'experience' the adventures for myself!As for the book, I think it holds up admirably. Of course, Blyton's stories are dated, but therein lies their appeal. This is a world before the internet, before consoles, where children could go out by themselves and camp on a deserted island for a week without the threat of child molesters or the nanny state reporting their guardians for neglect. It's a fantasy world nowadays, but how great it is to go back there!Blyton's strength lies in her vivid description, and the island, the ruined castle and the shipwreck make perfect backdrops for the simplistic action. The kids are great characters, and George is still the author's most interesting character. The descriptions of picnic and ginger beer we all remember are delightful, as is Timmy the dog. As an adult, I was surprised to find this book wasn't 'twee' at all - there are descriptions of blood gushing from body parts, and even the dog has a gun pressed against his head at one point, so 'real life' is addressed. Yes, there are mistakes, like the weight of gold ingots, but these are easy to look over. The parts in the well and the storm sequence I found particularly impressive and well written.This is a children's book that cannot fail to inspire children of the right age to love reading. I enjoyed every second of it and flew through it as an adult reader. I was reminded, favourably, of childhood, and ended up with a warm and cosy feeling inside. I'm looking forward to catching up with more of the author's work in future.
—Graham
Jess, my 7-year old girl, gives it 5 stars.Comments while reading:"Georgina is a girl but she wants to be called 'George'. Is she a tomboy?""Who says that boys never cry? The boys in my class cry. A lot!""Uncle Quentin is scary!""George is like a volcano --- she's always angry or is about to get angry.""How can a kid own an island?""Awww, Tim is so cute!""Why can't Anne keep a secret? She's such a baby!""I like it when George took an axe and wrecked the bad guys' motorboat. She's so fierce!""I want to read more Famous Five books.""Why are they famous? Is it because they have adventures?""Are they real? No, of course Pokemons are not real!"
—Grace Tjan
The first in a series of classic children's novels21 April 2012tI'm not necessarily going to say that these were the first books that I read in English because there is a whole plethora of Dr Seuss and Little Golden Books that I would have read as well, and while I have thrown a few of them onto my list, I am still a little cautious in case I get accused of cheating. However, as I flick through other lists, I note that I wouldn't necessarily be the only one doing so. Anyway, this site is all about books that I have read, and if people can throw phrase books up on the site, then I guess I can throw Dr Seuss books up there as well. However, there are a lot of other books that I would like to put up and comment on before I get to Dr Seuss.tAnyway, as usual, I have begun to digress, and this is only the first book in a series of twenty-one books. I found twenty of them up the back in our shed (as well as a number of other Blyton books) so I pretty much grabbed the lot of them and have shoved them under my bed. I intend to reread them (if I get the chance) and fortunately they do tend to be quite a quick read. I did manage to read this one in a day, however I will not put them on my 'read this year' list because I did read all of them when I was in primary school. Unfortunately it looks like as if I am going to have to recall one of them from memory though, but then that is life.tThis is the introduction to the series, so we meet the five major characters: Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and Tim. We also meet the two adults in the series: Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin. I note that in this book the adults have names, however Julian, Dick, and Annes' parents are nameless and seem to sit in the background. As mentioned in the other Blyton books, the world of the adults and the world of the children are two different places though the adults do occasionally intrude. However, in this series the children are a little older (eleven and twelve) so there is more interaction with the world of adults, and as we have moved away from Fairy Land, the main antagonists are the adults. In a way, this is a story of how children can influence the world of adults.tThe story is set on the English seaside in a little cove where there is an island upon which there is a castle and a shipwreck. There is a story that the ship, owned by one of the children's ancestors, sunk while bringing gold back to England and the gold was lost, never to be found. However, after a fierce storm, the ship is thrown up onto the rocks, and after exploring it, the children find a box containing a map. However, the adults immediately intrude and take the box from them. The children are not silly though. They copy the map, and when they learn that the island is to be sold, they hurry over there to get the gold before anybody else does.tThis is truly an adventure tale with bad people, hidden treasure, ruined castles, and dungeons. The children are called to outwit the adults, who are motivated by greed, while the children are motivated to protect what is rightfully theirs. The adults are very narrow minded, seeing only in the short term, namely getting quick money for the island so that they may temporarily lift themselves out of poverty. Uncle Quentin is a scientist, however it is clear that there is no money in this profession (which is actually quite true: like a lot of other university degrees, science really only offers teaching and research positions, both of which do not pay huge amounts of money). However, the children are much more imaginative, and see beyond the short term to what really is available. However, the bad men are mischievous, angling for the island, and then deciding to back out on the deal once they have what they want.tI have mentioned the idea of children influencing the world of adults, but I think I will leave it there for now. There are another twenty Famous Five books (as well as numerous others from the same author) in which I can discuss this concept, so I think I will leave it off here now.
—David Sarkies
