I remember marvelling at the gumption of English kids swigging bottles of ginger beer in Enid Blyton books. Beer, as far as I knew, was strictly for consumption by adults.
Perhaps one reason why her books were so popular is that children, everywhere, are the same. Strip away the niceties of English countrysides and picnics, and what you're left with are stories of kids having adventures. Often at the expense of clueless adults. Smart and intelligent children one-upping pompous adults is the sort of stuff that has global appeal!
Loved this. My Dad, half British, half Hungarian, brought up in Hungary, hated Enid Blyton with a burning passion. We were pretty much banned from reading that 'colonial garbage' lol. Great read as ever, Pallavi
Thanks to the picnics of The Famous Five, I grew up having a fixation for jars of orange juice. With my first salary in Mumbai, I loved going to the expensive supermarket in the posh part of the neighborhood to stock up on Tropicana Orange juice (with pulp). The very first kitchen appliance I bought here in Spain was an orange juicer.
I also grew up imaging a scone as a fluffy cone filled with cream.
Your post resonated so much with me. My friends and I were addicted to Enid Blyton right from when we were 7-8 years old and could read books! I never got into Amar Chitra Kathas. They were not only shoddily produced but the story telling was abysmally boring. Blyton on the other hand spoke to the child's desire for freedom and adventure directly. It also gave morality lessons not preachily but in the form of fun stories. Many of Blyton's series such as the Magic Faraway Tree, Wishing Chair or Mr Galliano's Circus created a world of imagination that is unsurpassed even today. Which child does not want to climb up a tree and encounter a world of treats? She wasn't politically correct in many ways but even at that age, I sub consciously understood that it was written at a time when gender equality or anti colonial discourses weren't mainstreamed. I have so many happy memories of going on "adventures" with my friends or spending the long days of summer vacation gulping down her books!
I am glad today's children have a wide variety of options but I think they do miss out on the sheer breadth of imagination that Blyton's books opened for us.
I am from Spain and grew up in Madrid. I also loved those books that I read translated to Spanish. I was very curious about their picnics and the cucumber sandwiches . I loved their freedom and my dream was to have a dog and go on adventures like them. It was the 80’s in Spain with only 2 tv channels. I lived in a boring neighborhood with nothing much to do.
I read books in Malta in English. My read was Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I loved that world, men in Lincoln Green! I think it’s as someone else has commented, about giving a child the power to wander in their mind. We moved to London nearly fifty years ago, I’ve never been to Sherwood Forest! 😂😂 Don’t dismay so much with your boys, share with them in a media they relate to. Sharing is what counts.
The colonisation trope is getting a bit too much. Blyton wasn’t forced on us. She was fun to read and her parentage is going irrelevant. Used to be upper caste tyranny angst before her which once obsessed Indian upper class conscience now the Mughals. We look under the bed for villains.
in my forsaken corner of Switzerland, an Iranian refugee kidnaps the local train. Police stress him until they find a way to kill him. GVA cops are specialized in this. Probably on account of the airport.
Great piece, Pallavi!
I remember marvelling at the gumption of English kids swigging bottles of ginger beer in Enid Blyton books. Beer, as far as I knew, was strictly for consumption by adults.
Perhaps one reason why her books were so popular is that children, everywhere, are the same. Strip away the niceties of English countrysides and picnics, and what you're left with are stories of kids having adventures. Often at the expense of clueless adults. Smart and intelligent children one-upping pompous adults is the sort of stuff that has global appeal!
I remember being wildly curious about ginger beer too!
Loved this. My Dad, half British, half Hungarian, brought up in Hungary, hated Enid Blyton with a burning passion. We were pretty much banned from reading that 'colonial garbage' lol. Great read as ever, Pallavi
Thanks to the picnics of The Famous Five, I grew up having a fixation for jars of orange juice. With my first salary in Mumbai, I loved going to the expensive supermarket in the posh part of the neighborhood to stock up on Tropicana Orange juice (with pulp). The very first kitchen appliance I bought here in Spain was an orange juicer.
I also grew up imaging a scone as a fluffy cone filled with cream.
Hi Pallavi,
Your post resonated so much with me. My friends and I were addicted to Enid Blyton right from when we were 7-8 years old and could read books! I never got into Amar Chitra Kathas. They were not only shoddily produced but the story telling was abysmally boring. Blyton on the other hand spoke to the child's desire for freedom and adventure directly. It also gave morality lessons not preachily but in the form of fun stories. Many of Blyton's series such as the Magic Faraway Tree, Wishing Chair or Mr Galliano's Circus created a world of imagination that is unsurpassed even today. Which child does not want to climb up a tree and encounter a world of treats? She wasn't politically correct in many ways but even at that age, I sub consciously understood that it was written at a time when gender equality or anti colonial discourses weren't mainstreamed. I have so many happy memories of going on "adventures" with my friends or spending the long days of summer vacation gulping down her books!
I am glad today's children have a wide variety of options but I think they do miss out on the sheer breadth of imagination that Blyton's books opened for us.
Kaushiki
Love your mini- blog of a reply. And agree !
I am from Spain and grew up in Madrid. I also loved those books that I read translated to Spanish. I was very curious about their picnics and the cucumber sandwiches . I loved their freedom and my dream was to have a dog and go on adventures like them. It was the 80’s in Spain with only 2 tv channels. I lived in a boring neighborhood with nothing much to do.
I didn’t know they were popular in Spain too!
El Club de los Cinco it was called!
I read books in Malta in English. My read was Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I loved that world, men in Lincoln Green! I think it’s as someone else has commented, about giving a child the power to wander in their mind. We moved to London nearly fifty years ago, I’ve never been to Sherwood Forest! 😂😂 Don’t dismay so much with your boys, share with them in a media they relate to. Sharing is what counts.
Hello
The colonisation trope is getting a bit too much. Blyton wasn’t forced on us. She was fun to read and her parentage is going irrelevant. Used to be upper caste tyranny angst before her which once obsessed Indian upper class conscience now the Mughals. We look under the bed for villains.
No substantive comment, dear Pallavi,
in my forsaken corner of Switzerland, an Iranian refugee kidnaps the local train. Police stress him until they find a way to kill him. GVA cops are specialized in this. Probably on account of the airport.
Aldo