The books throb with the energy of childhood. Review on The Famous Five Series - Enid Blyton

Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy the dog are the Famous Five. (George is a girl who is as good as any boy and refuses to be called Georgina). The Famous Five series is more about adventures than mysteries unlike another series by Enid Blyton, The Five Find Outers and dog.

Enid Blyton's narrative is rich, descriptive and transporting. The smell of freshly baked buns, hot scones and lemon tarts almost waft into the room when you settle down with a book. Visuals of juicy red tomatoes, baked potatoes, boiled peas and warm melting butter will soften you and make you walk to the kitchen to pick up a snack or a drink. As you face gusty winds, cross the misty moors, sail the stormy sea and scale rugged rocks along with the Five, you will tend to forget the time of day and your age!

My mother read the stories as an eighteen year old. I discovered these books when I was about thirteen. My personal favorite in the series is the first book of the series Five on a Treasure Island.I revisited these books last year when I started reading the stories to my seven-year-old son. Needless to say, he has begun to read them on his own now.

What makes these books appeal to people of all ages across generations? What's special a bunch of spunky kids who confront criminals, sabotage smugglers, unearth treasure, sail the seas, camp in caravans, own a ruined castle and an island?

There are many authors who have penned adventure stories for children at many levels of fame and fortune.I remember, two decades ago, there were few Kannada films along the same lines. Some Indian authors have written a few books without much success. Most of the clones go overboard with violence and melodrama. The characters lack depth and credibility.

When it comes to character building, Harry Porter comes close but one should ideally compare that with Enid Blyton's School series. (The First Term at Malory Towers etc.) The ''magical adventures'' in the Harry Porter series should be compared with ''magical adventures'' in the Enid Blyton's series on the Magic Faraway Tree, The Wishing chair etc. That will be quite a different exercise. It just goes on to prove what a versatile writer Enid Blyton was. I don't believe that the world has found a replacement yet.

However, critics of Enid Blyton have had a lot to say and do. The progressive thinkers have found these stories to be sexist! There is a lobby demanding that many of Enid Blyton's books are edited to become politically correct! To me this is blasphemous.

According to them , the portrayal of Anne is a regressive female stereotype. This means, she plays with dolls, cries in the face of danger or when she gets hurt, she cooks a meal inmost camps, she can't climb run or swim as well or as fast as the boys and George. She is loving, kind hearted, caring and of course intelligent. She is not a leader but a follower. She is the baby of the group

The boys are strong and brave, they never cry, they are intelligent and plan strategies against villains, they think solutions, they assume leader ship. This is a male stereotype alright.

George is a girl who would rather be a boy. She wears her hair short is often mistaken for a boy. She is always ready to prove that she is as tough as any boy. She picks up fist fights with boys, races them, and is good at out door skills like camping, rowing and climbing. She is also stubborn and rude with people she doesn't care for. However she has a large heart and loves animals. This according to the lobby is a dangerous anti woman attitude to cultivate among our youth.

I would tend to agree about the gender stereotypes, but would advice the lobby to take it in their stride. I would still recommend these books uncensored for children today.

In the TV dominated world, I can't compare the characters to characters in other books. But take a look at the irreverently funny TV characters on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network or MTV. Wren & Stimpy, Ed Edd & Eddy, Keenan & Kel, Amanda, they are mad, they are wild and they are cool! It is archaic to be sane, sensible and down to earth!

Girls are to be impressed, boys have to win dates, sisters are pesky, fat is funny, intelligent is dumb, dumb is popular, wearing sexuality up one's sleeve is plain normal!

Did some body say that kids reading Enid Blyton are in the danger of having role models who are stereotypes?

Enid Blyton's protagonists are solid kids. They have strong values. These kids are multidimensional in thought, emotion and action. Irrespective of whether a child loves Anne or connects with George, likes Dick or idolizes Julian, there is bound to be a positive rub off at a subliminal level.

Further, I don't believe that these books were written with the objective of being politically correct! They were written spontaneously. The books throb the energy of childhood. I would rather run the risk of exposing my son to political incorrectness than censor a treasure trove of high quality literature!

What ever your age, have a good time reading the Famous Five series. A good place to start if you plan to read more Enid Blyton I do wish someone would print less expensive editions of the same so that it becomes easier to start a collection for your child.