Reading Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton has been disparaged by her critics since the 1950s and her stock is still low, though this has not deterred readers. New editions of her work have been published regularly since her death in 1968. Recently, there have also been stage and television adaptations of her Malory Towers books, while other authors have continued to write stories based on her characters. There are also Famous Five parodies, which rely on readers’ familiarity with the series. A continuing affection for her work is apparent, though it is not always clear whether this comes from parents or their children. Reading Enid Blyton places the author’s work in its cultural and historical context. The book examines a sample of her vast output, looking at five recurring themes: a sense of place, a sense of period, a sense of childhood, a sense of class and a sense of fantasy. A survey of changing attitudes towards Blyton reveals contrasting ways of looking at her work and raises the question whether she was as reactionary a writer as she appeared.