Lashings and Lashings of Lemonade

FIVE GO ON A HIKE TOGETHER
By Enid Blyton
(Hodder Children's Books, 160 pages)
Continuing my series of reviews on my favourite books by Enid Blyton, here's one I like to read in bed, on rainy days.

It's got quite a dark, mysterious vibe, especially the scenes set in an abandoned house called Two Trees, by a lake called Gloomy Water ...

Anyway, in this adventure, the five set off on one of their holidays in the countryside. A couple of days into the outing, Timmy the Dog goes lame and has to see a vet. The kids split into two groups (Julian, George and Timmy, and Anne and Dick) and arrange to meet at Blue Pond Farm. Trouble is, it starts to rain really heavily, and Dick and Anne lose their way and end up in a different place.

Dick spends the night in a barn and is woken up in the middle of the night by a strange man who seems know his name! The man passes him a piece of paper on which is written a list of names, including Two Trees and Gloomy Water!

When the five are reunited the next day, they discover that one of the inmates at a nearby prison has escaped. They decide that this is linked to the list received by Dick and they make a plan to do some snooping.

As mentioned before, they end up in an abandoned house which they figure is where some stolen loot is hidden.The five are determined to find the stuff. Unfortunately, a couple of surly criminal-types are also there, for the same reason. And so the race is on: Will the Five crack the case first? Will Anne whimper and wish she were safe at home? Will they feast on potted-meat sandwiches and lashings and lashings of lemonade between snooping sessions? And will Timmy get the living daylights kicked out of him by the crooks?

This is a rather darker book than the others in the series. Must be all the rain, and the ruins the Five hide out in. The episode with the deaf woman who bundles Anne into a sort of hidey hole and Dick's dreamlike encounter with a man whispering his name is also quite deliciously weird.

The Famous Five is my second-favourite of Blyton's adventure series. I love the books mainly for their detailed descriptions of food and certainly not for Julian's bossiness or George going on and on about wanting to be a boy! Dick is the coolest character but what a name!

Every title sees the kids on holiday by themselves, often in some cool location like a castle or island or light house. Once they're all settled in, they see flashing lights or faces in windows or hear something mysterious. It's all very exciting, especially if you're nine, but, I'm 37 and I still like the books so they obviously a good investment. Get them now and enjoy them for life!!

The Famous Five Series

1. Five On a Treasure Island (1942)

2. Five Go Adventuring Again (1942)

3. Five Run Away Together (1944)
aka Five Run Away to Danger
4. Five Go to Smuggler's Top (1945)

5. Five Go Off in a Caravan (1946)

6. Five On Kirrin Island Again (1947)

7. Five Go Off to Camp (1948)

8. Five Get Into Trouble (1949)

9. Five Fall Into Adventure (1950)

10. Five On a Hike Together (1951)

11. Five Have a Wonderful Time (1952)

12. Five Go Down to the Sea (1953)

13. Five Go to Mystery Moor (1954)

14. Five Have Plenty of Fun (1955)

15. Five On a Secret Trail (1956)

16. Five Go to Billycock Hill (1957)

17. Five Get Into a Fix (1958)

18. Five On Finniston Farm (1960)

19. Five Go to Demon's Rocks (1961)

20. Five Have a Mystery to Solve (1962)

21. Five Are Together Again (1963)

Comments

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[truetrue]

Hi, this is the first time visiting your blog, and is certainly refreshing! Enid Blyton is certainly my all time favorite writer. Used to read every single one of his books when I was little.

[lips]

Chance upon your blog from an article u wrote in the Star bout pay less books.

What a trip down memory lane! I used to make my parents buy at least one Enid Blyton book for me a week. Or I'll stand at the book section and read while my parents shop! Malory Towers (is that how you spell it?), Famous Five, Wishing Chair (was it by Enid Blyton?)and non Enid Blyton ... Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and what's that other girl dorm series... and of course all the love novels...

So glad I found your blog! Will be back :)

[Subtext Whore]

I've not read the [girls?] boarding school stories. In fact, I think it was childrens TV on the BBC that started me on the Famous Five back in the seventies (I'd love to see the old TV series as much as the books). Aw, and thanks! :) My blog is so new and nowhere near as impressive as yours (which seems like a fully-fledged magazine to me!) and I'm still a little unsure of it. I'll just keep writing and a sense of direction will surely follow. :-)

[Daphne]

Hi STW, Thanks! I've never stopped reading Blyton. I like the adventure and mystery series, but have never been too impressed by the boarding school ones.

BYW, I'm enjoying my visits to your blog!

[Subtext Whore]

Oh the nostalgia! It's been so long since I read any Enid Blyton (so long ago I was the target audience at the time) and the memories just come flooding back. Note to self: look for old Famous Five books in the loft. Excellent review btw. :-)