Publication date UK format 30/10/22 book 155 pages
I would like to thank the author, publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to pick this to read and review. all my reviews are honest.
Synopsis
She is the most prolific children's author in history, but Enid Blyton is also the most controversial. A remarkable woman who wrote hundreds of books in a career spanning forty years, even her razor sharp mind could never have predicted her enormous global audience. Now, fifty years after her death, Enid remains a phenomenon, with sales outstripping every rival. Parents and teachers lobbied against Enid's books, complaining they were simplistic, repetitive and littered with sexist and snobbish undertones. Blatant racist slurs were particularly shockingly; foreign and working class characters were treated with a distain that horrifies modern readers. But regardless of the criticism, Enid worked until she could not physically write another word, famously producing thousands of words a day hunched over her manual typewriter. She imaged a more innocent world, where children roamed unsupervised, and problems were solved with midnight feasts or glorious picnics with lashings of ginger beer. Smugglers, thieves, spies and kidnappers were thwarted by fearless gangs who easily outwitted the police, while popular schoolgirls scored winning goals in nail-biting lacrosse matches. Enid carefully crafted her public image to ensure her fans only knew of this sunny persona, but behind the scenes, she weaved elaborate stories to conceal infidelities, betrayals and unconventional friendships, lied about her childhood and never fully recovered from her parent's marriage collapsing. She grew up convinced that her beloved father abandoned her for someone he loved more, and few could ever measure up to her impossible standards. A complex and immature woman, Enid was plagued by insecurities and haunted by a dark past. She was prone to bursts of furious temper, yet was a shrewd businesswoman years ahead of her time. She may not have been particularly likeable, and her stories infuriatingly unimaginative, but she left a vast literary legacy to generations of children.
My Review
This was a fantastic book. I just loved learning about Enid Blyton's life. The book was extremely interesting and held my attention throughout. There was a tiny bit of repetition but this didn't affect my reading experience. I just found it fascinating reading. I thought that the author did an excellent job of providing a full history with some brilliant pictures. You could tell that the author knew the subject well and that the book was well-researched. As there were plenty of sources and references used. I loved reading about Enid's involvement with her child readers. I found it quite shocking learning about her relationship with her own children. It was amazing learning about her speed at writing books. As a child I loved her books especially bimbo and topsy. The author also looks at the issues around her language and changing times. Making Blyton seem like she had hatred for certain people. I really couldn't put this book down and had to binge-read it. I definitely recommend reading this book if like me you loved her books.
Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this extremely interesting book.
Where you can buy this book
Amazon US K $2.99, HC $23.40 PB $24.95
Waterstones HC £19.99, PB £12.99
Google Books EB £4.99
B&N HC $34.95, PB $24.95, EB $2.99
Kobo EB £3.99
Amazon UK K £3.99, HC 16.41 PB £12.99
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HAPPY READING