My Favorite Author No one Seems to Know
My small post will not do her justice.
No one has heard her name, when I tell them about her, and I must repeat her name to them again because it is so unusual and so common. I’m certain they forgot, after several seconds too, that old name that no one has heard of before in the States. Even in England, where she was, she is now considered antiquated, despite persistent votes and sales making her still one of the most popular children’s authors in the country.
Enid Blyton. ENID BLYTON. Enid Blyton is her name!
Her works are not considered great literature; but just like Harry Potter, they were not meant to be. Ms. Blyton is not known for writing great tomes of prosaic renown and intellect; however, she will mark any heart forever with the thrill of delightful things–adventures, characters, and events that one cannot help but wish to spend time with always. She wrote many series and books–somewhere between 500 and 700, I have read. The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Faraway Tree, The Wishing Chair, and The Five Find-Outers are only some of her series. She wrote mystery, fantasy/fairy tale, adventure, school, and animal stories. The Land of Far Beyond is a book I have read perhaps seven or so times over as a child.
Unfortunately, Enid Blyton today is considered racist, sexist, and politically incorrect. She writes about golliwogs, which was a type of doll that was black, and her stories often depict girls being girls (playing with dolls, keeping house in some adventures) and boys being boys (taking care of the girls and sometimes going off on the more critical adventures in the story). In the mystery series, the (beloved) leader of the group is named Fatty, but his full name is Frederick Algernon Trotteville (F.A.T.). A 2009 movie of her, called Enid, lambasted her and brought out biographical cruelty to her two daughters and seemingly conscious self-blinding towards World War II. I would not be surprised if these things were true, but the framing of it was rather hateful of Enid, in my opinion.
Have her books more popularity in other countries? Who else has heard of her? Has anyone else my age grown up reading her, and whose imagination and childish heart been thrilled by her stories? They may not have that perfect climax, characters developed just so, perfect consistency, eloquent dialogue, profound depth, or narrative to make you feel all the nitty gritty that the main characters are experiencing (as writing workshops seem prone to teaching these days)–but Enid Blyton’s tales have the unteachable essence of what is a story.
This is an article on why she may not be well-known in the U.S.:
http://www.lostinthepond.com/2014/01/how-britains-most-beloved-writer-enid.html#.Wo7GD66nHIU