I was at Smart Bookshop in Permaisuri Imperial City Mall when I saw books of Enid Blyton on some shelves. It really stirred up a lot of nostalgia. When I was a kid, I was captivated by her books which played a big part in instilling in me a love of reading. I was particularly addicted to The Secret Seven and The Famous Five series. I regularly went to Heng Chiong Bookstore in Bintangor to look for new books by Enid Blyton and when I went to Sibu during school holidays, I used to visit Rejang Bookstore to hunt for Enid Blyton’s books.
Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven books
Slightly over half a century has passed since the death of Enid Blyton on 28 November 1968, but she remains one of the world’s best-loved children’s authors with over 700 titles published. The Famous Five, The Magic Faraway Tree, Malory Towers, St Clare’s, The Wishing Chair and Amelia Jane series, remain timeless classics across the world. With an astonishing 600 million books sold, she was and still is much loved by children. As recently as 2008, she was voted Britain’s best-loved author. But she also left behind a complicated legacy arising from sexism, racism, snobbery and xenophobia that are featured in her children’s books.
Blyton’s books clearly delineate good and bad characters and have plots illustrating traditional moral lessons. Her vocabulary and prose style are simple and highly accessible to beginning readers. Blyton felt she had a responsibility to provide her readers with a strong moral framework, so she encouraged them to support worthy causes such as raising funds for animal and paediatric charities.
There are many who feel that nostalgia is all well and good, but some things such as the works of Enid Blyton – are surely best left in the past. I don’t agree with this stance. As a kid, Blyton brought a lot of joy into my life. Liking Blyton does not make me sexist, snobbish, racist or xenophobic.
