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enobong 's review for:
The Folk of the Faraway Tree
by Enid Blyton
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went into this with some trepidation. Enid Blyton is not exactly known for having a very modern world view and her books are quite (read: very) dated. However, I have fond memories of reading Enid Blyton books as a child and it was part of the BBC top 100 books list, so I had to read it.
What I loved about these books are their simplicity and innocence. My six-year-old niece loved reading through them with my sister and, as she's more of the demographic age, her opinion is probably worth more than mine. I love the depiction of a world in which children have responsibilities around the house and it is very clear that the chores must be complete before they run off and have fun. Blyton values common sense and politeness and I'm all for instilling these values into children at a young age.
However, there were some cringey moments in which certain characters definitely got a bum deal. And children's books don't have to be completely void of nuance. Some of the best picture and chapter books out there have character development and cause for engagement with young minds. Plus, there was a very triggering moment in the final book in which a character named Mr Whatizname discovers his real name but it's too long and complicated for anyone to remember and so they decide not to call him by his real name because it just isn't sensible. 🙄
I enjoyed this little journey through nostalgia but I don't need to revisit anytime soon.
I went into this with some trepidation. Enid Blyton is not exactly known for having a very modern world view and her books are quite (read: very) dated. However, I have fond memories of reading Enid Blyton books as a child and it was part of the BBC top 100 books list, so I had to read it.
What I loved about these books are their simplicity and innocence. My six-year-old niece loved reading through them with my sister and, as she's more of the demographic age, her opinion is probably worth more than mine. I love the depiction of a world in which children have responsibilities around the house and it is very clear that the chores must be complete before they run off and have fun. Blyton values common sense and politeness and I'm all for instilling these values into children at a young age.
However, there were some cringey moments in which certain characters definitely got a bum deal. And children's books don't have to be completely void of nuance. Some of the best picture and chapter books out there have character development and cause for engagement with young minds. Plus, there was a very triggering moment in the final book in which a character named Mr Whatizname discovers his real name but it's too long and complicated for anyone to remember and so they decide not to call him by his real name because it just isn't sensible. 🙄
I enjoyed this little journey through nostalgia but I don't need to revisit anytime soon.