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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2013 8:15:54 GMT 1
I decided to buy this book because a) I love the cover and the illustrations by Peter Beigel b) I've never read any of Enid Blyton's books before c) I like farming stories Well, I was a tad disappointed! I so wanted to like this book but it wasn't quite what I thought it would be. It was a bit dull and I kept waiting for something to happen! The story is more about the relationship the cousins have with each other rather than farming or ponies. The usual cliche of townie children hating country children and vice versus. It's a bit moralistic for my liking, but having said that as the story went on I got into it a bit more so I shall buy the sequel just to find out how the townie cousins get on in their new farm.
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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2013 13:51:42 GMT 1
Rosie, left you a message on the original Six Cousins thread, I'll delete it when you've read it. Its many years since I read these books, in fact I don't think I have ever read them as an adult. I seem to remember I really enjoyed them but EB books don't usually read as well to adults as children, due to the fact you pick up on a lot of stuff like the moralising and sexism that's in them. I must give these another read through adult eyes. I've just got a really lovely old copy of More Adventures on Willow Farm by EB which has got beautiful illustrations by Eileen Soper. There looks to be loads of horse stuff in it, so I've decided to read these too and add them to the Enid Blyton web page if they have enough horsy content. Will let you know rosie/do a review perhaps. If they have more horsy/farm content than the Mistletoe books you may enjoy them more. In the meantime here's a pic to whet people's appetites:
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Post by fizz on Mar 19, 2013 18:01:53 GMT 1
I enjoyed this as a child & when I re-read it as an adult. Six Cousins again is a much better book & I would say probably one of her best, though it is moralistic & anti gipsy (or do we call them Roam now? Seem to remember work training that gipsy was like nigger). Blyton had a real problem with the Roma & they are the villains of a lot of her books. I thought that Six Cousins Again had a more adult theme than her usual books. Would recommend every one reads the sequel....& I think I can lend people a copy. Wish I still had the Willow Farm ones; however Tammylyn, the wild man is somewhat worrying.....!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2013 19:28:14 GMT 1
I've just managed to get hold of a copy More lovely illustrations in this one too. Claire that illustration is beautiful I'm tempted to read the Willow ones now at some point.....
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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2013 22:58:58 GMT 1
Wish I still had the Willow Farm ones; however Tammylyn, the wild man is somewhat worrying.....! Isn't Tammylyn or whatever he was called in The Children of Cherry Tree Farm? Gets a bit confusing with all these farms! Yeah I know what you mean tho he probably would be considered a peodophile nowadays as a single man spending so much time with 2 young children!
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Post by trixiepony on Mar 20, 2013 2:44:40 GMT 1
I have the Armada copy's. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2013 12:51:25 GMT 1
What do you think of the stories Trixiepony?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2013 12:58:45 GMT 1
Wish I still had the Willow Farm ones; however Tammylyn, the wild man is somewhat worrying.....! Isn't Tammylyn or whatever he was called in The Children of Cherry Tree Farm? Gets a bit confusing with all these farms! Yeah I know what you mean tho he probably would be considered a peodophile nowadays as a single man spending so much time with 2 young children! It might seem a bit "odd" nowadays that young Jack spent nights in the woods with the poacher bloke Twigg while young Cyril spent lots of time with a hermit in a cave!
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Post by fizz on Mar 20, 2013 20:57:26 GMT 1
Just trying to remember which one Tammylyn was in. It's the one where the elm tree falls on a farm worker & the shire horses has colic? Thought it was Willow but it might be Cherry.....very confusing 2 tree named farms.
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Post by Claire on Mar 21, 2013 2:49:17 GMT 1
It was defo Cherry Tree - just checked. BTW very nice pics/cover on that book too (older editions) All these farm stories are still going strong as I sell quite a lot of them. Attachments:
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Post by trixiepony on Mar 21, 2013 3:14:48 GMT 1
I liked them, it's more about how the cousins learn to get along than a farm or pony story thow. I like the ponies in the story, Boodi is as much a cariter as Melisande, Jane, Cyril, John, Susan and Roderick are. Times shore have changed kids where a lot more free back even when I was a kid now I don't see meny kiddie winks walking to school or walking to friends homes. I remember a bunch of us kids getting around in a pack playing ,climbing trees ,making play houses or forts in a bit of bush land.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2013 8:15:56 GMT 1
Yep, definitely a character all right! Interesting to read in the front of the book that Enid Blyton's daughter chose and described all the horses.
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Post by fizz on Mar 21, 2013 10:24:35 GMT 1
I looked this up on the Enid Blyton site. They same characters appear in both series; Cherry Tree Farm is when the children stay with relatives & in Willow Farm their Father buys Willow Farm & they move there & renew their friendship with the "wild man".
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Post by Claire on Mar 21, 2013 13:41:45 GMT 1
I looked this up on the Enid Blyton site. They same characters appear in both series; Cherry Tree Farm is when the children stay with relatives & in Willow Farm their Father buys Willow Farm & they move there & renew their friendship with the "wild man". Ah that explains it! Is Boodi the Icelandic pony?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2013 15:59:48 GMT 1
Yep that's the one.
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Post by foxglove on Apr 10, 2013 14:27:04 GMT 1
I can't believe you hadn't read any Enid Blyton rosie! I had literally hundreds of her books as a child, which I re-read voraciously. Possibly The Circus of Adventure was my favourite. I would be very surprised if they stood up to re-reading as an adult, though.
I do recall Six Cousins Again having grown up themes; particularly the difficulty of being a farmer's wife. I've always remembered Boodi as he was the most characterful of any Blyton horses, and because I can't think of any other Icelandic pony.
The TV film of her life, with Helena Bonham-Carter in the lead role is well worth watching.
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