Posted by Magnus Smith on March 29, 2012 at 06:00:15 user Magnus.
In Reply to: Re: Blyton updated posted by Roger Wardale on March 29, 2012 at 00:33:47:
It seems children did not care for the bigger (academic) picture, but were happy to devour one Blyton book after the other, since they gave enjoyment in the same vein. Any why not?!
It was the adults that objected to the plot repetition and formulaic approach. Which reminds me of Cyril Ransome being upset when young Arthur was unable to tell the difference between a good book and a cheap-and-nasty one. Was it 'The Black Arrow' they disagreed over?
My 9 year old twins have enjoyed a lot of Blyton in the past 5 years, but one of them picked up S&A this week, entirely of her own accord. I nearly shed a tear! I did encourage them to watch the film, and they've enjoyed the radio play (bedtime listening), but I was very careful not to force them to read the books. That sort of thing turns children away unless you tread very carefully! They had previously asked to go sailing without any encouragement from me too, thank goodness.