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ladyelderberry's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really liked this as a kid and still found it quite enjoyable as an adult. The only thing I disliked was how the boys were more adventurous than the girls. However, one cannot necessarily expect that from a book written in 1944.
katymaryreads's review against another edition
3.0
Things were different in the past.
The casual racism, ongoing sexism (with the note of gallantry that makes teen boys protect their sisters and not hit them unless they're really annoying) and the fact that everyone smoked were expected. I remembered most of that from my youthful reading of this series, which I loved (far more than the Famous Five). 12-year-old me was rather in love with Jack, and totally in awe of the heroic coming-in-when-an-adult-is-strictly-necessary Bill.
As a child, I was wildly indignant at the sexism that never let Blyton's female characters have such an exciting time as their brothers. The racism never occurred to me back then. (I'm not sure I knew any people of colour, certainly no black people, and i regarded them with suspicion partly as a result of that and partly as a by-product of the inherent racism that was just part of how many white people thought back then and that we didn't even realise was a thing.) The smoking is obviously not such a big deal; it was just what a lot of people did back then.
What never occurred to 12-year-old me was the appalling treatment of the orphaned Jack and Lucy Ann and the fatherless Philip and Dinah. passed casually from adult to adult, and fully aware that no one really wanted them.
Having said all that, and taking this as an of-its-time purely nostalgic read, nearly fifty years on, I really enjoyed it.
The casual racism, ongoing sexism (with the note of gallantry that makes teen boys protect their sisters and not hit them unless they're really annoying) and the fact that everyone smoked were expected. I remembered most of that from my youthful reading of this series, which I loved (far more than the Famous Five). 12-year-old me was rather in love with Jack, and totally in awe of the heroic coming-in-when-an-adult-is-strictly-necessary Bill.
As a child, I was wildly indignant at the sexism that never let Blyton's female characters have such an exciting time as their brothers. The racism never occurred to me back then. (I'm not sure I knew any people of colour, certainly no black people, and i regarded them with suspicion partly as a result of that and partly as a by-product of the inherent racism that was just part of how many white people thought back then and that we didn't even realise was a thing.) The smoking is obviously not such a big deal; it was just what a lot of people did back then.
What never occurred to 12-year-old me was the appalling treatment of the orphaned Jack and Lucy Ann and the fatherless Philip and Dinah. passed casually from adult to adult, and fully aware that no one really wanted them.
Having said all that, and taking this as an of-its-time purely nostalgic read, nearly fifty years on, I really enjoyed it.
elementarymydear's review against another edition
3.0
I read quite a lot of Enid Blyton as a kid, and this is the first I've read since. It's classic, stereo-typical Enid Blyton; children who go for 'jolly hols' with their pets and end up uncovering some sort of grand evil scheme, in a very Scooby-Doo-esque fashion. I absolutely did not see the ending coming; I had no idea what was actually going on on the island. The biggest thing to jar, however, was that it's definitely a product of its time; every character is a walking 1940s stereotype, particularly when it comes to the female or POC characters.
moni70's review against another edition
2.0
if one manages to ignore the anachronistic gender stereotypes it's a great children's story
meganlouise815's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to love this book (and the series) so badly but I just found it so boring
rhiasaurus94's review
5.0
I love rereading old childhood favourites, especially almost anything by Enid Blyton. These books all take me back to such a wonderful part of my childhood and they are just as good more than 10 years on.
samanthawattam's review
5.0
This series of books was chosen as part of my 2015 Reading Challenge but I'd often wanted to revisit the books of my childhood. I remember absolutely loving Enid Blyton and so I was apprehensive would they live up to my memories. Well I'm pleased to say I was not disappointed it was every bit as exciting and fun as I remembered and I can see why Enid Blyton was so popular and why I loved them so much as a child.
The 4 children Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann and Jack (not forgetting Kiki the parrot) are thrown together over the summer holidays staying in an old house called Craggy-Tops by the sea and become intrigued by the Island of Gloom and the mysterious goings on that they slowly become aware of.
Compare to today's standards of excitement in children's books I think it compares very favourably and it is refreshing to read something that doesn't involve the supernatural which has become so popular today (don't get me wrong I love that as wellbut an exciting story can be written that is about 'real life' too).
The setting is atmospheric set in an old rambling house by the sea, I think the depiction of the children's relationship is well done and the addition of the parrot is a brilliant touch. The adventure is fun and excitingly described and there is a twist that I didn't expect.
My only reservation is really to do with how expectations have changed and so the girls doing the household chores while the boys do the manly tasks. A boy is called “stupid” because he is a slow learner. I will say the book is a product of its time and leave it at that.
I would highly recommend and can't wait to read the rest in the series.
The 4 children Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann and Jack (not forgetting Kiki the parrot) are thrown together over the summer holidays staying in an old house called Craggy-Tops by the sea and become intrigued by the Island of Gloom and the mysterious goings on that they slowly become aware of.
Compare to today's standards of excitement in children's books I think it compares very favourably and it is refreshing to read something that doesn't involve the supernatural which has become so popular today (don't get me wrong I love that as wellbut an exciting story can be written that is about 'real life' too).
The setting is atmospheric set in an old rambling house by the sea, I think the depiction of the children's relationship is well done and the addition of the parrot is a brilliant touch. The adventure is fun and excitingly described and there is a twist that I didn't expect.
My only reservation is really to do with how expectations have changed and so the girls doing the household chores while the boys do the manly tasks. A boy is called “stupid” because he is a slow learner. I will say the book is a product of its time and leave it at that.
I would highly recommend and can't wait to read the rest in the series.
cindyc3689's review against another edition
3.0
Re-read, cetakan keenam gpu 2020, cetul cover baru, ebook.
Baca ulang lagi, dan baru nyadar kalo novel ini jatuhnya patriarki sekali, anak cewek tinggal di rumah ga bole berpetualangan, ibu2 bekerja ga bagus, lbh baik di rumah saja ngurus anak. Okeee. =)
#GD
Baca ulang lagi, dan baru nyadar kalo novel ini jatuhnya patriarki sekali, anak cewek tinggal di rumah ga bole berpetualangan, ibu2 bekerja ga bagus, lbh baik di rumah saja ngurus anak. Okeee. =)
#GD
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