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vikingwolf's review against another edition
3.0
I had actually started this book during last summer as lighter reading for my mood during the pandemic but I got distracted from it for some reason and never got it finished. I went back to it last month and got it completed.
Philip is spending time with a tutor at extra lessons in the summer after being ill which is where he meets Jack and his sister Lucy-Ann for the first time. Jack needs extra coaching because he has little interest in studying. Their parents died in a plane crash and the siblings are having to stay on with the tutor as their uncle is not interested in taking care of them. Philip suggests that they run away and come back with him to Craggy Tops, where he lives with his Uncle Jocelyn, Aunt Polly and sister Dinah, while his mother is working away from home. When Jack's Uncle Geoffrey is prepared to pay Aunt Polly to look after Jack and Lucy-Ann for the summer, the four children look forward to a summer of fun in Cornwall.
The children are all fascinated by the nearby Isle of Gloom, which is declared to be haunted by their unpleasant servant Jo-Jo. Jack is convinced that there could be rare birds out there and wants to 'borrow' Jo-Jo's boat to explore it. He gets an opportunity to see the island up close when their new adult friend Bill Smugs takes them out in his boat. But when the boys sneak out to explore the island one day on their own, they discover that people have been there recently, doing something inside the mines and tunnels. Is there some kind of smuggling or illegal activity going on? Is this why they are being warned off the island? Is Bill involved in it? The boys decide they have to find out what is going on, leading to a dangerous adventure and more trouble than they expected.
The children all have different personalities and hobbies. Jack is an avid birdwatcher and has a pet parrot called Kiki that goes everywhere with him. Kiki is a complete pain in the neck with her frequent screeches, and repetition of all her different phrases on almost every page. I started to find that it was slowly getting on my nerves. Lucy-Ann was the youngest and weakest of the group, scared of everything, the one who gets seasick, but the attribute most wearing is her inability to function when Jack isn't around. Philip is a great animal lover who forever has creatures in his pockets or crawling around him. I wasn't keen on the number of animals that he just gathers and keeps, as he is basically imprisoning animals against his will. I'm also not keen on the level of violence between Philip and Dinah. Dinah flares up at the slightest thing and the siblings are forever hitting and attacking each other, which is disturbing.
Enid Blyton's books are old fashioned in attitudes, a product of the times that they were written in. This book was first published in 1944 so the girls are expected to do the household chores like cleaning, while the boys do the heavier chores. The more dangerous parts of the book feature the boys on an adventure while the girls are left behind for their own safety. There is even a comment from a character that Philip's mother should stay at home with her children instead of working for a living, which is certainly an outdated attitude. I can ignore this kind of thing in books as I know that times were different when the books were written. Other readers may be offended by it, so be aware of the content.
Other readers have commented through the years about Blyton's use of non-white characters to be her bad guys and this book is one of them. Jo-Jo is a nasty character, surly, unpleasant, spies on the kids and tries to hit the boys on a couple of occasions. Some readers may be offended by the constant references to his colour, so be warned of that content too.
I liked the adventure element to the story, just as I did when I read it as a kid. While I could ignore the oldfashioned attitudes in the writing, I was often irritated by the fighting between Philip and Dinah, and especially by that parrot. I don't think I'll read on with the rest of the series, at least not for the moment. It's not as good as the Secret series.
Philip is spending time with a tutor at extra lessons in the summer after being ill which is where he meets Jack and his sister Lucy-Ann for the first time. Jack needs extra coaching because he has little interest in studying. Their parents died in a plane crash and the siblings are having to stay on with the tutor as their uncle is not interested in taking care of them. Philip suggests that they run away and come back with him to Craggy Tops, where he lives with his Uncle Jocelyn, Aunt Polly and sister Dinah, while his mother is working away from home. When Jack's Uncle Geoffrey is prepared to pay Aunt Polly to look after Jack and Lucy-Ann for the summer, the four children look forward to a summer of fun in Cornwall.
The children are all fascinated by the nearby Isle of Gloom, which is declared to be haunted by their unpleasant servant Jo-Jo. Jack is convinced that there could be rare birds out there and wants to 'borrow' Jo-Jo's boat to explore it. He gets an opportunity to see the island up close when their new adult friend Bill Smugs takes them out in his boat. But when the boys sneak out to explore the island one day on their own, they discover that people have been there recently, doing something inside the mines and tunnels. Is there some kind of smuggling or illegal activity going on? Is this why they are being warned off the island? Is Bill involved in it? The boys decide they have to find out what is going on, leading to a dangerous adventure and more trouble than they expected.
The children all have different personalities and hobbies. Jack is an avid birdwatcher and has a pet parrot called Kiki that goes everywhere with him. Kiki is a complete pain in the neck with her frequent screeches, and repetition of all her different phrases on almost every page. I started to find that it was slowly getting on my nerves. Lucy-Ann was the youngest and weakest of the group, scared of everything, the one who gets seasick, but the attribute most wearing is her inability to function when Jack isn't around. Philip is a great animal lover who forever has creatures in his pockets or crawling around him. I wasn't keen on the number of animals that he just gathers and keeps, as he is basically imprisoning animals against his will. I'm also not keen on the level of violence between Philip and Dinah. Dinah flares up at the slightest thing and the siblings are forever hitting and attacking each other, which is disturbing.
Enid Blyton's books are old fashioned in attitudes, a product of the times that they were written in. This book was first published in 1944 so the girls are expected to do the household chores like cleaning, while the boys do the heavier chores. The more dangerous parts of the book feature the boys on an adventure while the girls are left behind for their own safety. There is even a comment from a character that Philip's mother should stay at home with her children instead of working for a living, which is certainly an outdated attitude. I can ignore this kind of thing in books as I know that times were different when the books were written. Other readers may be offended by it, so be aware of the content.
Other readers have commented through the years about Blyton's use of non-white characters to be her bad guys and this book is one of them. Jo-Jo is a nasty character, surly, unpleasant, spies on the kids and tries to hit the boys on a couple of occasions. Some readers may be offended by the constant references to his colour, so be warned of that content too.
I liked the adventure element to the story, just as I did when I read it as a kid. While I could ignore the oldfashioned attitudes in the writing, I was often irritated by the fighting between Philip and Dinah, and especially by that parrot. I don't think I'll read on with the rest of the series, at least not for the moment. It's not as good as the Secret series.
ninagudruna's review against another edition
3.0
I was nervous about re-reading Enid Blyton’s books as an adult, because I was afraid that the ‘magic’ of the stories would not be the same or that it would ruin the precious memories associated with her books. That being said, it brought the nostalgia and the adventures, but unfortunately it also disappointed me in some ways. This book was both blatantly racist as well as sexist, and despite me being aware of the fact that it was written in 1944, it bothered me A LOT. Almost to the point of not finishing the book. This book gets 3 stars for the nostalgia and good memories, but I do not plan on continuing to read this series.
tobyyy's review against another edition
4.0
Unread shelf project 2021: book 109.
I read some of this series when I was a kid and revisiting it was fun! Kiki the parrot was by far my favorite character in this book although I enjoyed all of the children’s characters pretty equally. Blyton just did an amazing job writing a very personable bird — and as a former bird mom, I can attest that she wrote accurately!
I read some of this series when I was a kid and revisiting it was fun! Kiki the parrot was by far my favorite character in this book although I enjoyed all of the children’s characters pretty equally. Blyton just did an amazing job writing a very personable bird — and as a former bird mom, I can attest that she wrote accurately!
grahamsoper's review against another edition
5.0
The Island of Adventure - Enid Blyton
First published in 1944, this is the first of an incredible series of eight books by the brilliant children’s author, Enid Blyton. It introduces readers to Philip Mannering, his sister Dinah, their two friends Jack and Lucy-Ann Trent, plus Jack’s pet parrot Kiki.
In this book, the four children and Kiki travel to stay with Philip and Dinah’s aunt and uncle at their remote house Craggy-Tops on the rugged coast of Cornwall. They quickly make an enemy of the servant Jo-Jo but find a new friend in birdwatcher Bill Smugs.
Before very long, however, the four children are caught up in an exciting mystery involving the nearby Isle of Gloom. What’s the story about the strange lights that Jack sees one night, first from a ship along the coast, and then on the cliffs near Craggy-Tops? Someone seems to be on the Isle of Gloom, even though Jo-Jo says nobody can get to it anymore. But someone is there and the children aim to find out what have they been doing in the old abandoned copper mines there? And what does it all have to do with Bill,
But the mystery soon turns into the dangerous adventure that awaits them in the abandoned copper mines and secret tunnels beneath the sea.
Children of all ages will love this book, as indeed they will love the other seven books in the series too.
First published in 1944, this is the first of an incredible series of eight books by the brilliant children’s author, Enid Blyton. It introduces readers to Philip Mannering, his sister Dinah, their two friends Jack and Lucy-Ann Trent, plus Jack’s pet parrot Kiki.
In this book, the four children and Kiki travel to stay with Philip and Dinah’s aunt and uncle at their remote house Craggy-Tops on the rugged coast of Cornwall. They quickly make an enemy of the servant Jo-Jo but find a new friend in birdwatcher Bill Smugs.
Before very long, however, the four children are caught up in an exciting mystery involving the nearby Isle of Gloom. What’s the story about the strange lights that Jack sees one night, first from a ship along the coast, and then on the cliffs near Craggy-Tops? Someone seems to be on the Isle of Gloom, even though Jo-Jo says nobody can get to it anymore. But someone is there and the children aim to find out what have they been doing in the old abandoned copper mines there? And what does it all have to do with Bill,
But the mystery soon turns into the dangerous adventure that awaits them in the abandoned copper mines and secret tunnels beneath the sea.
Children of all ages will love this book, as indeed they will love the other seven books in the series too.
cara_nm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
imyerhero's review against another edition
4.0
Philip and Dinah Mannering and Lucy-Ann and Jack Trent have had the best of luck in being allowed to spend summer break together at the Mannering’s home – a castle, actually – Craggy Tops. They spend most of their time crawling along the beaches and hills and cliffs near Craggy Tops looking at birds and trying to find a way to get out to the mysterious island they see every once in a while through the fog out on the ocean. Unfortunately, their only options are Bill Smuggs, a friendly but secretive man studying birds on the cliffs, and Joe the grumpy handyman for Craggy Tops. But when they find a secret passage between the cellar and the beach, things begin to get creepy and the children decide they need to get out to the Island no matter what.
I actually bought this book unread based on the recommendation of Jane Brocket (of Yarnstorm). I have several of Brocket’s books, and she highly recommends pretty much anything written by Enid Blyton. This book is the first in the Adventure series which stars the Mannerings and the Trents. And I can pass on that high recommendation to any readers out there who enjoy classic children’s books such as the Little House, the Borrowers, the Secret Garden, etc. The characters are charming and the setting is just dramatic enough to make things interesting. And these children really act like children. Not the stupid children of adult literature, who are never competent enough to take care of themselves, or the frustrating children of modern works who are only caught up in material things and the drama of relationships. The Trents and the Mannerings are highly capable, intent on learning about what they’re interested in, willing to problem solve and determined to have fun while doing it. They have every ability of taking care of themselves and entertaining themselves for an entire day without television or games (that they don’t make up themselves). It’s the kind of childhood that could be called idyllic and is fairly rare in this day. And while you may have to put up with some naievete on their part concerning people’s character and some leaps of faith in the plotline (only because you have an adult mind), this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I actually bought this book unread based on the recommendation of Jane Brocket (of Yarnstorm). I have several of Brocket’s books, and she highly recommends pretty much anything written by Enid Blyton. This book is the first in the Adventure series which stars the Mannerings and the Trents. And I can pass on that high recommendation to any readers out there who enjoy classic children’s books such as the Little House, the Borrowers, the Secret Garden, etc. The characters are charming and the setting is just dramatic enough to make things interesting. And these children really act like children. Not the stupid children of adult literature, who are never competent enough to take care of themselves, or the frustrating children of modern works who are only caught up in material things and the drama of relationships. The Trents and the Mannerings are highly capable, intent on learning about what they’re interested in, willing to problem solve and determined to have fun while doing it. They have every ability of taking care of themselves and entertaining themselves for an entire day without television or games (that they don’t make up themselves). It’s the kind of childhood that could be called idyllic and is fairly rare in this day. And while you may have to put up with some naievete on their part concerning people’s character and some leaps of faith in the plotline (only because you have an adult mind), this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
girlpuck's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
fahrcks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
2.0
I've heard about Blyton for years - about what a huge influence she was and how decades of kids have grown up on her so I thought I would try.
Not that it was a bad book but it just never caught my interest.
Admittedly I am not the target audience but I actually enjoy quite a few kids series (The Great Brain, The Three Investigators, Brains Benton etc.) so I do know what works for me and what doesn't.
This one is a pass for me.
If the books interest you or intrigue you then by all means have at it but for me there are just too many good books our there to read average ones.
Not that it was a bad book but it just never caught my interest.
Admittedly I am not the target audience but I actually enjoy quite a few kids series (The Great Brain, The Three Investigators, Brains Benton etc.) so I do know what works for me and what doesn't.
This one is a pass for me.
If the books interest you or intrigue you then by all means have at it but for me there are just too many good books our there to read average ones.