Monday, January 21, 2008
Puzzle for the Secret Seven
It's been a while since I read a Secret Seven book. I struggle with them a little because they're, well, kind of juvenile. Sounds odd saying that an Enid Blyton book is "too juvenile," but it's true. The mysteries are just a little too obvious for my liking. An adult guessing the end of a children's book is to be expected, but still, in this case the identity of the thief was unbelievably simple to figure out. How could Peter and his gang take so long over it?
If you're unfamiliar with the story, it might be worth nipping over to EnidBlyton.net where I've just posted a review of Puzzle for the Secret Seven — my first review in ages!
So anyway, I've never been a great fan of the Secret Seven — but they do have some nice moments and, despite the all-too-obvious identity of the culprit, I actually found this little mystery quite enjoyable. It chugs along at a fair pace and there seems to be quite a lot going on — quite a lot of different, seemingly unrelated things that the Seven end up getting involved with: a fire at the fair; helping to move the occupants into a new temporary home; the mysterious theft of a scarecrow's clothing; the theft of a violin from a shop in town... A series of events that seem totally unconnected (at least to the Secret Seven) until the end when Peter has a brainwave and puts it all together.
It always bugs me a little when a mystery takes a turn that a reader can't possibly foresee, in this case when the wailing noise on the hills turns out to be Benny playing the violin, and not his father Lucas as we all expected. Telling us that Lucas was upset over his lost banjo seems like a vital clue to the theft of the violin... and yet it turns out that this is only part of the truth, and the whole truth is something we're not privy to until the end. I almost feel cheated, like I couldn't possibly have guessed something like that because I never had all the facts! Mind you, that's sort of the case with The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage too — no one could have solved that until Mr Hick gave himself away during the scene when the Tempests flew over the house. Only that ending works well. Hmm, I'm not sure I can put my finger on what irks me about the ending of Puzzle for the Secret Seven...
Added to that slight annoyance is the fact that the real mystery (the burnt shack) turns out not to be one at all. Nobody seems to care how the shack burnt down, just that it did.
One thing I've noticed about Secret Seven books is that they often take unexpected turns and don't seem to follow any traditional pattern. In some ways that's one thing I like about them (unforeseen endings aside). On the other hand, sometimes the children seem incredibly dense, which is something I don't like about them! I mean, how many times are Peter and Jack going to be stupid enough to allow the annoying Susie to eavesdrop on them? Haven't they realized by now that this is exactly how Susie winds up playing tricks on them EVERY TIME?
I like Susie — she's about the most colorful character of the lot. Peter and Jack have some character in them too: Peter is bossy and usually much smarter than the others, whereas Jack is smart too, but constantly frustrated and occupied with dealing with his annoying sister. I've yet to figure out how on earth Pam and Barbara ever got to be members of the Seven. They're utterly useless. Colin and George are okay, sort of blah in character — but at least they get to do some decent scenes. Janet is a good character, quite spry and easily a match for a boy!
So, as I asked in my review of this book, how exactly DID the shack burn down at the beginning? And why was little eight year old Benny left all alone? Someone ought to have called Social Services on that Bolan woman...
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But, still, there is a power that forces me, not exactly forcing but more like seducing, for me to read it until the very end without reading the last chapter -- that's the thing that many like to do when they found the book they are reading is boring and not worth the read so, they just read the last chapter to know what is going to be at last.
However, not all Enid Blyton's books are the 'foreseen endings' -- borrow your word, Keith! Social Services, perhaps, is not around when Enid Blyton wrote her books. Or maybe, like Shagufta said above, she didn't want them cluttering her plots. And, she didn't want them nosing around.
Me,
Mimsy
Mimsy, you're right that Blyton's books are enjoyable even though the endings often stand out a mile (at least to adults). But even though they're ALL children's books, I guess some series are a little TOO young at heart for my liking. There's a very big age difference between some one-off novels like, say, The Hidey-Hole and House-at-the-Corner. Likewise, the Adventure series and "R" Mysteries are much more "adult" than the Secret Seven.
Hmm... Social Services... Secret Seven... That was an unintentional and rather spooky link!
I had the book shortly after my father purchased The Family at Red-Roofs as a gift when I successfully won the first place of a running event in the annual Sports Day of my school four years ago. You see, I wanted nothing more than Enid Blyton's books after I had known her by my-first-book-that-I-had-read-thoroughly written by her even though it took a while to finish it.
I, honestly, thought that the book was giving me high moral values. I was, sometimes, perhaps a bit impudent with my Aunt and after I read the book which happened to be about the Farrell's Aunt, I was feeling ashamed with my behaviour. After all, when my mother is looking after my late grandmother in the hospital, she took care of the four of us without a single grumble. That was nice of her and I shouldn't have been impolite to her.
It was a wonder of how one author could change her readers with nothing but her books. Only the "Queen of Writing" could do that, for sure.
Mimsy.
I do find that Malory Towers, St. Clare's, and the family stories leave me with high moral standards... not lying/cheating/telling tales... etc etc.
Like Mimsy said, Enid Blyton's one of the few authors who could have had such an effect on people.
Aishwarya
Enid Blyton is one of my favourite authors. I read all types of mystery books written by her.In secret seven books, I like peter because of his commanding behaviour. In famous five books,I like george (georgina) because of her boldness to do anything.
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