| June 13, 2006 – Mark Storm says: The age of the children moves forward chronologically in the series from Treasure Island until in one book (I forget which one - I think #13?) Julian is described as 16 or 17 and very nearly a man. By about books 13 and 14 [Mystery Moor and Down To The Sea] Eileen Soper's illustrations in the Hodder & Stoughton editions reflect this aging, portraying the Five as late teens. Just get a copy of Down To The Sea and compare the illustrations to those in Treasure Island. The logic is that if the children have had around 3-4 adventures per year during whatever holidays they've had, then by around the 14th adventure they'd have clocked up at least 4 years and maybe closer to 5. From around #13 - #17 the Five are 'frozen' in time - necessarily because they still need to be at school and old Julian is well and truly pushing the age envelope! Interestingly, after #15 there is a distinct shift in portrayal back to around 15 years old where again they seem to 'freeze' in time to the final adventure #21. Marketing pressures? Maybe ol' Enid realised (or Eileen Soper or someone told her) that books with near-adult characters written in a literary style and a world suiting 12 year olds just wouldn't sell to the intended audience. I think this is the reason, but also because there are two distinct 'pauses' in the series. The first is at Book 6, which is where Enid Blyton originally intended to end the series. The second is at Book 15. So, despite the shift back to a sort of permanent adolescence, the Five DO age! |
| October 18, 2006 – Andy says: After their ages are specifically mentioned in the first 3 books, the only time I can remember it is when Quentin possibly refers to Julian as being 16. I thought this was at the beginning of Get Into Trouble, but in my edition he only says "if Julian can't look after the others he must be a pretty feeble specimen", when they wanted to go off alone together. Fanny at the beginning of Fall Into Adventure says "Julian is almost grown up now" without mentioning an age. Anybody else know of this, or is it my memory playing tricks? (EnidBlyton.net adds: Later editions removed references to age in later books. Honest! The cheek of the publishers!) |
| March 9, 2007 – rogoz says: Another layer of age confusion with the Famous Five is that Blyton wrote for pre-teens meaning the later novels are reduced to what a pre-teen reader could understand as real teenage behaviour. Hence no romantic affairs etc. |
| May 30, 2014 – Sarah Drego says: I think that when Enid Blyton started writing this series she should have made Anne 8 or 9 George and Dick 10 and Julian 11 then by their 21st Adventure he would be seventeen, if they had 3 adventures a year. |
Enid Blyton
The Official
The
Keith Robinson