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The Famous Five
The Famous Five [4 Adventures]
Four adventures on audio cassette involving Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy the dog, published to mark 100 years of Enid Blyton.
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1942
43 people are currently reading
1147 people want to read
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,137 books6,321 followersSee also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
October 3, 2013
These were the books of my childhood, and I read them all many times, even when I grew older. I consider them great for the author's imagination in creating various situations, plans, and ideas which make the reader want to know what happens in the next book and in the next... The only thing I don't like is the author's attitude towards male and female roles, but I simply ignored it. I identified myself with George because of her sensitivity and fear of showing it, and also because she perceives the world around her like me in a lot of ways. I also like her determination to carry the right things out. All in all, the books are great for children because they help to create a sense of right and wrong, introduce them with the world of various criminals and troubles we might unexpectedly find ourselves in, and, especially, it's about the importance and joy of friendship whose significance is presented excellently.
February 14, 2014
I am almost in tears remembering sneaking these books to read under bed covers, during classes, and forgetting to eat to find time in my own quiet spot not-to-be-found during lunch time to devour this series.
August 28, 2010
Good old Enid Blyton - as sexist as these books read today, I still love them!
I have read this series so many many times; I have some of my mum's old set, my set and now have passed them onto my daughter, who also devoured them. I mean, how much better can you get for kids having exciting adventures together? - camping, hiking, spying, exploring, being caught, freeing each other, catching the bad guys with some stern words from Julian and a growl from the ever-present Timmy the dog?! George has her own island for goodness sake! That is awesome!
Generally this is a great, innocent series from the days back when life was much simplier and free (ie: no tv's!), kids could run around outside and go camping without perverts everywhere...they could just BE kids! Great series, very much recommend.
I have read this series so many many times; I have some of my mum's old set, my set and now have passed them onto my daughter, who also devoured them. I mean, how much better can you get for kids having exciting adventures together? - camping, hiking, spying, exploring, being caught, freeing each other, catching the bad guys with some stern words from Julian and a growl from the ever-present Timmy the dog?! George has her own island for goodness sake! That is awesome!
Generally this is a great, innocent series from the days back when life was much simplier and free (ie: no tv's!), kids could run around outside and go camping without perverts everywhere...they could just BE kids! Great series, very much recommend.
July 13, 2012
Any series of books that got its own corner of my room, encouraged me to draw treasure maps and made me ask my Dad to build a 'secret entrance' into my room through my wardrobe deserves 4*
March 30, 2014
These are the first books I ever read. These books made me the book worm I am today. I love all 22 yes 22 books in this amazing series.
Ann,Julian,Dick,George and Timmy the dog LOVE adventure and the result is fantastic. I love the adventures,the rage,the characters and off course the people the Famous Five meet along the way. A MUST READ and one off Enid Blytons best moments. BRILLIANT 10/10.
Bye 4 Now Smoochies xxx
Ann,Julian,Dick,George and Timmy the dog LOVE adventure and the result is fantastic. I love the adventures,the rage,the characters and off course the people the Famous Five meet along the way. A MUST READ and one off Enid Blytons best moments. BRILLIANT 10/10.
Bye 4 Now Smoochies xxx
October 12, 2014
These books played a very constructive role in my life. I have grown up reading them. Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy have played a rather important part in my life. I have read all the 21 books in the series, and even now, whenever I get low, I read them again.
Enid Blyton has to be the greatest children's writer ever. I owe my childhood to her. I have read almost all her works- Famous Five to Secret Seven to Malory Towers To St Claire's to the Enchanted Wood series. And still I cannot get over how beautifully she writes. She captures our imagination, and keeps us so hooked that we begin to associate ourselves to the characters. I love the feeling of satisfaction and happiness that follows each book as I complete it. I have seldom felt this way when I read other books.
Unfortunately it is not everyday that I meet a person who reads. Children these days are more interested in cartoons and video games as compared to books. Children's Authors are already a dying breed. Of late I have not encountered someone who has said to me that he or she has read Famous Five or Secret Seven.
One of the reasons why we tend to cling on to Classics like these is because we know that there can never be someone who writes them the way they are- simple, heart-warming and genuinely delightful.
Enid Blyton has to be the greatest children's writer ever. I owe my childhood to her. I have read almost all her works- Famous Five to Secret Seven to Malory Towers To St Claire's to the Enchanted Wood series. And still I cannot get over how beautifully she writes. She captures our imagination, and keeps us so hooked that we begin to associate ourselves to the characters. I love the feeling of satisfaction and happiness that follows each book as I complete it. I have seldom felt this way when I read other books.
Unfortunately it is not everyday that I meet a person who reads. Children these days are more interested in cartoons and video games as compared to books. Children's Authors are already a dying breed. Of late I have not encountered someone who has said to me that he or she has read Famous Five or Secret Seven.
One of the reasons why we tend to cling on to Classics like these is because we know that there can never be someone who writes them the way they are- simple, heart-warming and genuinely delightful.
March 27, 2014
I read them all as a child at the rate of one book every one and a half hours... I grew up on Enid Blyton books and devoured all of the "Famous Five" series, then when I ran out read all of my younger brother's "Secret Seven" even though I much preferred "Famous Five" and Enid's other books. As a grown up I look at her body of work in awe - she was so prolific! ... and she certainly helped develop creativity in her readers. I'm still in the process of writing and illustrating my second children's picture book... the stand-alone sequel to my first book "One Lost Feather" www.facebook.com/onelostfeather A physiotherapist/physical therapist for 17years in my own private practice in Australia, I continue to work as an actress, voiceover artist and model. I love shares investing and have recently become a real estate agent. I am in the process of selecting from a body of over 400 poems I have written over the years to include in my first poetry anthology. It's amazing where life takes us sometimes... as long as we remember who we are and be guided by good words, good thoughts, good deeds and good intentions... Let's together make this world a better place <3. With love and sunshine, "Lai Peng" Chan www.imdb.me/laipengchan
March 18, 2014
Being a non-native english reader. These are what introduced me to the language itself. These were the gateway to the world of books for me. I'd still choose to be the boy with eyes brimming of adventure, when I was reading this 10 years ago.
May 9, 2013
I lost count how many time I read these stories. Never thought the TV series did them justice.
August 11, 2016
A good read, can pick up anytime and re-read. Timeless stories.
May 1, 2014
I think I have read almost all of her books. This was my childhood! I remember going to the library to take out these books. Enid Blyton is my favourite children's author.
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January 27, 2020South-Indian summers are equivalent to an extended stay in the sauna, and as a kid, I would dive deep into the world of books to escape the stifling heat. I owe the English writer, Enid Blyton, for kick-starting my reading habit in elementary school. Her series, The Famous Five, provided the type of adventure that every kid dreams of. Situated in the picturesque English countryside, the books are based on three siblings (Julian the wise one, Dick the cheeky one and Anne the sweet one), their cousin (George, the tomboy and my favorite), and the cousin's super-intelligent dog, Timmy. Each story begins with the cousins coming back home for the summer from their boarding school, only to be enveloped into a bizarre mystery that they alone can solve. Add in a mix of secret passages, a world-famous scientist prone to be kidnapped often (George's father), unexpected tunnels and caves, the awesome island that George owns, shady smugglers, and everything else that would leave a ten-year-old wide-eyed and engrossed in a book for hours. I swore back then that I would one day, just like George, own an island of my own and have an awesome dog named Timmy. Owning an island would be a slight stretch, but I hope to fulfill the second wish one day.
January 22, 2018
Super Duper interesting crazy
September 22, 2020
So beautiful non fiction books
January 18, 2021
very good book but very long.
June 15, 2022
this was a very awesome part of my childhood...
November 27, 2023
Perfect choice for kicking time
May 14, 2014
Saya ingat membaca seri ini waktu umur 9 tahun. Saya tahu buku ini dari mama saya yang semasa kecilnya juga membaca buku-buku karya Enid Blyton.
Saya suka petualangan Julian, Dick, Anne, dan George serta Timmy yang mendebarkan. Saya suka watak Julian yang bertanggung jawab, Dick yang menyenangkan, Anne yang keibuan, George yang pemberani, dan Timmy yang pintar.
Rasa ingin tahu mereka yang besar mengantarkan mereka kepada petualangan yang mendebarkan dan tak jarang juga berbahaya. Namun jerih payah mereka membuahkan hasil yang menyenangkan.
Seri ini cocok sebagai pengenalan anak-anak untuk menumbuhkan minat baca mereka. Bukunya tidak tebal, gaya bahasanya mudah dimengerti, tokoh-tokoh yang menyenangkan, juga petualangan mereka yang seru.
Saya suka petualangan Julian, Dick, Anne, dan George serta Timmy yang mendebarkan. Saya suka watak Julian yang bertanggung jawab, Dick yang menyenangkan, Anne yang keibuan, George yang pemberani, dan Timmy yang pintar.
Rasa ingin tahu mereka yang besar mengantarkan mereka kepada petualangan yang mendebarkan dan tak jarang juga berbahaya. Namun jerih payah mereka membuahkan hasil yang menyenangkan.
Seri ini cocok sebagai pengenalan anak-anak untuk menumbuhkan minat baca mereka. Bukunya tidak tebal, gaya bahasanya mudah dimengerti, tokoh-tokoh yang menyenangkan, juga petualangan mereka yang seru.
September 24, 2014
During my childhood days I used to have a lot of time and interest in reading, I had a fascination of having an adventurous life. But I was familiar with the reality and hence found refuge in the school library. I started with Enid Blyton's short stories and they worked like fuel to my imagination. Then my Librarian noticed my interest and suggested me to read Famous Five. So that was the beginning and there were only 14 books belonging to this series, so after that I asked my Librarian where I could read the rest, to which she asked me to wait until a few days. So within a month she arranged the books for the school Library and that is how I read the complete series of 21.
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August 19, 2012
i loved enid blyton's stories. i would read them when i was really little! around when i was in yr 4. all of them were fun, quirky, adventurous. my favourite character was george ( who is a girl btw that acts like a tomboy) as i could relate to her alot back then. she rebelled against her mother's petty proposals of being a lady, and cut her hair, and dresses in boy clothes, even though she is very pretty. her real name is georgiana but she doesn't reply to that name so everyone calls her george. she is very honest and very stubborn, but she is just and knows right from wrong. recommend to children from 8yr-16yrs.
January 8, 2013
Aah the Famous Five, my great comfort at one time. Had a full on obsession with these books. The adventures of four children and a rather obedient dog are documented in the series spanning 21 books (and 1 short stories collection). Tomboy George, never Georgina inherits an island and has her own boat. The four children regularly meet up for their school holidays to go on camping trips etc... When they get together trouble is not long in finding them. In the books they often have to solve crimes and get to the bottom of murky mysteries. Adventures, picnics and old style English language- undoubtedly the most memorable books from my childhood.
March 10, 2013
This was one of the first 'novels' I have read and from what I gather from people around me, these books have been their introduction to the world of fiction as well
The plots are interesting and the language simple. The four cousins and Timmy create a world around them which is interesting, yet not very complex. It has made her one of the finest writers of novels for the young.
Although it might not make for an interesting novel for a matured reader, it caters to the target segment of young readers really well.
The plots are interesting and the language simple. The four cousins and Timmy create a world around them which is interesting, yet not very complex. It has made her one of the finest writers of novels for the young.
Although it might not make for an interesting novel for a matured reader, it caters to the target segment of young readers really well.
September 18, 2013
"They are sexist, dated and and Blyton herself didn't even like children so they are probably hypocritical as well." Good, now we have got that out of the way I can say that whilst all the above may be true, I read these voraciously as a girl, they gave me the habit of reading, they are well written, exciting and I have nothing but fond memories of them even now. What can possibly be more exciting than having your own island to camp on and catching smugglers whilst you're at it? Oh yeah, and all with Timmy the dog at your heels. Fantastic.
November 27, 2013
The series that I started reading with and the book that I suggest to every kid who is moving from comics to 'big books'. The first novel I read was 'Five on a Hike Together' (#10) and I loved it so much that I lapped up every other book of the series in a matter of 2 years (I was a slow reader).
I then went on to The Secret Seven and other books by Enid Blyton, but none could hold me like the Famous Five did (or maybe I had grown up by then).
Favorite character - Georgina 'George' Kirrin (what an awesome last name!). Thanks to her, I have a thing for girls with short curly hair.
I then went on to The Secret Seven and other books by Enid Blyton, but none could hold me like the Famous Five did (or maybe I had grown up by then).
Favorite character - Georgina 'George' Kirrin (what an awesome last name!). Thanks to her, I have a thing for girls with short curly hair.
July 15, 2016
As a young reader I found them unputdownable. Living in an era of borrowing books from libraries and not so often buying them, I would go a long way to get the next in the series for myself.
I adored any book by the author and these were my favourites. I cannot imagine my childhood without these stories which fired my imagination and added coloured my life.
These gave me hours of adventures in the company of characters who shared the love of exploring and getting into situations children thrive in.
I adored any book by the author and these were my favourites. I cannot imagine my childhood without these stories which fired my imagination and added coloured my life.
These gave me hours of adventures in the company of characters who shared the love of exploring and getting into situations children thrive in.
June 20, 2011
It gets four stars for the sake of my childhood and because I really liked George. I still have a strong dislike of Anne - all she seems to do is cook and clean for the rest of them, and she's just such a meek character. What I remember most about these books is that they kept going on picnics and ate a lot :) I got terribly excited reading these as a child though, especially if there were secret passageways involved.
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August 18, 2012This was my childhood favorite. One of the best series I've ever read.
I couldn't even force myself to read them now, since firstly - I couldn't read them now. The wya in which they were written and the way the characters addressed each other is very very different from one would read nowadays in a current book.
But mostly, I wouldn't read them again because now I might not like them as much as I had when I was younger. And I don't want to ruin my perception of this series, ever. :)
I couldn't even force myself to read them now, since firstly - I couldn't read them now. The wya in which they were written and the way the characters addressed each other is very very different from one would read nowadays in a current book.
But mostly, I wouldn't read them again because now I might not like them as much as I had when I was younger. And I don't want to ruin my perception of this series, ever. :)
June 9, 2013
As a child I thought that these were wonderful stories. I recently found out that my mum thought that the outdated language and middle-class-ness of them would put me off, however as a child I only saw the adventures. I found Anne irritating, but generally enjoyed the stories and I liked that they weren't 'girly' (I remember being embarrassed about enjoying 'girly' books as I saw them). The Famous Five are just jolly good fun adventure stories.
August 17, 2014
I love this collection. I started reading the Famous Five when I was in elementary. I remember it was hard in Indonesia to have a full collection of this series. So, I was so happy every time I found a title that I haven't collected yet.
These books are exciting and exploring my childhood dream. When I read it again during my elder age, I find them still charming. I love enid blyton and famous five!
These books are exciting and exploring my childhood dream. When I read it again during my elder age, I find them still charming. I love enid blyton and famous five!
July 5, 2012
These books were adored by myself,and my older brother. Blyton is a genius of a writer, and despite the tv series that threatened to ruin her depictions of her characters, the books make for an amazing read! Truly, classics to read to any child - if I ever have children (or cousins, nephews or nieces), they will be indited to the Blyton world!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews