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Adventure #6
The Ship of Adventure
An amazing voyage around the beautiful Greek islands becomes an exciting quest to find the lost treasure of the Andra
Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann and Jack are plunged into a search for hidden riches - with some ruthless villains hot on their trail Will they find the treasure before it's too late?
Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann and Jack are plunged into a search for hidden riches - with some ruthless villains hot on their trail Will they find the treasure before it's too late?
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
54 people are currently reading
769 people want to read
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,132 books6,304 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 110 reviews
October 9, 2025
4.0 ⭐
GENRE - FICTION / ADVENTURE
PAGES - 288
If young readers today love J.K. Rowling it was Enid Blyton who once upon a time ruled the hearts of young readers. Many from the older generations had their childhood entertained with books of Enid Blyton.
The Ship of Adventure is an enthralling adventure story of Philip, Dinah, Lucy Ann and Jack who are out with their Aunty on an amazing voyage around the beautiful Greek Islands when the Lucy Ann happens to buy a antique ship in a bottle.
Accidentally the ship happens to break because of the mischief of their pet parrot and pet monkey which gives them access to an old map of an island in Greece with marking made of some hidden treasure within the Island.
What unfolds out of it is something for you to read and discover 🤭
Happy Reading!!
Thank you 😊 💚🎁
GENRE - FICTION / ADVENTURE
PAGES - 288
If young readers today love J.K. Rowling it was Enid Blyton who once upon a time ruled the hearts of young readers. Many from the older generations had their childhood entertained with books of Enid Blyton.
The Ship of Adventure is an enthralling adventure story of Philip, Dinah, Lucy Ann and Jack who are out with their Aunty on an amazing voyage around the beautiful Greek Islands when the Lucy Ann happens to buy a antique ship in a bottle.
Accidentally the ship happens to break because of the mischief of their pet parrot and pet monkey which gives them access to an old map of an island in Greece with marking made of some hidden treasure within the Island.
What unfolds out of it is something for you to read and discover 🤭
Happy Reading!!
Thank you 😊 💚🎁
November 24, 2019
This series is hilariously bad in many, many ways, but this one ends with this proposal, and the next book is straightforwardly, hilariously great, so it’s not all bad:
“Well, why can’t you and Bill always be with us together?” demanded Lucy-Ann. “I don’t see why you can’t marry each other - then we’d always have Bill, and you could keep an eye on him to see he doesn’t lead us into adventures.”I lol’ed a lot.
Bill exploded into an enormous shout of laughter. Mrs. Mannering smiled broadly. The others looked at one another.
“I say!” said Philip eagerly, “that’s a wizard idea of Lucy-Ann’s!” We’d have a father then - all of us! Gosh, fancy having Bill for a father. Wouldn’t the other boys envy us?”
Bill stopped laughing and looked soberly round at the four beaming children. Then he looked at Mrs. Mannering. He raised his eyebrows enquiringly.
“Well, Allie? he said, in a curiously quiet voice. “Do you think it’s a good idea too?”
She looked at him, then smiled round at the eager children. She nodded. “Yes - it’s really a very good idea, Bill. I’m surprised we’ve never thought of it before!”
“That’s settled, then,” said Bill. “I’ll take these four kids on - and you’ll see to it that I don’t lead them into any more adventures, Allie? Is that agreed?”
November 28, 2017
This book is another re-read from my childhood. Parts of it seem strange for modern day - would a parrot or monkey be allowed to travel on a cruise ship these days? I highly doubt it. The four children could have been nicer to Lucien, a boy they met on the ship who was a victim of bullying and child abuse. They don't suffer fools gladly and in a modern world where bullying is endemic and life can be hard I would have liked to see them making an effort to look beyond the obvious. Overall though, I still enjoyed the story. Memories...
July 14, 2014
This book would have been a good, fitting ending to the series (as everyone knows, it was originally written as the final book) as the treasure hunting adventure and the Mediterranean locations manage to live up to the high standards of the premises and settings of the previous two books, if not to the exceptionally high standards of the first three.
The only problems I have with this book are that the extremely convenient departure of Mrs Mannering and the breakdown of the ship's engines are far too contrived and convenient even to seem right in an Enid Blyton story, and that Mrs Mannering is cast in the unenviable role of stick-in-the-mud, ball-and-chain mother far more than in any other book in this series. This is an unfortunate role that many Enid Blyton mothers are forced to adopt at times, although at least there is some precedent for it with Mrs Mannering, unlike with (for example) the mother character in the "Secret" series, who undergoes a complete personality change in the final book.
Was it worth Enid Blyton's time and effort coming back to write two more books in this series, or should things have been left alone after this adventure? I seem to remember that at least The Circus (if not also The River) is right up there with the best ones in this series, and I'm very keen now to read on and find out.
The only problems I have with this book are that the extremely convenient departure of Mrs Mannering and the breakdown of the ship's engines are far too contrived and convenient even to seem right in an Enid Blyton story, and that Mrs Mannering is cast in the unenviable role of stick-in-the-mud, ball-and-chain mother far more than in any other book in this series. This is an unfortunate role that many Enid Blyton mothers are forced to adopt at times, although at least there is some precedent for it with Mrs Mannering, unlike with (for example) the mother character in the "Secret" series, who undergoes a complete personality change in the final book.
Was it worth Enid Blyton's time and effort coming back to write two more books in this series, or should things have been left alone after this adventure? I seem to remember that at least The Circus (if not also The River) is right up there with the best ones in this series, and I'm very keen now to read on and find out.
September 30, 2018
The sixth book of the series originally supposed to be the grand finale of an exciting series. After two highly adrenaline packed stories we are back to comfort zone. This time the story is set in a relaxed setting of a ship. The first third or so is just fun on the deck. The initial conflict is about getting Kiki on board. Then Phillip finds and exotic fun. The descriptions of the ship journey, the various facilities within the ship and islands in Europe they call on, make delightful read. A new character Lucien comes in providing comic relief along with Kiki the parrot and Phillip's new pet. There are no birds for Jack though. Nor are there any of the usual squabbles between Phillip and Dinah because he can't keep a bunch of insects and rodents on his person while abroad a ship. We see Lucy-Ann's ability to bond with people due to her deep empathy.
Even when the excitement starts, it is of the fun kind. There is no real danger facing the children. It is more like some of the stories in the Blyton's adventure series. A treasure hunt with evil men being competing adult treasure hunters. Only settings are more exciting with the search happening on a Greek island. The children are never all alone and lost and in serious danger. So overall the book has a much cozier feel compared to the earlier books. There are of course no secret passages etc. due to this story taking place most part on a ship. The treasure island has exploration of old buildings to find the treasure.
Some of the things from this books excited me imagination. I was fascinated by the idea of visiting Greek islands. I was so excited to visit an island Thassos many years later. Similarly I was fascinated by the idea of a ship in a bottle. So I got myself one while visiting Amsterdam. It was quite a small one though - not a big one like in the story.
Of course towards the end, we have some fights with the bad men, chases and escape. Phillip's pet plays a key role throughout in development of the story. Kiki plays a negative role. In the end, we have movement in the overall story with an important event happening in the life of the children - something for which grounds were being laid over the earlier 5 books.
From an overall series perspective, this book is a kind of relief after all the action and danger.
Even when the excitement starts, it is of the fun kind. There is no real danger facing the children. It is more like some of the stories in the Blyton's adventure series. A treasure hunt with evil men being competing adult treasure hunters. Only settings are more exciting with the search happening on a Greek island. The children are never all alone and lost and in serious danger. So overall the book has a much cozier feel compared to the earlier books. There are of course no secret passages etc. due to this story taking place most part on a ship. The treasure island has exploration of old buildings to find the treasure.
Some of the things from this books excited me imagination. I was fascinated by the idea of visiting Greek islands. I was so excited to visit an island Thassos many years later. Similarly I was fascinated by the idea of a ship in a bottle. So I got myself one while visiting Amsterdam. It was quite a small one though - not a big one like in the story.
Of course towards the end, we have some fights with the bad men, chases and escape. Phillip's pet plays a key role throughout in development of the story. Kiki plays a negative role. In the end, we have movement in the overall story with an important event happening in the life of the children - something for which grounds were being laid over the earlier 5 books.
From an overall series perspective, this book is a kind of relief after all the action and danger.
February 23, 2022
This book is about Philip, Jack, Dinah and Lucy-Ann who go on a cruise with their mother and meet a boy called Lucian. On Philip's birthday he wants a ship in a bottle so Lucy-Ann buys him one. When they find a strange document hidden inside the ship Mr. Eppy borrows a piece of it and attempts to get another piece from them. Then he heads off the ship and tells Lucian he has important work but actually he is searching for treasure on an island when Bill and the others come looking for the treasure they are caught but escape and trap Mr eppy down in the vaults and get of the island. I really liked this book because I like this author and this series. It's a book of mystery and adventure. I would love to be part of the adventure like this.
October 22, 2022
Not the edition I'm reading but can't see how to change it on the new page :(
This one took a while to get going. The first quarter was about being on the ship and so not a lot happened. Once the adventure began we had the usual antics. Philip's new pet provided plenty of entertainment, especially when paired with Kiki.
The adventure did begin and end quite quickly. I would have liked a bit more to it.
Still, nice to be back with the gang and finally, Lucy-Ann seems to be growing up.
This one took a while to get going. The first quarter was about being on the ship and so not a lot happened. Once the adventure began we had the usual antics. Philip's new pet provided plenty of entertainment, especially when paired with Kiki.
The adventure did begin and end quite quickly. I would have liked a bit more to it.
Still, nice to be back with the gang and finally, Lucy-Ann seems to be growing up.
June 27, 2020
Blyton comes to the rescue whenever I get into a reading slump. This was a fluffy but an enjoyable read.
February 7, 2017
Gostei imenso. Adoro esta série da Enid Blyton. Este livro, se bem que não foi o meu favorito, foi uma ótima leitura, mesmo o que me apetecia ler neste momento.
December 12, 2017
Alkisah di sebuah pulau bernama Oupos, terdapat beberapa lubang yang merupakan penjara bawah tanah bagi para tawanan. Mereka dijebloskan ke dalam penjara melalui lubang-lubang yang terhampar di beberapa bagian pulau tersebut. Tanpa cahaya dan sedikit oksigen. Para penjaga memberi makan tawanan hanya dengan melemparkan makanan dari atas lubang.
Kisah lainnya yang tak kalah seru juga berkaitan dengan petualangan mereka.
Kisah lainnya yang tak kalah seru juga berkaitan dengan petualangan mereka.
September 9, 2025
The Ship of Adventure never grabbed me as a child the way the earlier books did (I think I only reread it a couple of times). The cruise setting had promise, but the story felt like a tired rehash of caves, maps, secret passages, and Kiki’s same old phrases.
Rereading now, what stands out most is how unlikeable the children are. Instead of brave or clever, they often come across as pushy, dismissive, and even bullying – yet the narrative treats this as admirable. It makes for an uncomfortable read and leaves this book among the weaker entries in the series.
Not many funny parts to it except the ending where Mrs Mannering is persuaded to change her mind from banishing Bill Cunningham from their lives to agreeing to marry him instead. Perfectly normal!!
Rereading now, what stands out most is how unlikeable the children are. Instead of brave or clever, they often come across as pushy, dismissive, and even bullying – yet the narrative treats this as admirable. It makes for an uncomfortable read and leaves this book among the weaker entries in the series.
Not many funny parts to it except the ending where Mrs Mannering is persuaded to change her mind from banishing Bill Cunningham from their lives to agreeing to marry him instead. Perfectly normal!!
Read
June 3, 2020Probably read sometime between 2001-2005
April 17, 2023
Can't find the edition I read but this was one really enjoyable as a kid. I think I'll catch up on the other books from this series aswell.
January 4, 2025
Following on from The mountain of Adventure, at least the girls say and do a bit more this time. Hilarious ending though!
July 31, 2022
Story Rating: 9/10 one of my favourites in the series.
Christian Faith Rating: 0/3 clean but no Christian content.
Christian Faith Rating: 0/3 clean but no Christian content.
February 18, 2024
The children once again stumble upon adventure whilst on a cruise. Reading through adult eyes, their treatment of Lucius, bullied by his uncle, isn't nice but you have to recall that this was written originally in 1950. Kiki and Mickey add humour, and it all ends with the most laid back proposal!
March 10, 2020
Loved reading Enid Blyton as a youngster and they still don’t disappoint when you are an adult. It does make me chuckle now that it is noticeable that whatever happens in the adventure there is always a big thing made about what they enjoy to eat.
February 13, 2024
Mrs. Mannering is determined to spend one school holiday without an adventure so she books them all on a cruise through the Mediterranean. All of the children look forward to the new experience awaiting them, but Jack knows it will be hard to leave Kiki behind. Just before their departure, Jack evades any question about who will watch Kiki for him. Then, just as the ship’s engines start up, and everyone gets ready to leave port, Kiki comes flying from the quayside to Jack. It seems probable that Jack had arranged the whole thing so no one could put Kiki off the ship. And, Philip who boards without an animal manages to pick up a cute, little monkey named Micky at one of their first stops. At Naples, Lucian joins the cruise accompanied by his uncle and aunt. He tags along with Philip and the others who accept him grudgingly. They do enjoy his stories about the islands they visit. Mrs. Mannering’s hope for an adventureless trip seem to be coming true. Then, events happen in quick succession. Lucy-Ann buys Philip a ship-in-a-bottle for his birthday. When Micky breaks the bottle, the children find a treasure map inside the ship. They unwittingly ask Lucian’s uncle, Mr. Eppy, to translate a portion of the map, and he “borrows” the rest in order to copy it. Soon, after this he leaves the ship. Mrs. Mannering gets called back home to take care of her sick aunt, and Bill Cunningham takes her place. When Bill hears about the map, he has a friend re-draw the map and translate the words into English. Then, he arranges for a boat to take them to the treasure island to explore. Mr. Eppy, with Lucian in tow, shows up with his henchmen and takes them prisoner. He claims that he just bought the island, the treasure is his, and they are all trespassing on private property.
(Reviewer’s note: Mrs. Manneringly and Bill Cunningham get married after this adventure and before the next one.)
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
(Reviewer’s note: Mrs. Manneringly and Bill Cunningham get married after this adventure and before the next one.)
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
September 10, 2017
For a long time whilst reading this book, I disliked everything about it. It did pick up in places when the adventure finally got started properly, despite several elements of re-hashing; I am now thoroughly bored of Kiki scaring off baddies by hiding in dark caves and saying 'Pop goes the weasel' and such. She has also shown herself to be a horrible xenophobe, and on top of that she's getting sloppy in her rhyming. The children, meanwhile, behave like a lot of bullies and hypocrites - and Enid expects the reader to sympathise with them completely. What a cow! The plot contrivances really are too much this time, especially as I wasn't enjoying the book anyway when they came along. Still, I decided to be generous when they got to the island and - apart from Kiki's part in it - I didn't mind the climax and resolution.
March 21, 2010
Enid Blyton is an amazing childrens author, bestselling in the world. Although almost undiscovered by Americans.
This series (The Adventure Series is 8 books long) Features 4 friends who fall into adventures with counterfeiters, gunrunners, treasure hunters and the like. Jack, Philip, Diana, and Lucy-Anne and their crazy talking parrot, KIKI, are a lot of fun to follow through their adventures... This series is top notch reading... introduce your children to Enid Blyton today!
This series (The Adventure Series is 8 books long) Features 4 friends who fall into adventures with counterfeiters, gunrunners, treasure hunters and the like. Jack, Philip, Diana, and Lucy-Anne and their crazy talking parrot, KIKI, are a lot of fun to follow through their adventures... This series is top notch reading... introduce your children to Enid Blyton today!
July 18, 2018
Entretenido libro en la línea de la escritora en donde un grupo de niños, junto con su inseparable mascota Kiki viven una aventura a bordo de un barco.
De lectura fácil y divertida, da gusto ver como niños se divertían de una manera sana. Hoy totalmente impensable. Pero es bonito echar la vista atrás,...
De lectura fácil y divertida, da gusto ver como niños se divertían de una manera sana. Hoy totalmente impensable. Pero es bonito echar la vista atrás,...
May 31, 2021
The sixth book in the classic series. I loved this series as a child and enjoyed rereading this as an adult. I found this particular book not as good as some of the others in the series because the children are quite well chaperoned throughout. The lax parenting of yesteryear and resulting adventures had by the children are the funnest parts of this series.
August 31, 2019
3.5/5. Not my favorite book in the series, tbh. I hated how these kids threated that boy Lucian (yes, he was very emotional and it was a bit annoying at times), but how they talked about him was just awful. Plus the ending was just super weird.
June 21, 2007
an excellent novel. enid blyton is one of my favorite authors, and this book is one of my favorites. ships in bottles, islands in the aegean sea, what more can you ask for, really?
February 6, 2014
A very good book, I recommend to Adventure lovers.
January 3, 2018
These books keep getting better and better! This is exactly the sort of thing I want to read more of, and has given me major wander/adventure-lust. I can't wait to pick up the next one!
March 6, 2021
The kids were soo rude. The started bullying poor Lucian without any reason. Kiki is more annoying than anything in the world. I would've strangled her if she were my bird.
December 31, 2023
As much as I love the Famous Five series, it has always bugged me that their adventures always took place within the UK, usually in or around the village of Kirrin. I think Wales is the farthest afield they travelled? The Secret Seven and Five Findouters (+ dog) adventured in and around their towns and villages too.
So, it’s refreshing to have a series of Blyton books where the drama happens away from the main player’s village or school. So far, we’ve had the English coast - complete with mysterious island - a castle in Scotland, a valley in Austria, and an archipelago somewhere north of the Outer Hebrides. This gives the Adventure series a distinct flavour, compared to it’s other Blyton companions. The world feels bigger, more dangerous, and a contrast to the sandy beaches of Kirrin or the country lanes of Peterswood. In Ship of Adventure, we pass through Lisbon and cross the Aegean Sea, finally returning home via Italy. This is refreshing and Im not aware of any other Blyton series that have the same worldly vibe.
As usual, the story kicks off fairly gently. Mrs Mannering has arranged a cruise ship holiday especially for herself and the four children. Bill has been banned from the trip because Mrs M (quite rightly) fears that if he comes with them, the children will be drawn into all kinds of trouble. Kiki is also forbidden to accompany the party, although no surprises that Jack manages to get around that.
On board the ship we are privvy to the appalling entitled behaviour of the four children as well as Mrs Mannering. The latter bemoans the fact there are no other children the same age range as her four. There are some “spoilt” younger ones apparently who have annoyed Jack and Phillip because they want to play with Kiki and Mickey the monkey (Yes, as usual Philip has made a new four-legged friend). When they are complaining about the younger children I was shocked by Mrs M’s hoity-toity response
“I do agree she wants slapping - but she’s only a little girl, Jack”. Even the kids are patronising and precious. At one point, Dinah says “I’m glad to hear those tiresome children will soon be gone … but I expect some equally dreadful ones will embark in their place “. Proper little madam ! I think I’d be tempted to push her overboard.
Anyway, cue the arrival of - you guessed it - another child on the ship and one of a similar age to the others. Lucian is depicted as an unusual character. He looks like a rabbit by all accounts - big teeth, big ears. The children are as welcoming as expected. Philip says “What a weed!” and passive aggressive behaviour ensues. These kids are really judgmental in this book ! I can’t recall them being like that in the other five stories.
I was expecting Lucian to be a major player in the story but he’s barely in it really. His uncle, Paul is the token baddie. A man who has made his money seemingly from buying and selling the islands that dot the Adriatic.
It is only a matter of time before the kids are up to their necks in another unlikely adventure, this time involving lonely islands, foreigners, conmen and labyrinths. Oh and treasure. Can’t have dusty, dark tunnels without treasure.
Things speed up with the arrival of Bill and the adventure seems to rush to a not particularly gripping climax. Spoilers but they find the treasure, see it very briefly (Jack doesn’t even get to see it), escape from the bad guys and head home. All in a dozen pages.
So, its not a bad story. The children’s attitude and behaviour struck me as being unpleasant, and I felt sorry for Lucian. It felt to me that he was only there to be bullied. Not just by the mean Uncle but by four other children as well.
It was an easy read and I whizzed through it without getting bored. It just wasn’t as good as Island or Valley or Sea. A more genteel adventure for the kids, although it was a nice touch at the end having Bill and Mrs Mannering decide to finally settle down and get married.
One final thought. Micky the monkey somehow comes back to England with Philip and the others. Wouldn’t there have to be some kind of imported animal bureaucracy thing going on ? Surely he couldn’t just bring a monkey into the country ?
And even then, what happens to the poor creature ? Jumping ahead, I’ve started the Circus of Adventure and there is no mention of Micky the monkey ! Maybe he ended up in a zoo or wildlife park.
So, it’s refreshing to have a series of Blyton books where the drama happens away from the main player’s village or school. So far, we’ve had the English coast - complete with mysterious island - a castle in Scotland, a valley in Austria, and an archipelago somewhere north of the Outer Hebrides. This gives the Adventure series a distinct flavour, compared to it’s other Blyton companions. The world feels bigger, more dangerous, and a contrast to the sandy beaches of Kirrin or the country lanes of Peterswood. In Ship of Adventure, we pass through Lisbon and cross the Aegean Sea, finally returning home via Italy. This is refreshing and Im not aware of any other Blyton series that have the same worldly vibe.
As usual, the story kicks off fairly gently. Mrs Mannering has arranged a cruise ship holiday especially for herself and the four children. Bill has been banned from the trip because Mrs M (quite rightly) fears that if he comes with them, the children will be drawn into all kinds of trouble. Kiki is also forbidden to accompany the party, although no surprises that Jack manages to get around that.
On board the ship we are privvy to the appalling entitled behaviour of the four children as well as Mrs Mannering. The latter bemoans the fact there are no other children the same age range as her four. There are some “spoilt” younger ones apparently who have annoyed Jack and Phillip because they want to play with Kiki and Mickey the monkey (Yes, as usual Philip has made a new four-legged friend). When they are complaining about the younger children I was shocked by Mrs M’s hoity-toity response
“I do agree she wants slapping - but she’s only a little girl, Jack”. Even the kids are patronising and precious. At one point, Dinah says “I’m glad to hear those tiresome children will soon be gone … but I expect some equally dreadful ones will embark in their place “. Proper little madam ! I think I’d be tempted to push her overboard.
Anyway, cue the arrival of - you guessed it - another child on the ship and one of a similar age to the others. Lucian is depicted as an unusual character. He looks like a rabbit by all accounts - big teeth, big ears. The children are as welcoming as expected. Philip says “What a weed!” and passive aggressive behaviour ensues. These kids are really judgmental in this book ! I can’t recall them being like that in the other five stories.
I was expecting Lucian to be a major player in the story but he’s barely in it really. His uncle, Paul is the token baddie. A man who has made his money seemingly from buying and selling the islands that dot the Adriatic.
It is only a matter of time before the kids are up to their necks in another unlikely adventure, this time involving lonely islands, foreigners, conmen and labyrinths. Oh and treasure. Can’t have dusty, dark tunnels without treasure.
Things speed up with the arrival of Bill and the adventure seems to rush to a not particularly gripping climax. Spoilers but they find the treasure, see it very briefly (Jack doesn’t even get to see it), escape from the bad guys and head home. All in a dozen pages.
So, its not a bad story. The children’s attitude and behaviour struck me as being unpleasant, and I felt sorry for Lucian. It felt to me that he was only there to be bullied. Not just by the mean Uncle but by four other children as well.
It was an easy read and I whizzed through it without getting bored. It just wasn’t as good as Island or Valley or Sea. A more genteel adventure for the kids, although it was a nice touch at the end having Bill and Mrs Mannering decide to finally settle down and get married.
One final thought. Micky the monkey somehow comes back to England with Philip and the others. Wouldn’t there have to be some kind of imported animal bureaucracy thing going on ? Surely he couldn’t just bring a monkey into the country ?
And even then, what happens to the poor creature ? Jumping ahead, I’ve started the Circus of Adventure and there is no mention of Micky the monkey ! Maybe he ended up in a zoo or wildlife park.
March 16, 2018
A return to form in the Adventure series after a slight misstep in the weird Mountain of Adventure. This book was better, but I wouldn't place it among the very best in the series.
The story has two parts. In the first one, the children are on a cruise ship with Philip and Dinah's mother. It's quite a novel setting for an Enid Blyton book, which is a good thing. However, it also means that they are never on their own, which deprives us from a very enjoyable component of these adventures.
During a visit to a Greek island, the children buy a ship in a bottle and find a treasure map inside it, and the adventure is on. Their antics while trying to get the map translated were enjoyable, although the children were not at their best, letting the awful Mr. Eppy (great villain, by the way) get his hands on two of the four pieces of the map.
Then, for the second part of the book, Mrs. Mannering has to go back to England to look after one of those relatives who are always getting sick when Blyton needs to get rid of an adult. However, instead of the children being on their own, Bill flies to Greece to look after them. By another convenient coincidence, the ship's engines are broken, so Bill and the children are free to look for the treasure, in direct competition with Mr. Eppy.
And that's the story. Quite an enjoyable adventure, but I missed the children being on their own. I like Bill, but I prefer him arriving at the last moment to save the day. With him along for the ride, the children have less decisions to make and less risks to take. In the first part of the book, the children had more autonomy, since Mrs. Mannering was not really involved with the efforts to translate the map.
I also felt sorry for poor Lucien. I did not like how the children treated him. Lucien is clearly used to being bullied and, although the children did not bully him, they often treated him with disdain, because he's naive and not tough and brave like Jack and Philip.
Apparently Enid Blyton intended this to be the last book in the series, and it ends with Mrs. Mannering and Bill getting engaged. True, it was not the most romantic way to get engaged, but whatever. Now the children will have and mother and a father figure.
The story has two parts. In the first one, the children are on a cruise ship with Philip and Dinah's mother. It's quite a novel setting for an Enid Blyton book, which is a good thing. However, it also means that they are never on their own, which deprives us from a very enjoyable component of these adventures.
During a visit to a Greek island, the children buy a ship in a bottle and find a treasure map inside it, and the adventure is on. Their antics while trying to get the map translated were enjoyable, although the children were not at their best, letting the awful Mr. Eppy (great villain, by the way) get his hands on two of the four pieces of the map.
Then, for the second part of the book, Mrs. Mannering has to go back to England to look after one of those relatives who are always getting sick when Blyton needs to get rid of an adult. However, instead of the children being on their own, Bill flies to Greece to look after them. By another convenient coincidence, the ship's engines are broken, so Bill and the children are free to look for the treasure, in direct competition with Mr. Eppy.
And that's the story. Quite an enjoyable adventure, but I missed the children being on their own. I like Bill, but I prefer him arriving at the last moment to save the day. With him along for the ride, the children have less decisions to make and less risks to take. In the first part of the book, the children had more autonomy, since Mrs. Mannering was not really involved with the efforts to translate the map.
I also felt sorry for poor Lucien. I did not like how the children treated him. Lucien is clearly used to being bullied and, although the children did not bully him, they often treated him with disdain, because he's naive and not tough and brave like Jack and Philip.
Apparently Enid Blyton intended this to be the last book in the series, and it ends with Mrs. Mannering and Bill getting engaged. True, it was not the most romantic way to get engaged, but whatever. Now the children will have and mother and a father figure.
June 25, 2024
Singkatnya, buku ini mengisahkan tentang Lucy-Ann yang membelikan sebuah botol yang berisi hiasan kapal didalamnya. Benda tersebut diberikan kepada Philip sebagai hadiah ulang tahunnya. Setelah diselidiki, ditemukan secarik peta kuno dalam hiasan kapal tersebut. Peta kuno tersebut membawa mereka menuju harta Andra. Namun, ada orang lain yang berhasil melihat dua potongan peta tersebut dan juga berniat untuk mencarinya.
Berbeda dengan buku sebelumnya, kali ini bu Mannering mengajak anak-anak untuk berpesiar, niatnya sih akan terus mengamati anak-anak dengan harapan agar mereka tidak terjerumus dalam petualangan, tapi tentu saja harapan bu Mannering tidak terpenuhi 😂.
Aku turut merasakan kekesalan yang dialami anak-anak ketika dihadapi dengan situasi yang merugikan mereka karena ulah licik salah seorang tokoh. Aku juga baru tahu cara penulisan telegram (surat kawat) yang benar dari buku ini, yang sempat kukira merupakan suatu kelalaian dalam proses pengetikan, hihi.
Diantara semua anak-anak, aku paling suka dengan Lucy-Ann, sebab dialah sosok yang paling baik di buku ini. Sedangkan anak-anak yang lain, cenderung kasar terhadap salah seorang tokoh, yakni Lucian 😔. Aku rasa Lucian berhak mendapatkan perlakuan yang lebih baik. Aku mengerti mengapa anak-anak kurang menyukai Lucian, tetapi perbuatan seperti mengolok-olok ataupun merendahkan, baik itu didepan maupun dibelakang orangnya, tidak pantas diucapkan, terlebih lagi ini tergolong dalam buku anak yang seharusnya memberikan contoh yang baik.
Awalnya, aku mengira tidak akan ada plot twist yang mengejutkan di buku ini. Tapi ternyata dugaanku salah 😯. Buku ini diakhiri dengan plot indah yang sangat tidak terduga bagiku, bukan main!
Rate ⭐ : 4.6/5
Berbeda dengan buku sebelumnya, kali ini bu Mannering mengajak anak-anak untuk berpesiar, niatnya sih akan terus mengamati anak-anak dengan harapan agar mereka tidak terjerumus dalam petualangan, tapi tentu saja harapan bu Mannering tidak terpenuhi 😂.
Aku turut merasakan kekesalan yang dialami anak-anak ketika dihadapi dengan situasi yang merugikan mereka karena ulah licik salah seorang tokoh. Aku juga baru tahu cara penulisan telegram (surat kawat) yang benar dari buku ini, yang sempat kukira merupakan suatu kelalaian dalam proses pengetikan, hihi.
Diantara semua anak-anak, aku paling suka dengan Lucy-Ann, sebab dialah sosok yang paling baik di buku ini. Sedangkan anak-anak yang lain, cenderung kasar terhadap salah seorang tokoh, yakni Lucian 😔. Aku rasa Lucian berhak mendapatkan perlakuan yang lebih baik. Aku mengerti mengapa anak-anak kurang menyukai Lucian, tetapi perbuatan seperti mengolok-olok ataupun merendahkan, baik itu didepan maupun dibelakang orangnya, tidak pantas diucapkan, terlebih lagi ini tergolong dalam buku anak yang seharusnya memberikan contoh yang baik.
Awalnya, aku mengira tidak akan ada plot twist yang mengejutkan di buku ini. Tapi ternyata dugaanku salah 😯. Buku ini diakhiri dengan plot indah yang sangat tidak terduga bagiku, bukan main!
Rate ⭐ : 4.6/5
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