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The Famous Five #13
Five Go to Mystery Moor
Bleak and eerie, Mystery Moor is well-known for its spooky atmosphere, but is there something really scary out there? The Famous Five are intrigued, but the unfriendly travellers camped on the moor aren't letting on. The gang risk treacherous conditions to follow them over the moor -- but what danger will they find at the end of their trail?
Cover illustration: Richard Jones
Cover illustration: Richard Jones
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
109 people are currently reading
2312 people want to read
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,132 books6,299 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 220 reviews
October 28, 2025
I'm not saying that the Five's parents are the world's worst parents ... they barely qualify as parents at all. The kids are shunted almost directly from boarding school to unsupervised vacation. I'm not sure Anne spends more than a week in the company of her parents between the ages of 10 and 21.
Julian, Dick, and Anne, join George and Timmy at a "farm with horse riding". George has been there a while and is bored. Enid has provided yet more girl-who-dresses-like-boy competition for her, and the two have fallen out.
Mystery (or Misty) Moor is by the sea and as is often the case there is a handy old man to relate the history of the place. The unlikely tale is of a family of seven rather nasty brothers who find a sand deposit so lucrative that it warrants the building of a rail line out to where they mine it on the moor. And of how these seven fell out with the local gypsies and all vanished (i.e were brutally murdered, though this is left unsaid).
The Five discover gypsies still frequent the moor and befriend a gypsy lad who teaches them gypsy lore and who they gift with a handkerchief! The mystery is why the gypsies head out to camp in the middle of this desolate spot.
Anyway, the Five, by virtue of being rich don't need a reason and so they go off to camp in the middle of the moor too, and wouldn't you know it, they're within shouting distance of the gypsies at the end of the old rail track.
The gypsies have a big light that they refuse to explain and it turns out to be to guide a plane in that drops counterfeit American money! Given how many whole people are smuggled into the country every day it seems odd that so many of Blyton's books revolve around ingenious ways of circumventing the primitive 1950s UK border security. A plane dropping packages in order to get dollars into the country? Really?
The story proceeds along the usual rails. Some of the children are kidnapped again, there is a cave system again, laughably within the sandy soil around the sand mine ... exactly the sort of ground that is so dangerous to dig holes in because they collapse...
They escape and hide the money in the smoke stack of the abandoned locomotive that was used to ship all that rare and valuable ... sand. And the baddies are caught.
Timmy comes in handy as deterrent and as radar dog in the mist, though he does get clouted round the head with a rock!
It all comes together in the end, the gypsy boy (Sniffer) gains a new bike and loses a father, and George and the other boy-dressing girl get so friendly that they even start to use the boy versions of each other's names. Hoorah!
Ticks the boxes for caves, cross dressing, smuggling, kidnap, spare child, & urchin redeemed. We might need a box for disused rail lines too if they crop up again.
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...
Julian, Dick, and Anne, join George and Timmy at a "farm with horse riding". George has been there a while and is bored. Enid has provided yet more girl-who-dresses-like-boy competition for her, and the two have fallen out.
Mystery (or Misty) Moor is by the sea and as is often the case there is a handy old man to relate the history of the place. The unlikely tale is of a family of seven rather nasty brothers who find a sand deposit so lucrative that it warrants the building of a rail line out to where they mine it on the moor. And of how these seven fell out with the local gypsies and all vanished (i.e were brutally murdered, though this is left unsaid).
The Five discover gypsies still frequent the moor and befriend a gypsy lad who teaches them gypsy lore and who they gift with a handkerchief! The mystery is why the gypsies head out to camp in the middle of this desolate spot.
Anyway, the Five, by virtue of being rich don't need a reason and so they go off to camp in the middle of the moor too, and wouldn't you know it, they're within shouting distance of the gypsies at the end of the old rail track.
The gypsies have a big light that they refuse to explain and it turns out to be to guide a plane in that drops counterfeit American money! Given how many whole people are smuggled into the country every day it seems odd that so many of Blyton's books revolve around ingenious ways of circumventing the primitive 1950s UK border security. A plane dropping packages in order to get dollars into the country? Really?
The story proceeds along the usual rails. Some of the children are kidnapped again, there is a cave system again, laughably within the sandy soil around the sand mine ... exactly the sort of ground that is so dangerous to dig holes in because they collapse...
They escape and hide the money in the smoke stack of the abandoned locomotive that was used to ship all that rare and valuable ... sand. And the baddies are caught.
Timmy comes in handy as deterrent and as radar dog in the mist, though he does get clouted round the head with a rock!
It all comes together in the end, the gypsy boy (Sniffer) gains a new bike and loses a father, and George and the other boy-dressing girl get so friendly that they even start to use the boy versions of each other's names. Hoorah!
Ticks the boxes for caves, cross dressing, smuggling, kidnap, spare child, & urchin redeemed. We might need a box for disused rail lines too if they crop up again.
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
September 11, 2018
I'm showing my age when I say read this book years ago and it was an earlier edition.
I remember distinctly my teacher, cane behind his back to ensure a quiet classroom, opening his desk drawer and taking out the first book in this series. Not sure why he thought he needed a cane because when he started reading to the class you could have heard a pin drop.
Thus began my love of reading and I went straight to the library to borrow the book. It was way to long to wait another week for the next installment of the famous five. I even still have my Enid Blyton club badge that is one of my favourite keepsakes.
There was no one in my opinion could write a children's story quite like Enid Blyton and my children and grandchildren have loved theses stories too. One of the best classic children's series at the time and still loved today.
I remember distinctly my teacher, cane behind his back to ensure a quiet classroom, opening his desk drawer and taking out the first book in this series. Not sure why he thought he needed a cane because when he started reading to the class you could have heard a pin drop.
Thus began my love of reading and I went straight to the library to borrow the book. It was way to long to wait another week for the next installment of the famous five. I even still have my Enid Blyton club badge that is one of my favourite keepsakes.
There was no one in my opinion could write a children's story quite like Enid Blyton and my children and grandchildren have loved theses stories too. One of the best classic children's series at the time and still loved today.
June 23, 2019
This may well be my favourite book in the series so far, as the spookiness factor was dialled up considerably. Any story featuring a group of kids riding horses through a creepy, misty moor gets my horror-loving genes buzzing.
The best scene features the kids gathered around a blacksmith's smelting pit while they listen to the blacksmith recount a local legend about how a local family once drove a group of gypsies into the sea and how the myth is that the travelers who occasionally turn up on the misty moors to this day are their ghosts...
This book is also notable for being the first book in the series where it is acknowledged within the story itself that books are being written about the Five's adventures, although the specifics of their publishing deal aren't gone into. Enid does give the occasional wink to camera, though, which always makes me smile.
Buddy read with Sunshine Seaspray
The best scene features the kids gathered around a blacksmith's smelting pit while they listen to the blacksmith recount a local legend about how a local family once drove a group of gypsies into the sea and how the myth is that the travelers who occasionally turn up on the misty moors to this day are their ghosts...
This book is also notable for being the first book in the series where it is acknowledged within the story itself that books are being written about the Five's adventures, although the specifics of their publishing deal aren't gone into. Enid does give the occasional wink to camera, though, which always makes me smile.
Buddy read with Sunshine Seaspray
July 6, 2023
This is an enjoyable read. The Five are staying at a stables for the holidays. There's another girl pretending to be a boy and as you can imagine George is not happy. They don't hit it off at all. The Five end up camping on the moors. A gypsy camp nearby, a dense mist, a strange light and an airplane provide the children with more than enough mystery.
On a side note, my book was missing a few of the early chapters, it's an extremely old edition, so it's probably why I hadn't read it for a long time and didn't remember most of it. Which is a bonus! I bought the kindle edition to read the missing chapters. It's obviously an updated version. The word 'gypsy' was changed to 'traveller'.
When I was growing up, gypsy was not a derogatory term, it was a way of life and they were proud of it. I went back to the paperback as soon as I caught up. Get's to me when they alter things like this.
On a side note, my book was missing a few of the early chapters, it's an extremely old edition, so it's probably why I hadn't read it for a long time and didn't remember most of it. Which is a bonus! I bought the kindle edition to read the missing chapters. It's obviously an updated version. The word 'gypsy' was changed to 'traveller'.
When I was growing up, gypsy was not a derogatory term, it was a way of life and they were proud of it. I went back to the paperback as soon as I caught up. Get's to me when they alter things like this.
July 29, 2021
I dont know how Enid Blyton managed to know just what children wanted to read about, even in this day and age the books hold a wonderful fascination to children. They read of the Famous Five who could go off and have fantastic exciting adventures and not have any interference from adults. These books are and always have been a real feel good read.
June 3, 2017
Petualangan ke 13 Lima Sekawan!
Kali ini Lima Sekawan berkumpul di sekolah kuda milik Bapak dan Ibu Johnson yang baik hati. Disana Lima sekawan bertemu dengan Henry, si tomboy, William, anak kecil yang pemberani dan Si Ingus, bocah dekil yang baik hati.
Membaca buku ini saya merasa yakin kalau kelima 'kawan saya' ini sebenarnya adalah anak-anak yang kelewat kepo. Serius deh. Rasa ingin tahu mereka terlalu besar sehingga bisa membahayakan diri mereka sendiri. Yah, untungnya penjahat Lima Sekawan cukup 'baik hati' karena tidak melakukan tindakan yang lebih berbahaya kepada mereka.
Salam Limun Jahe!
Kali ini Lima Sekawan berkumpul di sekolah kuda milik Bapak dan Ibu Johnson yang baik hati. Disana Lima sekawan bertemu dengan Henry, si tomboy, William, anak kecil yang pemberani dan Si Ingus, bocah dekil yang baik hati.
Membaca buku ini saya merasa yakin kalau kelima 'kawan saya' ini sebenarnya adalah anak-anak yang kelewat kepo. Serius deh. Rasa ingin tahu mereka terlalu besar sehingga bisa membahayakan diri mereka sendiri. Yah, untungnya penjahat Lima Sekawan cukup 'baik hati' karena tidak melakukan tindakan yang lebih berbahaya kepada mereka.
Salam Limun Jahe!
February 8, 2022
Julian, Dick, and Anne, George and Timmy are at a "farm with horse riding". George is bored and is displeased with another girl-who-dresses-like-boy named Henry (or Henrietta).
Where they meet Sniffer a gypsy boy who is ill-treated by his dad. And they learn about the mystery or misty ( as it was called in the olden days) moor. They also learn that Sniffer's father is a traveller who goes along with the other traveller to the Myster moor for work purposes .
How did the moor get its name:
The unlikely tale is of a family of seven ruthless brothers who find a sand deposit so lucrative they build a rail line to quarry the sand and get rich. And of how these seven fell out with the local gypsies and all vanished or murdered brutally and throw into the sea
The five go to the moor and camp there. Then one night they hear planes flying around at night. Instead of going to the police or an adult, they decide to stay there and find more about the planes which put them in a dispute with the travellers.
The five find that the plane drops packages of forged money from France. Really?? They switch to hero mode and take the packages to the police or should I say they "attempt". The boys and girls get separated. The boys get stuck inside a mist and the girls get kidnapped. Timmy is the Hero of the story and gets help from Henry and Willam.
They all escape and the travellers are arrested. Sniffer gets a new bike but loses a father. George and Henry get along together.
I feel that everything happened so fast and Sniffer just came out of nowhere. Why does George hate other girls-who-dresses-like-boy if they share the same ideas? and the Five's parents are so reckless about their kids.
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Where they meet Sniffer a gypsy boy who is ill-treated by his dad. And they learn about the mystery or misty ( as it was called in the olden days) moor. They also learn that Sniffer's father is a traveller who goes along with the other traveller to the Myster moor for work purposes .
How did the moor get its name:
The unlikely tale is of a family of seven ruthless brothers who find a sand deposit so lucrative they build a rail line to quarry the sand and get rich. And of how these seven fell out with the local gypsies and all vanished or murdered brutally and throw into the sea
The five go to the moor and camp there. Then one night they hear planes flying around at night. Instead of going to the police or an adult, they decide to stay there and find more about the planes which put them in a dispute with the travellers.
The five find that the plane drops packages of forged money from France. Really?? They switch to hero mode and take the packages to the police or should I say they "attempt". The boys and girls get separated. The boys get stuck inside a mist and the girls get kidnapped. Timmy is the Hero of the story and gets help from Henry and Willam.
They all escape and the travellers are arrested. Sniffer gets a new bike but loses a father. George and Henry get along together.
I feel that everything happened so fast and Sniffer just came out of nowhere. Why does George hate other girls-who-dresses-like-boy if they share the same ideas? and the Five's parents are so reckless about their kids.
Blog
January 27, 2019
... reading with my 10 year old daughter...
Daughter and I have this rule about reading a chapter per day. It's sometimes so hard to follow them because the stories are so adventurous. We loved Five Go to Mystery Moor.
Daughter and I have this rule about reading a chapter per day. It's sometimes so hard to follow them because the stories are so adventurous. We loved Five Go to Mystery Moor.
October 29, 2024
Always enjoy reliving my childhood with the Famous Five, and this is another exciting adventure.
June 6, 2010
Mystery Moor is near where Anne and george are at the riding school. It is kind of like a desert. Travellers always go and camp there, why no one knows. When Julian And Dick comes to the scenes, an adventure begins at their camping place which is a quarry in the moor. Things get out of hands as Aeroplanes drop things at night . The children finds out that the parcels have 100 dollar american notes in them. They find out that the travellers take these parcels to their boss. The most exciting part is when a mist so thick hungs on the very night the children finds the parcels and decides to hide them and go home. Travellers capture Anne, George and Timmy in the quarry, when they don't find Julian And Dick coming back who went to hide the parcels. George .Anne and Timmy escape with the help of a girl at the Riding school, Henrietta, who would only answer if called Henry and a boy at the stables; William, who is very sensible. Julian and Dick who were lost in the mist, at last find the way and come back. Things then get more settledwhen Mrs. Johnson, the captain's wife, calls the police and arrest the travellers except sniffer, a poor boy, who had helped Anne and George to get out.
March 14, 2018
Obviously, and correctly, the sexism and racism in this book would not be acceptable in a book released today, however, it is a dangerous road to judge books from the past by today's standards. It is hilarious to think that Julian and Dick are allowed to sleep in the barn when the house becomes overcrowded, but it would be out of the question for Anne or George to do this.
On the other side of the coin, had this book been written today, surely the natural ending would have been a steamy lesbian encounter between George and Henry. All through the book there is a brooding tension between the two which is resolved at the end. Of course, this being a children's book written in the 50's they just become good friends. Hoorah!
The story itself is very much what you would expect if you have read the previous books, with just enough menace, mystery, and sandwiches to keep children gripped.
On the other side of the coin, had this book been written today, surely the natural ending would have been a steamy lesbian encounter between George and Henry. All through the book there is a brooding tension between the two which is resolved at the end. Of course, this being a children's book written in the 50's they just become good friends. Hoorah!
The story itself is very much what you would expect if you have read the previous books, with just enough menace, mystery, and sandwiches to keep children gripped.
May 7, 2021
This used to be one of my favourite books growing up. My cousin happened to buy a copy from the local bookshop and I wanted to relive those glory days, so I started rereading.
I was hit by a strong wave of nostalgia, sexism, racism and transphobia.
A lot of things were pretty impractical too, but it is impracticality that makes for compelling story-telling for children, so no complaints there. I remember the sense of awe that filled me the first time I read this story and somehow it still felt that way to the child in me. That's what made the story still so enjoyable today.
Now I read a lot of Enid Blyton growing up, but I'm not sexist or racist I guess. But maybe that's because I'm an Indian woman. And I like to think I'm not transphobic either. So whether the rotten elements of this story will negatively impact children, I can't say for certain. But I can certainly knock off two stars because of them.
I was hit by a strong wave of nostalgia, sexism, racism and transphobia.
A lot of things were pretty impractical too, but it is impracticality that makes for compelling story-telling for children, so no complaints there. I remember the sense of awe that filled me the first time I read this story and somehow it still felt that way to the child in me. That's what made the story still so enjoyable today.
Now I read a lot of Enid Blyton growing up, but I'm not sexist or racist I guess. But maybe that's because I'm an Indian woman. And I like to think I'm not transphobic either. So whether the rotten elements of this story will negatively impact children, I can't say for certain. But I can certainly knock off two stars because of them.
August 6, 2018
This was always a favourite of mine as a child, but as an adult it got a bit boring. Somehow George's temper tantrums don't give the same thrill when you read from a "grown up" perspective, and neither does the whole 'dressing as a boy' thing. That aside, myserty lovers will like this one - myserious moors, myserious planes, mysterious packages, all jammed in alongside the obligatory nefarious gypsy gang, the aptly named gypsy boy "Sniffer" (who just wants a bike, please!), horses, ANOTHER girl-who-wants-to-be-a-boy, Henry, friendly farmer's wives, blacksmiths...all the key elements are here for a romping great FF adventure!
January 6, 2021
This one's a cracker. We have a standard affair of lots of food, an extra child in need of improvement, patronising Julian, George's jealousy of another girl who wants to be a boy, secret tunnels and caves, people in caravans and lack of parental supervision. (At this point Fanny and Quentin are up for a parenting award in comparison to Julain. Dick and Anne's parents. Are we sure they actually exist - maybe the didn't behave correctly once and Julain locked them in the attic to improve them?)
Anyway, the plot is brilliant. Not one to question or ponder over any plot holes, that would ruin the sheer insanity of it. This insanity is what makes Blyton's books so appealing
Anyway, the plot is brilliant. Not one to question or ponder over any plot holes, that would ruin the sheer insanity of it. This insanity is what makes Blyton's books so appealing
February 6, 2018
Gypsies, mysterious mists, and camping on the moor!
I absolutely adored Famous Five as a child. I trawled through secondhand stores and slowly acquired all of them. For some reason in my childhood, there were lots of British books and comics widely available and back then they were sold for the mighty sum of 10 cents. Seems funny now when some of the secondhand shops charge $7-10 per book! I still have all of them safely saved in storage for when Little Miss grows up.
I absolutely adored Famous Five as a child. I trawled through secondhand stores and slowly acquired all of them. For some reason in my childhood, there were lots of British books and comics widely available and back then they were sold for the mighty sum of 10 cents. Seems funny now when some of the secondhand shops charge $7-10 per book! I still have all of them safely saved in storage for when Little Miss grows up.
May 19, 2013
read this in 8th standard and the vast world of fiction, kiddish and adventure... opened up to me :) i absolutely loved the famous five series!
August 23, 2018
My favorite childhood read.
August 10, 2023
Wow what an amazing adventure even though it was a little scary at times two of the girls got kidnapped and tied up in a cave there was an aeroplane that kept circling around the the moors and the second night the plane dropped little packages out and the nearly hit Anne George Julian and dick on the head the children thought they were beening bombed and quickly run into a sandy cave to shelter until the heard the plane disappear into the distance and then the children hurried back to the quarry and opened 1 of the packages the next night Julian and dick got lost and got stuck in a heavy misty and cold storm. George wrote a not and stuck it to timmys collar to go and get help and rescue them both Anne and George were tied up in the cave so yummy tock the not back to the stables and got it to henry and will come riding on horses to rescue them and when the got back to the stables Mrs Johnson didn't know what was going on or what has happened she phoned her husband to come home and also phoned the police but she forgot to phone them back to tell them the missing girls were now home back and safe but she said to the police they were no longer needed and was just about to send them on there way when Julian stopped them and told the police all about the travelers and the going on and about the plane dropping parcals and about them kidnapping both George and Anne and tieing them up in the cave and find out that the travelers we using faurge money to pay for hotels and food.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2024
I quite liked this one. The five end up staying at a stable of some kind (I can’t remember why) and go camping in the moor nearby. They discover a scene where some caravan travellers are helping smuggle forged money into the country via a secret airplane drop. There’s plenty of adventures with many of the favourite things recurring such as some of the five getting kidnapped again, helping out a poor urchin kid again, more old rail lines and cave systems, and some new things like getting lost in the mist, patrins and Timmy getting injured. I liked this one a lot despite the flaws if you examine it closely.
Only lost points for the bit at the end where the friend Henry (Henrietta) needed a boy’s help (William) to come and rescue George and Anne, and William of course gets all the credit because he’s a boy.
Only lost points for the bit at the end where the friend Henry (Henrietta) needed a boy’s help (William) to come and rescue George and Anne, and William of course gets all the credit because he’s a boy.
March 15, 2025
Book number 13 in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. I'm currently rereading the whole series, first read numerous times back in the late 70s very early 80s in my younger days.
This one has the cousins and dog staying at a horseriding stables for the holidays. When things get too crowded, the Five take off camping on Mystery Moor where they come across a band of Travellers who are none too friendly. Then strange things start to happen at night.....
Another enjoyable adventure from the Five.
This one has the cousins and dog staying at a horseriding stables for the holidays. When things get too crowded, the Five take off camping on Mystery Moor where they come across a band of Travellers who are none too friendly. Then strange things start to happen at night.....
Another enjoyable adventure from the Five.
October 16, 2022
As a kid I absolutely adored the adventures of The Famous Five by Enid Blyton and I've reread the entire collection of 21 books several times.
A few years ago I reread the first few books and was disappointed. Thus I gave 2* to the first installments.
Now I started to read the rest of them.
Have I become even harsher in my ratings?
Probably, because - despite my love for these books as a kid - I can't bring myself to give more than 1*.
A few of my biggest gripes:
What an utterly sexist nonsense
Annie does nothing else than 'playing mother/housekeeper': cooking, doing the dishes, …
Actually Dick and Julian should've switched names, as Julian often really acts like a real dick by being condescending towards girls.
This may be a representation of the zeitgeist, as the first book was published in 1942.
But then again, there exist lots of older books that were more 'modern' in thoughts.
So much eating and sleeping
What are those kids: marmots?
They just finished breakfast and they're already thinking about lunch. Oh, and of course they have to get food for the afternoon tea and for dinner.
It's true that I already heard of the importance of food in children's books. As you can read on this blog: "In Blyton’s books, eating food is the central focal point that brings children together. This in turn ingrains the value of having a bond with family and friends."
Taking into account when the first books about The Famous Five were published, I can understand that World War II and the aftermath were of influence. And thus, that food played a big role in people's lives.
But to me, there's a big difference between mentioning the meals or using them as pure page-filling.
Just out of curiosity I scanned one of the books for mentions of food and sleep and it turned out that they appeared on more than 45% of the pages.
Which brings us to the remaining (approximately) 55%:
Plot holes
In between all the eating and sleeping, our protagonists also solve some 'mysteries' that are either unbelievable or totally clear from the beginning.
There are lots of situations that aren't credible to begin with: young children from 10 years old who go on camping trips all alone, they can buy cigarettes, …
And it doesn't get better as there are definitely many plot holes in the described adventures (they hadn't the bag with food within reach, but still managed to eat without going back to get it; etc.).
Some of the errors could be due to a bad Dutch translation, but not all of them.
Line work
Did you know that Enid Blyton (° 1897 - † 1968) wrote hundreds of books and at some periods even 50 books per year?
762 of them are listed on Wikipedia.
But if you want a more detailed list of all her works (> 1.000) you can take a look at https://www.enidblyton.net/ or https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/list-all.php.
Bearing in mind the amount of written books, it's understandable that they often come across as pure line work with a lot of page-filling content.
The conclusion
If I had children, I wouldn't let them read this crap.
It's true that as an adult, you rate books in another way than you would've as a child.
But there are so many really good children's books out there that definitely deserve more attention than this overrated and outdated series.
And as George Bernard Shaw said: "Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself."
A few years ago I reread the first few books and was disappointed. Thus I gave 2* to the first installments.
Now I started to read the rest of them.
Have I become even harsher in my ratings?
Probably, because - despite my love for these books as a kid - I can't bring myself to give more than 1*.
A few of my biggest gripes:
What an utterly sexist nonsense
Annie does nothing else than 'playing mother/housekeeper': cooking, doing the dishes, …
Actually Dick and Julian should've switched names, as Julian often really acts like a real dick by being condescending towards girls.
This may be a representation of the zeitgeist, as the first book was published in 1942.
But then again, there exist lots of older books that were more 'modern' in thoughts.
So much eating and sleeping
What are those kids: marmots?
They just finished breakfast and they're already thinking about lunch. Oh, and of course they have to get food for the afternoon tea and for dinner.
It's true that I already heard of the importance of food in children's books. As you can read on this blog: "In Blyton’s books, eating food is the central focal point that brings children together. This in turn ingrains the value of having a bond with family and friends."
Taking into account when the first books about The Famous Five were published, I can understand that World War II and the aftermath were of influence. And thus, that food played a big role in people's lives.
But to me, there's a big difference between mentioning the meals or using them as pure page-filling.
Just out of curiosity I scanned one of the books for mentions of food and sleep and it turned out that they appeared on more than 45% of the pages.
Which brings us to the remaining (approximately) 55%:
Plot holes
In between all the eating and sleeping, our protagonists also solve some 'mysteries' that are either unbelievable or totally clear from the beginning.
There are lots of situations that aren't credible to begin with: young children from 10 years old who go on camping trips all alone, they can buy cigarettes, …
And it doesn't get better as there are definitely many plot holes in the described adventures (they hadn't the bag with food within reach, but still managed to eat without going back to get it; etc.).
Some of the errors could be due to a bad Dutch translation, but not all of them.
Line work
Did you know that Enid Blyton (° 1897 - † 1968) wrote hundreds of books and at some periods even 50 books per year?
762 of them are listed on Wikipedia.
But if you want a more detailed list of all her works (> 1.000) you can take a look at https://www.enidblyton.net/ or https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/list-all.php.
Bearing in mind the amount of written books, it's understandable that they often come across as pure line work with a lot of page-filling content.
The conclusion
If I had children, I wouldn't let them read this crap.
It's true that as an adult, you rate books in another way than you would've as a child.
But there are so many really good children's books out there that definitely deserve more attention than this overrated and outdated series.
And as George Bernard Shaw said: "Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself."
March 20, 2024
Fun as always
April 24, 2025
(Of this series, I've read and reviewed Five on a Treasure Island, Five Go Adventuring Again, Five Run Away Together, Five Go to Smuggler's Top, Five Go Off in a Caravan, Five on Kirrin Island Again, Five Go Off to Camp, Five Get Into Trouble, Five Fall Into Adventure, Five Have a Wonderful Time, Five Go Down to the Sea and Five on a Hike Together)
With my last review, I mused that it was a shame that we didn't get a school story with the Five even though they attend gender-segregated boarding schools - but just like that, we get a Five story that's partially set in a riding school!
George does not want to be there, quelle surprise, but sticks it out for the sake of Anne. The latter's apparently quite the horse-girl and has always wanted an opportunity like this - I mean, you'd think she'd have said something in prior installments particularly as the Five spend most of their time outdoors, but it's still nice to see the kids in a setting that appeals to Anne for a change.
George didn't mind the animals as such, but she's clashing with another student instead - a fellow upper-class tomboy named Henry. It's a common complaint on GR that the animosity doesn't make sense, but as insecurity is a recurring part of George's personality (especially where other girls are concerned) I found it quite believable. It's not until the other three Kirrin kids don't give in to one of her sulks that she manages to get over herself a bit and re-join the crew. However, her compliance with the Johnsons' dinner dress-code was far less believable - I wouldn't have thought George owned a single skirt or dress let alone be coaxed so easily into wearing one!
We have not one, not two, but three 'guest kids' this time - a Romani child nicknamed 'Sniffer', the aforementioned Henry, and stable-boy William. Sniffer's a nice enough kid but lives in fear of his dad. Henry's an upper-class twit and bit of a braggart, but she gives as good as she gets when George tries to rile her up. We don't get to see as much of William, but he's refreshingly sensible.
The mystery comes about when Sniffer has to leave his horse, Clip, with the riding school in order to be treated for an injury. Sniffer's terrible dad does not like this one bit but is cowed into submission by the goodies, and takes off with the rest of his group to the nearby moor, leaving the heroes with Clip and Sniffer.
Intrigued by the travellers' urgency to get to the moors, the Five gather round for some spooky lore told by the local blacksmith - and wouldn't you know it, the area's nicknamed Mystery Moor. Wouldn't you know it x 2, the riding school becomes overcrowded when more students arrive in need of beds, so George and Anne volunteer to give up their dormitory room to camp out with Julian and Dick (despite the instructors not liking the idea of girls sleeping outside in the stables, they're apparently fine to go camping - make it make sense, Enid). Sniffer leaves 'patrins' - a real Romani method for signposting to other Romani where they're headed - for the Five to find, and their adventure truly begins. Henry's summoned away by family, but don't worry, she'll be back for the finale.
In fact, it was great to have more than just one kid milling around with our heroes -Henry and William were welcome temporary additions - but it's not quite enough to save the negatives. The night-time plane and dropped packages were a great set-up for a World War II spy plot; shame it turned out to be yet another instance of "the GRT are dirty and conniving, plus they're bad parents". Sniffer was unfortunately a stereotype, with less of the gumption that made Jo and Nobby so likeable - but it's not gone unnoticed that all three of these characters have abuse in their backgrounds, are taken from their communities, and placed into 'proper' homes as part of their happy endings. Hm.
All in all, another "the good stuff's good, the bad stuff's bad", but it was a nostalgic read over a couple of evenings. Amusingly, the Soper illustrations are depicting the Kirrins as young adults now despite their Simpson-esque eternal youth over the years. 2.5/5
With my last review, I mused that it was a shame that we didn't get a school story with the Five even though they attend gender-segregated boarding schools - but just like that, we get a Five story that's partially set in a riding school!
George does not want to be there, quelle surprise, but sticks it out for the sake of Anne. The latter's apparently quite the horse-girl and has always wanted an opportunity like this - I mean, you'd think she'd have said something in prior installments particularly as the Five spend most of their time outdoors, but it's still nice to see the kids in a setting that appeals to Anne for a change.
George didn't mind the animals as such, but she's clashing with another student instead - a fellow upper-class tomboy named Henry. It's a common complaint on GR that the animosity doesn't make sense, but as insecurity is a recurring part of George's personality (especially where other girls are concerned) I found it quite believable. It's not until the other three Kirrin kids don't give in to one of her sulks that she manages to get over herself a bit and re-join the crew. However, her compliance with the Johnsons' dinner dress-code was far less believable - I wouldn't have thought George owned a single skirt or dress let alone be coaxed so easily into wearing one!
We have not one, not two, but three 'guest kids' this time - a Romani child nicknamed 'Sniffer', the aforementioned Henry, and stable-boy William. Sniffer's a nice enough kid but lives in fear of his dad. Henry's an upper-class twit and bit of a braggart, but she gives as good as she gets when George tries to rile her up. We don't get to see as much of William, but he's refreshingly sensible.
The mystery comes about when Sniffer has to leave his horse, Clip, with the riding school in order to be treated for an injury. Sniffer's terrible dad does not like this one bit but is cowed into submission by the goodies, and takes off with the rest of his group to the nearby moor, leaving the heroes with Clip and Sniffer.
Intrigued by the travellers' urgency to get to the moors, the Five gather round for some spooky lore told by the local blacksmith - and wouldn't you know it, the area's nicknamed Mystery Moor. Wouldn't you know it x 2, the riding school becomes overcrowded when more students arrive in need of beds, so George and Anne volunteer to give up their dormitory room to camp out with Julian and Dick (despite the instructors not liking the idea of girls sleeping outside in the stables, they're apparently fine to go camping - make it make sense, Enid). Sniffer leaves 'patrins' - a real Romani method for signposting to other Romani where they're headed - for the Five to find, and their adventure truly begins. Henry's summoned away by family, but don't worry, she'll be back for the finale.
In fact, it was great to have more than just one kid milling around with our heroes -Henry and William were welcome temporary additions - but it's not quite enough to save the negatives. The night-time plane and dropped packages were a great set-up for a World War II spy plot; shame it turned out to be yet another instance of "the GRT are dirty and conniving, plus they're bad parents". Sniffer was unfortunately a stereotype, with less of the gumption that made Jo and Nobby so likeable - but it's not gone unnoticed that all three of these characters have abuse in their backgrounds, are taken from their communities, and placed into 'proper' homes as part of their happy endings. Hm.
All in all, another "the good stuff's good, the bad stuff's bad", but it was a nostalgic read over a couple of evenings. Amusingly, the Soper illustrations are depicting the Kirrins as young adults now despite their Simpson-esque eternal youth over the years. 2.5/5
June 2, 2016
Honesty, Bravery, Good wits, and intelligence-to be favorable for an adventure. I got that. The book awakens all the senses, for me. The author really knows how to express his fantasy. I’ve just noticed that it’s always about money! Very unique thought for the author. The famous five always teaches us honesty and good principles and values one should uphold in life. Always split up to help each other incidentally. And rejoined. Presented With a scary personality in the book too. Two or three will be in trouble and the others go to get help. The usual of most famous fives. But I like the unique idea each book presents. Dungeons and gold, dollar notes, island, typically British- clean, calm and well organized. This book really cultivates love for all living things, through Timmy’s character, in readers mind. And the fun of good friendship too. I really savored the last part. It was really adventurous to read this book!!They’d make fine men and women when they’ll be adults. The writing style is so energetic! I really enjoyed the book with its unique writing style. The dialogues are too old. The happenings are so dramatic. Perfect book for children!! They’ll adore it!!
September 11, 2018
Famous Five, #13
Non-review rant
Some of the famous five books I owned (now donated to the library); others were borrowed from the library. Kid fiction is fun to read.
Review
The plot
The plot is always that the five of the characters get into some trouble while seeking adventure. They solve mysteries, save others from trouble, eat a lot of delicious food. The plot gets repetitive after a few reads.
Does it sound like HP? Yes, it is and above mentioned elements are common. Their adventures are not as severe and serious. And HP has a great world built inside the books.
The characters
I like how the characters are built. I can remember them for their character traits.
George: A slightly arrogant, but likable daughter, raised more like a son. Her father is a scientist.
Anne: Geroge's cousin. Almost opposite of George, behaves most sensibly.
Julian & Dick: Anne's brothers.
Timmy: George's dog. He loves food, and he is a savior in most of the story.
Verdict
Non-review rant
Some of the famous five books I owned (now donated to the library); others were borrowed from the library. Kid fiction is fun to read.
Review
The plot
The plot is always that the five of the characters get into some trouble while seeking adventure. They solve mysteries, save others from trouble, eat a lot of delicious food. The plot gets repetitive after a few reads.
Does it sound like HP? Yes, it is and above mentioned elements are common. Their adventures are not as severe and serious. And HP has a great world built inside the books.
The characters
I like how the characters are built. I can remember them for their character traits.
George: A slightly arrogant, but likable daughter, raised more like a son. Her father is a scientist.
Anne: Geroge's cousin. Almost opposite of George, behaves most sensibly.
Julian & Dick: Anne's brothers.
Timmy: George's dog. He loves food, and he is a savior in most of the story.
Verdict
April 24, 2020
The book is about the famous five children i.e. Anne, Dick, Julian, Georgina and her dog Timmy.
Honestly I really like the thrilling journey. The adventurous plot makes the reader continue flipping the pages till the end.
The mystery of the Moor gives a chill through the spine. Continuous twisting and turning of the plot makes these five miserable during the journey as well as the reader.
The Mystery of the Moor was unknown to everybody except the ill minded travellers who used to visit the place in every three months.
Everyone in the district was scared of them due to their fierce appearance and outraged behaviour.
The travellers had mysterious personalities as if they were trying to hide something from the world, which germinated the seed of curiosity in those five children.
The book was a bit boring at first but gradually it increased my interest when the five was getting leads from various sources to solve the mystery.
I enjoyed the book a lot. This is a good children book.
Honestly I really like the thrilling journey. The adventurous plot makes the reader continue flipping the pages till the end.
The mystery of the Moor gives a chill through the spine. Continuous twisting and turning of the plot makes these five miserable during the journey as well as the reader.
The Mystery of the Moor was unknown to everybody except the ill minded travellers who used to visit the place in every three months.
Everyone in the district was scared of them due to their fierce appearance and outraged behaviour.
The travellers had mysterious personalities as if they were trying to hide something from the world, which germinated the seed of curiosity in those five children.
The book was a bit boring at first but gradually it increased my interest when the five was getting leads from various sources to solve the mystery.
I enjoyed the book a lot. This is a good children book.
September 1, 2020
Comfort zone reading by this stage of the series. As I remember, a pony trekking holiday at a stables with (another) boy/girl, Henry/Henrietta, for George to dislike. What would have made these stories really controversial would have been the introduction of a boy character who wanted to be a girl. They get lost in the fog on the moor and there's talk of catacombs but that's about all I remember but I expect there were some gipsies about so I could learn about piebald ponies. Oh, and bilberies. I forever associate these innocent berries with getting lost in the fog after reading this book. So some helpful health and safety advice accrued.
September 12, 2025
3 stars
“Hope you’ve got a nice juicy adventure waiting for us!”
The Famous Five are staying at a Riding School located right next to Mystery Moor. After hearing tales about gypsies and disappearances in the mist, the Five go exploring out on the Moor and find more (excuse the pun) than they bargained for.
Now this is a mystery…and not just because of the title. I always love it when a Famous Five adventure has lore and this one was kinda dark. Disappearances, murder, stolen goods, and side characters who actually contribute to the story without replacing one of the Five. Definitely a favourite.
My ranking: #5/21
“Hope you’ve got a nice juicy adventure waiting for us!”
The Famous Five are staying at a Riding School located right next to Mystery Moor. After hearing tales about gypsies and disappearances in the mist, the Five go exploring out on the Moor and find more (excuse the pun) than they bargained for.
Now this is a mystery…and not just because of the title. I always love it when a Famous Five adventure has lore and this one was kinda dark. Disappearances, murder, stolen goods, and side characters who actually contribute to the story without replacing one of the Five. Definitely a favourite.
My ranking: #5/21
April 3, 2016
These books (Famous five) are hands down one of my favorite books from my childhood. All those adventures and mystery …and those sandwiches they always packed! aww, just the best! I would love to read one of these again. To bring back those memories..memories of first experiences with reading books.
June 20, 2013
Luke's Review: The Famous Five went camping on Mystery Moor (Misty Moor) and walked into a mystery! A plane dropped packets of money from the sky and the Famous Five had to figure out why - and then the excitement began from getting tied up to getting lost in a thick mist but in the end they solved the mystery! I LOVE Famous Five books!! I'm going to read The Mountain of Adventure next!
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