Looking for Enid: The Mysterious and Inventive Life of Enid Blyton

by Duncan McLaren

This is a strikingly inventive and unusual portrait of the most successful English writer for children until JK Rowling, Enid Blyton, who entertained millions worldwide with her myriad adventure stories and mysteries but was herself an adventure and a mystery. Everyone who ever wondered what kind of woman Enid Blyton was.Enid Blyton gave us the "Famous Five" and "Fatty's Find-Outers", the "Enchanted Wood" and the "Wishing Chair". Some of us, encouraged by austere critics, have pretended no longer to want what Enid gave. We have pretended that we were not once upon a time enthralled by her stories. We have chosen to forget how much we loved the time we spent in their company. And we have feigned disdain. Now, Duncan McLaren offers lapsed devotees the possibility of honest redemption. If you're willing to acknowledge that Enid Blyton once mattered to you, you are warmly invited to accompany Duncan on an adventure that will investigate what made Enid Enid and endeavour to reach the source of her torrent of stories, those that came when she was 'letting her mind go free'.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Literature

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Of the 12 books I've written so far, two have been published in full. I was 40 when Personal Delivery came out, while Looking For Enid appeared 10 years later. The call I got from David Bowie, an inspiration of my adolescence, congratulating me on Personal Delivery, just about balances the clutch of one-star reviews I've received on the Amazon site for my book on Enid Blyton, the wonder of my childhood. What next? A book on Evelyn Waugh's brittle and brilliant youth is in the pipeline. At least as far as I'm concerned it is.

I've also got a book on the go about my mother, who has dementia and is in a care home. There is a blog on this at: http://www.saga.co.uk/health/carers/b...

My ambition is to have three books in Amazon's top million sellers by the year 2020. No, dammit, four.

Update: August 2011:
Beautiful Books will publish 'EVELYN!' in September 2011. See their website which gives an insight into the contemporary publishing process. http://www.beautiful-books.co.uk

EVELYN!, whose strapline is 'Rhapsody for an Obsessive Love', explores the love triangle between Evelyn Waugh, Evelyn Gardner and John Heygate. Though there is another love triangle going on, involving Evelyn Waugh, his books and me.

The 'Visiting Mabel' blog was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for blogs in 2011.