ضياع في العاصفة

The Adventurous Four #1

by Enid Blyton, إنيد بلايتون, سناء عبد الرزاق (Translator)

Andy, 14, takes pals visiting WW2 NE Scotland for an overnighter on Little Island. Small wiry redhead Tom, 12, has cheerful twin sisters 10, Jill and Mary, with "thick golden plaits and deep blue eyes." But a sudden storm shipwrecks their little sailboat on deserted islets - with a cave of food supplies, a cove of submarines, and a seaplane of foreigners. The resourceful gang cope with discovery and danger. Lively brisk sketches bring the wind, waves, cliffs, and struggling sailors to life. The first fast moving appealing escapade with resourceful brave Adventurous Four.

Genres: Childrens, Adventure, Fiction, Classics, Middle Grade, Mystery, Young Adult

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

See 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

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars This was a fun adventure set in Scotland during WWII. Three siblings set off with a friend to sail to a nearby island. When a storm comes they are blown off course eventually making it to a remote uninhabited island with their boat damaged and stuck on rocks. After doing all the sensible survival and trying to be rescued activities, (which after reading many Blyton books we are well versed in) the children decide to explore a nearby island. To their surprise they find a cave packed with food and German submarines lurking nearby The rest of their time on the island is spent avoiding capture, gathering evidence and escaping. This did follow the usual Enid Blyton formula, and we didn't enjoy this as much as others we have read by this author, but WWII did add an interesting element to the story.

[David Sarkies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enid Blyton's Only World War II Novel
(21 August 2013)

This is an interesting story of Blyton's because is was written during the opening stages of World War II, set during World War II and involved the antagonists of World War II. Actually, I believe that it is the only book of Enid Blyton's that actually makes reference to the war. It is interesting how Blyton portrayed the Germans, that is as 'the enemy' and the 'crooked cross' but she never actually mentions them by name. Maybe it is because, from the eyes of a child, it was something that was still far off, though to many in England at the time, especially during the blitz, the reality of war had struck home.

In this story four children go out on a sailing trip to an island but end up getting caught in a storm and sent off course. At first they are simply trying to find out how to survive on a deserted island in the middle of the North Sea however during their exploration they come across a cave full of food. They then see a sea plane (adorned with the crooked cross) land and then take off, and after a little more exploration, and a hazardous swim, they stumble upon a submarine base.

This story is a little different that many of Blyton's other books as it jumps straight into the action, and while it is not as violent, or as bleak, as the sequel, it does seem to come off a little different than her later adventure stories such as the Famous Five. In a way, in her later books, the children all seem to be somewhat protected, despite coming up against some rather unsavoury characters, but maybe it is because they are never really cut off from the rest of the world as they seem to be in these stories.

Unlike the Famous Five, where there always seems to be a farm house, or at least a friendly adult, nearby, or the Secret Seven, which occurs in the children's home town, the Adventurous Four, in both stories that I have read, are completely cut off from the rest of the world, and in many cases everything seems to be touch and go. Also, the risk of serious injury, or even death, seems to be much higher. In fact, at one point, there is a threat that the children would be taken back to Germany and placed in a POW camp (or even a concentration camp).

I thought this one was better than the sequel (surprise, surprise) but it still does not seem to have the child like quality that some of her other books have. However, I do feel that maybe the target audience is somewhat older than the Famous Five, though maybe not as old as, say, a full blown teenager (which didn't exist at the writing of this book, by the way).

[Janet Camilleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this childhood favourite through adult eyes. Didn't realise it was set in WW2 before!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A genuinely wholesome and enjoyable novel by Enid Blyton set during WWII.

I really loved reading this novel, and especially loved that unlike some of Enid Blyton's other novels there was no recognisable mention of "acceptable" gender roles, and nor were people judged for their looks. I was also quite interested to see that the "enemy" was never mentioned by name, they were only known by a "crooked cross" and as the "enemy", leaving it to the reader to put a face to the nameless enemy based on their own knowledge of WWII and the enemies that Britain held throughout that conflict.

Would make for an enjoyable read for both young and old. Well written story, great resolution, and wonderful characters. Highly recommend.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first non-school story Blyton I’d ever read. I remember being given it so clearly: it was a book of three stories, in which this was the first, and I broke the spine, read the first page, decided it sounded yawn-inducingly boring, and put it aside for a good six months.

Then I picked it up again. Turned out it was about four children discovering a secret Nazi base after they got shipwrecked off the coast of Scotland.

I ding Blyton a lot because her school stories written in the 40s make absolutely no mention of the war (it’s all lacrosse and midnight feasts with no concerns about blackouts or bombings); when she does write about it, here and in The Children of Kidillin, it’s mostly about the children being heroes. Which is fine! It’s entertaining to read about fooling a Nazi guard with a gramophone! I just try not to hold its ridiculous improbability against it: this is a fast-paced read with plucky, quick-thinking kids. It was first published in 1941, when people probably needed a pick-me-up. It doesn’t hold up.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first and favourite Enid Blyton book. I also read the entire Secret Seven series and the Famous Five series but I'm too lazy to post them all. Oh, I liked the Secret Seven better than the Famous Five...I read them in that order too...

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gostei, mais uma história digna de Enid Blyton

[Zaara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifteen years later...this one is still good!
Re-read with my little cousin.

[Suzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars
Fast paced and nostalgic adventure story which doesn't age all that well. Not sure why this copy has the twins named Mary and Jill but other reviews call them Zoe and Pippa

[Christian West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four children set sail to a distant island for an adventure, but a storm blows them off course and they land on (another) distance island. They settle in for the long haul with no hope of rescue until they find a shocking discovery and need to get home as fast as possible!

Being written in 1941 the "shocking discovery" was pretty obvious, but other than that the book was a heap of fun. The girls are treated mostly equally, although gender roles are still strong, and there is action enough to keep young readers glued to the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Heather W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun reminder of my childhood reading, the adventurous four is an easy read. It follows four children after they get shipwrecked on an island, and make some interesting discoveries. It is fairly predictable and easy to read. The language has not aged well in some cases and is downright cheesey in others. But I still enjoyed my time reading the book for the most of it.

[Kelda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute classic

[Claire Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a good Enid Blyton, took me back to my childhood!

[Eva Siagian · Rating 5 out of 5]

wowww..woww.. buku inilah yang saya cari-cari. saya pernah membaca buku ini tapi kemudian berpikir buku yg saya baca itu enid blyton seri petualangan. but no..no.. this is the right one.. Saya harap bisa mendapatkan buku ke 2, Gua Rahasia, dalam waktu dekat ini. Setting waktu untuk seri Empat Petualang ini berkisar tahun 1944-45, saat PD II.
Saya tidak memikirkan PD nya tapi saya menyimpulkan seperti apa orang Inggris itu. Jadi sungguh aneh, saat saya membaca Asterix di Inggris, semua tentang "tea time" itu semacam guyonan (saya pikir) kenyataannya mungkin benar, war stop when tea time and continue when it's ended. Yah kalau membaca novel seperti ini ada kesan santai saat perang tapi kalau menonton film kamp konsentrasi yahudi, there's no time even to breath..

[A.R. Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an example of Blyton's earlier adventure stories, this book has some advantages over many of its successors, particularly the pacing; in many of her later works, you have to wait for about half the book for the adventure to get started. The plot is very interesting, especially with the explicit wartime setting and the not-spelled-out yet crystal clear use of Nazis as the enemy. There are also disadvantages to this earlier work, most notably that the characterisation is somewhat lacking. Where groups such as the Five and the children of the Adventure series will feel much more rounded and distinct, of the Adventurous Four, Andy has almost all of the personality, and even he is more an amalgamation of qualities Enid admires than a fully developed character.

[Sapho Economides · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun adventure story of four young friends lost out at sea during World War II. Andy, Tom and twins Jill and Mary find themselves stumbling upon a group of deserted islands after a storm drifts them past their destination. Aside from the initial problems of ensuring they have enough food and can find shelter to survive, they also come across a secret kept by the Germans and determine to find a way back home and reveal the secret to the British. A good page-turner filled with ups and downs and plenty of camaraderie between the children, E.B. delivers a wonderful story of child bravery, loyalty and problem solving. If there were anything negative to say about this book it would be that it was written almost too lightheartedly, considering the perils the children find themselves in.

[Mariam]

There are seagulls in this. It's funny how memory works — when I saw a seagull for the first time in Istanbul last summer, I think I thought of this book for a brief moment in time.

[K Stott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in an unnamed fishing village off the north east coast of Scotland, Blyton’s book follows three siblings, Tom and his younger twin sisters Jill and Mary, who are on late summer holidays with their parents. Their older friend, Andy, is the son of a local fisherman, and the four of them are planning a day trip with Andy’s father’s boat, lent with permission. On their day outing, a storm sweeps the boat off course, and the four children are shipwrecked on a small island chain. From there, the adventure becomes very ‘of its time’ (the 1940s) when the children discover that the enemy (Nazis) are using the chain as a supply and staging point.

The thought that I kept having while reading this was how much freedom these kids have. Four children, none older than early teens, and their parents were content to let them take a boat out together with no supervision, all in the days before cell or satellite phones- wild! Also, I’m not sure if children were more industrious and practical back then, or if that was only Enid Blyton’s fictional children, but these kids are amazing- they could sail, build a lean to, start a fire, repair a boat, come up with all sorts of plans. Maybe these are the skills that I could have learned if I hadn’t spent my childhood watching TV? [This initial section of the book reminded me of Gary Paulson’s hatchet, which I thought of as my own survival guide when I was a kid. Not sure that I could actually follow that guide but reading books like this made me think: I could build a lean-to! I could start a fire without matches!].

I will note that some of the gender stereotypes have not aged well- it is always the girls who are making dinner; the girls decorate the island shack; the girls remain on the island while the boys go off and solve problems, etc. It isn’t all quite this bad- Blyton does make her twin heroines plucky and inventive- but these are points that have become problematic.

Finally, I really enjoyed the whole ‘take down the Nazis’ plot. It seemed semi-realistic (right time and place; the children’s goal was to escape and tattle, not to blow things up) and was a refreshingly straightforward villain for our heroes. Because this was written in 1941 before Nazi atrocities were widely known, and because our point of view was that of the children, Blyton’s treatment of the enemy didn’t go to any really dark places. A nice light Nazi hunting read for the youths?

[Farseer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three siblings, a boy and two girls, are spending their holidays in Scotland. They go to spend a few days at an island with a slightly older local boy who is a fisher and a friend of theirs. While sailing there, they are caught by a storm and shipwrecked in a more remote group of island.

This is very much in the style of other Enid Blyton adventure series, like the Famous Five, the Secret series, the Adventure series and so on. It's unusual in the sense that it's set during WWII and it features Nazi enemies (even though Blyton keeps it vague by calling them enemies instead of German or Nazis, and their symbol as the "crooked cross" instead of the swastika). This is unusual because normally Blyton avoided setting her books in wars or other real life events that would later date the stories.

Anyway, the story is an intense adventure, first about survival when shipwrecked and then it becomes a war spy story. Plucky, adventurous children doing Britain proud.

I thought it was fun. Perhaps, if we want to be nitpicky, the different situations are not described quite as vividly as in Blyton's very best novels, but nevertheless a very enjoyable adventure for children.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I decided to make a 'childhood favourites' shelf for those books I grew up enjoying.


First time read the author's work?: No

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Sana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a voracious reader as a child having entire series of "The Baby Sitter's Club", "Sweet Valley Kids", and "Sweet Valley High School", but nothing sparked my imagination like Enid Blyton. There were a few books of hers in circulation in the 1980's Pakistan, and I was probably the only girl (or maybe there was another) who knew about her. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone who liked reading and asked what I was reading. The way her short stories sparked my imagination impacted me more than I let on. They were parables like Disney animated movies in printed words and I would get lost in them for hours until my mother would call me for dinner. I would put Enid Blyton to the level of Roald Dahl and Dr. Suess. Check her out!!

[Eowynselixure_book Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have adored Enid Blyton for years but never managed to read this series.

I love anything to do with shipwrecks and castaways so this was always going to tick boxes for me.

Whilst the descriptions, writing and plot were amazing and exciting I did note that the characters had very little personality and that the boys certainly had more depth and more adventurous plot lines than the girls.

It's common knowledge that there are problems with these books from modern perspective. Putting that aside I felt this was a true adventure story, perfect for children who want to leave the adults behind and have an uninhibited adventure.

[Aaradhya Kaswan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a very simple and basic idea of children getting stuck in an abandoned island, but how it was developed and the other aspects it include of made it perfect. It seemed like a classic vintage to me, but it was way way better. A five stars for me it would have been if the ending was better. But this book definitely deserves more attention.

Read it!
4 stars.
Review by Aaradhya Kaswan

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars...

When I was younger Enid Blyton was one of my favourite authors. I got some e-books and to my surprise, a few of her books were in the list so I decided to read some of them again...
Even though it started a bit slow and the story is outdated, I still liked it a lot. The kids had a great adventure and I can understand that I was jealous of them when I was younger.

[K.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy, Tom and the twins Jill and Mary get stranded when they are shipwrecked in the wild Scottish Islands. Little do they know they've fallen amongst a nest of Nazi submariners!!!! Such a great read and some parts bring a tear to my eye. Cannot imagine that the *modernised* versions could be half as emotional

[Bec D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I read it as a girl and it really helped me develop a love of reading. I couldn’t not give it 5 stars. (In fact, Enid Blyton can take credit for my love of reading.) While the book is of its time, it is still a page turner and wonderful story of creative problem solving.

[Milley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It was more of a technical adventure story where the problem solving is the focus rather than the kids personalities or camaraderie. There was a bossy pants older boy. They sure were independent and resourceful.

[Jen Pritchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is rather thrilling and a bit tense!

[Saravanan · Rating 3 out of 5]

ஆள் மாறாட்ட கதையை எப்படி சுந்தர் சி வித விதமாக எடுப்பாரா அதே போல் குழந்தைகளின் சாகசத்தை வித விதமாக எழுதுவதில் வல்லவர் என்பதற்கு இன்னொரு உதாரணம்

[Annie]

Also known as Shipwrecked