Malory Towers Collection 2: Books 4-6

Malory Towers #4-6

by Enid Blyton

There's more to life than lessons at Malory Towers, Enid Blyton's best-loved boarding school series. This fantastic bumper collection contains Malory Towers books 4-6, with a brand-new cover illustrated by Pippa Curnick. Upper FourthDarrell Rivers is Head Girl of her class and her sister Felicity has joined Malory Towers. It looks set to be a wonderful term until Felicity makes friends with young trouble-maker June. With twins Connie and Ruth causing problems in their form too, Darrell's first term in charge is a big challenge . . . In the FifthNow that Darrell Rivers and her friends are fifth-formers, it's their turn to produce the school play. There is plenty of talent on show but everyone has their own ideas and competition for the starring role is fierce. Can the girls overcome their quarrels so that no one is upstaged? Last TermDarrell Rivers is Head Girl of Malory Towers and there is plenty to keep her busy. Amanda is prepared to risk everything to be chosen to swim in the Olympics and spoilt Gwendoline is up to her usual tricks. Can Darrell stop Gwendoline from ruining their final term before it's time to wave goodbye? Between 1946 and 1951, Enid Blyton wrote six novels set at Malory Towers. This collection features the original stories and is unillustrated.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction

593 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2016

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

[Vri B]

Review coming soon

[Gladys Almond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darrell bids goodbye to Malory Towers.

What a wonderful series of six books, farewell Darrell and friends. I really look forward to reading the next six.

[Olly Mogs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read these as a kid and fancied a re-read after a conversation with a friend. These have been edited to make them more palatable to the modern minds which sometimes makes it clunky (Darrel slapping Gwen in the first year turned into her giving a darn good scolding, which obviously makes the class reaction seem a little OTT).

It was fun to go down memory lane but yikes Enid Blyton had some serious issues.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easing myself back into (trying to get back to) regular reading by revisiting this series of books from childhood. Enid Blyton has, often justifiably, a reputation for awful snobbishness, casual racism and so on and, if I'm honest, these books do not do anything to dissuade me from that opinion: Americans are brash and have no sense of decorum, French people have no sense of what is acceptable and not where British ideals from the era are concerned, people from a back-ground of self-made money are comically common and need a reminder of where they came from to slap them down. These books are an excellent indication of middle-class attitudes in the 40s and 50s.

However, Blyton makes these stories very, very entertaining. There's never a dull moment and there are good studies in the development of the main characters as they age over time. Some are redeemed. some are not. By using the device of bringing in different supporting characters for each book she is able to throw in new stories to stop things stagnating. And, to my surprise, there are several quite obviously lesbian characters amongst both the staff and the pupils - obvious in that things about them are massive cliches, such as short hair, having lots of brothers, liking horses, having a penchant for striding heartily about in trousers. Indeed, this is followed-up in the sequels where two of the horsey girls live together in a horse-riding establishment which they have set up having left school at 18. (Although it is mentioned that they have separate bedrooms. Hmm.)

Anyway, to sum up: draw a veil over the cliches, the dated morals and just enjoy the rompling good fun. Get stuck in, make sure you make your bed every day and don't be silly enough to darn grey socks with red or blue thread because Matron will be after you!

[Tessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three books in one. Now, I read this entire series when I was younger over and over and loved it and rereading it proved the same. These books are old and filled with issues (just generally a lot of mean comments which would be viewed as totally unacceptable nowadays). However, as someone who was raised by more "old-fashioned" parents, a lot of the comments and actions between the girls seemed pretty normal, if mean, to me. I genuinely love the characters and I liked how these books don't stray away from how hard it can be living with girls and growing up in a number of different backgrounds.

[Amelia Kumeyko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonder to all of you young readers, Gwendilone gets pay back and Amanda gets the shivers this is the best book yet!

I chooses this rating because this book is inspiring and will give you a good lesson for the elder years
I recommend this book to 9 &10 year olds as while reading you'll laugh and cry and feel as your standing in the very room watching the book
Wonderful book author is extraordinary and yeah best book ever!!!!!!¡!!!¡!!!!

[OAS]

part of not being a snob about the reading challenge is recording all of the stuff i read and i read all of these because ‘they’ scared the shit out of me and i needed to read something nice and relaxing before bed.

for balance im only including them as one book.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant

[Lauren Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT!

[thongeshwari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is where Felicity goes to school with Darrel and experiences her own friend, sister, and teacher drama with June, Mam'zele, etc.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s Malory Towers, how could I not love it? A re-read from childhood. Much easier to see ‘flaws’ in this second collection than the first, but the pantomime makes up for it all!

[Vri B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need moreeee off theeseee.. please

[Nikita · Rating 5 out of 5]

10000000/5 again. love this series. queen june slayed as usual 😌

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read it before due to Enid Blyton is my favourite author growing up.
It is full of excitement, tricks, midnight feasts and adventures that you would not expect in a boarding school.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw this was so enjoyable! It was lovely to follow Darrell and the rest of the girls as they finish up their time at Malory Towers.

[IMAPERSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

love the first part, love the second part.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were more interesting to me than the first collection, but still absolutely confirmed my belief that English boarding schools are better in fiction than in reality,

[Fairuz Aina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the youthful feeling I got while reading this.

[Hayley Tipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

It okay I love the book it was actually pretty good and I prefer the book then the actual series it self

[Catherine Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely to revisit Malory Towers on my Kindle!

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

reread