Famous Five 1-3

The Famous Five #1-3

by Enid Blyton

- Five On Treasure Island
- Five Go Adventuring Again
- Five Run Away Together

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Classics, Mystery, Young Adult, Crime

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

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

[Priyadarshni Palanikumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my most favourite of the Famous Five mysteries. Five on a Treasure Island forms the very root of the adventures that Julian, Dick, Anne, and George are involved in.

Five on a Treasure Island :

Siblings Julian, Dick and Anne are sent to spend the summer holidays at their Uncle Quentin's. They meet the tomboy Georgina who loves to be called George and treated as a boy. At first, she is rather rude and considers her cousins a nuisance upon her life. But, as nobody 'can be sulky around Julian', she finds her best friends forever. They in turn get to share a new friend, a new dog, and a marvellous new island topped with a ruined castle. But, could there really be gold bars in the dungeons?

Five Go Adventuring Again :

Winter holidays strike and with it comes a tutor. What a pain! The four kids are obligated to study every morning with a man who impresses three of them. George is not happy with Mr Roland, because no one 'can meet Timmy and not love him'. Despite her dog's misgivings about the new teacher, George finds other mysteries around the man, while the rest of the gang trust him completely. Her scientist father's secrets are stolen from his very study in their snowed-up home. How did that happen?

Fine Run Away Together :

The summer comes around again and we find bigger children and one teenager (Julian). The Five are forced into despair as Aunt Fanny is taken ill and the only adults around are the horrible Sticks who are pronounced in-charge by their Uncle. What choice do they have but to run away? Where would they go when they have their own lovely island? And that's exactly what they do!

These books are simply awesome for a growing child. So many simple, but, profound lessons are found in them. Ages 8 and up!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I love books about aliens and zombies, murderers and psychopaths but I also love quaint books set in a time where there was considerably less to worry about. When kids could wander without worry and every farm was willing to feed you.

I read the first book many many many years ago, it was my cousins, I borrowed it, I never gave it back and she still reminds me to this day. I actually still have it so I might return it. I instantly loved the five, their slightly posh ways and wonderful picnics.

This collection draws together the first three books -

Five on a Treasure Island
Where siblings Julian, Dick and Anne meet their cousin George, a tomboy with a heart of gold along with her dog Timmy. It’s set upon Kirin Island where George proudly shows off her island to her cousins. They discover shipwrecks, dungeons and treasure but quickly discover other people are after them too.

Five go Adventuring Again
It’s Christmas time and they have to get a tutor over the holiday period as they have been ill, their charming tutor soon wins all but George round. She doesn’t trust him and when things go missing in Kirrin Cottage the five begin to investigate discovering strange maps and hidden passages.

Five Run Away Together
George’s mother is ill, the families temporary cook is looking after them but she is a nasty piece of work and the Five discover she may just be up to something. They decide to upsticks and hide out on Kirrin Island but once more the island is being used by some unscrupulous people, can the Five play detective again and get to the bottom of it?

These books are all good fun and off course they were published back in the 1940’s so a lot of it does come across as old fashioned. But these are still good stories, Julian does comes across as a stuck up male chauvinist pig most of the time and Anne’s delight at housework will make people cringe, one thing that has changed though is my opinion of George’s scientist father, he did come across as a bad tempered old so and so but now as a mother of two rambunctious daughters I can see all he wants is piece and quiet to his work!

It’s nice to take a trip down memory lane and these stories are still as enjoyable to me now as they where thirty years ago.

[Fei · Rating 4 out of 5]

george is trans or a butch lesbian, change my mind

[Wendel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes it’s better to let books you loved reading as a child remain in the realm of nostalgia…

[Guguk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dapat buku ini di lokapasar dengan harga terjangkau (walau kondisinya kebetulan 11-12 dengan kondisi foto kover di gudrit ini (´ω`*) tapi masih layak baca!) itu ibarat pucuk dicinta ulam pun tiba (≧◡≦) ♡ Soalnya dulu cuma punya yang nomor 3, ini pun sebetulnya milik si Kuching, yang sekarang jadi milik ponakan. Yang nomor 1 dan 2 cuma minjam di perpus. Jadi sudah lumayan lama nyari yang bekas dan cocok harganya (✧ω✧)

Kesan-kesan pas baca lagi, untuk yang di Pulau Harta itu aku sudah lupa sama sekali ceritanya, jadi seneng banget. Masih ada rasa 'mabuk' petualangan yang muncul saat baca (≧▽≦) Masa kanak-kanak ini apakah abadi? Pulau harta karun—mau itu Jim Hawkins dan kawanan bajak laut, atau Monte Cristo, atau segerombolan anak bersama anjing mongrel bernama Timothy—rasanya tetaplah mendebarkan ❤

Yang kedua pun gak kalah seru~ Rumah dengan lorong rahasia itu impian sejak masih kecil dulu (⁀ᗢ⁀) Ga nyangka sampai sebesar ini ternyata beli rumahnya aja nggak kesampaian... //CurcolTipisTipis

Yang ketiga ini yang jadi favorit. Dulu, dengan sotoynya aku nganggap anak kecil di kisah Minggat ini sama dengan yang di Orient Express (^///^;)> cuma beda nasib...
Rasanya ada beberapa hal yang kurang pas saat baca ulang kali ini; seperti sikap anak-anak terhadap anjing keluarga Stick. Kalau sikap Timmy sih wajar, 'kan Timmy sesama anjing V●ᴥ●V

Yah, pokoknya, acara nostalgia ini memuaskan~~❤

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all the "official" famous five books. They are really good, the plots of each book are great, and overall the characters are great. But, some aspects of the overall plots are lack luster. No, lack luster is not right. There's just something, I'm not sure what, that just doesn't quite seem right. Either way, it's a completely amazing and absorbing world the books take you into, its peaceful and of course set on earth, its not sci-fi, but its just so beautiful. The descriptions Blyton gives us are amazing and wonderful.

Characters:

Julian:

He is the oldest, and the most sensible. He helps his siblings and cousin through the adventures they all face, and he is almost a perfect teenager. It's the way he acts although he is a teenager that makes you realise this must be fiction😂.

George/Georgina: She is a stubborn character. But she is good, and she never lies. She is what everyone aspires to have for a best friend.

Dick/Richard: Adventurous and caring is Dick. He is always there for the other 4, and he is the same age as George.

Anne: She may be the youngest, and at times is afraid, but she still helps a lot. The other 4 would have starved to death on MULTIPLE occasions if not for Anne. She is brave and kind in her own right.

Timmy: He is a dog. What else do you need to know? He is caring, loyal, and loves biting the bad guys. He has protected the other 4 on multiple occasions, and is everything you would want in a dog.

Those are the main characters, but of course there are others. Aunt Fanny, Her husband, Julian, Dick and Anne's parents, and many other character they meet on their adventures.

Ages 7+.

[Swara Fating · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and have read it thrice already. I recommend this book if you like to read adventurous books.

[Sim · Rating 5 out of 5]

yeah i read the classics

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tremendous thanks to GoodReads and reviewers “across the pond” for bringing Blyton’s books to my attention once upon a time. I’m sorry I never encountered them during my childhood but, thanks to GoodReads, I’ve known about them for years and I finally splurged and purchased some of the Famous Five collections as, alas, I can’t find them in our local libraries here in the US and we’d worked our way through most of The Boxcar Children series and they sounded similar. Having read both now, I do think they are quite similar in many ways, though worth reading in their own right. Those interested in a deeper dive on my thoughts about the Famous Five v. the Boxcar Children can stay tuned through the entirety of this review. For those looking for a snapshot review, here are my thoughts on the first three

COLLECTION ONE

FIVE ON A TREASURE HUNT
Five shining stars for this first book of the Five. Loved it! It completely captured my imagination, and I know I would have adored it if I’d been lucky enough to encounter it as a child. The adventure, the mystery, the excitement and danger (but never TOO much), the resourcefulness and intelligence of the children, the British coziness, the seaside setting with the private island, all such a delight. The pacing is excellent. I enjoyed getting to know each of the children, and George became a new favorite character of mine. I absolutely love her tenacity and her desire to stay true to herself, how she’d stand up for herself, though admittedly sometimes she could have been a bit less abrasive about it. She is spunky, and, yes, at times a little rude… but she has a good heart. She truly longs to be accepted but won’t change who she is to be accepted. It’s poignant, and you want to root for her the whole time. I’m not a fan of goodie-goodie protagonists, especially children. There needs to be growth, learning, making amends when you’ve wronged someone. George reminded me a little of Anne Shirley, Laura Ingalls, Amy and Jo March, and other strong young characters who are perhaps not always models of good behavior but are good children struggling in a world that doesn’t play the music that fits their own beat.

FIVE GO ADVENTURING AGAIN
Not quite as exciting as the first book, as the domestic scene with the farmhouses isn’t quite as exciting as your own private island complete with crumbing castle, but there are secret passageways and clues to decipher, so that’s something. The winter setting provided some variety from the first, and the Christmas chapter is nice.

FIVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER
I really kind of despised this one, though it’s my youngest’s favorite. Admittedly, it was a read-aloud and omitted the parts that I was rather shocked about, such as the poisoning attempts on Timmy and the Five’s atrocious and bullying behavior to Edgar. My youngest has asked for several chapters to be read again and again and calls this story the one about the “Horrid Sticks.” Mr. and Mrs. Stick are really dreadful. I found it painful to read about them. It got a little better once the children got back to Kirrin Island, but still felt kind of re-hashy after the first book. I think what appealed to my children is how confident and resourceful the Five are in dealing with the “horrid Sticks” – three cheers for kid power against unfair adults. So, applause for that, at least.

Boxcar Children vs. Famous Five
Both series feature four plucky children, two boys and two girls, and their faithful feline companion, having adventures (often out in nature) and solving mysteries (often by outsmarting grown-ups). The original Box-Car Children was published in 1924 but the version most people are familiar with was issued in 1942 so this is quite contemporary with Famous Five (Five on a Treasure Island, first book in the series, also published in 1942). So, there’s this lovely “old fashioned” vibe to the earlier books in both series and this self-sufficiency and nature-connection that the children have that seems so elusive to most youth today. I think they all would have been friends in real life. You just know Jessie and Anne would have had fun housekeeping together, Julian and Henry could commiserate on the responsibilities of being the oldest, and Benny would have dug in with great relish to the delectable feasts that the Five always seemed to enjoy (they certainly seemed to eat better than the Aldens, who somehow seemed to subsist mostly on bread and milk in many of the earlier volumes) Imagine Benny’s delight at ginger-beer and treacle tart!
As the Boxcar Children series progressed, we got away from a lot of the nature-based activities and gave the Aldens a greater breadth locals and this helped keep the mysteries from getting too stale. I admit I kind of liked this because, much as I loved the Five locations at first, I got just a little bit tired of moor or seaside or farmhouse for locations for the Five (ditto smuggling, kidnapping or treasure-hunting, which seemed the main plotlines, too). However, sadly, this meant that Watch wasn’t part of many of the Aldens adventures as the series went on, and I kind of hated thinking of him sitting at home with the housekeeper while his beloved children were galivanting around elsewhere. So, I do love that Timmy really is part of the Five (it’s only Four without him!) though the sensitive young animal lovers out there probably won’t like the number of times poor Timmy is threatened with being shot or poisoned by adversaries. I feel that Grandfather is a more loving guardian and at least is somewhat present in the books (I doubt the Five see their parents for more than a few days a year between boarding school and all these independent holidays they go on). Grandfather or another trusted adult is somewhat in the vicinity even though not directly involved in the mystery-solving. I wonder how realistic it was for four children to just go off camping, hiking though the countryside and staying at inns, or spending the hols in a caravan without any adult supervision? I realize this is 1940s/1950s, so was that common back then? (I know my parents had plenty of unsupervised time and were able to roam about the neighborhood or local parks/woods unaccompanied in the 50s/60s but I don’t remember anything quite so elaborately independent as the Five experience).
I like Blyton’s writing style much better than GCW’s (and the future “Gertrudes” who took over for her). I feel Blyton is more descriptive and evocative and I loved the characterization in the first book (especially George!) and felt that these were real three-dimensional children. That said, I feel some of the later Five books fizzle a little bit on the characterization and we especially lose George in some of them, so that was disappointing. Also, and maybe I should duck for cover before I say this, but I honestly think that the Five behave really badly at times. Their treatment of Edgar (aka “Spotty-Face”) in “Five Run Away Together” is just appalling. Far as I could tell, the kid’s worst crime was being born to two horrible adults and you’d think that would elicit compassion from the Five. That they continually taunt him, deride him, and finally outright terrify him (just to get back at his parents) is appalling. They aren’t much nicer to Yan in “Five Go Down to Sea”; sure, it’s annoying to have an unwanted tag-along, but they have such a smug superiority about them and it does feel rather class-based. The lesson of the first book is to try and make friends, even if you don’t feel like it, yet the children here just think Yan is some dirty, uneducated grandson of a shepherd and so they don’t give him the time of day. Throughout the books, they also use language that we don’t promote in our house, such as calling one another “stupid” or “ass” or “idiot” (even when speaking to one another). The Boxcar Children are nosey, sure (and there’s a whiff of holier-than-thou now and then) yet they are coming from a place of helpfulness and compassion which I don’t always find with the Five. I don’t want impossibly saintly protagonists, but there is nothing in the Five books that even hints that the way the children are behaving isn’t acceptable.
We’ve read six of the Five books now and my sons want more. My oldest said he loves the “old-fashioned British feel” of the Five books and that pleases me greatly. So, it’s definitely connecting with the target audience. I loved the first one but probably have stopped after a second or third myself, especially once the plots started recycling and George lost some of her George-ness. I’m curious to try some of the other Blyton series, though, and I do recommend the Five books to US readers who enjoyed the earlier Boxcar Children books.

[Sandeep · Rating 5 out of 5]

what do I say about Famous Five, something which I loved reading as a kid, ran short of it in the library. Now I get to read them in the kindle almost a decade later.

Third re-read, great way to recollect fond old memories!

Great escapades, great writing,

Cheers

[Anni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toller Ausflug zurück in meine Kindheit!

[Nick Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Enid Blyton. Enchanted Woods and Faraway Tree, then the Famous Five. So well written and such a joy to read aloud to children. 80 years on these books are still great.

[lars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wusste tbh früher nie wie man George ausspricht, weil ich immer Georg gelesen habe...(dt. ausgesprochen)...dachte immer das es bessere Namen gibt als Georg aber okay, wenn man meint

[Sapna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book for 2020 Goodreads pledge finished!!

This is the Enid Blyton "Famous Five" Series of Books 1-3.

1. Five on a Treasure Island.
Julian, Dick and the youngest, Anne, go to stay with their Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny who has a daughter named Georgina, whom they have never met. When they meet they find out Georgina is very difficult and only answers to being called "George" as she has always wanted to be a boy! Slowly, though, they become friends, especially as George has a secret, her precious dog called "Timothy". George has been forbidden from keeping him, so she secretly keeps him with her friend, fisherman's son, Alf. To pay for his upkeep she gives Alf all her pocket money. Aunt Fanny lives in Kirrin Cottage and they have a farm called Kirrin Farm. Legend says that there are gold ingots buried somewhere nearby. But most excitingly, Kirrin Island has been gifted by Aunt Fanny to George! George takes all her cousins to Kirrin Island and tells them about the boat wreck under the sea and shows it to them. Then one day a storm brings the wreck to the surface and everyone explores it and find a tin in which some clues are left to where the ingots are kept. It's then a race against time as some criminals come to buy the island ostensibly to help tourism. Uncle Quentin who is a clever scientist but not very rich wishes to sell so he can give George and Aunt Fanny special comforts but little does he know the Famous Five will find a room filled with ingots on George's and her cousins' very own island, Kirrin Island.

2. Five Go Adventuring Again.
George and Anne and Timothy have now joined the same girl's boarding school. Julian and Dick as usual are together are their boy's boarding school. It's the Christmas Holidays and George has been promised an amazing holiday and Julian, Dick and Anne's home; unfortunately, their mother has scarlet fever and so is in quarantine and so they must go to George's home at Kirrin Cottage. George, who has always been with her parents, is quite behind in her studies and Julian and Dick had influenza last term, so they will be having a tutor for the holidays to help them catch up! Anne did quite well though. Uncle Quentin then decides to hire someone by the name of Mr Roland who is very knowledgeable about the scientific work he is working on and how he is going to change the nation with his formula. The children go to meet him at the railway station and are surprised to find that he is not so bad. However, he does not like Timothy the dog and neither does Timothy the dog like him! Anyone Timmy doesn't like, George doesn't like! So the battle lines are drawn. The children find a map which tells about dungeons and the like in Latin and ask Mr Roland about it. But could the children's (minus George and Timothy's) trust in Mr Roland be their biggest mistake? Some important core documents of the scientific work are stolen from Uncle Quentin's office and test tubes are destroyed. George nearly exposes Mr Roland who uses his good graces with Uncle Quentin to throw out the family protector (Timmy) from the house and into the dog kennel. They find out the artists who are staying as rentals in Kirrin Farm are Mr Roland's friends in their nefarious plan. George finds out quite by mistake where are the dungeon tunnels and the Famous Five save the day .... again!

3. Five Run Away Together.
George, Anne, Julian, Dick and Timothy are back again in Kirrin Cottage but George's mother is taken ill suddenly! Their old cook is also away as she is looking after a relative and a nasty lady called Clara Stick and her son Edgar and dog Tinker are instead "helping" at Kirrin Cottage. George's mother is rushed to hospital and Uncle Quentin goes with her, saying he would not return until Aunt Fanny is better. Mrs Stick's husband also lands up and the three of them and "Stinker" as the Five call him take advantage of the situation. Then George and her cousins and Timmy decide to run away to Kirrin Island, making the Sticks think they are catching the train home. An infuriated George had noticed some smoke from the island which could have been from day trippers. They then noticed a locked trunk in their wreck. Smugglers maybe? They decide to stay in a well-protected cave and had taken a lot of food and drink with them. As the clues start to click they realise that not smuggling, someone has been kidnapped, none other than a little girl named Jenny. Uncle Quentin rushes from the hospital to Kirrin Cottage as no one was receiving his phone calls and finds the house had been ransacked! (by none other than you-know-who "the Sticks and Stinker"). He rushes to the police and so do George and the others with little Jenny in tow. Julian explains it all and helps the police to arrest the Sticks and Stinker and the Famous Five do it again!

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a few of the Famous Five books when I was younger and remember enjoying them and seeing them on sale decided now was a good time to re-visit this series and see what's up.

The three books in this collection were all pretty enjoyable reading, I think I enjoyed book one the most followed by book two then three.

The four kids and Timmy are all very capable and competent and manage to stumble into some kind of adventure or mystery whenever they're off school for more than a week. Forgotten treasure, smugglers, thieves and kidnapping - this collection has it all!
Adults are either caring and clueless parents/aunts/uncles/house staff, dastardly evil doers or the police who always show up when you need them to arrest the evil doers.
Food descriptions are of course excellent as is fitting for the time period.

These are just fun simple reads, nice when you're not in the mood for anything too busy and I will continue on to the next collection of three.

[Kaia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reread my childhood books hihi. I wanted to see how I see this books from more of a mature way. And I was kinda shocked at what I used to find funny and just normal. While reading I realized how it was (just for little kids) totaly normal that girls had to clean and cook, boys never crying.., and it made me kinda sad realizing we were already taught over future based on our gender. Also I realized some comments charaters make in books are pretty racist and just not okay.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't going to rate this except the literal wave of nostalgia that just hit me from seeing that cover forced my hand. Man this series is literally my childhood. Thanks for the adventures I had through ink and paper, I think I loved them as much as the ones I had in flesh and (pretend) armor. (I was a little obsessed with that knight on the Faber Castell color pencil sets that they sold back then)

[Andrew Whewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful fun, even when reading again 25 years later

Great reads and enjoyable fodder. I'm sure there have been some amendments to the original, but the core of the books remain and are still a pleasure. When on offer, this is a steal to get a good few hours of reading for so little

[Ike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read these to my daughter and she absolutely loved it. Had to change a few old fashioned words as I went along but otherwise they are quite timeless in that they inspire the children's imagination and lust for adventure. I grew up with these and am thrilled my kids also love them. we love enacting all the different characters/voices...

[Chris N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all three books
They were so awesome. The adventures get better and better with every book.
The adventures weren't so tough in the first book; but in the second book adventures were so tough but they still managed. And in the third book, were extra tough adventures and yet they managed it.

Brave children and that's why I love the book toooooo much.

[Jade 🦢 ✨ W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brings back childhood memories. Being in year one at Glade Primary school in Ms. Jones’ class. We sit on the carpet while she read aloud… the girls would be plaiting each other’s hair. Immersed in the adventures of The Famous Five and mesmerized by Ms. Jones’ soothing voice. This book will forever be ingrained in my memory of the comfort and safety I felt at school.

[Capn]

Meet Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog. Together they find excitement and adventure wherever they go!

Enjoy the first three stories in one volume:
Five On A Treasure Island
Five Go Adventuring Again
Five Run Away Together

Cover Illustration: Eileen Soper

[iTeachADH · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the story, I felt like I could solve any problem, I could challenge every situation, and I could overcome them with my friends and Family.
I also realised that I can fall back on my family in adverse situations and ask for help. It's a good story to be read by readers of my age, in fact, any age!
[Arya Chive_Grade 8thC_iTeachADH]

[Sarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it's not the done thing to like Blyton these days, and in a lot of ways her books are really problematic (race and class issues are the most obvious) but... I still love the agency that she gives to her child characters. And to be honest, there's probably a hefty dose of nostalgia there too.

[Michael Giannattasio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great!

My favourite book of the three books in this collection is Five on a Treasure Island.

I was really excited when they found the treasure.

if I had to be a character in this book, I would be Julian.

[Esha Bakht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Famous Five is such book that I cannot have enough of. The story is about three siblings Julian, Dick and Anne and their cousin Georgina of course, who persistently insists on being called George. And their sharpest dog ever, Timmy. They all share adventures altogether.

[Phil Harbidge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice character definition and story line

Very nice character definition and story line. Love the descriptions of the environment the characters have adventures in. Brings back great memories reading to my young daughter.

[Anne Mouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such jolly fun

Stories to take us back to a much simpler time where children were jolly happy to have a good tea of bread and jam washed down with lashings of ginger beer.

[Mirko Groenewold · Rating 4 out of 5]

****

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurzweilig, aufregend, lustig und spannend, erstaunlich fortschrittlich und einfach immer wieder lesenswert!