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The Famous Five #15
Los cinco tras el pasadizo secreto
Los Cinco descubre la entrada a un enigmático pasadizo.
Índice de los capítulos
Índice de los capítulos
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
116 people are currently reading
1961 people want to read
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,133 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 202 reviews
January 9, 2018
The quality of Enid Blyton's work dips sharply at about the time this book was published. Someone - someone with fearless endeavor - must have felt it his duty to tell her to man up. Hence her last creative bursts of imagination, with Five on Finniston Farm sealing a remarkable life.
I must get to Enid Blyton's biography by Barbara Stoney, these days. She is a fascinating figure. I owe a lot of my anglo-centric literary aptitude to her. As for the book itself, it's very much as if it has never visited the editor's workshop.
This book is quite like a parody of all things unlikely. The problem here is that the twists of this 'adventure' are pretty much lame. They get solved too easily, yet by their very nature, they ought to be difficult. Suspension of disbelief can only go so far. Enid Blyton's ghostwriters must be spinning in their grave. Ha.
I must get to Enid Blyton's biography by Barbara Stoney, these days. She is a fascinating figure. I owe a lot of my anglo-centric literary aptitude to her. As for the book itself, it's very much as if it has never visited the editor's workshop.
This book is quite like a parody of all things unlikely. The problem here is that the twists of this 'adventure' are pretty much lame. They get solved too easily, yet by their very nature, they ought to be difficult. Suspension of disbelief can only go so far. Enid Blyton's ghostwriters must be spinning in their grave. Ha.
July 8, 2019
The best part about reading this book was that I was reading my mum's old hardback copy from when she was a child. Sure, the dust cover was disintegrating and it had that old book smell (which I think I'm probably alone in the GR community for disliking; most of you seem to have orgasms over it) but it was still a blast to be reading a book at forty that my mum read at twelve.
Anyway, what about the story? Well, it was OK. Pretty much what I've come to expect from this series. It even had a slightly science fiction element to it as the kids see some UFOs at one point and you KNOW how much I love science fiction. (Or possibly you don't. It doesn't really matter.)
Why only three stars, then? Well, it's because the Famous Five have NEVER been as stupid as they are in this book! It annoyed me quite a bit. If you want to know how they were stupid, click the spoiler below:
The fact that Blyton thinks her readers would be as stupid as the Five and not immediately work it out is insulting. Yes, even for a child. You could chalk it up to this being a kids' book but nowhere in the previous fourteen books in this series are the Five this stupid. They're usually pretty quick on the uptake. Here's hoping they're back on form in the next book.
Buddy read with Sunshine Seaspray... and BOY did it takes us forever...
Anyway, what about the story? Well, it was OK. Pretty much what I've come to expect from this series. It even had a slightly science fiction element to it as the kids see some UFOs at one point and you KNOW how much I love science fiction. (Or possibly you don't. It doesn't really matter.)
Why only three stars, then? Well, it's because the Famous Five have NEVER been as stupid as they are in this book! It annoyed me quite a bit. If you want to know how they were stupid, click the spoiler below:
The fact that Blyton thinks her readers would be as stupid as the Five and not immediately work it out is insulting. Yes, even for a child. You could chalk it up to this being a kids' book but nowhere in the previous fourteen books in this series are the Five this stupid. They're usually pretty quick on the uptake. Here's hoping they're back on form in the next book.
Buddy read with Sunshine Seaspray... and BOY did it takes us forever...
July 29, 2021
Timmy hurts his ear and wears a cardboard collar but everyone laughs at him. George decides to go camping. A few days later Anne joins her while the boys come another few days later. They stay in an old cottage but discover some people are searching for blueprints yet in the wrong place. Eventually the Famous Five get into the secret way along with some new friends. After a long hunt the 5 gong an old case which appears to be empty however at last the inspector manages to get them and Uncle Quentin says that there is only 2 ever printed!!! The bad guys are captured by the police.
I liked this book because I think it is very exciting and it is written by Enid Blyton who is one of my favourite authors. I'd recommend this book to any Enid Blyton fan and pretty much anyone else who just likes reading. I chose 5 stars because this is an Enid Blyton book and they are the best!!!
I liked this book because I think it is very exciting and it is written by Enid Blyton who is one of my favourite authors. I'd recommend this book to any Enid Blyton fan and pretty much anyone else who just likes reading. I chose 5 stars because this is an Enid Blyton book and they are the best!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2019
... reading with my 10 year old daughter...
How I enjoy rereading these books. My daughter loves them too.
How I enjoy rereading these books. My daughter loves them too.
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."
November 18, 2011
Unusually for the five, this story begins with George alone having a minor adventure with Timmy. He gets a cut on his ear, and George, determined to get people to stop laughing at him, packs up and decides to camp out for a few days. Soon she is joined by Anne, who while camping at night, sees unusual lights floating near a wrecked cottage. The next night it rains and the girls are forced to seek shelter there, and are watched by persons unknown. It is only then that the boys show up unexpectedly early from a holiday in France, and the mystery deepens.
I liked that the children soon realized they were being tricked- after all their adventures up to this point they had to realize something like this was possible. I felt they were real dopes over the twins though, and the reader is soon clued in that there are two boys, especially as Jet only seems to hang around one.
Still, a great book in the series, although it was one of the later ones I read as I couldn't find a copy for years. Long live the famous five!
I liked that the children soon realized they were being tricked- after all their adventures up to this point they had to realize something like this was possible. I felt they were real dopes over the twins though, and the reader is soon clued in that there are two boys, especially as Jet only seems to hang around one.
Still, a great book in the series, although it was one of the later ones I read as I couldn't find a copy for years. Long live the famous five!
April 27, 2024
แค่ตั้งค่ายพักแรมก็พากันไปเจอเรื่องวุ่น ๆ กันได้ รวม ๆ เล่มนี้ตัวละครโอเคกันทุกคน แม้แต่จอร์จที่ปกติจะเป็นตัวเจ้าปัญหาและน่ารำคาญตลอดก็ไม่ทำตัวแย่เท่าไหร่นัก (คงเพราะว่าไม่มีเด็กคนอื่นมาร่วมแก๊งกับห้าสหายด้วย) เรื่องราวไม่ได้ใหญ่โตมากแต่ก็นับเป็นเรื่องวุ่นอีกเรื่องที่เกิดขึ้นเป็นประจำเมื่อทุกคนรวมตัวกัน
May 16, 2019
This was the 15th book in the series. And I can see that Enid Blyton was bored and just wanted to finish the series as quickly as possible, because the plot was pretty bad.
June 16, 2022
A semi-developed plot, flagging pace and far too many secret tunnels. The Famous Five are well in need of an adventure-free holiday. No ginger beer in this one, either.
May 8, 2018
In this episode, George and Anne have the opportunity to step out from behind Julian and Dick's shadow, as the 2 boys don't appear until about page 60. Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, this doesn't happen. The girls uncover the adventure but are on the verge of giving up. To make matters worse they find themselves wishing the boys would come as they wouldn't be frightened and would know what to do. Then, on cue, they arrive and take charge. Oh well.
Also in this story there is a rather ludicrous situation with the a boy the bump into. It is glaringly obvious what is happening, but it takes most of the book for them to find out, which is odd considering some of the more complicated puzzles they have solved in the past.
All this aside, it is very much the standard, and enjoyable fare we are used to.
Also in this story there is a rather ludicrous situation with the a boy the bump into. It is glaringly obvious what is happening, but it takes most of the book for them to find out, which is odd considering some of the more complicated puzzles they have solved in the past.
All this aside, it is very much the standard, and enjoyable fare we are used to.
August 25, 2019
And we're back on track with this one. Still not as good as the early ones, hence the four stars but definitely better than the last few.
The Five are camping out again because of Timmy for a ridiculous reason and the silly way George carries on. At first it's just George, then Anne joins her and after a few days the boys arrive. There's a bit of fun with another boy they meet which is obvious reading it now but when reading as a child it probably puzzled me too.
The adventure plot is getting a bit thin at this stage but was happy enough with the read.
The Five are camping out again because of Timmy for a ridiculous reason and the silly way George carries on. At first it's just George, then Anne joins her and after a few days the boys arrive. There's a bit of fun with another boy they meet which is obvious reading it now but when reading as a child it probably puzzled me too.
The adventure plot is getting a bit thin at this stage but was happy enough with the read.
December 16, 2010
Well the book was okay. The two twins, don't remember the name, were really exciting. When the Five discovered that bag which had the blue prints, I was feeling that now the adventure is over. But when they didn't find the blue prints, I thought that the adventure is still not over. At the beginning, the novel was really boring as Julian and Dick were not there. But they came and the novel too came to life. I would give this book 2 stars**.
January 7, 2021
Not a lot to get excited about in this one. I don't recall reading it as a child, I didn't really the whole series (or possibly I've just forgotten I did).
The whole thing feels a bit daft as I just couldn't get past the Five not recalling the existence of twins. What I will give this story is there are a secret passage and an abnormally-happed gorse bush that serves as a convenient hiding place
The whole thing feels a bit daft as I just couldn't get past the Five not recalling the existence of twins. What I will give this story is there are a secret passage and an abnormally-happed gorse bush that serves as a convenient hiding place
November 19, 2011
This is one of the first books I ever remember reading alone, and will always have a soft spot in my heart. It remains one of my favourites out of the Famous Five series and was a wonderful book to read when I was young and still is just as enjoyable today.
May 22, 2015
It was amazing to read Famous Five again. Famous Five was the series that got me into reading!! I love it so much. This book was a great read it was so good to read a Famous Five book after all these years. This is my first summer read this year and it was fabulous.
July 9, 2012
First book I ever read. Every chapter felt like an achievement
May 25, 2016
an entertaining book
May 21, 2021
Well,one more adventurous story of the famous five and an amazing one and this one was actually found out to be wondrous and well I always enjoy famous fives!!
February 12, 2017
Five On a Secret Trail
Brief Summary by Poppy Hutchinson (from http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/): Camping out, alone, in the moorland, near Kirrin Cottage – George and Anne see a series of strange flashing lights, one night from a derelict cottage, nearby. They also become acquainted with a strange young boy, who is involved in a local archaeological dig and when they are reunited with Julian and Dick, who have just returned from France – there is plenty to talk about! The Five gradually become aware of the fact that someone is trying to scare them away from this desolate spot on the Common – but the question is: who and why?
Random thoughts:
So we start with George at Kirrin Cottage still waiting for her cousins. Timmy gets injured and has to wear a cardboard collar so that he can't scratch his ear and reopen the wound. He looks funny and people laugh at him, which makes George mad. So she decides to "run away" with Timmy and camp in the commons near Kirrin Cottage while she waits for the others. I say run away because she doesn't ask permission and just leaves a note, although Aunt Fanny is OK with it. Which is a good thing, because otherwise where was she going to get supplies? Anyway, I liked the beginning. It rang true to George's character, being protective of Timmy and getting upset at his having to wear the collar and people laughing at him... much more upset than Timmy himself. Also, the fact that the children are not together for a good part of the book adds variety.
Anne is the next one to arrive and she joins George, and soon the two girls are camping together. They have a nearby spring to get water and an old cottage in ruins which provides shelter in case of very bad weather. They don't know if the boys will join them. Julian and Dick are in some kind of school trip in France. Don't the girls get to do things like that? Anyway, the trip sounds like fun, but the boys won't be having adventures over there. That magic only works when the Five are together.
The girls meet a funny boy. He is something of a joker and he is working on an archeological Roman dig nearby, but he doesn't want the girls going there and pestering him. I thought he had seemed more friendly than that. The girls agree not to go where they are not wanted, and he agrees not to go by their camp either. However, they encounter him again a bit later and he remembers nothing of this, and even accuses the girls of being crazy, while the girls think that he is the crazy one, or trying to play a weird joke.
We know the girls aren't crazy, so it's clear the boy is the crazy one... either that or he has a twin. And, of course, it will be later discovered that he has a twin.
The twins had had a fight and were pointedly ignoring each other, so that's why they were never together, but it was not very realistic that they would take it as far as accusing the girls of being crazy when they must have realized the source of the confusion. In spite of that, I have to confess that I rather enjoyed the whole farce. I guess I'm easy to please that way.
Meanwhile the adventure is being set: Anne sees lights and hears noises near the ruins of the cottage. George thinks she must have been dreaming. But later, during a storm, the girls take refuge in the cottage and they see someone peering in through a window at them.
The girls are scared and decide to return home next day. It's a bit uncharacteristic of George to run away. I have to admit that at this point of the series George is depicted as a bit less formidable than she was in the beginning, but still, running away... Well, she was doing it because of Anne, but she didn't even try to convince her to stay and investigate...
Fortunately, as they are about to leave, Julian and Dick arrive unexpectedly. With the two boys the group is complete and there's no way they'll run away now.
The adventure starts in earnest from there. I thought the children had a great idea, pretending to leave and then hiding to watch and see what the bad guys were so eager to do in the old cottage.
I hate it when George is excluded from dangerous activities, though. She wants Timmy to remain with Anne while she goes with the boys, but she accepts the excuse that if too many people go it will be more difficult to hide. Once that's accepted, there's no question that the ones to go are Julian and Dick. It bothers me that the boys never get to accept that George is as good as any boy, even though they should know better. The conventional "girls need to be protected" values of their time are too strong. Even George seems to accept them.
The boys successfully spy on the bad guys, who have a contrived conversation where they tell each other what they already know as a way for the boys to get all the information the plot requires them to have.
The plan of the bad guys is deliciously convoluted and inept. So, one of them has stolen valuable blueprints, and has the brilliant idea to hide them in an underground passage in the middle of nowhere. Casually it happens to be close to Kirrin Cottage, where the only other copy of the blueprints is (more on that later). Then he falls ill, but he draws some kind of map and gives instructions to his accomplices to retrieve the blueprints. However, the instructions are absurdly vague, and his accomplices are left looking all over the countryside in search of a stone slab. Basically they have little idea of where it is.
Apart from that, the adventure is pretty standard Famous Five stuff. Mysterious lights in an old ruin, secret passages, hidden stolen goods, one kidnapped child...
By the way, do check the Eileen Soper illustration of the woman who pretends to be a farmer to get information from the children. She looks so incredibly suspicious and spooky in that picture! :D
Finally, they recover the stolen goods and the kidnapped twin and they get to Kirrin Cottage and summon the police there. None of them knows what the blueprint is and whether it's valuable. George seems to think that since her dad is a scientist he will be able to identify every single blueprint in existence in the world. And sure enough, not only he is able to identify it, but he casually happens to be working on it. In fact it's a very important secret and Uncle Quentin has one of the only two copies, and the other one is the one that has been stolen. The bad guys, who had been locked in the secret passage, get picked up by the police.
OK, so that's it. This book is regarded by many fans as one of the weakest in the series. My impression is that it was not so bad. It had many of the things that make me enjoy these books. The stuff about Timmy and her collar was good. I liked the stuff with the twins, even if it's corny and even though it's just weird that one of the twins didn't explain the situation sooner. I enjoyed the children camping. The adventure stuff was not that bad, even though at this point, having listened to so many books in the series one after the other, secret passages and mysterious lights are not as exciting unless Blyton does something special with them. And here she doesn't, it's all a bit routine and by the numbers. To tell the truth, there are coincidences and plot holes in many of the books but perhaps this one has more than its fair share. It also lacks the descriptions we are used to when the children explore a new location. The setting here was near Kirrin Cottage and, aside from the ruins and the Roman dig nearby, had nothing to give it any particular personality.
All in all, certainly not among the best of the series, but it did not give me the impression that it was not worthy of being part of the series. I still enjoyed it.
Next up: Five Go to Billycock Hill
Brief Summary by Poppy Hutchinson (from http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/): Camping out, alone, in the moorland, near Kirrin Cottage – George and Anne see a series of strange flashing lights, one night from a derelict cottage, nearby. They also become acquainted with a strange young boy, who is involved in a local archaeological dig and when they are reunited with Julian and Dick, who have just returned from France – there is plenty to talk about! The Five gradually become aware of the fact that someone is trying to scare them away from this desolate spot on the Common – but the question is: who and why?
Random thoughts:
So we start with George at Kirrin Cottage still waiting for her cousins. Timmy gets injured and has to wear a cardboard collar so that he can't scratch his ear and reopen the wound. He looks funny and people laugh at him, which makes George mad. So she decides to "run away" with Timmy and camp in the commons near Kirrin Cottage while she waits for the others. I say run away because she doesn't ask permission and just leaves a note, although Aunt Fanny is OK with it. Which is a good thing, because otherwise where was she going to get supplies? Anyway, I liked the beginning. It rang true to George's character, being protective of Timmy and getting upset at his having to wear the collar and people laughing at him... much more upset than Timmy himself. Also, the fact that the children are not together for a good part of the book adds variety.
Anne is the next one to arrive and she joins George, and soon the two girls are camping together. They have a nearby spring to get water and an old cottage in ruins which provides shelter in case of very bad weather. They don't know if the boys will join them. Julian and Dick are in some kind of school trip in France. Don't the girls get to do things like that? Anyway, the trip sounds like fun, but the boys won't be having adventures over there. That magic only works when the Five are together.
The girls meet a funny boy. He is something of a joker and he is working on an archeological Roman dig nearby, but he doesn't want the girls going there and pestering him. I thought he had seemed more friendly than that. The girls agree not to go where they are not wanted, and he agrees not to go by their camp either. However, they encounter him again a bit later and he remembers nothing of this, and even accuses the girls of being crazy, while the girls think that he is the crazy one, or trying to play a weird joke.
We know the girls aren't crazy, so it's clear the boy is the crazy one... either that or he has a twin. And, of course, it will be later discovered that he has a twin.
The twins had had a fight and were pointedly ignoring each other, so that's why they were never together, but it was not very realistic that they would take it as far as accusing the girls of being crazy when they must have realized the source of the confusion. In spite of that, I have to confess that I rather enjoyed the whole farce. I guess I'm easy to please that way.
Meanwhile the adventure is being set: Anne sees lights and hears noises near the ruins of the cottage. George thinks she must have been dreaming. But later, during a storm, the girls take refuge in the cottage and they see someone peering in through a window at them.
The girls are scared and decide to return home next day. It's a bit uncharacteristic of George to run away. I have to admit that at this point of the series George is depicted as a bit less formidable than she was in the beginning, but still, running away... Well, she was doing it because of Anne, but she didn't even try to convince her to stay and investigate...
Fortunately, as they are about to leave, Julian and Dick arrive unexpectedly. With the two boys the group is complete and there's no way they'll run away now.
The adventure starts in earnest from there. I thought the children had a great idea, pretending to leave and then hiding to watch and see what the bad guys were so eager to do in the old cottage.
I hate it when George is excluded from dangerous activities, though. She wants Timmy to remain with Anne while she goes with the boys, but she accepts the excuse that if too many people go it will be more difficult to hide. Once that's accepted, there's no question that the ones to go are Julian and Dick. It bothers me that the boys never get to accept that George is as good as any boy, even though they should know better. The conventional "girls need to be protected" values of their time are too strong. Even George seems to accept them.
The boys successfully spy on the bad guys, who have a contrived conversation where they tell each other what they already know as a way for the boys to get all the information the plot requires them to have.
The plan of the bad guys is deliciously convoluted and inept. So, one of them has stolen valuable blueprints, and has the brilliant idea to hide them in an underground passage in the middle of nowhere. Casually it happens to be close to Kirrin Cottage, where the only other copy of the blueprints is (more on that later). Then he falls ill, but he draws some kind of map and gives instructions to his accomplices to retrieve the blueprints. However, the instructions are absurdly vague, and his accomplices are left looking all over the countryside in search of a stone slab. Basically they have little idea of where it is.
Apart from that, the adventure is pretty standard Famous Five stuff. Mysterious lights in an old ruin, secret passages, hidden stolen goods, one kidnapped child...
By the way, do check the Eileen Soper illustration of the woman who pretends to be a farmer to get information from the children. She looks so incredibly suspicious and spooky in that picture! :D
Finally, they recover the stolen goods and the kidnapped twin and they get to Kirrin Cottage and summon the police there. None of them knows what the blueprint is and whether it's valuable. George seems to think that since her dad is a scientist he will be able to identify every single blueprint in existence in the world. And sure enough, not only he is able to identify it, but he casually happens to be working on it. In fact it's a very important secret and Uncle Quentin has one of the only two copies, and the other one is the one that has been stolen. The bad guys, who had been locked in the secret passage, get picked up by the police.
OK, so that's it. This book is regarded by many fans as one of the weakest in the series. My impression is that it was not so bad. It had many of the things that make me enjoy these books. The stuff about Timmy and her collar was good. I liked the stuff with the twins, even if it's corny and even though it's just weird that one of the twins didn't explain the situation sooner. I enjoyed the children camping. The adventure stuff was not that bad, even though at this point, having listened to so many books in the series one after the other, secret passages and mysterious lights are not as exciting unless Blyton does something special with them. And here she doesn't, it's all a bit routine and by the numbers. To tell the truth, there are coincidences and plot holes in many of the books but perhaps this one has more than its fair share. It also lacks the descriptions we are used to when the children explore a new location. The setting here was near Kirrin Cottage and, aside from the ruins and the Roman dig nearby, had nothing to give it any particular personality.
All in all, certainly not among the best of the series, but it did not give me the impression that it was not worthy of being part of the series. I still enjoyed it.
Next up: Five Go to Billycock Hill
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2018
Famous Five, #15
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.
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
For kids, must read.
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.
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
For kids, must read.
September 28, 2024
ALMOST A PERFECT BOOK!
PREMISE:
THOUGHTS: I really loved this book and have many pro's for it. However, there was a con and for me it was big enough to deduct .5 stars. Anne, George & Timmy are without Julian and Dick for the first third of this book - this to me was an absolute pro as we've never seen less than the 5 at the beginning (nor has it lasted 1/3rd of the way through!) However, without spoiling, while camping Anne & George stumble across something that puzzles them but it was something I worked out RIGHT AWAY!
Julian and Dick come in at the 1/3rd mark and work out that thing very quickly!
The con therefore was Enid Blyton making the girls Anne & George look stupid which we know they are not.
Aside from that however, this book had it all! Fun, Friends, Adventure and yes another SECRET WAY!!! Aside from the earlier mentioned perceived stupidity of George and Anne (I again blame Enid for that) an amazing book!
4.5 Stars!
xoxo.
PREMISE:
THOUGHTS: I really loved this book and have many pro's for it. However, there was a con and for me it was big enough to deduct .5 stars. Anne, George & Timmy are without Julian and Dick for the first third of this book - this to me was an absolute pro as we've never seen less than the 5 at the beginning (nor has it lasted 1/3rd of the way through!) However, without spoiling, while camping Anne & George stumble across something that puzzles them but it was something I worked out RIGHT AWAY!
Julian and Dick come in at the 1/3rd mark and work out that thing very quickly!
The con therefore was Enid Blyton making the girls Anne & George look stupid which we know they are not.
Aside from that however, this book had it all! Fun, Friends, Adventure and yes another SECRET WAY!!! Aside from the earlier mentioned perceived stupidity of George and Anne (I again blame Enid for that) an amazing book!
4.5 Stars!
xoxo.
April 18, 2021
Luettu lapsille (7 & 10 vuotta) ääneen. Lapset tykkäsivät, mutta tietyt juonen epäuskottavuudet häiritsivät heitäkin.
June 20, 2024
Pure nostalgia ❤️❤️❤️
February 27, 2020
Actual rating- 3.5 stars.
April 25, 2022
I should just say, I enjoyed it!! Really enjoyed the plot's progression and all the twists that Enid Blyton provides
I really don't know what else to say about this book, other the facts that the starting flow was slow (just like all the other FF books) And the ending felt the same
I must say that I'm not disappointed with the read, but I really wish that it brought something new to the table
3/5 STARS
I really don't know what else to say about this book, other the facts that the starting flow was slow (just like all the other FF books) And the ending felt the same
I must say that I'm not disappointed with the read, but I really wish that it brought something new to the table
3/5 STARS
February 8, 2022
Pray for me y’all, I really want to finish the Famous Five series by this year.
Plot:
Timmy hurts his ear and has to wear a cardboard collar. Everyone mocks him for this, so George, our silly, bad-tempered George, decides to go camping to avoid people. Anne and the boys join later on. They find an old ruined cottage where they take shelter and the baddies want this place for their own as they are searching for the blueprints for some fantastic project (not mentioned).
⛔Nopes⛔
➵The plot is completely unlikely to happen and in my opinion quite lame actually.
➵The Five are portrayed as complete idiots.
✅Dopes✅
➵ At least Enid tried to give it a sci-fi horror look by adding glowing lights and standing shadows
Blog
Plot:
Timmy hurts his ear and has to wear a cardboard collar. Everyone mocks him for this, so George, our silly, bad-tempered George, decides to go camping to avoid people. Anne and the boys join later on. They find an old ruined cottage where they take shelter and the baddies want this place for their own as they are searching for the blueprints for some fantastic project (not mentioned).
⛔Nopes⛔
➵The plot is completely unlikely to happen and in my opinion quite lame actually.
➵The Five are portrayed as complete idiots.
✅Dopes✅
➵ At least Enid tried to give it a sci-fi horror look by adding glowing lights and standing shadows
Blog
June 24, 2016
Unfairly rating this as an adult reader. I recently read a poll listing the UK's favorite authors and was shocked to see an unfamiliar name in the #1 slot - Enid Blyton. As an Anglophile and someone who's worked in a library for ten years, it seemed unfathomable that I would not have heard of the British people's favorite writer, above Dickens, Austen, Rowling, and others! So I looked Ms. Blyton up and learned that she wrote children's adventure/mystery stories in the mid 20th century. This was obviously a nostalgic vote, but I still felt that I had to read at least one of her stories and tracked down "Five on a Secret Trail".
I probably would have loved these stories as a child. As an adult, it's a little harder to read decades-old children's lit. and appreciate it properly, neither being the target age nor generation. "Secret Trail" was moderately interesting, but, well... too easy. But I suppose it's the easy mysteries that draw kids in and lead them to Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes later in life.
I probably would have loved these stories as a child. As an adult, it's a little harder to read decades-old children's lit. and appreciate it properly, neither being the target age nor generation. "Secret Trail" was moderately interesting, but, well... too easy. But I suppose it's the easy mysteries that draw kids in and lead them to Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes later in life.
May 24, 2024
In this instalment it starts with George going off camping alone as Timmy has a cone of shame due to a cut on his ear, and she gets upset at others commenting how silly he looks. So off she goes and then soon Anne comes to join her.
The two girls discover some strange people wandering at night, an abandonment cottage, a strange boy (which turns out to be twins) and strange noises and lights. They almost pack it in when the boys join them and they decide to stick it out and see what’s up.
It turns out some people are hunting at night for a rumoured secret trail hidden in these parts leading to… surprise surprise… stolen secret scientific plans connected to none other than Uncle Quentin *mild eye roll*
They of course find the plans first, return then, trap the bad guys down the hole by stealing their rope and it turns out all right.
I enjoyed this one a lot, as it started quite different with just the girls and I enjoyed the pace of it all. The end was a bit rushed but overall, not bad.
The two girls discover some strange people wandering at night, an abandonment cottage, a strange boy (which turns out to be twins) and strange noises and lights. They almost pack it in when the boys join them and they decide to stick it out and see what’s up.
It turns out some people are hunting at night for a rumoured secret trail hidden in these parts leading to… surprise surprise… stolen secret scientific plans connected to none other than Uncle Quentin *mild eye roll*
They of course find the plans first, return then, trap the bad guys down the hole by stealing their rope and it turns out all right.
I enjoyed this one a lot, as it started quite different with just the girls and I enjoyed the pace of it all. The end was a bit rushed but overall, not bad.
February 1, 2025
Wow yet again another really good book this book had really strange happaings colour lights and flashes 2 twin boys one called guy and my called Paul the twin boys acted really strangley one minute they would talk to you then another minute the pretend they didn't know you near the end of the book Julian locked the three men up in a cave for the police to take them away the three men were trying to smuggle and hid things in the caves there was also so many caves and secret ways one of the the twin boys brushed his ankle so Julian was a first aider so he bangged it up. also the two girls George and Anne went camping but there was a bad thunder storm so they both had to take cove in the cottage and old ruin the girls slept there the night but timmy was barking and Anne awoke and saw faces looking in at the window and Anne screamed then George thought Anne was dreaming until she heard the noises and saw the colared lights and flashes for her self
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 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, Five on a Hike Together and Five Go to Mystery Moor)
A hoot from start to finish. Highlights:
- George gets into such a tizz over Uncle Quentin and 'the other dogs' (yes, really) laughing at Timmy's cone of shame that she storms off to camp in a local common (why not Kirrin Island?) until he's no longer injured
- Quentin and Fanny are completely OK with this and don't even think to tell their daughter to stop being silly and get back in the house, even after a horrible storm (edit: if the adventures are chronological, this is set soon after George's )
- It doesn't cross the Kirrin girls' minds that the identical lads they're bumping into might be twins
- These lads refuse to admit to the girls (this doesn't deserve the dignity of a spoiler mark honestly, but it's revealed late enough in the plot that it should probably get one)
- The twins' dad is extremely well-known and Guy seems up for a chat with the Kirrin boys, but we won't continue the convo because George wants to go for a swim
- The Five and Harry stop for a tinned-food picnic during the blind panic over Guy's kidnap
- The head honcho hides the blueprints in the most Blytonian of Secret Ways (tm)... good thing he's marked the way with chalk though, because there's not a lot of pages left to get this wrapped up
- Uncle Quentin is so shocked by the discovery of the 'secret blueprints' that he breathlessly phones his colleague to ask him if said colleague's blueprints have been nicked, but fails to tell him that his kids have found them... because he literally forgot, despite that being the reason why he's calling
- He also knocks a bottle of ink over his own copy of the prints in a stunning display of clumsiness
- His response to two extra kids and a yappy dog come to stay in Kirrin Cottage is wisely left out of the narrative, I can only assume he kept his mouth shut and reached for the whisky
To sum up, everyone in this book from the kids to the adults are ridiculous to the point of parody. Might help if you think of the Kirrin kids as younger in this book, as they certainly don't read like mid-teens. Unlike Soper, Blyton seems to only age them as and when the plot requires it!
That being said, the silliness of it all gave me a soft spot for this installment. There's some saving graces too: the 'weepers and wailers' plus the stormy night are quite thrilling for Blyton, plus Anne's got some on-screen time with George as it's just the girls and Timmy for the first half of the book. It's a shame the plot doesn't really kick off until the Five are all together, but truth be told there isn't much to the mystery - it's regular Blyton fare and the villains are as faceless as it gets. Honestly it would've been a nice twist for the bag to after all... Guy and Jet were saved and the baddies are already humiliated, that's the main thing. But it's not the Famous Five without the Kirrin kids saving the day, and a cheeky little reward heading their way too.
A Goodreads four it is. It brought a smile to my chops and it's a more comedic read than some of the other Five books... unsure how intentional that is, but Enid does seem to be winking at the audience on occasion.
A hoot from start to finish. Highlights:
- George gets into such a tizz over Uncle Quentin and 'the other dogs' (yes, really) laughing at Timmy's cone of shame that she storms off to camp in a local common (why not Kirrin Island?) until he's no longer injured
- Quentin and Fanny are completely OK with this and don't even think to tell their daughter to stop being silly and get back in the house, even after a horrible storm (edit: if the adventures are chronological, this is set soon after George's )
- It doesn't cross the Kirrin girls' minds that the identical lads they're bumping into might be twins
- These lads refuse to admit to the girls (this doesn't deserve the dignity of a spoiler mark honestly, but it's revealed late enough in the plot that it should probably get one)
- The twins' dad is extremely well-known and Guy seems up for a chat with the Kirrin boys, but we won't continue the convo because George wants to go for a swim
- The Five and Harry stop for a tinned-food picnic during the blind panic over Guy's kidnap
- The head honcho hides the blueprints in the most Blytonian of Secret Ways (tm)... good thing he's marked the way with chalk though, because there's not a lot of pages left to get this wrapped up
- Uncle Quentin is so shocked by the discovery of the 'secret blueprints' that he breathlessly phones his colleague to ask him if said colleague's blueprints have been nicked, but fails to tell him that his kids have found them... because he literally forgot, despite that being the reason why he's calling
- He also knocks a bottle of ink over his own copy of the prints in a stunning display of clumsiness
- His response to two extra kids and a yappy dog come to stay in Kirrin Cottage is wisely left out of the narrative, I can only assume he kept his mouth shut and reached for the whisky
To sum up, everyone in this book from the kids to the adults are ridiculous to the point of parody. Might help if you think of the Kirrin kids as younger in this book, as they certainly don't read like mid-teens. Unlike Soper, Blyton seems to only age them as and when the plot requires it!
That being said, the silliness of it all gave me a soft spot for this installment. There's some saving graces too: the 'weepers and wailers' plus the stormy night are quite thrilling for Blyton, plus Anne's got some on-screen time with George as it's just the girls and Timmy for the first half of the book. It's a shame the plot doesn't really kick off until the Five are all together, but truth be told there isn't much to the mystery - it's regular Blyton fare and the villains are as faceless as it gets. Honestly it would've been a nice twist for the bag to after all... Guy and Jet were saved and the baddies are already humiliated, that's the main thing. But it's not the Famous Five without the Kirrin kids saving the day, and a cheeky little reward heading their way too.
A Goodreads four it is. It brought a smile to my chops and it's a more comedic read than some of the other Five books... unsure how intentional that is, but Enid does seem to be winking at the audience on occasion.
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