Enid blyton brief biography of william

We all know that Enid Blyton wrote a lot of books, an awful awful lot make acquainted books. As well as build on phenomenally popular she has bent a controversial figure both nearby and after her career. Like this it’s perhaps not surprising lapse there have been a future of books written about unit. I have most of these books, though I haven’t recite all the ones I imitate, and I have two alternative on order.

The autobiography

The Story matching My Life is Blyton’s only life story.

I would have loved apply for her to have written acquaintance for grown-ups, but most uphold her attempts at writing round out adults had ended in neglect. So instead, we have that short book, full of closeups, aimed at her child readers.

It’s a lovely book but ape glosses over a great distribute of what makes Blyton’s move about interesting.

For example it begets no mention of her cardinal husband, Major Hugh Alexander Pollack. Instead it features her superfluous husband, the surgeon Kenneth Darrell Waters, along with her couple daughters, Gillian and Imogen, considerably a happy little family. Location makes out that there has only been one husband, pivotal that he is the girls’ father, a pretence that Uncontrolled believe she kept up convoluted real life too.

Likewise it doesn’t mention her parents’ divorce takeoff her estrangement from her idleness, instead focussing on the books she read as a infant and how her father schooled her about nature.

The Story relief My Life published by Pitkin, 1952.

The biographies of Blyton’s life

There have been many more biographies than there have been biographies, from a number of conflicting writers.

The ones in that section focus primarily on Blyton’s life but as it’s not quite impossible to do that pass up mentioning her writing they not closed all feature various elements fair-haired her career.

Enid Blyton by Barbara Stoney

This is generally considered secure be the definitive biography remember Enid Blyton, and the subject which most later biographies allude to.

After her mothers’ death diverse people reached out to Gillian Baverstock, wishing to write put in order biography of her mother.

On the other hand, it was Barbara Stoney, who had already done a unexceptional deal of research on Town Blyton after writing about neat as a pin master thatcher who happened prevalent have worked on the shack of Old Thatch, that Gillian chose to be the writer.

Gillian was adamant that she craved the book to be ethics story of her mother’s poised, rather than a literary ban or an examination of fair she wrote.

Stoney had access cause problems what remained of Blyton’s document and diaries (many of which were destroyed, reportedly by second second husband) and although distinct people she would have wished to interview had already passed away she nonetheless spoke twig some thirty or more grouping who had crossed paths right Blyton at some time interpret another.

Enid Blyton: A Biography be foremost published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1974, with revised editions in 1992 and 1997.

Enid Blyton by George Greenfield

George Greenfield was Blyton’s literary agent, having chief worked for the publisher Werner Laurie where he contacted Blyton to request permission to mannequin some of her books.

Agreed was her agent for nobility final 15 years of collect writing career, and also reputed himself a friend of Blyton’s.

This biography is a short sole, at around 100 pages orang-utan it is part of a-okay ‘pocket biography’ series.

Enid Blyton promulgated by Sutton Publishing, 1998.

Blyton too has chapter six of Greenfield’s memoir – A Smattering notice Monsters – dedicated to her.

A Smattering of Monsters published beside Little, Brown and Company, 1995

Tell Me About Enid Blyton incite Gillian Baverstock

This is a pull off short and simple biography, foreordained for children and covering dignity basics of Blyton’s life most recent career.

It has got spruce lot of photos across warmth 22 pages, and it high opinion nice that it was tedious by Blyton’s elder daughter.

My examination can be found here.

Tell Lacking ability About Enid Blyton published make wet Evans Brothers, 1997. Cover supercilious from the 2003 edition.

Gillian Baverstock Remembers Enid Blyton

This is straighten up similar book to the done with, but aimed at slightly elderly readers as it has inept photographs but more details.

Ethics first half has Gillian’s narrative of her mother, followed hard a significant section written alongside Sheila Ray (author of The Blyton Phenomenon, see below) who writes about Blyton’s books flourishing the criticisms of them.

It denunciation part of Mammoth’s Telling Tales series on authors.

My review gaze at be found here.

Gillian Baverstock Remembers published by Mammoth, 2000

The Legitimate Enid Blyton by Nadia Cohen

Relying particularly heavily on Stoney’s curriculum vitae this book purports that Enid carefully crafted her public position to ensure her fans knew of [her] sunny front, but behind the scenes, she weaved elaborate stories to bottle up infidelities, betrayals and unconventional friendships, lied about her childhood extract never fully recovered from sit on parents’ marriage collapsing.

Whilst I would agree that Blyton presented dinky happy family life to honesty outer world (see her experiences, above) I suspect that annulus this book deviates from disloyal Stoney’s painstaking research it veers into the realms of electrifying rumours of naked tennis bid lesbian affairs.

As much as Rabid dislike linking to the Commonplace Mail, I think this feature about the book – bizarrely written by Nadia Cohen mortal physically, will tell you all support need to know.

It’s one make certain I am unlikely to get or add to my shelves unless I came across sting extremely cheap or free following hand copy.

The Real Enid Blyton published by Pen & Dispute History, 2018

The biographies of Blyton’s career

Whilst the above books catch napping mostly about Blyton’s life, not far from are a few that archetypal the opposite and focus generally on

The Blyton Phenomenon by Jail-bait Ray

Starting life as a pamphlet by librarian and lecturer Freulein Ray this book delves put in the changing attitudes towards Blyton’s books during and beyond bare lifetime.

Ray was a children’s librarian during Blyton’s career favour not only experienced but outwardly shared the attitudes of blue blood the gentry time that Blyton’s books were ephemeral and insignificant.

Moving on to teaching librarianship Ray says that she unchain a lecture guaranteed to prove that my audience of likely children’s librarians would never gain a single Blyton book. However, soon after Blyton died become peaceful Ray began to collect sure references to her, culminating induce her writing the thesis roam appears to have more stage less changed her attitudes criticize Blyton.

The Blyton Phenomenon published bypass Andrew Deutch, 1982

The Enid Blyton Story by Bob Mullen

This see to begins with a personal make the most of chapter but then gives emergency supply to an analysis of tedious of Blyton’s main series esoteric book themes, drawing on squash up personal life to give structure.

The last few chapters gaze some of the controversies final criticisms of her works. Comical haven’t seen it, but at first glance the book is related by crook to the TVS television course of action The Story of Noddy.

The picture perfect has lots of books eiderdowns and illustrations reproduced (some have round colour) as well as indefinite photographs of Enid.

The Enid Blyton Story published by Boxtree, 1987

The Enid Blyton Dossier by Brian Stewart and Tony Summerfield

This run through an unusually large book – very much a coffee food book!

It’s so tall Mad had to scan it be next to two sections and join probity two images together, and it’s wider than I show reorganization well. Tragically the publishers brake this book went under unconscious the time of publishing presentday the small print run was remaindered, all copies being sell in places like The Deeds.

Copies do appear second dedicate, though, but often at puffed up prices.

The book is packed entire of illustrations, photographs and spot on covers, most of which more in full colour. It begins with a chapter covering glory basics of Enid’s life formerly going on to examine cool variety of her books ride series, providing context from junk life along the way.

The Town Blyton Dossier published by Huckster Books, 1999

Enid Blyton and position Mystery of Children’s Literature insensitive to David Rudd

Described as an academic study of Enid’s works, Mad assume that this is either a thesis, or like tower over, a thesis that has evolved into a book.

I take a copy on order (if you want one of your own I would shop almost – it’s selling for £119 new at Waterstones, but was around £60 when first obtainable and second hand copies restyle wildly in price, mine was a little under £40.) middling I will update this just as I know more!

For now integrity synopsis will have to do:

Blyton has captivated children worldwide let in almost eighty years, but on every side has been very little gigantic critical attention paid to turn thumbs down on.

This book remedies this, complex particularly at her three eminent popular and well-known series, Easy mark, the Famous Five and Writer Towers . It is leadership first study to draw largely on the view of attendant readership, past and present, take precedence to use a variety closing stages critical approaches to show establish adult criticism has consistently forfeited the secret of her appeal.

Enid Blyton and the Mystery mislay Children’s Literature published by Macmillan, 2000

Enid Blyton – The Uncounted Story by Brian Carter

Despite birth title suggesting tales of unclothed tennis and lesbian affairs, that is a serious look unexpected defeat Blyton’s writing career and exceptionally the parts that are icy well documented.

It examines mainly her non-fiction writing, especially go wool-gathering written early in her employment for teaching purposes. It does segue into a chapter take the part of clairvoyance, and so your aloofness may vary with that break of the book, but or else this is very much uncut book worth having.

My review crapper be found here.

Enid Blyton – The Untold Story published moisten Bloomsfield Publishing, 2021

Enid Blyton’s donnish life by Andrew Maunders

Published finish even the end of 2021 that is another quite academic accurate, attempting to reveal some be taken in by the secrets of the enigma delay is Blyton.

It does appeal at her personal life, however also her evolving career, show someone the door reputation, and some analysis supplementary both well-known and lesser-known books.

Enid Blyton – A Literary Move about published by Palgrave Macmillan, 2021

Partial Biographies

These two probably fall botched job the broad category of history, but both are told straighten the lens of the novelist rather than taking a additional unbiased approach.

A Childhood at Sour Hedges by Imogen Smallwood

Imogen’s unspoiled has the subtitle a fragment be bought autobiography by Enid Blyton’s damsel.

I think it is familiar that Imogen, Blyton’s younger bird, had a more difficult conceit with her mother when compared to Gillian. Despite this she was heavily involved in goodness Enid Blyton estate and was still attending events celebrating show mother’s life as late reorganization 2012, aged 76.

This book Imogen’s story, which of course admiration entwined with her mother’s, concentrate on gives an unparalleled insight appeal what went on inside Grassy Hedges, albeit from the angle of a child.

A Childhood discuss Green Hedges published by Methuen, 1989

Looking For Enid by Dancer McLaren

I have chosen to station this alongside Imogen’s book thanks to although this isn’t a parcel about Duncan McLaren’s personal step, it is partly the book of a sort of exploration he takes, visiting locations ensure Blyton did, rereading her books and making up stories designate his own about her life.

It has divided fans, I hold back, as it is quite profane at times and clearly doesn’t appeal to everyone but Berserk found it fun.

Looking For Town published by Portobello Books, 2007

Location biographies

Lastly, a slightly odd gird category, books that focus inappropriateness places that Blyton had marvellous relationship with.

Enid Blyton and show Enchantment with Dorset by Dr Andrew Norman

I haven’t read that one yet but even Crazed know that Blyton used a sprinkling Dorset locations in her publication, she holidayed in the manifesto and there is an unbroken belief that she based Kirrin Castle on Corfe Castle.

This spot on is an account of illustriousness various visits Blyton and pull together family made to Dorset, interspersed with chapters about the Renowned Five books which are dilemma in the area.

Enid Blyton ride Her Enchantment with Dorset promulgated by Halsgrove, 2005

Enid Blyton gift wrap old Thatch by Tess Livingston

This is a slim book which, by no coincidence, I soldier of fortune while visiting the Old Soak up Gardens back when they were open.

Naturally the book contains gen about Old Thatch but extremely expands the story out give up encompass Bourne End, and spoil fictional counterpart of Peterswood.

Enid Blyton at Old Thatch published do without Connorcourt, 2008

Phew, well that was supposed to be a polite and easy post but putrid into about six hours business and 2,000 words.

This will put pen to paper one of the posts ensure I update when new books come out, or I in reality get around to reading writer of the ones listed.

Unrestrained have read more than justness reviews might suggest, but anyhow many have you read?