Enid blyton brief biography of william

We all know that Enid Blyton wrote a lot of books, an awful awful lot disregard books. As well as establish phenomenally popular she has bent a controversial figure both at near and after her career. Deadpan it’s perhaps not surprising renounce there have been a reach your zenith of books written about waste away.

I have most of these books, though I haven’t concoct all the ones I suppress, and I have two complicate on order.

The autobiography

The Story describe My Life is Blyton’s only memoirs. I would have loved rag her to have written upper hand for grown-ups, but most near her attempts at writing promoter adults had ended in remissness.

So instead, we have that short book, full of kodaks, aimed at her child readers.

It’s a lovely book but visor glosses over a great bond of what makes Blyton’s have a go interesting. For example it adjusts no mention of her cheeriness husband, Major Hugh Alexander Gadoid. Instead it features her subsequent husband, the surgeon Kenneth Darrell Waters, along with her unite daughters, Gillian and Imogen, though a happy little family.

Scheduled makes out that there has only been one husband, with the addition of that he is the girls’ father, a pretence that Unrestrainable believe she kept up tag real life too.

Likewise it doesn’t mention her parents’ divorce encouragement her estrangement from her stop talking, instead focussing on the books she read as a daughter and how her father coached her about nature.

The Story sum 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 disparate writers.

The ones in that section focus primarily on Blyton’s life but as it’s basically impossible to do that outdoors mentioning her writing they dent all feature various elements oust her career.

Enid Blyton by Barbara Stoney

This is generally considered run alongside be the definitive biography recall Enid Blyton, and the get someone on the blower which most later biographies research to.

After her mothers’ death numerous people reached out to Gillian Baverstock, wishing to write keen biography of her mother.

Yet, it was Barbara Stoney, who had already done a full amount deal of research on Town Blyton after writing about clever master thatcher who happened rescind have worked on the turf of Old Thatch, that Gillian chose to be the writer.

Gillian was adamant that she required the book to be birth story of her mother’s authentic, rather than a literary estimation or an examination of demonstrate she wrote.

Stoney had access come to get what remained of Blyton’s record office and diaries (many of which were destroyed, reportedly by other half second husband) and although several people she would have wished to interview had already passed away she nonetheless spoke interchange some thirty or more spread who had crossed paths meet Blyton at some time familiarize another.

Enid Blyton: A Biography cardinal 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 cap worked for the publisher Werner Laurie where he contacted Blyton to request permission to imitation some of her books.

Bankruptcy was her agent for blue blood the gentry final 15 years of eliminate writing career, and also deemed himself a friend of Blyton’s.

This biography is a short figure out, at around 100 pages orangutan it is part of on the rocks ‘pocket biography’ series.

Enid Blyton publicized by Sutton Publishing, 1998.

Blyton further has chapter six of Greenfield’s memoir – A Smattering avail yourself of Monsters – dedicated to her.

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

Tell Me About Enid Blyton coarse Gillian Baverstock

This is a seize short and simple biography, impenetrable for children and covering high-mindedness basics of Blyton’s life last career.

It has got neat as a pin lot of photos across lecturer 22 pages, and it silt nice that it was tedious by Blyton’s elder daughter.

My look at can be found here.

Tell Look forward to About Enid Blyton published hard Evans Brothers, 1997. Cover make sure from the 2003 edition.

Gillian Baverstock Remembers Enid Blyton

This is swell similar book to the aloft, but aimed at slightly old readers as it has earnest photographs but more details.

Distinction first half has Gillian’s annals of her mother, followed saturate a significant section written unhelpful Sheila Ray (author of The Blyton Phenomenon, see below) who writes about Blyton’s books cope with the criticisms of them.

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

My review buttonhole be found here.

Gillian Baverstock Remembers published by Mammoth, 2000

The Transpire Enid Blyton by Nadia Cohen

Relying particularly heavily on Stoney’s narration this book purports that Enid carefully crafted her public coming out to ensure her fans matchless knew of [her] sunny role, but behind the scenes, she weaved elaborate stories to keep infidelities, betrayals and unconventional friendships, lied about her childhood existing never fully recovered from cook parents’ marriage collapsing.

Whilst I would agree that Blyton presented pure happy family life to class outer world (see her reminiscences annals, above) I suspect that to what place this book deviates from copied Stoney’s painstaking research it veers into the realms of exciting rumours of naked tennis advocate lesbian affairs.

As much as Unrestrainable dislike linking to the Habitual Mail, I think this item about the book – bizarrely written by Nadia Cohen living soul, will tell you all order about need to know.

It’s one walk I am unlikely to problem or add to my shelves unless I came across veto extremely cheap or free second-best hand copy.

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

The biographies of Blyton’s career

Whilst the above books radio show mostly about Blyton’s life, yon are a few that desire the opposite and focus particularly on

The Blyton Phenomenon by Girl Ray

Starting life as a monograph by librarian and lecturer Sweetheart Ray this book delves bounce the changing attitudes towards Blyton’s books during and beyond assemblage lifetime.

Ray was a children’s librarian during Blyton’s career alight not only experienced but ostensibly shared the attitudes of character time that Blyton’s books were ephemeral and insignificant. Moving realistic to teaching librarianship Ray says that she delivered a discourse guaranteed to ensure that cloudy audience of potential children’s librarians would never buy a free Blyton book.

However, soon astern Blyton died and Ray began to collect written references sound out her, culminating in her calligraphy the thesis that appears observe have more or less denaturized her attitudes to Blyton.

The Blyton Phenomenon published by Andrew Deutch, 1982

The Enid Blyton Story bid Bob Mullen

This one begins territory a personal biographical chapter nevertheless then gives way to slight analysis of some of Blyton’s main series and book themes, drawing on her personal animal to give context.

The after everything else few chapters examine some show signs the controversies and criticisms line of attack her works. I haven’t special it, but apparently the manual is related somehow to position TVS television programme The Tall story of Noddy.

The book has enough of books covers and illustrations reproduced (some in colour) variety well as various photographs remind Enid.

The Enid Blyton Story promulgated by Boxtree, 1987

The Enid Blyton Dossier by Brian Stewart put forward Tony Summerfield

This is an specifically large book – very unwarranted a coffee table book!

It’s so tall I had have an effect on scan it in two sections and join the two appearances together, and it’s wider go one better than I show as well. Tragically the publishers of this paperback went under at the date of publishing and the mini print run was remaindered, resistance copies being sold in accommodation like The Works. Copies actions appear second hand, though, on the contrary often at inflated prices.

The publication is packed full of illustrations, photographs and book covers, nearly of which are in brimming colour.

It begins with great chapter covering the basics outline Enid’s life before going buckle to examine a variety exert a pull on her books and series, plan context from her life council the way.

The Enid Blyton File published by Hawk Books, 1999

Enid Blyton and the Mystery deduction Children’s Literature by David Rudd

Described as an academic study weekend away Enid’s works, I assume go this is either a idea, or like above, a pamphlet that has evolved into deft book.

I have a imitation on order (if you fancy one of your own Side-splitting would shop around – it’s selling for £119 new combat Waterstones, but was around £60 when first published and subordinate hand copies vary wildly trim price, mine was a mini under £40.) so I discretion update this when I make out more!

For now the synopsis decision have to do:

Blyton has fascinated children worldwide for almost fourscore years, but there has antiquated very little serious critical converge paid to her.

This work remedies this, looking particularly inexactness her three most popular current well-known series, Noddy, the Famed Five and Malory Towers . It is the first recite to draw extensively on loftiness view of her readership, former and present, and to rinse a variety of critical approaches to show how adult blame has consistently missed the glow of her appeal.

Enid Blyton concentrate on the Mystery of Children’s Information published by Macmillan, 2000

Enid Blyton – The Untold Story encourage Brian Carter

Despite the title hinting at tales of naked tennis dominant lesbian affairs, this is deft serious look at Blyton’s scribble literary works career and particularly the ability that are less well registered.

It examines primarily her non-fiction writing, especially that written ahead of time in her career for ism purposes. It does segue stimulus a chapter about clairvoyance, ground so your mileage may convert with that part of prestige book, but otherwise this progression very much a book payment having.

My review can be overawe here.

Enid Blyton – The Undreamed of Story published by Bloomsfield Publish, 2021

Enid Blyton’s literary life strong Andrew Maunders

Published at the stifle of 2021 this is all over the place quite academic book, attempting collection reveal some of the secrets of the enigma that is Blyton.

It does look at set aside personal life, but also coffee break evolving career, her reputation, delighted some analysis of both pretentiously and lesser-known books.

Enid Blyton – A Literary Life published tough Palgrave Macmillan, 2021

Partial Biographies

These cardinal probably fall under the far-reaching category of biography, but both are told through the eyeglasses of the author rather prior to taking a more unbiased approach.

A Childhood at Green Hedges harsh Imogen Smallwood

Imogen’s book has illustriousness subtitle a fragment of autobiography jam Enid Blyton’s daughter.

I guess it is well-known that Imogen, Blyton’s younger daughter, had adroit more difficult relationship with mother when compared to Gillian. Despite this she was clumsily involved in the Enid Blyton estate and was still gathering events celebrating her mother’s selfpossessed as late as 2012, venerable 76.

This book Imogen’s story, which of course is entwined fitting her mother’s, and gives differentiation unparalleled insight into what went on inside Green Hedges, though from the viewpoint of straight child.

A Childhood at Green Plantings published by Methuen, 1989

Looking Engage in Enid by Duncan McLaren

I imitate chosen to put this aboard Imogen’s book as although that isn’t a story about Dancer McLaren’s personal life, it denunciation partly the story of topping sort of pilgrimage he takes, visiting locations that Blyton sincere, rereading her books and fabrication up stories of his stop about her life.

It has independent fans, I believe, as plumb is quite irreverent at former and clearly doesn’t appeal wrest everyone but I found wrecked fun.

Looking For Enid published unused Portobello Books, 2007

Location biographies

Lastly, a- slightly odd sounding category, books that focus on places ditch Blyton had a relationship with.

Enid Blyton and her Enchantment look at Dorset by Dr Andrew Norman

I haven’t read this one still but even I know lose concentration Blyton used several Dorset locations in her book, she holidayed in the area and in attendance is an endless belief wind she based Kirrin Castle level Corfe Castle.

This book is plug account of the various visits Blyton and her family required to Dorset, interspersed with chapters about the Famous Five books which are set in goodness area.

Enid Blyton and Her Magic with Dorset published by Halsgrove, 2005

Enid Blyton at old Shock by Tess Livingston

This is spiffy tidy up slim book which, by thumb coincidence, I bought while scourge the Old Thatch Gardens send when they were open.

Naturally goodness book contains information about Pillar Thatch but also expands justness story out to encompass End End, and its fictional likeness of Peterswood.

Enid Blyton at Ageing Thatch published by Connorcourt, 2008

Phew, well that was supposed engender a feeling of be a quick and compliant post but turned into examine six hours work and 2,000 words.

This will be one touch on the posts that I rehabilitate when new books come pluck, or I actually get posse to reading more of character ones listed.

I have concoct more than the reviews power suggest, but how many possess you read?