Thoughts

I've been working my way through the Malory Towers books, some of which I've read before and others I haven't, all of it seems somewhat familiar at this point. Enid Blyton is surely the go-to for classic boarding school hijinks.

We're into the second half of these kids' six-year journey through Malory Towers, so they're starting to be a bit more grown up and the situations they're facing somewhat more sophisticated. New girl Clarissa has a weak heart, so is excused quite a lot of lessons and unfortunately Gwen admires this and tries to claim her own illness along the way. Some of Gwen's actions were surprisingly dastardly, claiming also had a weak heart to get out of exams just because she'd fallen behind in her studies. Outrageous!

For our heroine Darrell, the main thrust of the story is around her sister Felicity finally starting at Malory Towers and immediately falling with a bad crowd. For me, it was probably the less interesting thread of plots on offer, but they do all add up to a satisfying whole.

What really works about these books is the universality of the storylines. Twins that don't get along and aren't alike at all, even though everyone expects them to be. Older sisters being overprotective of their younger siblings. People faking heart conditions to get out of exams. Okay, not everything is entirely translatable, but Blyton does put her finger on youth adventures that translate to the modern world even though these books are 75 years old.

I don't have kids so I don't know if young children these days would appreciate these books in the same way I did and still do. It's nostalgic for me, obviously, but I do think there's a lot to be learned from these girls, navigating difficult situations with grace and understanding. They may be stiff-upper-lipped at times, but rarely do they get away with doing the wrong thing. You can pick these books up in any order, too. We're on the fourth of a six-book series, but you very quickly understand what the characters are about.

The book gets a 4 out of 5 because I enjoyed the storylines growing and maturing with these girls, but I did think some of the deplorable actions detracted from the usual cosy comfort of reading Blyton books. However, I'm happy to move on to the fifth year and see what that brings us.

Rating: 3 / 5