Enid blyton biographie
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1Enid Blyton, A Literary Life is published by Palgrave Macmillan as part of its longstanding Literary Lives series, which places influential writers within their historical, cultural and social contexts. That Enid Blyton has, over fifty five years since her death, achieved a place within this series is testament to the curious position she has occupied at the cusp of commercial and cultural conversations for three quarters of a century. The series professes to publish writers “both canonical and rediscovered”: whilst it might seem contradictory to lay claim to “rediscovering” an author who has remained in print, and a household name, not just in the UK but globally, for all these years, Maunder’s book certainly breaks new ground in its examination of a divisive, complex and essentially mysterious figure who has been hiding in plain sight for a long time.
2Maunder’s approach to his subject is thorough, systematic and thought-provoking. He combines biographical elements with in-depth literary analysis of Blyton’s writing, focussing particularly valuably on areas of her canon beyond her more well-known – and notorious – creations. He also, by contextualising her activities within the historical period in which she operated, provides a more nuanced portrait of a woman who has been perhaps too easily categorised as a racist snob. This is no hagiography though: Maunder provides a clear-sighted appraisal of the more problematic areas of Blyton’s legacy. Enid Blyton, A Literary Life makes excellent use of primary source material gleaned from Blyton’s correspondence and editorial files. The result is a fresh and convincing portrait of a woman whose signature might be instantly recognisable to generations of young readers, but who remains an enigmatic and contested figure.
3The book is usefully structured into chapters which, whilst tracing Blyton’s career in chronological order, explore the various facets of her life and work. This format works particularly
Enid Blyton: The Biography
Enid Blyton was a lean, keen, writing machine who churned out over books in a career spanning forty years. Devoted readers from Portsmouth to Port Elizabeth devoured her stories in their hundreds of thousands. Even today, translations of her work outnumber those of Shakespeare and Dickens.
Barbara Stoney's biography of this gifted, single-minded woman was first published in The current edition brings the story up to date and uses recently discovered material from Enid's early life.
Born into a comfortable London home, Enid's carefree childhood came to an abrupt end when her beloved father left his wife for another woman. Unable to share her feelings about this trauma, young Enid retreated to her bedroom to write fairy stories. It was a coping mechanism that would often carry her through the harsh realities of life.
Turning her back on a promising career as a musician, Enid followed a vocation in teaching. Pupils adored the cheerful young woman who turned their lessons into games, and it was through teaching that she began to enjoy success as a contributor to children's magazines. Young readers responded warmly to Enid's tales of fairies and goblins, while older children enjoyed her weekly observations on nature. By her mid-twenties, Enid was able to forsake the classroom for a new career as a full-time writer.
Stoney's treatment of her subject is largely sympathetic, but she doesn't airbrush out the less appealing aspects of Enid's life. A broken marriage, the sometimes harsh treatment of her staff, a stubborn streak and quick temper are frankly acknowledged. But Enid also learned she was a brand that could be a force for good. The mere mention of a children's charity in her magazine was enough to ensure a tidal wave of donations.
The biography highlights other contradictions
Enid Blyton
English children's writer (–)
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August – 28 November ) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the s, selling more than million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have been translated into ninety languages. As of June , Blyton held the 4th place for the most translated author. She wrote on a wide range of topics, including education, natural history, fantasy, mystery, and biblical narratives. She is best remembered for her Noddy, Famous Five, Secret Seven, the Five Find-Outers, and Malory Towers books, although she also wrote many others, including; St. Clare's, The Naughtiest Girl, and The Faraway Tree series.
Her first book, Child Whispers, a page collection of poems, was published in Following the commercial success of her early novels, such as Adventures of the Wishing-Chair () and The Enchanted Wood (), Blyton went on to build a literary empire, sometimes producing fifty books a year in addition to her prolific magazine and newspaper contributions. Her writing was unplanned and sprang largely from her unconscious mind; she typed her stories as events unfolded before her. The sheer volume of her work and the speed with which she produced it led to rumours that Blyton employed an army of ghost writers, a charge she vehemently denied.
Blyton's work became increasingly controversial among literary critics, teachers, and parents beginning in the s due to the alleged unchallenging nature of her writing and her themes, particularly in the Noddy series. Some libraries and schools banned her works, and from the s until the s, the BBC refused to broadcast her stories because of their perceived lack of literary merit. Her books have been criticised as elitist, sexist, racist, xenophobic, and at odds with the more progressive environment that was emerging in post-World War II Britain, but updated versions of her books have continued to be popular si .