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Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton (Spoilers Included)


chesilbeach

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Just catching up with the thread (and blimey, who knew there would be so much discussion about some 70 year old children's books! :lol:), and here are a couple of points so far ...
 
I can't believe some of you don't like Darrell!!! Along with George from The Famous Five she was my hero as a child … at least up to my teenage years.  She was a bit of a tomboy, she wasn't perfect, but she tried hard, worked hard and was confident and gregarious … everything I wanted to be.   For some reason, I think that she was how Enid would have seen herself … I don't know why and have no evidence to back it up, but that's how it always came across to me.
 
As for the boy/girl issue, my feeling is that you have to look at the class she is writing for and the times, the books were written in the late 1940s, a time when upper middle class and upper class girls would still have been having their "come out" at debutante balls when they were in their late teens (these went on until the late 1950s in the UK) and would have been expected to remain girls (and not young women) until then.  The books are also aimed at the pre-teen reader, so again, I don't think in that period, Blyton or the parents of the readers would have wanted to bring boyfriends and sexuality into the mix for this age group.
 
Anyway, I'm up to almost the end of book five now, and loving every minute of it! :D

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We've had a snow day here today, so I'm now at the end of book five as well :D 

 

I agree on your last point Claire. I think I was 8 or maybe 9 when I was introduced to these books by my Mum (who was rather strict on such things and banned me from watching My Girl 2 when I was about 10 :giggle2:

 

I also loved Darrell as a kid and these books made me desperately want to go to boarding school. She's not perfect but she tries hard at everything she does. As an adult, the high levels of conformity are a bit more disturbing. There are a couple of bits in the fifth book I highlighted - notably that if you're "sensible and NORMAL" then you aren't homesick - even on the first night! Homesickness isn't normal? Bit disturbing! Similarly, the focus on games and the mocking if you're not good at them is a bit weird by today's standards. It's ok to not be good at everything you know Enid...

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I'll come back to other stuff later, but for now I've got to tell you what I discovered last night when reading the book :D When I put the book down, I noticed something interesting in the back cover.... The blurb!

 

"Join Darrell and her new friends as they learn about boarding school life. Along the way there will be lessons, quarrels and sporting contests, teachers to play tricks on - and plenty of mischief, mayhem and midnight feasts!"

 

So the blurb actually promises midnight feasts but yet I've seen none of them :D And three things were in bigger letters, too, compared to the others: new friends, quarrels, and midnight feasts :D 

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 that if you're "sensible and NORMAL" then you aren't homesick - even on the first night! Homesickness isn't normal? Bit disturbing! 

I think that is really disturbing!! :o It could say quite a lot about Enid's own parenting skills......

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Just catching up with the thread (and blimey, who knew there would be so much discussion about some 70 year old children's books! :lol:), and here are a couple of points so far ...

I can't believe some of you don't like Darrell!!! Along with George from The Famous Five she was my hero as a child … at least up to my teenage years.  She was a bit of a tomboy, she wasn't perfect, but she tried hard, worked hard and was confident and gregarious … everything I wanted to be.

:D I guess it depended on who we identified with and I couldn't identify with Darrell as she was far too confident .. she loved school and I had raging school phobia .. I was frightened of my own shadow so I identified with Mary-Lou. I didn't aspire to be like Darrell either .. I think I knew that was impossible .. she was so sporty as well which I wasn't. I aspired to be Sally .. she was less confrontational and she had lovely plaits :D

I really didn't like George either :D or any of the FF really. Anne was okay but was never given enough to do. I much preferred the Five Find-Outers to the Famous Five  :blush2: 

For some reason, I think that she was how Enid would have seen herself … I don't know why and have no evidence to back it up, but that's how it always came across to me.

You're not endearing her to me :D

As for the boy/girl issue, my feeling is that you have to look at the class she is writing for and the times, the books were written in the late 1940s, a time when upper middle class and upper class girls would still have been having their "come out" at debutante balls when they were in their late teens (these went on until the late 1950s in the UK) and would have been expected to remain girls (and not young women) until then.  The books are also aimed at the pre-teen reader, so again, I don't think in that period, Blyton or the parents of the readers would have wanted to bring boyfriends and sexuality into the mix for this age group.

No .. probably not .. though even back in the forties little girls loved little boys (and vice versa .. I think I first played kiss chase at infant school though I was probably just running away :D ) And these were teens .. so at some point you'd expect a whiff of romance or even a silly crush. I think we got some pupil/teacher crushes and a lot of girl crushes on other girls but no boys. Perhaps down the line though someone will sneak out of a window to see a boy .. I've forgotten now. I can remember that my sister .. being that much older (but the same age as the girls in the stories) thought the books were babyish and didn't like them so I guess Enid was appealing to the pre-teen reader.  

Anyway, I'm up to almost the end of book five now, and loving every minute of it! :D

I do have the others on order now. I need to see them to the end. Are you tempted to read the sequels written by Pamela Cox Claire? .. I was on the Enid Blyton society website the other day (having a wizard time :D) and they were full of praise for them. 

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Some thoughts on the third book etc.

 

Not enough Mary-Lou and Daphne (who I've no real desire to see back but) was almost invisible.

 

What was all that nonsense about Zerelda's 'disgrace'? .. I can understand it being an embarrassment to be relegated to a lower form but a disgrace!! I liked the way that the girls .. or Darrell anyway .. were affronted that Zerelda didn't look ashamed :D 

 

Bill and Darrell thought that breakfast in bed was a punishment .. they would much rather go to bed early instead :D 

 

All of Irene's musical compositions consist of 'tum-ti-tum' ? I know I can't hear them but all the same .. not impressed :D 

 

Mavis thought that Belinda could perhaps do her drawing at the talent contest  :confused:  :D

 

Bit shocked at how judgmental the teachers are and how openly they dislike certain pupils. The way that Miss Hibbert turned on Zerelda for instance .. 'all that happens is .. you make yourself really vulgar' :D and telling her she'll never be an actress .. 'you simply haven't got it in you'. There's nothing like letting someone down gently. This is an English/Drama teacher!! .. you'd think she might give some encouragement .. or a little subtle critique or something. Harsh!

 

It was perhaps a little over dramatic for Mavis to be told she probably wouldn't be able to sing for a year or two .. after being caught out at night in the rain :D I was a little concerned about Darrell's Dad doing the appendectomy on Sally in the first year .. it felt like an episode of Neighbours! :D

 

These aren't criticisms .. my adult brain just picked them out .. my child brain thought nothing of it :blush2: I have become .. cynical :D Still .. I love them all the same .. it's been so pleasurable to be back with them all again. Even old Gwen!

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Irene's musical compositions do start to evolve, Kay … although not by much!  I guess it's hard to write a description of somebody humming a tune. :D

 

As for Belinda drawing at the talent contest … why not?  Have you seen what some acts do on Britain's Got Talent?!!! ;)  At least drawing is a talent! :lol:

 

I'm halfway through the final book now, and have enjoyed every one of them. :smile2:

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Irene's musical compositions do start to evolve, Kay … although not by much!  I guess it's hard to write a description of somebody humming a tune. :D

Yes of course, I realise that .. it just made me laugh all the tum-ti-tumming :D

As for Belinda drawing at the talent contest … why not?  Have you seen what some acts do on Britain's Got Talent?!!! ;)  At least drawing is a talent! :lol:

I definitely think of drawing as a talent .. wish I possessed it. No it's not that .. I just was wondering how you would entertain a crowd with it :D The only thing that came to mind was 'can you see what it is yet'? and I didn't really want to explore that thought  :blush2: 

I'm halfway through the final book now, and have enjoyed every one of them. :smile2:

It's great fun being back at Malory Towers! All the sea air's been good for me I think :D

 

Impatiently waiting for the fourth and fifth book to arrive .. I have the last one.

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Finished the last book this evening.  It was lovely to go back and read them all again, I read them so many times as a child, and I know this is at least my third set of books, as the first two sets I had when I was little both fell apart from over use, and this set was a reprint from the last 1990s. :D

 

The only disappointing thing for me in the last book is

how there is such little focus on the sixth formers, and much more on the second formers.  Sort of spoiled Darrell being head girl if she didn't really have to do much with it.  It definitely makes me feel that Blyton can't write older teenagers, and needs to focus on the youngsters.

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There's definitely no mention of boys in any of Enid's children's books - in the Secret Seven the main characters are of both sexes but they're all friends and that's definitely IT!

 

The only thing I would say about the lack of music/popular culture discussion would be that dates books very quickly - was Enid trying to avoid this? They were first published in the 1940s so the music would have been very alien to us - not even realy a recognisable Elvis or Beatles equivalent at that time.

 

We only get one book a year and yet they are in the class for three terms, so I think Enid is trying to give us a sense of what went on in the other two terms with Gwen fawning over Mavis etc. As a kid, I think I would have preferred 18 books ;) That would have made this read a long go on rather long though....!

 

I would have loved a book for each term too! It's been years since I read the books, so I can't remember if anything was mentioned as to why Darrell joined the class so much late than the other girls. Did her family move house or something? Or maybe they just didn't feel she was mature enough to go to a boarding school before then? I can't remember if anything was mentioned or if it as just generally accepted.

The only thing that I can remember from the Enid books I've read and that has something very remotely to do with boys and girls is little Bets adoring and admiring Fatty (in the Mystery series) but that was still rather far from a real crush, was it not.

 

 

I think you're probably right, it might've been a conscious effort on Enid's part.

 

All this talk about terms and years and everything is very confusing to a Finn :blush: There were four terms in a year? And didn't Darrell start her first year in the beginning of the summer? I thought it was so weird. I just don't get the British educational system what with the very different times and periods compared to the Finnish system :blush:

The British educational system is quite funny in the case of terms. School starts in September and then you have the October hoidays (end of October). Then you go back till Xmas. Then you go back in early January and get a week off for half term in February. Then you're back for a while and you get the Easter holidays. After the Easter hols you're there till the summer hols, but there's another half-term holiday before then too. I think it's kind of like three terms which are each broken into two halves. Basically, when we start in September, that's the winter term as it runs up to Winter. The term that starts after Xmas is the Spring term as it runs up to Easter, then the term starting after Easter is the Summer term. So if Darrell started in the summer term, she started very late in the school year.

 

Of course, it could be that there weren't spaces at Malory Towers when Darrell was of an age to start at the beginning of the school year and they had to wait for a space to come up when someone else moved away. Entry to good schools can be very competitive and people will wait for a place to become available at their preferred school, even if it means switching mid-year.

 

Sorry my post was a bit convoluted! There are traditionally three terms in a year - although, confusingly, I think Darrell spends four terms in the first form? Which means Alicia must have been in the first form for bloody ages! :giggle2: I was never sure why she started in the summer term either.

 

But we only see them in one of their three terms, which I think is why it ends up quite confusing as they go through the years. To confuse the issue further, there is mention in book 4 that Connie should be in the lower fourth, not the upper. What and where is the lower fourth?!

Upper fourth and lower fourth would both be fourth year classes, but how you did in your exams would determine which class you were put in. Those who did well went into upper fourth and those who didn't do so well would go into lower fourth. I don't know exactly when exams were taken at the time these books were written, but there would certainly have been the eleven-plus, taken at age 11, which decided if you went to a grammar school or a regular school for those who hadn't done so well. We generally now have exams at around the age of 15 in the UK.

 

And I have the first three books on order from the library - they didn't have them in when I went and have ordered them from a library in a neighbouring town. Hopefully I should have them very soon!

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The 11-plus exam was introduced after the Butler Education Act in 1944, which also saw the introduction of the tripartite system, with grammar, secondary technical and secondary modern schools.  This was the start of big changes in the education system in the UK in the post-war years, however, public schools (see below) were responsible for their own intake, and would have probably had their own entrance exam rather than use the 11-plus.

 

Confusingly, public schools in England are actually independent private fee-paying schools as opposed to state-run schools (which the majority of children attend).  Malory Towers would have been a public school, and I would imagine the pupils would have had to take an entrance exam and attend an interview along with their parents, as well as provide references from previous schools or character references if they hadn't previously attended school.  Very exclusive and very expensive, and only for the professional and upper classes.

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I don't remember if there's any mention of Mr Rivers' profession, is there? If he were a doctor or a government official or something deemed important, or even if he had inherited a substantial family fortune, then Darrell may have just had a governess and/or tutors before going to Malory Towers. Like I say, I can't remember as it's been years since I last read them, but I'm looking forward to that call from the library to say they're in ad I can pick them up!

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I'll come back to other stuff later, but for now I've got to tell you what I discovered last night when reading the book :D When I put the book down, I noticed something interesting in the back cover.... The blurb!

 

"Join Darrell and her new friends as they learn about boarding school life. Along the way there will be lessons, quarrels and sporting contests, teachers to play tricks on - and plenty of mischief, mayhem and midnight feasts!"

 

So the blurb actually promises midnight feasts but yet I've seen none of them :D And three things were in bigger letters, too, compared to the others: new friends, quarrels, and midnight feasts :D

This is outrageous really. You were promised midnight feasts .. but you didn't get any!! :oWe went on about them too so it was like a double disappointment!! Should have promised you slapping .. there was plenty of that!! :D 

 

Will you read the second collection frankie? 

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Is anyone planning on reading the continuation of the series, written much later by Pamela Cox?

7. New Term At Malory Towers (2009)
8. Summer Term At Malory Towers (2009)
9. Winter Term At Malory Towers (2009)
10. Fun and Games at Malory Towers (2009)
11. Secrets at Malory Towers (2009)
12. Goodbye Malory Towers (2009)

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Is anyone planning on reading the continuation of the series, written much later by Pamela Cox?

 

7. New Term At Malory Towers (2009)

8. Summer Term At Malory Towers (2009)

9. Winter Term At Malory Towers (2009)

10. Fun and Games at Malory Towers (2009)

11. Secrets at Malory Towers (2009)

12. Goodbye Malory Towers (2009)

 

I tried with Maddie, and they were awful (only my opinion of course!) They had none of the original charm and we didn't even finish the first book.

 

This may interest anyone in the Canterbury area...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31123521

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Is anyone planning on reading the continuation of the series, written much later by Pamela Cox?

Honestly, I don't want to risk spoiling my nostalgic love of Enid's Malory Towers so I've been avoiding these, and from what Hayley has said, it doesn't look like I'm missing anything.

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I can't believe some of you don't like Darrell!!! Along with George from The Famous Five she was my hero as a child … at least up to my teenage years.  She was a bit of a tomboy, she wasn't perfect, but she tried hard, worked hard and was confident and gregarious … everything I wanted to be.   For some reason, I think that she was how Enid would have seen herself … I don't know why and have no evidence to back it up, but that's how it always came across to me.

ITA with this. :)

 

I think that is really disturbing!! :o It could say quite a lot about Enid's own parenting skills......

There was an excellent biopic about Enid on BBC3 a few years ago. Did anyone see it?
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I can't believe some of you don't like Darrell!!! Along with George from The Famous Five she was my hero as a child … at least up to my teenage years.  She was a bit of a tomboy, she wasn't perfect, but she tried hard, worked hard and was confident and gregarious … everything I wanted to be.   For some reason, I think that she was how Enid would have seen herself … I don't know why and have no evidence to back it up, but that's how it always came across to me.

I found Darrell rather annoying at times. I found her ideas on friendship really annoying. (And yes, I do understand that they were kids and that's how kids work. And I do remember I was the same when I was a kid myself! I remember it all too well, and maybe that's why it bothers me so much in this book :blush:) She really liked Alicia and wanted to be best mates but when Beth came back she thought that oh well I can't be Alicia's friend, I must find some other friend. Like everyone needs to have one best friend. As if a trio couldn't work out! 

 

But then when Sally and Beth (or was it Betty) do not return to school at the same time the others do, Darrell and Alicia team up again, and then when Sally returns, Darrell's wondering why they can't be all friends. Hypocrite! :P:D 

 

Yes yes yes, we all have our faults and they are just kids, but sometimes it felt like Darrell was very hard on other people and how they should behave, but then she seemed to have her own set of rules. And yes, she was mad at herself when she slapped people and did her tantrums, but still. She was so hard on other people, in my opinion. 

 

Sorry chesil, I don't mean to crap all over your favorite  :empathy:   She just rubbed me the wrong way!

 

 

As for the boy/girl issue, my feeling is that you have to look at the class she is writing for and the times, the books were written in the late 1940s, a time when upper middle class and upper class girls would still have been having their "come out" at debutante balls when they were in their late teens (these went on until the late 1950s in the UK) and would have been expected to remain girls (and not young women) until then.  The books are also aimed at the pre-teen reader, so again, I don't think in that period, Blyton or the parents of the readers would have wanted to bring boyfriends and sexuality into the mix for this age group.

 

 That's a very good point. I didn't know you guys had these debutante balls till so very late in the 20th century. Fascinating!

 

Bill and Darrell thought that breakfast in bed was a punishment .. they would much rather go to bed early instead

 

Oh!  :doh:  That was a punishment? I got it wrong! :D I thought it was a favor to them and they declined because they thought they didn't deserve it :D:blush:  I completely misinterpreted that situation!

 

 

All of Irene's musical compositions consist of 'tum-ti-tum' ? I know I can't hear them but all the same .. not impressed 

Irene's musical compositions do start to evolve, Kay … although not by much!  I guess it's hard to write a description of somebody humming a tune. 

Yes of course, I realise that .. it just made me laugh all the tum-ti-tumming

:rolol:    

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Mavis thought that Belinda could perhaps do her drawing at the talent contest 

 

As for Belinda drawing at the talent contest … why not?  Have you seen what some acts do on Britain's Got Talent?!!!  At least drawing is a talent! 

 

Yes of course, I realise that .. it just made me laugh all the tum-ti-tumming

I definitely think of drawing as a talent .. wish I possessed it. No it's not that .. I just was wondering how you would entertain a crowd with it.  The only thing that came to mind was 'can you see what it is yet'? and I didn't really want to explore that thought  

 

:lol: :lol: "Can you see what it is yet?" :lol: Oh you two!!

 

 

 

Bit shocked at how judgmental the teachers are and how openly they dislike certain pupils. The way that Miss Hibbert turned on Zerelda for instance .. 'all that happens is .. you make yourself really vulgar' and telling her she'll never be an actress .. 'you simply haven't got it in you'. There's nothing like letting someone down gently. This is an English/Drama teacher!! .. you'd think she might give some encouragement .. or a little subtle critique or something. Harsh!

They were rather cruel, some of them, weren't they. But at the same time I thought, yeaaaah, tell her like it is :blush::giggle2:

 

The British educational system is quite funny in the case of terms. School starts in September and then you have the October hoidays (end of October). Then you go back till Xmas. Then you go back in early January and get a week off for half term in February. Then you're back for a while and you get the Easter holidays. After the Easter hols you're there till the summer hols, but there's another half-term holiday before then too. I think it's kind of like three terms which are each broken into two halves. Basically, when we start in September, that's the winter term as it runs up to Winter. The term that starts after Xmas is the Spring term as it runs up to Easter, then the term starting after Easter is the Summer term. So if Darrell started in the summer term, she started very late in the school year.

Okay, so it's actually the words 'term' and 'half term' and stuff that are confusing me, because going by your explanation it's not that different from the Finnish system at all. We just don't call anything half term or stuff like that. We have autumn term, which is from mid August till Christmas (and there's a week of autumn holidays in October), and then we have spring term from the beginning of January till start of June (and a week of spring holiday in February and the Easter holidays). Just autumn term and spring term, as easy as that!

 

The talk of 'winter term' and 'spring term' and 'summer term' is very confusing in itself but your explanation makes sense and I now have a much better understanding. Summer term used to sound like you guys have school in the summer, too, for at least 2 months! 

 

 

This is outrageous really. You were promised midnight feasts .. but you didn't get any!! We went on about them too so it was like a double disappointment!! Should have promised you slapping .. there was plenty of that!!

 

Will you read the second collection frankie?

 

 

It is outrageous!!! :( I was promised. Promised!!! And there weren't any and we didn't have any, either :( I have an upset stomach now :D 

 

I've ordered the fourth and fifth novel in the series from the library but they've not arrived yet. They don't have the sixth book :rolleyes: But they have on of the Pamela Cox ones. Isn't that odd?!

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I'm now going to go through the text bits that I've marked with a post-it and comment if there's anything worth commenting. 
 
Oh! :D Remember how Darrell asked Gwendoline how her parents would react to her report when she's been telling them she's excelling in every thing and then her grades will paint a very different picture. And Gwendoline's like, what report :o:lol: Priceless!! 
 
And a quote I wanted to show here. Page 29 of the second novel:
 
"
'Sally! What happens if we disobey and go on whispering when the head-girl has said we're not to?'
'Nobody ever does,' said Sally, grimly. 'But I believe there is an unwritten law at Malory Towers that if anyone makes herself a nuisance at night, the other girls must send her to Coventry.'
'Oh!' said Belinda, and snuggled down in bed, grinning to think of what Gwendoline would feel now. Would she whisper again or not?
"
 
:D

 

Yes .. it should've been 'Oi' shouldn't it? :D Watch out for that one when you come and stay ... that'll be chalked on your pants for the whole of Cirencester to see :D 


I've checked and it's 'Oy' in my book? Is it 'Oi' in yours?

 

This comment by Zerelda raised my eyebrows, to say the least... page 27 in Third Year. 

"

'Well, thanks all the same, Jean, but I'm not going to make myself into a little pig-tailed English schoolgirl,' said Zerelda, in her lazy, rather insolant drawl. 'I guess I couldn't like like you, anyway. Look at you all, plain as pie! You ought to let me have a try at making you up - I'd soon get you some looks!'

 

:o  I thought it was pretty cool that the others thought she was just being silly and they didn't buy into her wunnerful idea of a make-over. I would've expected them to go for it, so I was pleasantly surprised! It would've been a rather predictable thing in some other novel to go for it and then get a scolding from the Matron and then think how silly the idea was to begin with. 

 

And on page 71, third novel, Darrell bumps into Mam'zelle by accident and Mam'zelle says 'You have made my heart go patter-pit!', and I would've taken it at face value, not having heard the phrase before, but Darrell corrects her and says 'Pitter-pat, you mean, Mam'zelle' :D 

 

I'm taking my copy back to the library today so I won't be able to check things on the book after this. 
 

Edited by frankie
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I'm now going to go through the text bits that I've marked with a post-it and comment if there's anything worth commenting. 

 

 

And a quote I wanted to show here. Page 29 of the second novel:

 

"

'Sally! What happens if we disobey and go on whispering when the head-girl has said we're not to?'

'Nobody ever does,' said Sally, grimly. 'But I believe there is an unwritten law at Malory Towers that if anyone makes herself a nuisance at night, the other girls must send her to Coventry.'

'Oh!' said Belinda, and snuggled down in bed, grinning to think of what Gwendoline would feel now. Would she whisper again or not?

"

 

:D

Very interesting .. this is what it says in the original .. 

"Nobody ever does," said Sally grimly. "But I believe there is an unwritten law at Malory Towers that if anyone makes herself a nuisance at night a nice big hair-brush is chosen and a few slaps given" :D 

 

Quite a difference .. they've made Enid less violent :D

 

Yes .. it was 'Oy' in the earlier books too.

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It is outrageous!!! :( I was promised. Promised!!! And there weren't any and we didn't have any, either :( I have an upset stomach now :D

 

I've ordered the fourth and fifth novel in the series from the library but they've not arrived yet. They don't have the sixth book :rolleyes: But they have on of the Pamela Cox ones. Isn't that odd?!

 

Awww .. :empathy: What's worse is, in the fourth, they mention having had midnight feasts (I keep writing feats ... not sure what they would have been :D) in the previous terms/years!! So they had them .. but didn't tell us!!  :o  :D 

 

Glad you're going to finish out the series. If you can't get hold of the sixth .. I'll get a copy for you  :smile: 

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Oh!  :doh:  That was a punishment? I got it wrong! :D I thought it was a favor to them and they declined because they thought they didn't deserve it :D:blush:  I completely misinterpreted that situation!

You may well be right .. they were goody two-shoes' enough to actually think that way. I'm equally baffled .. Bill of all people should have known not to look a gift horse in the mouth :D

They didn't protest at all when the early night was mentioned though .. unnatural little beasts :D

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Very interesting .. this is what it says in the original .. 

"Nobody ever does," said Sally grimly. "But I believe there is an unwritten law at Malory Towers that if anyone makes herself a nuisance at night a nice big hair-brush is chosen and a few slaps given" 

 

Quite a difference .. they've made Enid less violent 

 

So there really are huge differences in the editions!!! :o That's the first proof we have of it. Very interesting :o 

 

I do wonder how they thought to keep Darrell slapping people in the modern editions, then. They could've changed things around and said she was sending all them people to Coventry :D :D 

 

Awww ..  What's worse is, in the fourth, they mention having had midnight feasts (I keep writing feats ... not sure what they would have been) in the previous terms/years!! So they had them .. but didn't tell us!!  

 

Glad you're going to finish out the series. If you can't get hold of the sixth .. I'll get a copy for you  

 

What the heck is it with the books?? They always mention earlier events in earlier books, but we've never witnessed them ourselves!! It's enough to make one wonder if one's just been absent minded when reading the earlier book. It's enough to make one go visit a doctor in fear of a terrible illness!  :censored:  That's not very nice :no: 

 

I forgot to say that I do have the next two books reserved but I'm not sure if I feel like reading them when I have them. They  are nice enough books but I have a feeling they might not tempt me all that much. :shrug:  :lurker:

 

You may well be right .. they were goody two-shoes' enough to actually think that way. I'm equally baffled .. Bill of all people should have known not to look a gift horse in the mouth 

They didn't protest at all when the early night was mentioned though .. unnatural little beasts 

 

Bill would've looked at the gift horse in the mouth but would've accepted it all the same even if it didn't have any teeth :D 

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