by Cindy Shanks

Created on: June 14, 2009   Last Updated: June 16, 2009

I adored Enid Blyton's book as a child. She had the ability to whisk readers into another world of magic and adventure. Her books are still in bookshops today and she is one of the few children's authors where Grandparents can say they have read the same stories as their young grandchildren in school today. Her parents were disappointed in her when she wanted to write instead of becoming a musician. So how did this talented pianist become such a prolific author?

Enid Blyton was born in London in 1897 to parents Thomas and Theresa. She had two younger brothers. It was hoped that Enid would become a musician, but instead she decided to become a teacher, and she taught for a few years, writing in her spare time. Her first published book was a collection of poems called "Child Whispers". Two years later she married Hugh Pollack and later had two daughters called Gillian and Imogen.

Enid Blyton could produce a huge input of children's books, much to the delight of her fans. Without this huge input she wouldn't have produced over 600 published books. Whilst her writing was gaining recognition her marriage was suffering, and she and her husband Hugh divorced. Later she remarried a man called Kenneth Darrell Waters, a surgeon. In the Malory Towers school series the heroine is named Darrell Rivers after her husband and Darrell's father in the series is also a surgeon like her husband. This marriage was a much happier one.

She is remembered for her Noddy series for younger children and her Famous Five books for older children. Looking at Enid Blyton's works it seems there were many genres she would tackle, e.g., poems (Child Whispers); mysteries (Famous Five, Five Find-outers and Secret Seven); adventures (The Castle of Adventure); and magical stories (The Magic Faraway Tree).

Enid Blyton has faced plenty of criticism over the decades. Due to her fast-paced output people thought she had ghost writers to help her. There were attacks over her books being racist and sexist. Names in the newer versions have changed slightly; for example, in modern versions of "The Magic Faraway Tree," Dick has become Rick, Bessie, Beth and Fanny, Frannie. Despite all the criticism, her books are still selling over four decades after her death.

After her husband died in 1967 Enid's life changed dramatically. She became very ill and suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Sadly, her health deteriorated and she died in a nursing home in 1968 aged 71.

Further Information

For a bibliography of Enid Blyton's work click on this link.

For information about collectible works click on this link

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