The Folk of the Faraway Tree: 1 (The Magic Faraway Tree)

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Hi-tiddley-toze!Maybe his poetry is a little esoteric for us to grasp and, in reality, is due for greater recognition by the Masters who understand the intricacies of such verse. Until that happens though I think it can be taken at face value but the good old Saucepan-Man or Saucepan as he is usually called adds lots of fun to the tales. They meet up with Dame Slap as they did in their first book ( The Enchanted Wood) and they aren't too happy about that because the old dame runs a school and she is bad-tempered and violent. After a little suffering the children and their friends manage to outwit the woman and escape her clutches. This book has always been my least favourite of the original three books in this series, though that said, it is still very much a five star read. Originally published in the month of May in 1939, this was first brought out by the publisher George Newnes. Setting up the characters and the premise, this is the first book in the series of ‘The Faraway Tree’, as it sees them arrive for the first time. It also establishes the world it’s set within, as it depicts the magic and wonder of it all, allowing it to come alive for all the young readers. There are a few small quibbles I have with some aspects of the book, though not enough to fully dampen my fondness for it. The biggest one is Connie constantly being referred to as 'curious' as if curiosity is a negative trait. Most of the time Connie is not what I would call curious, but rather nosy and at times spiteful and self-absorbed. The description on Goodreads calls her 'bossy Connie' which I think works better. I don't think curiosity is a trait to steer children away from, though certainly it is a good idea to try and impart how to ask questions in a respectful way.

This is the third book in The Magic Faraway Tree trilogy. This series was my favourite when I was young and I was so excited to share it with my children for the first time, but not for the last. We will definitely read them all again. For the 1% of you who don't know, Jo, Bessie, and Fanny (yes this is the non PC edition) move from the city to the country with their parents. They live in a cottage near some woods and when they explore the woods they find a whole bunch of exciting creatures and all of the animals can talk. In the middle of the woods is the world's tallest tree, knowThis book follows pretty much the same formula as the previous two. Visit a land, something goes wrong, someone needs to be rescued, the children manage to escape, swear they are going to not go on any adventures for awhile and yet the do. But we always end on a nice note with a nice land to visit and this time it's the Land of Treats after the gang saves the Faraway Tree from near death. (Is there an allegory in there about mining being bad? Maybe? Who knows.)

Rereading a childhood favourite can sometimes prove hazardous. Often, what so appealed to our younger selves we later find riddled with plot holes, become distanced from the young protagonists, or find them just generally unsuited for an adult readership. For this reason I had stayed away from my once beloved Enid Blyton, for so long. You see, the Enchanted Wood is quite near here. And in the middle of it is the biggest, tallest tree in the world - very magic. It’s called the Faraway Tree" A British institution almost in her own right, the famous children’s author Enid Blyton was well known for her fun, friendly and accessible family oriented literature. With many enduring characters such as Noddy, the Famous Five, and the Secret Seven, she was definitely an author of her time. The stories she wrote, though, have lived on throughout the years, seeing various different incarnations over time, whilst always remaining true to the spirit of the originals. One such series that she’s particularly well known for is that of her Faraway Tree series of novels, an enduring collection of novels that retain a timeless quality to this very day. Set in a fantastical land they told stories that worked alongside the illustrations of Georgina Hargreaves to tell a magical tale of childhood wonder and enchantment. Following the adventures of Jo, Bessie and Fanny, it sees the three children moving into a new home by an enchanted forest with a magical tree they climb, taking them off to far and distant lands of magic and wonder.

The person who visits Jo, Bessie, and Fanny is their mother's friend's child. The author loved not only to name stuff naughtily, she liked to write up naughty characters. Connie Haynes is one such example.