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This book is a study of the best-selling writer for children Enid Blyton (1897-1968) and provides a new account of her career. It draws on Blyton's business correspondence to give a fresh account of a misunderstood figure who for forty years was one of Britain's most successful and powerful authors. It examines Blyton's rise to fame in the 1920s and considers the ways in which she managed her career as a storyteller, journalist and magazine editor. There is discussion of her most famous series including the Famous Five, the Secret Seven, Malory Towers and Noddy, but attention is also given to lesser-known works including the family stories she published to acclaim in the 1940s and early 1950s, as well as her attempts to become a dramatist. The book also discusses Blyton's fluctuating critical reputation, how she and her works were received and how Blyton the person has fared at the hands of biographers and the media.
List of contents
1. Introduction.- 2. Blyton and the Critics.- 3. Blyton's Early Career.- 4. Homes.- 5. Wartime.- 6. Adventure.- 7. Austerity and Kenneth Waters.- 8. Blyton the Missionary.- 9. Blyton and Gender. - 10. Blyton and the 1950s.- 11. Blyton and the Theatre.- 12. Final Things.
About the author
Andrew Maunder is the author of
Bram Stoker (2006) and the editor of the series British Literature of World War I (2010). His recent works include
British Theatre and the Great War (2015) and
R.C. Sherriff's Journey's End: A Guide (2016).
Report
"Enid Blyton - A Literary Life is a well-researched and engaging review into the life and work of well-known children's book author Enid Blyton. ... Maunder has created a well-researched, engaging and informative discussion on the life of Enid Blyton. The reader is given insight into not only why she became such a major literary figure but also touches on the different faces of someone portrayed as having it all." (Philip Jefferies, Children's Books History Society, Newsletter, Issue 133, 2022)
"Maunder covers Blyton's life, work and reputation in a readable, analytical and considered overview, concluding that Blyton is 'a figure whose rehabilitation is long Overdue'. ... Librarians begantaking Blyton books off the shelf in libraries. In this latest volume, Maunder documents the reassessments of Blyton which have emerged in the last three decades. In doing so, he has judiciously established the framework for the continuing debate on Blyton's influence and her role in children's literature and publishing." (Colin Steele, The Canberra Times, canberratimes.com.au, April 1, 2022)
