Blurb: What can Uncle Quentin be up to - all alone - on Kirrin Island. He won't let anyone visit - not even George and the rest of the Famous Five. But Quentin isn't really all alone on the island - somebody is watching his every move!
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Random thoughts:

So, it's back to Kirrin Cottage and Kirrin Island. This is book six in the series and four of them have taken place there. At least we come from two adventures in a row in different locations, so I was OK with it. Also, I know that from here on we'll be seeing less of Kirrin Island. Apparently, Blyton had originally planned for this to be the last book in the series, and she wanted to close the circle coming back to where it all started. The last sentence of the book sounds like a definitive good bye, but fortunately she would change her mind and treat us to fifteen more Famous Five adventures.

We start with a rare glimpse of the girls' life at boarding school. Not that we see much of it, but it's nice to see a bit of that aspect of their lives. The Famous Five adventures always take place during the holidays, which makes sense since it's the only time they would be together, since education was segregated by gender.

George receives the news that her father is using her island for his experiments and doesn't take it so well. She spends a lot of time being moody in this book, but on her defense I have to admit that they hit all her triggers: her island and Timmy. Speaking of the island, it's back to being George's. That generous gift to the other children so that the island is shared by all of them seems to be forgotten. I guess Enid Blyton's editor was not very good. Oh well, it was a nice gesture, but George's possessiveness towards her island is fun. I don't find George annoying nor tiresome for being so moody, because she makes so much sense to me. I totally understand where she is coming from and what makes her tick. She's an excellent character, flawed but likable. Of course she gets sulky when life conspires against her like that. How could she not?

Speaking of the island, Uncle Quentin's science keeps being weird. Why on earth would he need to work on an island? And how about that strange tower he builds on it? Just weird. Later we learn that he is working on a new, clean, cheap energy source for all mankind. He succeeds, too. It's a pity this is fiction, we could definitely use that.

The pre-adventure part is enjoyable enough. It doesn't have the oppressive atmosphere of some books, but neither does it have the intoxicating freedom of the adventures where the children go on their own. It's just normal domestic life, which is made possible by Uncle Quentin not being at home.

The adventure part is quite short, not as short as in Go Adventuring Again, but short anyway. It's rather satisfying when it happens, though.

Alf the fisher boy is now called James the fisher boy. Seriously, did Enid Blyton have an editor or did they publish her manuscripts exactly as she sent them?

It's mentioned that Joanna the cook is back to help during the holidays. I thought it was a full-time position? Or was she ill or something?

When they meet Martin, George takes to him and offers to take him to the island. That seemed weird to me, because she had always been so reluctant to take people there, except for his cousins (and even his cousins initially). Besides, Martin does not exactly pass the Timmy test. The dog does not dislike him but completely ignores him. Well, perhaps George has grown a bit since the first book and understands the joys of sharing. Also, maybe EB realized that she couldn't have Timmy announcing right at the beginning who is a good guy and who is a bad guy, not if she wanted some mystery.

Dick did not trust Martin and his father and had a row with George because she told them too much. Dick was right, but at some points he was a bit... well, dickish about it, what with the "just like a girl" comments, knowing how sensitive George is about that. Those were a bit off, although I have to admit that he was probably weary of George's moods and sulkiness in this book. Also, at other times his teasing was gentler and more brotherly and funny.

Uncle Quentin is at his most distracted. He forgets to feed himself and wolfs down all the sandwiches his family brings when they visit him at the island. I'm surprised he remembers to give the luminous signals to indicate that he is fine. Also, George had a point when she worried that he would forget to feed Timmy once he asks for him to accompany him on the island. I know Uncle Quentin says that he might forget to feed himself, but never an animal that depends on him, but really, would you trust him, knowing him? On the other hand, Timmy can look after himself, either catching rabbits now that George is not there to forbid it or reminding Uncle Quentin that he is hungry. By the way, Timmy was too intelligent when he lay by Uncle Quentin to indicate he was OK with remaining on the island. He's as smart as a human, our Tim!

I have difficulties imagining Uncle Quentin finding secret passages. Also, I don't seen a reason for him to hide where he is working... that seems just a plot device, to keep the intrigue.

The moment when George realizes that she is under the sea and gets scared captured my imagination as a boy. Of course, her reasoning to calm down is sound: the tunnel must have been there for centuries, so why would it collapse right when she is there?

Why on Earth would there be such a complex system of tunnels under the sea, connecting Kirrin Island with the mainland?

Very lucky that the bad guys did not dispose of Timmy when they captured him. One would have thought that ruthless spies like those would not hesitate to get rid of a bothersome dog. Also, weird that they parachuted on the island but did not really have a mean of escape.

George was the main character in this book, without a doubt. She gets the spotlight all the time, both before and during the adventure.

Very nice that they helped Martin at the end. The coastguard was right: he is a lonely boy, but not bad at all.

Anne had a funny moment when she berated Mr. Curton. Funny because of how uncharacteristic it is of Anne to be so fierce.

Also quite a funny touch at the end when Uncle Quentin tells Aunt Fanny that the soup she left for him was awful. (He had consistently forgotten to eat it and Aunt Fanny told him many times that it must be spoiled by now and to please throw it away).

All in all, not as good as Five Go Off in a Caravan, but very enjoyable nevertheless.


Next up: Five Go Off to Camp (Famous Five #7, 1948) ( )

AMAZING.Enid Blyton has once again proved his valour by this book ( )

Opening Sentence: ‘…Anne was trying to do some of her prep in a corner of the common-room when her cousin George came bursting in.…’

This is the sixth Famous Five adventure starring George, Julian, Dick, Anne and Timmy the dog. I am working my way through the series that kept me enthralled when I was 10 – and still appeals to me 40 years, and many re-reads later.

Uncle Quentin, George’s father, has decided to do some scientific experiments on the island where he can carry out his work uninterrupted and surrounded by water. George is horrified that she can’t camp on her beloved island, and even more appalled by the huge glowing tower her father has had built in the castle yard, but her three cousins jolly her out of her sulk and they find other activities to do. Uncle Quentin is very secretive about the work he is doing – and the children can’t figure out where he is staying on the island. To stop his wife worrying, uncle Quentin agrees to signal the mainland twice a day from the top of the tower so they know he is ok. It is all very mysterious. After a day or so uncle Quentin signals more than he is suppose to, indicating something is wrong. When the Five, and George’s mother arrive, uncle Quentin says that he thinks someone is spying on him and can Timmy stay on the island with him, he will bring the dog to the tower with him each day so George can see he is alright. George is not happy once more – but Timmy stays.

A few days later the dog can’t be seen, and George has a hissy fit. What is happening? Is uncle Quentin ok? What secrets are happening on the island? You guessed it – adventure time. There is evil to overcome and the island is facing its greatest threat before the culmination of the story peaks with all the Five involved and helped by friends old and new from various sources. ( )

U.S. title for this book is "Five Guard a Hidden Discovery"

The sixth Enid Blyton book, one which I didn't like very much as a child, it included a weird tower that Uncle Quintine did experiments off. I didn't get that. ( )