Five on a Treasure Island

This was fun, if somewhat far fetched.
Julian, Dick & Anne spend the holiday with their Aunt, Uncle & lone cousin, Georgina - who does not want to be a girl in any way. it's never made clear why, but she has cut her hair short and only answers to George. In contrast Anne is quite a girly little girl. And both annoyed me in their own way.
It is all infuriatingly middle class.
Having said that, George has certain scruples, she won't accept sweets from the other children as she can't reciprocate. Julian and the others have to navigate a very lonely little girl who is rather set in her ways.
The finale seems very unlikely, but you've got to admire the inventiveness of the author in setting up situations and then giving the children a means show more of getting out of them. At times it felt a little like the sharing message was being shoved down your throat and the finale was even more middle class angst.
I agree with the people who said that these were better than the Secret Seven, but I'm not sure that I would ever have been all that thrilled with them. My childhood was much gritter than this. show less

“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
― Stephen King, The Body

The first in Enid Blyton's most famous series. The Famous Five, Julian, George, Dick, Anne and the dog Tim have shared their adventures with generations of children all over the world. Despised by stuffy grown-up critics for not being high literature, these books are nevertheless beloved by hundreds of millions of children. And it's easy to see why. There is action and adventure, but we care because we like the children, their friendship and the team they form together. Without deep psychological descriptions, Blyton is nevertheless good about making them seem individuals with their own distinctive personality, and show more about making readers love their freedom to roam around without adult supervision and their knack for having fun and getting into adventures.

Although this went completely over my head when I read it as a child, it obviously reflects some of the values and attitudes of the time it was written (this first one in 1942). Therefore boys are supposed to be strong and daring while girls are supposed to be feminine and in need of protection. Of course, then we have George, Georgina really, the tomboy who does not want to be a girl and who is "as good as any boy". There's nothing really offensive or controversial in these books, but attitudes have changed so much that some details may seem weird to a modern audience.

Many of the Famous Five books represent Blyton at the height of her powers, although I also had a weakness for another series (the Adventure series), where the adventures tended to be more dangerous or exciting.

In any case, this one is special, because it introduces the characters that will accompany us throughout the series, and it makes a good job of it.

Like what happened to me when reading the Harry Potter books, these books have two complementary sources of pleasure for me: the character/setting work and the adventure itself. The adventure provides the excitement, but I would not want it to start right away. The character/setting work is at least as important. I would not care about the action if I didn't care about the characters, and the setting is enjoyable on its own and it's necessary to establish the mood of the story and to give individual flavor to what could become too formulaic adventures.

The character work here is excellent. Yes, this is not Hamlet, but you can't ask more from a children's adventure series: I feel like I know each of the individual characters and I understand how they are likely to react in every situation. And they are likable. That's one of the things that makes Blyton stand above her peers.

Unlike later books where the friendship between the characters is taken for granted, here Julian, Dick and Anne have to befriend George, and it's not easy because she is fiercely independent and moody, used to be on her own. The patience and kindness the other children show and how they quickly get to understand her is a pleasure of this first entry in the series. And what child doesn't love how scary Uncle Quentin is, with his fierce moods and his absent-mindedness.

Random thoughts (with spoiler tags):

While the adventure is perfectly adequate and exciting, it does depend on the incredible coincidence of the wreck being thrown up precisely when the children are there. Also, there are a couple of moments when the children act weirdly because the plot requires it. For example, the rationale for making a copy of the map and leaving the original in the box that Uncle Quentin has confiscated, instead of just taking it, is rather weak. The plot required them to do this, though, because otherwise the bad guys wouldn't have learnt where the gold was. Another example is when the children try to block the door of the dungeons to prevent the escape of the bad guys. It's mentioned that they are not strong enough to carry big stones, so they just place three smaller ones and then go to the well to wait for Dick. However, they could have used that time more productively by carrying more small stones so that the total weight is enough to trap the bad guys. It was necessary to let the bad guys get out of the dungeon, though, to make the children's escape from the island more exciting. show less

I can't believe I've never read this before. I liked it now, but had I read it as a child, I would've probably been obsessed with it. I liked the story and the children, especially George. It reminded me of Harry Potter in a way: the adults don't belive the children, the children wanting to prevent the theft, secret tunnels and rooms... Yeah, Philosopher's Stone.

I kinda miss being a kid. 4.5/5

Julian, Dick, and Anne’s parents send them to spend their summer holidays with their Uncle Quentin, their Aunt Fanny, and their cousin Georgina, who prefers to be called George. As an only child, George is used to doing as she pleases without regard to others, but her cheerful cousins soon win her over. She lets her cousins in on her biggest secrets – her dog, Tim, who stays with a fishing family because her parents won’t allow him in her house, and Kirrin Island. The island belongs to George’s mother, but her mother told her that it should be hers. As the title suggests, there may be hidden treasure on the island, and the children are determined to find it. The hunt is a greater adventure than they had imagined.

I wish I had show more discovered this series as a child. How I would have loved it! This adult reader marveled at the freedom the children enjoyed at 10, 11, and 12. The adults in the story had no qualms about allowing the children to row to the island alone and to spend the night there alone. It’s unlikely that today’s children would enjoy the same freedom. show less

An enjoyable reread of a book I hadn't come back to since I was a child. Interesting reading George's adamance to be named and treated as a boy with modern eyes - is this a trans story? Is this a problem with sexism, where she only doesn't want to be a girl because girls are Rubbish and Can't Do Things? Beyond that, this is a fun story of children saving the day by finding hidden treasure, so long as you don't think about it too hard when they are climbing on a rope above a drop of hundreds and hundreds of feet...

Also of note for the heavy handed moral that 'things are much more fun if you share them, and it's good to learn to be nice to people and have friends'

After finishing a rather emotionally taxing suspense novel, I needed a palate cleanser. Usually I turn to children's literature after reading harsh adult fiction. My brain needed something happy and sweet. Recently, I heard about the Famous Five series, a popular series of British books about the adventures of 4 kids and their dog. It sounded like just the thing....so I found a copy of the first book on Open Library. So glad I did! What a delightful and fun book!

The basics....Julian, Dick and Anne are disappointed when they can't go to their favorite place for a holiday. But the trio become excited when they learn they are going to stay with their aunt and uncle, plus their cousin Georgina (who demands to be called George). The kids show more happily travel to Kirrin Bay to meet their cousin for the first time and spend the summer having adventures....including searching for lost gold!

I loved this story! George is my favorite character. She doesn't want to be a girl and play with dolls. She wants to have short hair, wear comfortable boys clothes and romp outside having adventures with her dog. Both sets of parents seemed almost totally unlikable for me though. George's father is a domineering ass and her mother seems weak willed. I guess you'd have to be to live with an ass. Julian, Dick and Anne's parents seem to not be very concerned with their kids. The 3 kids attend boarding school most of the year. Then when they do come home for summer break, their parents decide to go to Scotland without them and dump the kids at their uncle's house to spend the summer with a cousin they've never even met. The kids don't seem to mind....they want holiday adventures on their own. Their parents seem totally flighty though. Uninvolved. Better than being a helicopter parent, I guess. Luckily, despite a bit of danger, the kids had a great time and ended the summer all in one piece.

There are 21 books in the Famous Five series. The series was written from 1942-1963. I really enjoyed this first book. I'm going to read more of the series. It was a nice palate cleanser....a quick, enjoyable read about kids having fun, adventure, and some mystery for the summer! show less

Julian, Dick, and Anne are disappointed when their parents announce plans to vacation alone in Scotland. The children quickly change their tune when they learn that they will be spending the summer at their aunt and uncle’s house on the coast with their cousin George (Don’t ever call her Georgina) and her dog, Timmy. What follows is a glorious summer of swimming, canoeing, and exploring George’s private island.

I’ve heard of Enid Blyton but I’ve never read any of her books before. I don’t know if she wasn’t as popular in the US in general or if my library simply didn’t have her books. Either way, I feel a bit deprived. I would have loved this book as a child!

As an adult who is more than willing to read a book for any age show more group, I still enjoyed it but I wish I were coming to it with a child’s innocence. Now, I find it astounding that George’s parents are like, “You want to spend a couple of nights on an island by yourselves, children? Here are your sandwiches.” I wonder what has caused that cultural shift? Smaller families and more time to worry about each child? Higher crime rates? It’s just something to ponder.

Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and Timmy are a fun little crew and their explorations feel like the stuff of childhood dreams. Anne, the youngest, is slightly timid; Dick and George are maybe a little too brave; and Julian seems to be the level-headed one. Timmy is just excited to be around his beloved pals.

If you’re looking to re-capture some childhood innocence or want to share some nostalgia with the children in your life, give this book a try. I smiled my way through it, reliving my own small summer adventures. show less