Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a secret treasure, 12 Feb 2004
I doubt whether Enid Blyton books are read much these days, or are even marketed. Shame because Secret Island is one of the best books ever written for children. The Famous Five, the Secret Seven, go down in history as Blyton's legacy, yet this book and the series it lead to, is largely forgotten. Adventure, self suffiency, independence are all developed to the fore; you are there, you feel, it's a summer holiday that means something. It's a simple tale of four kids and a cow (!) running away from wicked guardian aunts and uncles to a deserted lake island and fashioning their own survival - there's a few survival tips thrown in for good measure too. Yes maybe it's a little dated now, but aren't most of the greatest children's books ever written? For sure it retains an absolute charm and a resonance that chimes. Perhaps children's tastes are much more sophisticated in the 21st century but Blyton still has the touch to teach the Potter fans about the real world beyond fantasy. As for where you find the Blyton books outside of the aforementioned more "famous" series, you'll be hard pushed to find any high street bookseller that chooses to grace their shelves with the Secret series. So here's your chance. 8 -14? Give it a go. Older? Buy it for your kids and then remind yourself. A great story from the most inspired writer of her time.
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Childhood independence, 26 Sep 2004
By A Customer
Having read a review by a previous reader I felt compelled to write my own review. As an only child I was a compulsive reader, spent most of my pocket money on books, adored Enid Blyton and, when the time came to leave home and for me to "rationlise" my worldly goods, in a fit of wanting others to have as much enjoyment out of books as I had had, gave the majority of my books away to younger cousins - Famous Five, Secret Seven (whole series of both), Flambards, Noel Streatfield and many others. However, I could not part from The Secret Island - my daughter now has it and also loves Enid Blyton. Of all her books this one I read so many times it is almost falling apart - that mixture of incredible adventure, strong childhood friendship, sticking together against all odds, grown ups who do not understand you, living your life the way you want it rather than in a way that is imposed upon you ... and .... on a secret island - what bliss!There has to be some mystery in life, some escapism, where you can simply just enjoy rather than constantly adhering to political correctness, or to what is expected of you in society. Read it, escape into it, let your imagination roam, read it for yourself, to your children and let them read it. Simply wonderful.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best Enid Blyton books, 16 Oct 2002
By A Customer
This is the first of the Enid Blyton "Secret" series.
When Mike, Peggy and Nora's parents disappear in a plane crash they are sent to live with their cruel Aunt and Uncle. With the help of a resourceful friend called Jack, they escape to a secret island where they live together, successfully evading discovery until they're reunited with their parents. Although dated, this is still a very exciting story if you're about seven. It's fine for confident readers, and the chapters are a prefect length for bedtime reading. I enjoyed it as much now as when I was a child!
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