Hi ForeverBookers,
How are you all doing? I hope you’re well!
I’ve just finished “The Famous Five, Five Go Adventuring Again” by Enid Blyton and I LOVED it! “The Famous Five” is a middle grade series, that was written in the early 1940’s. It therefore might have some problematic elements that we don’t see in today’s society so much. This book is the second in the series. I read “Five Go To Treasure Island” (#1) last year and I really loved that one too, so I expected to at least like this.
5 Stars!
The basic plot for “Five Go Adventuring Again” is that the Famous Five (Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog) all come home for the Christmas holidays. Julian, Dick and Anne are siblings and they’re meant to go home with their parents but Anne gets a letter saying that her mother has scarlet fever, so they’re to be sent to their cousin George’s home at Kirrin Cottage, where the first book took place. They go to a boarding school - the girls to a girls school and the boys to a boys school, as this is set in the 1940’s. Timmy goes with George (who is a girl, just a tomboy. (She hates her full name Georgina) EVERYWHERE! If she doesn’t have Tim, as he’s referred to throughout the story, she’s not happy. Quentin, George’s strict father wants her to have tutoring over the Christmas break, and the boys need it too so Mr Roland, an obtuse, weird man becomes said tutor at Quentin’s recommendation. There’s a central mystery to the plot too, that I’ll get onto in the spoiler section below. The adventure of the book is all held up around that mystery.
I read this for Reading Rivalry - A book featuring animals - Timmy, the dog is the animal and he plays quite a pivotal role in the plot!
Spoilers Below…
“It was the last week of the Christmas term, and all the girls at Gaylards School were looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Anne sat down at the breakfast-table and picked up a letter addressed to her.
“Hallo, look at this!” she said to her cousin Georgina, who was sitting beside her. “A letter from Daddy — and I only had one from him and Mummy yesterday.”
“I hope it’s not bad news,” said George. She would not allow anyone to call her Georgina, and now even the mistresses called her George. She was very like a boy with her short curly hair, and her boyish ways. She looked anxiously at Anne as her cousin read the letter.
“Oh, George — we can’t go home for the holidays!”
We’re at once introduced to Anne and George who are at school, waiting for the Christmas holidays to begin! Anne, the youngest of the children in the Famous Five is upset because her mother is sick and they can’t go to her house for the Christmas Holidays, as was the original plan. We’re also reminded that George is boyishly natured. Anne is distressed by the fact that they can’t go to her home, but George suggests that she, Julian and Dick, Anne’s brothers come to Kirrin Cottage. Her mother would love to have them again!
When Aunt Fanny, George’s mum comes to collect Anne and George from school she’s proud of George for staying at school. She’d never been to a real school. Before, she was homeschooled. George is worried that her report won’t be very good, however. She wants to please her parents, especially her father, who’s a scientist. She’s worried that he’ll be disappointed in her efforts.
“What a pity,” said Anne, politely, though secretly she thought it was a good thing. It wouldn’t be much fun having Uncle Quentin to play charades and things like that! “Oh, Aunt Fanny, I’m so looking forward to seeing Julian and Dick — and won’t they be pleased to see Tim and George? Aunt Fanny, nobody calls George Georgina at school, not even our form mistress. I was rather hoping they would, because I wanted to see what would happen when she refused to answer to Georgina! George, you liked school, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” said George. “I did. I thought I’d hate being with a lot of others, but it’s fun, after all. But Mother, you won’t find my report very good, I’m afraid. There were such a lot of things I was bad at because I’d never done them before.”
“Well, you’d never been to school before!” said her mother. “I’ll explain it to your father if he gets upset. Now, go along and get ready for a late tea.”
Anne is very sweet and the good girl. George is the rebellious child. She takes after her father in that pursuit, not that Quentin would ever admit it. Julian and Dick come into “Five Go Adventuring Again” in the next chapter.
“The next day the boys came back. Anne and George went to meet them with Timothy. George drove the pony-trap, and Tim sat beside her. Anne could hardly wait for the train to stop at the station. She ran along the platform, looking for Julian and Dick in the carriages that passed.
Then she saw them. They were looking out of a window at the back of the train, waving and yelling.
“Anne! Anne! Here we are! Hallo, George! Oh, there’s Timothy!”
“Julian! Dick!” yelled Anne. Timothy began to bark and leap about. It was most exciting.”
The boys are very happy to be reunited with their sister and cousin. We can tell that this is a historically written story because of the use of the pony-trap, which don’t exist anymore, as well as the expression “it was most exciting,” too. Also the use of “hallo,” is outdated too.
Quentin brings up that the children need a tutor a few pages later. He says it’s to keep the children busy as well as giving them time to catch up on what they missed in term.
“I wish we could have some more exciting adventures. Not a hope of that this time, though.”
“There’s one snag about these hols,” said Julian. “And that’s the tutor. I hear we’ve got to have one because Dick and I missed so much school this term, and we’ve got to take important exams next summer.”
“Yes,” said Anne. “I wonder what he’ll be like. I do hope he will be a sport. Uncle Quentin is going to choose one today.”
Julian and Dick made faces at one another. They felt that any tutor chosen by Uncle Quentin would be anything other than a sport. Uncle Quentin’s idea of a tutor would be someone strict and gloomy and forbidding.
Never mind! He wouldn’t come for a day or two. And he might be fun.”
Dick starts by saying he wants more exciting adventures at Kirrin Cottage, where before, they went to Kirrin Island and had lots of adventures there. However, because the boys have significant exams next summer, they’ll be stuck doing schoolwork, they fear. Anne and George don’t have exams but they’ll still be tutored. George, especially, as she’s Quentin’s child and he wants to set a strict example.
“Next morning the sun was out, all the sea-mist that had hung about for the last two days had disappeared, and Kirrin Island showed plainly at the mouth of Kirrin Bay. The children stared longingly at the ruined castle on it.
“I do wish we could get over to the castle,” said Dick. “It looks quite calm enough, George.”
“It’s very rough by the island,” said George. “It always is at this time of year. I know Mother wouldn’t let us go.”
“It’s a lovely island, and it’s all our own!” said Anne. “You said you would share it with us for ever and ever, didn’t you, George?”
“Yes, I did,” said George. “And so I will, dungeons and all. Come on — we must get the trap out. We shall be late meeting the train if we stand here all day looking at the island.”
Before the children go to meet the tutor that Quentin has chosen, George and the others go out to Kirrin Bay to look at Kirrin Island, the famous island that has belonged to Georges’ family for generations. All they want is to go to the island but because it’s winter, George knows that Fanny would never allow it. Dick especially wants to go! Anne wants reassurances from George that it’s their island, not just hers! George is fine with this! She’ll share it all with her cousins!
“…He was short and burly, and he had a beard rather like a sailor. His eyes were piercingly blue, and his thick hair was sprinkled with grey. He glanced up and down the platform, and then beckoned to the porter.
“That must be Mr Roland,” said Julian to Dick.
“Come on—let’s ask him. There’s no one else it could be.”
The boys went up to the bearded man. “Are you Mr Roland, sir?” he asked.
“I am,” said the man. “I suppose you are Julian and Dick?”
“Yes, sir,” answered the boys together. “We brought the pony-trap for your luggage.”
“Oh, fine,” said Mr Roland. His bright blue eyes looked the boys up and down, and he smiled. Julian and Dick liked him. He seemed sensible and jolly.
“Are the other two here as well?” said Mr Roland, walking down the platform, with the porter trailing behind with his luggage.
“Yes — George and Anne are outside with the trap,” said Julian.
“George and Anne,” said Mr Roland, in a puzzled voice. “I thought the others were girls. I didn’t know there was a third boy.”
“Oh, George is a girl,” said Dick, with a laugh. “Her real name is Georgina.”
“And a very nice name, too,” said Mr Roland.
“George doesn’t think so,” said Julian. “She won’t answer if she’s called Georgina. You’d better call her George, sir!”
“Really?” said Mr Roland, in a rather chilly tone. Julian took a glance at him.
“Not quite so jolly as he looks!” thought the boy.
“Tim’s out there too,” said Dick.
“Oh — and is Tim a boy or a girl?” inquired Mr Roland, cautiously.
“A dog, sir!” said Dick, with a grin.
Mr Roland seemed rather taken aback. “A dog?” he said. “I didn’t know there was a dog in the household. Your uncle said nothing to me about a dog.”
“Don’t you like dogs?” asked Julian, in surprise.
“No,” said Mr Roland, shortly. “But I dare say your dog won’t worry me too much.”
This is where we’re introduced to Mr Roland, the tutor. He seems happy and jolly at first but does this continue, or does he have a dark side? You’ll need to read to find out! Mr Roland doesn’t like dogs, which is the main distaste George has to him at first. This puts them at odds from day one! Mr Roland doesn’t like dogs for a specific reason that I won’t disclose but you’ll work it out if you read the book! The other three children seem to like Mr Roland. Anne is very much the good girl and Julian and Dick like him because he’s male, like them. Timmy, like George, doesn’t like Mr Roland, either. Julian’s thoughts on Mr Roland spiral slightly when he and Dick reveal that Georgina doesn’t like her name and only accepts being called George. Mr Roland doesn’t like this part of George’s persona, either.
“It’s a most exciting cupboard, Mrs Sanders,” said Julian. “I do wish we lived in a house like this, full of secrets!”
“Can we come and play in the cupboard again?” asked George.
“No, I’m afraid you can’t, George,” said Mrs Sanders. “That room where the cupboard is, is the one the two gentlemen are going to have.”
“Oh!” said Julian, disappointed. “Shall you tell them about the sliding back, Mrs Sanders?”
“I don’t expect so,” said the old lady. “It’s only you children that get excited about things like that, bless you. Two gentlemen wouldn’t think twice about it.”
“How funny grown-ups are!” said Anne, puzzled. “I’m quite certain I shall be thrilled to see a sliding panel or trapdoor even when I’m a hundred.”
“Same here,” said Dick. “Could I just go and look into the sliding panel once more, Mrs Sanders? I’ll take the candle.”
Dick never knew why he suddenly wanted to have another look. It was just an idea he had. The others didn’t bother to go with him, for there really was nothing to see behind the panelling except the old stone wall.
…There was nothing at all to be seen. Dick took out his head and put in his arm, stretching along the wall as far as his hand would reach. He was just about to take it back when his fingers found a hold in the wall.
“Funny!” said Dick. “Why should there be a hold in the stone wall just there?”
The children are at Kirrin Farmhouse, an old farmhouse that used to be owned by George’s family, here. Now it’s owned by Mr and Mrs Sanders, an old couple who are nice to the children. George has known them since she was small. They uncover a cupboard that’s full of secrets. Two artists are coming to stay at the farmhouse over the winter and their rooms will have the cupboard in. Julian wants to know if Mrs Sanders will reveal the secrets of the cupboard to the men. She says no, that the secrets only entertain children, the men won’t be at all bothered by the fact that the cupboard has a sliding back. Dick then makes a discovery! What? Will the cupboard be meaningful? You’ll have to read to find out!
The rest of the book is about interactions between Mr Roland and the children, as well as meeting the two artists that stay at Kirrin Farmhouse. I enjoyed each interaction between the children and Mr Roland because as a child I watched the 1990’s TV show of “The Famous Five,” where Vernon Dobtcheff played him very well. Jemima Roper, George, also played her role as George well in this episode. She comes across as very spoilt and annoyed at everything Mr Roland does, which works well as that’s just how George comes across in the book. The novel goes further, too, I think in that we get more scenes and interaction between the characters. For example the ending, I don’t remember at all from the TV show, but I don’t think it was like it is in the book! I also don’t remember the part where Julian discovers Mr Roland’s antics in the TV show, either.
“…Suddenly he heard the sound of voices and stopped. A big gorse bush lay to the right and the voices came from there. The boy went nearer to the bush. He heard his tutor’s voice, talking in low tones. He could not hear a word that was said.
“Whoever can he be talking to?” he wondered. He crept up closer to the bush. There was a hollow space inside. Julian thought he could creep right into it, though it would be very prickly, and peer out of the other side. Carefully the boy crept into the prickly hollow, where the branches were bare and brown.
He parted the prickly branches slowly and cautiously — and to his amazement he saw Mr Roland talking to the two artists from Kirrin Farmhouse — Mr Thomas and Mr Wilton! So George was right. The tutor had met them — and, as Julian watched, Mr Roland handed over to Mr Thomas a doubled up sheaf of papers.
“They look just like the pages from Uncle Quentin’s book,” said Julian to himself. “I say — this is mighty strange. It does begin to look like a plot.”
Julian sneaks out to follow Mr Roland just to see what he’s up to because George has been punished by her father for acting naughtily, again. Julian goes to see her to get information before he goes out into the snow to find Mr Roland. And it’s a good thing he does. This is where it’s revealed that Mr Roland is evil, along with the artists. Mr Roland apparently didn’t know the artists. Of course, he was lying. It’s only revealed after half way through, or so what Mr Roland and the artists are after. I won’t spoil it any further but the plot is good! Do they get away with it? Or do the children save the day? You’ll need to read to find out for yourself!
Lastly, I don’t remember the show being set in the winter for this episode, which the book clearly is as Christmas is discussed. Mr Roland gets a Christmas Tree for the children, when he’s being nice to them! The snow helps the children in the end? How? You’ll have to read the book for yourself to find out!
Overall, then I loved reading Five Go Adventuring Again. I liked how vague the title was as well. Many of the other titles to the Famous Five books give at least a little of the plot away, For example, in “Five On A Treasure Island” we know the characters are going to “Treasure Island,” and “Five Go to Smugglers Top,” we know that they go to “Smugglers Top,” although not why, I’ll leave that reveal for that review.
For my next book, I think I’m going to read a summery book! You’ll have to wait and see which book it is…
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