Like most kids before the digital world took over, I grew up with Enid Blyton books. My mother thought the late Enid Blyton's books were sufficiently interesting despite having out-dated sets of rules by my time. She started me on the younger children's books like The Three Golliwogs, Amelia Jane, etc before progressing to the older children's books as I grew into a teen.
So, when I came across an article that said the Famous Five books are worth a small fortune now, I was naturally curious to read the books again. Just to see what the fuss is all about, to look at them with an adult's eye, so to speak.
What I found after reading the entire twenty-one books in a month was interesting. The series had inconsistencies. We were told, in the first book "Five on Treasure Island", that George lives in Kirrin Cottage, and that her mother had given Kirrin Island to George. It had belonged to her mother's side of family for decades if not centuries. We were not told, in the first book, what George's last name was, but we could safely conclude that George's mother's last name was Kirrin (Kirrin Cottage and Kirrin Island had belonged to the Kirrins since time memorial).
Before I proceed any further, it must be stated that Enid Blyton published one Famous Five book a year, which made the entire series a twenty-one-year effort.
Perhaps it was because of that very fact, and maybe Enid Blyton was getting on in years, about ten or so books down the line Enid Blyton suddenly mentioned that it was George's father who gave Kirrin Island to George, that Kirrin Island had belonged to her father's side of family. And, *drum roll*, George's father became a Mr Kirrin.
Move forward another eight or so books later, it went back to George's mother who gave Kirrin Island to George, that it had belonged to her mother's side of family from day one. However, George's father was still a Mr Kirrin, and Julian, Dick and Anne were now referred to as the Kirrins too.
What gives?? The man takes the family name of the wife after marriage and his brother (Julian, Dick and Anne's father) followed suit?? Or had Enid Blyton lost track of who the original Kirrin descendant was, considering the series took over two decades?
And is it because of these inconsistencies that the Famous Five series is worth a small fortune now? Like currency notes and coins which have defects?
