Magic Faraway Tree - Enid Blyton > Reviews (1)

I grew up with a healthy addiction to Enid Blyton's children's books, devouring every single one of her series' including Mallory Towers, The Twins at St Clare's, The Secret Seven and the magical tales of the Faraway Tree. So when I noticed 'The Magic Faraway Tree' was only a few pounds on Amazon, I decided to use my vouchers to get a blast from the past and, despite my 29 years, I wasn't disappointed!

The Faraway Tree series of books tells the tale of two young sisters and their older brother who move, against their wishes, from the hustle and bustle of the city to a sleepy house in the country. They feel that life there will be very dull, until that is, they discover the Enchanted Forest and its magical and mystical inhabitants. At the centre of the forest stands the Faraway Tree, which reaches up into the clouds and is home to a variety of strange folk including Moon Face, Silky, Watzisname and Saucepan Man. The fun doesn't end there though, because there is always a magical land at the top of the tree, which changes on a irregular basis and a trip to the top can land you in anything from the Land of Birthdays to the Land of Tempers.

This particular book is the second in the series and was originally printed in 1947, although the copy I have was published in 2007. The story as a whole has changed very little from what I remember as a child, although there are a few little tweaks that have brought it into the 21st century. The most notable of which, is the changing of the children's visiting cousin's name from Dick to Rick. Aside from that there are plenty of 'wows' that were once 'oh goshes' and 'cools' that were once 'simply wonderfuls'!

None of this though takes away from the magic of the story, which will still awaken a child's (even a 29 year-old one's) imagination and carry them off into a land more traditional but equally as fun as Harry Potter's. Whilst JK Rowling may have captured the imagination of the youth of today, The Magic Faraway Tree is a perfect example of why Enid Blyton's books can still be found on bookshelves everywhere, more than half a century after she wrote them.

There are traditional themes and tales of morality running through the story that will warm the heart-strings; sibling's looking out for one another, children being rewarded for completing chores and strong friendships being built in the most unlikely of situations. The story is from a time when people had much more respect for each other and this is apparent throughout the story. In fact it adds to the pleasure of it; The Magic Faraway Tree does really allow you to escape to both a more exciting place and a more pleasant time.

Overall, I would think the story would make excellent bedtime reading - it's a story that will entertain the young, whilst reminding the parent what it was like 'in their day'! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a little piece of harmless fun and to those who, against all the odds, still believe in magic!

Published by: Egmont UK Ltd in 2007
Pages: 210
ISBN: 978 1 4052 3028 5