The Enchanted Wood: 1 (The Magic Faraway Tree)

Product Information

Many magical folk live in the woods and up the tree, but at the very top of the tree is a ladder through the clouds to a magical land. I’m pretty sure Millie would like us to work through the whole series, so maybe it will grow on me, I’m certainly happy to give it a chance. At first, Connie refuses to believe in the Faraway Tree or the magical folk who live in it, even when the Angry Pixie throws ink at her and when Dame Washalot soaks her. Sometimes its top braches may be in Witchland, sometimes in lovely countries, sometimes in peculiar places that no one has ever heard of. If you pay attention reading this book (published 1939) you will see a good number of ideas re-used later by authors such as Roald Dahl and JK Rowling.

There was a small gate at the bottom of their back garden that led into the overgrown lane running by the wood. Still, the loveliness of the era remains, a time when children would leave the house for the day and you wouldn't worry that someone had snatched them, innocent and magical. They were so tired that they could do nothing but drink hot milk, eat a few biscuits, and tumble into their roughly-made beds. Three children living near an enchanted wood discover an enormous tree peopled with fairy folk, at the very top of which is a ladder that leads to a different magical land every few days. Watzisname 'pummelling them as if he were beating carpets' and the Saucepan Man throwing his saucepans at them.And each child secretly thought the same thought—"I shall go and explore the Enchanted Wood as soon as ever I can! Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. I do understand that the repetitive and predictable features of The Enchanted Wood are the kind of thing kids love, and considering its perennial popularity, it’s fair to say that Enid Blyton was a genius in her own way.

The author has been labeled a sexist, homophobe and racist and many changes have been made to her book.The context that we can place this in though is that we are still in the Great Depression (there were not many jobs around) and the world was on the brink of war. She was fairly shameless about incorporating things that they would like - a visit to the Land of Birthdays, where the characters had the Most Fun Party Ever, was the capstone. My love for this book goes beyond words and deep inside, i guess it'll always be my favourite novel seeing that it was the first one I read.

Now of course I had never forgotten the likes of Moonface and Silky, or Dame Washalot for that matter. Finally, Fanny is now Franny, and I can understand why they made this change, for very obvious reasons and so it was probably the best course of action. So even though her narratives don't much appeal to people of older generation, for the kids, they are nothing but brilliant.It has the imagination and innocence present in few story books today, and that is much needed to foster the imagination in a little kid’s mind.