Books reviewed this week are Nadia Cohen’s The Real Enid Blyton and a review I wrote for Goodreads which links nicely to the biography of Enid Blyton sent to me for review by NetGalley.
Nadia Cohen The Real Enid Blyton Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History 30 Oct 2022.
Thank you Net Galley and Pen & Sword for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
I was pleased to receive this book for review, even though I am reasonably familiar with the story of this prolific writer who won children’s, if not adults’, hearts with her amazing output. Mysteries to be solved by children; magical and imaginative adventures in a wishing chair or faraway tree; school sagas; reinterpretation of bible and classical stories; and a host of appealing and unappealing toy characters whose behaviour covers a wide gamut of naughtiness, moral strength and comic moments were a source of great reading for many children.
Nadia Cohen’s story of Blyton’s writing, covering so many examples of the fiction, is an engaging read. It is here that one of the strengths of the biography lies. Too often the writer’s story seems to be told without much attention to the fiction written. Cohen deftly weaves the story of a writer with character flaws together with appealing insights into the work she produced. See Books: Reviews.
Malory Towers – an antidote to completing a PhD.*
A friend mentioned this series as an antidote to finishing her PhD, and I realised I’d not read the books. I was thrilled to find something for a slightly older reader than my previous Enid Blyton reads, The Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair; and a school story rather than the adventures in The Famous Five etc.
The girls of Malory Towers are great fun, all have some faults, most have really positive features. There is the occasional girl whom we think will never adjust her negative behaviour and will provide a focus for ‘the nasty girl’ throughout the series. The ‘nasty’ girl in this collection managed to redeem herself in the third book – a satisfying outcome.
The series provides the young reader with a range of characters with whom to identify, none perfect, all human, and most ready to follow Blyton’s excellent suggestions for becoming thoughtful, smart young women.
Friendships, and the evolution of these into worthwhile relationships is an important theme. Newcomer, Darrell, is keen to follow a very bright sparky girl initially, but finds enduring friendship in a calmer girl. Friendships are explored well in this series, the perceived shortcomings of some girls being questioned and then, through events understood and reevaluated. See Books: Reviews for the complete review.
*My antidote is reading an Agatha Christie! See Further Commentary and Articles about Authors and Books for articles on Agatha Christie. Of particular interest is the racism, classism, and sexism apparent in the Christie books which are also part of the criticism of Enid Blyton in the review above. See Books: Reviews
After Covid report: Cindy Lou review of Braddon Merchant, Braddon; Bob McMullan, US Senate prospects at November 1.
Covid in Canberra
There were 731 new cases recorded this week, bringing the totla number of Covid cases in Canberra since March 2020 to 208,495.
Forty-three people are in hospital with Covid, with one person in ICU.
Vaccinations of three doses for people over sixteen is at 78.4%, with 61.1% of people over fifty having received four doses.
Cindy Lou eats out in Canberra
Fortunately, I managed to get out to dinner before succumbing to a dreadful virus – not Covid, according to the RAT – which has resulted in home cooked meals, and shortened blogs for this period.
This is the second time I have been to Braddon Merchant, and this time was as enjoyable as on the first occasion. The restaurant provides a three-course set menu, with choices within each course. A friendly and well-informed wait person gave us the very welcome information that the variety of the menu can be enjoyed, at the same time as limiting the amount of food to be consumed. Sharing an entree and a dessert, while ordering an individual main course (thus ordering two instead of three courses) is an excellent idea. We chose to do this on this occasion.
The seating is comfortable, the ambience is pleasant, and the staff really nice to deal with. Most importantly, the food is delicious.
Entree and sides – zucchini flowers, polenta chips and tomato salad
Fish main course
Cauliflower main course – plenty of delicious sauce this time, an improvement on the Perth example of a roasted cauliflower dish.
Delicious dessert – large enough for sharing
Bob McMullan
US Senate prospects at 1 November
It is now exactly one week until the mid-term elections
In the Senate what was a quite promising scenario is looking increasingly difficult for the Democrats, although not yet impossible.
The interesting tension in the key races appears to be between a likely voting cohort who slightly favour Republicans, driven by economic concerns, and a suite of Republican candidates who seem capable of losing even in these positive times for Republicans.
The number of states in which the result of the senate election appears still to be in doubt has slimmed down. Unless the polling is wildly and consistently wrong, Colorado now appears safe for Democrats, while Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin are probably going to the Republicans.
This leaves six in doubt. Of these the Democrats need to win four to retain the 50/50 split which has enabled the Vice President to cast the deciding vote on key measures over the last two years.
These six states are:
Arizona; Georgia; Nevada; New Hampshire; Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Democrats are currently leading in three of these states according to the RCP polling averages, and in four according to 538 polling averages.
Arizona: RCP has Democrat, Mark Kelly ahead by2.3% while 538 has him ahead by 3.
Georgia: RCP has Republican Herschel Walker ahead by 1.6% while 538 has
Raphael Warnock, the Democrat ahead by 1.2%.
Nevada: Both polling averages have Laxalt, the Republican ahead by
betweem0.2% and 1.3%.
New Hampshire: Both averages have Democrat Maggie Hassan ahead by 2-3%.
Ohio: Both averages have JD Vance, the Republican ahead by about 2%.
Pennsylvania: Both averages have John Fetterman, the Democrat ahead by just over 1%.
If the averages prove to be correct the Republicans would gain one seat (Nevada) and the Democrats would gain one (Pennsylvania) with a run-off election in January in Georgia which would determine the balance in the Senate.
The late trends seem to be slightly favoring the Republicans, but what appears to be a high voter turn-out in early voting probably benefits the Democrats.
On balance, I will be watching the results come in next Wednesday (Australian time) with the usual mixture of hope and apprehension.
Robin's Room 