The Magnificent Five is a series of children's detective books by English writer Enid Blyton . The first book in the series, entitled The Secret of Treasure Island ( Eng. Five on a Treasure Island ), was published in 1942 . Initially, Blyton intended to publish no more than eight books from the series, but, thanks to the great commercial success of The Magnificent Five, 21 books were released from the pen of the writer. By the end of 1953, more than 6 million copies of books had been sold. Currently, more than two million books are sold annually in the world, which makes it one of the best-selling children's book series [1] .
Content
Story
Two brothers and a sister - Julian, Dick and Ann - often come to the Kirrin Cottage for a vacation to their cousin George and participate in the disclosure of secrets, leading their own detective investigations, in which Timmy helps them - George's faithful dog. They also go on adventures in other situations, for example, when they go hiking or visiting a farm. They often manage to help the police catch smugglers, counterfeiters, black market dealers and other criminals.
Characters
- George (Georgina) Kirrin is a girl who wants to look like a boy and therefore prefers the name George. Short-haired, usually dressed in boyish clothes, because of what she is constantly confused with the boy. Very passionate and capricious, but at the same time for loved ones is always a faithful friend. Cousin Julian, Dick and Ann.
- Dick Kirrin - has an excellent sense of humor and a rather gentle nature. Is the same age as George, but at the same time a year younger than his brother Julian and older than his sister Ann.
- Julian Kirrin - the oldest of the five. Cousin George and older brother Dick and Ann. Tall, strong and sensible. Due to the high intelligence, is a leader in the group.
- Ann Kirrin is the youngest of the top five, which often causes trouble to others. Pretty shy. Prefers to avoid adventures and dangers.
- Timothy (Tim, Timmy) - George the devoted and intelligent dog.
Books by Enid Blyton
From 1942 to 1963, Enid Blyton published 21 books from the “Magnificent Five” series. In Russia, they were released in the 90s by Top Secret in the Children's Detective series. Later many books were reprinted several times, because of what happened that the same books had different names.
The list of books in the series, in parentheses are alternative names for other publications [2] :
- Five on a Treasure Island ( 1942 ) - The Secret of Treasure Island
- Five Go Adventuring Again ( 1943 ) - New Adventures of the Magnificent Five ( The Mystery of the Gems )
- Five Run Away Together ( 1944 ) - The Mystery of the Old Dungeon ( The Mystery of the Old Ship , The Mystery of the Old Suitcase )
- Five Go To Smuggler's Top ( 1945 ) - The Secret of the Smuggler's Peak ( The Secret of the Smuggler's Top , The Secret of the Misty Swamps )
- Five Go Off In A Caravan ( 1946 ) - The Mystery of a Roaming Circus ( The Mystery of the Dark Clown )
- Five On Kirrin Island Again ( 1947 ) - The Secret of the Secret Laboratory ( The Secret of the Glass Room )
- Five Go Off To Camp ( 1948 ) - The Mystery of the Ghost Train
- Five Get Into Trouble ( 1949 ) - The Secret of the Owl Hill ( The Secret of the Owl's Nest )
- Five Fall Into Adventure ( 1950 ) - The Mystery of the Red Thief ( The Mystery of Two Notebooks )
- Five On A Hike Together ( 1951 ) - The Mystery of a Dark Lake
- Five Have A Wonderful Time ( 1952 ) - The Mystery of the Ruined Castle ( The Mystery of the Fire Eater )
- Five Go Down To The Sea ( 1953 ) - The Secret Of The Coastal Cliffs ( The Secret Of The Shoreline Skeleton )
- Five Go To Mystery Moor ( 1954 ) - The Mystery of the Gypsy Camp
- Five Have Plenty Of Fun ( 1955 ) - The Mystery of a Silver Limousine ( The Mystery of a Girl with a Poodle )
- Five On A Secret Trail ( 1956 ) - The Secret of the Tangled Trail
- Five Go To Billycock Hill ( 1957 ) - The Mystery of Billicock Hill
- Five Get Into A Fix ( 1958 ) - The Mystery of the Glowing Mountain
- Five On Finniston Farm ( 1960 ) - The Mystery of the Underground Corridor
- Five Go To Demon's Rocks ( 1961 ) - The Mystery of the Underwater Cave ( The Mystery of the Pirates )
- Five Have A Mystery To Solve ( 1962 ) - The Secret of the Golden Statues
- Five Are Together Again ( 1963 ) - The Mystery of the Golden Clock
Other authors
- Since 1971, the French writer Claude Voile ( fr. Claude Voilier ) continued the series “The Magnificent Five” with the same protagonists. They were released 24 books, but the series no longer enjoyed the popularity that the original. Since 2004, the German writer Sarah Bosse began working on the series, but her work has not yet been translated into English and other languages.
- In the book of John Lennon In His Own Write there is a parody of the "Magnificent Five" entitled The Famous Five Through The Woenow Abbey [3] (in Russian translation - "The Magnificent Five in the Miserable Abbey" [4] ).
See also
- Five young detectives and faithful dog
Notes
- ↑ Compiled ranking of the best children's books: "The Chronicles of Narnia" bypassed Harry Potter , Newsru.com (February 22, 2008).
- ↑ Enid Blyton: Series: "The Magnificent Five" . Archived March 27, 2012.
- ↑ http://thebeatles2006.narod.ru/OWNWRITE.TXT
- ↑ Magnificent Five in the Miserable Abbey