Five Go Off in a Caravan - Enid Blyton

Published as an audiobook by Hodder Children's Books, 2013.
Narrated by Jan Francis.
Book 5 in 'The Famous Five' series. Preceded by 'Five Go To Smuggler's Top.' Followed by 'Five on Kirrin Island Again.'
Originally published 1946.

Done with Paddington for now, this became our next 'dishes audiobook', and our first Famous Five book in two years (wow, time flies)!

Five Go Off in a Caravan is a simple set-up, with the four kids and Timmy - wait for it - going off in a caravan together for a holiday (what a surprise!), yet the story surprised us by introducing some quite intense elements, even for a story in this series! Making friends with a boy - Nobby - who has grown up in the circus, our heroes must deal with Nobby's evil 'relative' Uncle Dan, as well as Dan's associate Lou. Dan and Lou are extremely unpleasant, both in appearance (this book does continue the unfortunate habit of having the kids decide the villains are evil based on appearance before anything has actually happened) and in behaviour; if this book was written today it would probably have trigger warnings for child abuse, violence and cruelty towards animals!

Yet the story is actually quite sweet overall - aside from all the violence! Nobby is a lonely boy, whose only friends are his two trained dogs, Barker and Growler, as well as Pongo, the mischievous circus chimpanzee, who plays quite a large role in the plot. Being befriended by our heroes, Nobby comes out of his shell a little, begins to realise he is worth more than his 'Uncle' may suggest, and ends up in a much better position at the end of the story than at the beginning!

There are, as per the norm, secret tunnels, criminal activities, mysteries and multiple cliffhangers to contend with, and Anne even becomes a little self-aware by grumbling that she would prefer a holiday without any mysteries to solve. Yet, eventually she is just as caught up in the mystery as the others.

Quite a decent, if occasionally straight-forward and definitely of-another-time entry in the series, with the ever-reliable narration of Jan Francis continuing to add the right tone to the story.

Completed with Elise, 3 November 2024.



(Elise Books)



(Famous Five Series)

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