Recently BBC 4 showed the Film 'Enid', a story of the life of this renowned childrens author. We didn't have access to BBC4, but a friend taped it for us and we watched it last night.
As with all films of this type - generally called biopics I believe , I really do not know just how accurate a portrayal this was, and at the beginning they did state that some scenes were fictional. However from what I have read I believe the essential facts are accurate. It made an interesting viewing, and I hope that it is shown soon on a more mainstream channel such as BBC 2. Helena Bonham Carter did in my opinion make superb Enid, I thought bringing out a side of her that I could feel some sympathy with, whilst simultaneously finding many of her actions quite unpleasant.
I took away from this film the feeling that Enid Blyton was a little girl that never really grew up from the time her father left home and who took refuge in a fantasy land, which both coloured her life and enabled her to write books that children - myself as a child included - found thoroughly exciting and escapist. She did, as she said, understand want children wanted, and gave it to them (us) in vast quantites. However this was to the exclusion of her own children. Enid was indeed a very complex character.
Couldn't agree more Heather. I also think she was very much a "business woman" too. The comment she made about getting her books published during the war with 6 different publishers who each had their own paper allocation and thus meant that more copies of her books got printed/published was a real eye-opener on that front!
ReplyDeleteJust to say I've only just found your blog and want to wish you all the best now you have re-located.
ReplyDeleteMargaret P
Thanks Margaret. However I only launched the blog today - so you found it pretty quickly! Heather
ReplyDeleteAnnette - Yes, I was amazed at her total disregard for the conservation of paper for the 'war effort' - although her interest in world war 2 appeared to be that it was a minor inconvenience to her life. Enid was certainly a lady who knew what she wanted and how to get it, but I don't imagine it won her many friends. However she obviously thought her work was very important to children, as it was in fairness, and in her mind this took priority over war time activities.
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