Five Go Down To The Sea (1953)

Blurb: The Famous Five decide to spend their time at a lonely and desolate farm in Cornwall suggested by Uncle Quentin and encounter Mr Penruthlan. They hear strange stories of the long-ago wrecking business. But lights are still being shone at night directing ships to the rocks. Is there a mystery on the way?


Random thoughts:

The Five are not paying much attention, and the driver needs to look for them and tell them to get out of the train, that they are at their stop. In addition to that, they don't have to worry about luggage, because it's been "sent ahead". I suspect this is just Blyton not wanting to lose time with luggage and logistics.

By now, a favorite expression of Anne is saying that she does not really like adventures (bad luck having such brothers and cousin if you really mean that, Anne!). This time the others agree to steer away from any adventure. We all know how that's going to end up.

After a weak showing in the food department in the previous book, the Five are in good shape again. This time they are going to spend their holidays, as usual with no adult supervision, in a farm in Cornwall. Why? Are they particularly interesting in the scenery? Not quite! They like being near the coast and the lonely natural setting well enough, but what really attracted them was that they have been informed that the owner of the farm serves alarmingly copious meals. She really fattened an absent-minded scientist friend of Uncle Quentin's when he went there to work in peace.

However, they are outshined by Mr. Penruthlan, the farmer, who eats even more savagely than the Five. The children probably will grow up to eat as much as him!

Mr. Penruthlan is another character in this series who speaks in unintelligible grunts. However, we find out that it's only when he doesn't have his artificial teeth on.

By the way, I love that Blyton used misdirection on us again. Mr. Penruthlan seemed guilty. It's good that the mysteries are not as obvious as I had feared at the start of the series. Although I don't know why Mr. Penruthlan needed to lie to his wife about what he was doing.

I loved Clopper the Horse. The boys were uncharacteristically naughty, borrowing it against the owner's wishes. I also liked the Barnies' lifestyle in general. Blyton has a lot of those romantic, nomadic characters.

I liked Yan, even if he was a bit of a pest. He more than compensated for it by saving the Five when they were trapped in the secret passage. A rather scary situation, that one, although the bad guys make a point of saying they'll free them tomorrow. I guess Enid Blyton did not want to make the situation too upsetting for young readers! Speaking of Yan, I love how Timmy sometimes likes people that George doesn't like, and how cross that makes George. Yan0s grandfather was interesting too, although it seems he doesn't feed poor Yan properly. :(

The wreckers... I remember reading this as a child and being astonished at how evil they were, purposefully leading ships to their destruction and causing the death of many people just to see what spoils they could recover on the shore.

There are some lovely scenery descriptions at the beginning, and the adventure is a good one, although I agree with those who say that it's starting to be repetitive. The light signals, the itinerant performers, the secret passages... Still, I'm glad we have so many books in the series. I want more of a good thing.

Julian and Dick are mean by going exploring on their own without telling George :( After telling her it was not a good idea to go with the storm and all, too. To be fair, they make the decision afterwards, when they are in bed and can't go to sleep and the storm has already clown over. Also, it's kind of necessary for the plot that Timmy isn't there, so that they can have the scary encounter with Mr. Penruthlan.

And then the following night the boys go exploring again! Without George making a major row. George is a bit tame in this book, unfortunately. I like fiery George, as good or better than any boy.

Mr. Penruthlan had a nice way of announcing he was giving the Clopper costume to the boys. He obviously had a sense of humor. I would have liked to see the boys doing a Clopper the Horse performance at school.

All in all, a solid but not particularly remarkable entry in the series.


Next up: Five Go to Mystery Moor (Famous Five, #13) ( )

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En esta ocasión, los Cinco van a pasar las vacaciones en la Granja Tremannon, en Cornualles, para ello hacen un trayecto combinado en tren y en bicicleta. Al llegar a la granja, Mrs Pennruthlan les obsequia con una cena principesca. También conocen a Mr Pennruthlan, al que solo entiende lo que dice Mrs Pennruthlan. Los primeros días hacen amistad con un niño asilvestrado llamado Guan, su bisabuelo les cuenta la historia del "camino de los naufragadores", un sendero a través las rocas para saquear los navíos que naufragan atraídos por falsas señales desde la costa. El viejo les dice que las noches de tormenta, aún se enciende la luz en una torre de los acantilados para atraer los barcos a los arrecifes.

Posteriormente llegan a la granja "Los del granero", un grupo de actores ambulantes, que tienen previsto actuar allí, con su espectáculo estrella, el caballo de pantomima Clopper. Sid y Mr Binks son los actores que llevan el caballo, y enseñan a los niños la cabeza de Clopper, que Sid siempre lleva consigo.

La primera noche tormentosa, Julián y Dick salen a buscar la misteriosa luz, y ven atravesando los campos a un hombre que creen que es Mr Pennruthlan. Posteriormente van a explorar la torre de los naufragadores, encontrando rastros de que alguien ha estado allí. Encuentran un pasadizo secreto que conduce a un almacén usado por los antiguos naufragadores, pero descubren que alguien los ha atrapado cerrando la entrada a la cueva. Finalmente son rescatados por Guan, que los lleva a través del camino de los naufragadores que descubren termina en un cobertizo en la Granja Tremannon.

Los niños descubren que Mr Pennruthlan está colaborando con la policía, y que no podían entender lo que decía por no llevar los dientes postizos. Así, le cuentan lo que saben, y Julián que recuerda que el jefe de los del granero estaba actuando de forma misteriosa. Mr Pennruthlan le dice que la policía registrará el equipaje de los actores. Dick, que sospecha que algo raro hay en la cabeza de Clopper, se la lleva a Mr Pennruthlan, que encuentra el paquete de droga de contrabando, la policía atrapa al jefe, y Mrs Pennruthlan los obsequia con una opípara comida.

1970 dustjacket