I watched a TV movie about Enid Blyton this weekend. And I'm crushed.
The Wishing Chair, and The Faraway Tree were the first 'novels' I ever read. And whenever I think of them I get all nostalgic and mushy in my belly. I borrowed every single Enid Blyton book I could find from my local library after reading them. I became obsessed. Because they whisked me away into worlds I'll never ever forget.
But you know why I'm crushed? Because this GENIUS author, who I idolized, and respected, this author who had written over 400 books for children, who was the J.K Rowling of my time, and sold over 500 million copies (and still sells around 4 million every year) ... had children of her own ... and she treated them like dish rags! I'm devastated!
For example, she'd spend her free time replying to fan mail, and send her kids out to play with their governess. She never spent time with them. Ever. She would invite her fans (little kids) over for indoor picnics and tea parties, and not include her own children. She'd send them upstairs to sit in the nursery until the parties were over. She wouldn't let them see their father when they divorced, despite knowing exactly how horrible it was to be without her own. Basically, she was a selfish cow who spent 24 hours a day glued to her desk and didn't give an inch of her time (nor love) to her kids. And I'm SO SAD!
So today I'm mourning the loss of my childhood idol ... I don't think I can ever think of her in the same royal light again.
Have you ever been crushed by biographies of those you admire?
I'm sure there have been people like this who've affected me in this way. But right now, after reading your words, I can't think of any. Honestly, from your description, the only thoughts that come to mind are Children of the Attic. :(
ReplyDeleteNoooooooo! I idolised her too, never knew she had children of her own, and never dreamt she would treat anyone, let alone her own flesh and blood, in this awful way.
ReplyDeleteI'm very disappointed.
Okay, I didn't need to know this. I, too, loved her stories when I was growing up. It's was her Famous Five series that turned me from being a reluctant reader to an avid reader.
ReplyDeleteI'm still in shock! :(
That's terrible! Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. :( It just goes to show that you can never know what a person is really like by what they write. Fiction is fiction and doesn't necessarily reflect the author's attitude or actions.
ReplyDeleteUgh. What an awful woman! I read a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald and was disappointed to learn that he was something of a racist.
ReplyDeleteWe forget the person writing our favorite books had a real life that was often so different from what he or she wrote. And sometimes it wasn't good. Sorry you're so crushed now.
ReplyDeleteOh, so interesting. That's sad. I think we THINK people should reflect their work, but they just don't always do that. Sometimes it is for the better (Stephen King doesn't seem nearly as creepy as his work) but other times, like this, it seems bad.
ReplyDeletethat's crazy!
ReplyDeleteAnd how much does it suck when the glitter on our idols blows away and we can see the tarnish underneath?
UGH! Well, I'm very sorry that your childhood hero sucked as a mom. That stinks. But GAH! Now you've got me all worried I spend too much time on my computer and not with my kids--!!! I mean, it's kind of unavoidable at times... :p *nervously looks around*
ReplyDeleteBut not letting them see their dad or join the tea parties--that's just too much. Even for someone clearly suffering from OCD... <3
That's very sad. It's awful to be disillusioned. Although this post made me feel just a tad bit better about not getting as much work done as I'd sometimes like, but at least I hang out with my kids!
ReplyDeleteOh! She was a terrible person. That's sad her beautiful words came at the expense of her children.
ReplyDeleteShe was also quite racist, even allowing for the time she lived in which was much less equal than our own. I keep meaning to watch that film, Enid Blyton was/is one of my favourite writers of all time.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it shows the dangers of hero worship. Still sad though :(
Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner could be quite cruel in their pursuit of their literary dreams ... which saddened me. On the other hand, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, and Roger Zelazny (3 of my literary heroes), while still being quite human, were great, compassionate souls.
ReplyDeleteThe image of Samuel Clemens playing the piano for his ill wife in the drawing room while she lay in her sick bed (he was barred from her room by the doctor who thought contact with people threatened her fragile health) haunts me. She died as he was playing for her. He used to slip love notes under her door during that time. Doctors sometimes can be cruel.