The O'Sullivan Twins (by Enid Blyton)

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I loved the St Clare’s books by Enid Blyton when I was a child, and reread them regularly as a teenager. So I was delighted to discover in the summer that my seven-year-old granddaughter had discovered them on audio books and was listening to them regularly. At the end of August I re-read ‘The Twins at St Clare’s’, the first in the series, and very much liked the nostalgia as well as the story.

So a couple of days ago I picked up the second in the series, ‘The O’Sullivan Twins’, which I hadn’t read in, probably, thirty years or more. This book is set in Pat and Isabel’s second term at the no-nonsense boarding school. Before the Christmas holidays finish, they learn that their rather fluffy cousin Alison is to join them. They find her a bit annoying as she’s obsessed with her appearance, and likes new clothes. But they think St Clare’s may be very good for her.

There are two other new girls in the First Form: Lucy, who is small and bubbly, and Margery, who’s tall and grumpy. Lucy is very clever at everything other than maths, and brilliant at drawing. She makes friends quickly and is liked by everyone. Margery is quite a contrast: she rejects all overtures of friendship, and is surprisingly rude to the school staff. She seems to care nothing about school, and only works hard in gym and games where she’s exceptionally talented. 

Alison is accepted because she’s the twins’ cousin, but most of the girls consider her rather vain and self-centred, although she is nowhere near as angry or obnoxious as Pat and Isabel were at the start of their first term. 

This book introduces some of the Second Form girls too; they share a common room with the First Form, although they don’t see much of each other during the daytime. One of them has an upcoming birthday and decides to invite just a few girls, including the twins and their friend Janet to a small midnight feast in a music room. Among other things they decide to fry sausages.

All would be well but for a particularly unpleasant girl in the Second Form who dislikes almost everyone, but Pat most of all. So she plays some spiteful tricks and gets her into trouble, allowing Margery to take the blame.  

Although Enid Blyton’s style is quite annoying, from this adult perspective, it’s a good story on the whole. As with most school stories of the era (this was first published in 1942) a lot of value is given to traits such as honesty, courage and integrity. A clear boundary is established between mischief and real bad behaviour, and it’s made clear that even a midnight feast is just schoolgirl naughtiness rather than a serious misdemeanour. 

There are several mentions of ‘punishment’, a word I don’t like. When the girls decide to ‘punish’ one of their classmates it feels rather inappropriate from this 21st century perspective. It’s bullying by another name, and in some cases entirely undeserved. The school Head, Miss Theobald, likes her occasional punishments to fit the ‘crime’ - and thankfully there’s no caning or anything like that, which was common in boys’ schools of the era. 

And yet, despite rolling my eyes somewhat at the style here and there, it’s a good story. Some of the people are caricatured, but the twins and some of their friends are believable and likeable. I found myself quickly drawn into the story, quite moved by some of the events later in the term, as Lucy has a serious shock, and when one of the girls shows immense bravery.

I’m very pleased that this series has been reprinted so many times, and that it’s available as an audio book to help younger children discover Enid Blyton, who was such a prolific author. It’s true that some of her writing was trite, some of it racist and classist, and much of it formulaic. But she inspired children. She gave me, and many thousands of people like me, a love of reading which I’ve never lost, and I remain very grateful. 

I would recommend ‘The O’Sullivan Twins’ (and others in the series) to children of about seven and up, either as a read-aloud, or an audio book, or for fluent readers to try for themselves. But I don’t suppose they will interest adults, other than those of us who regard them as a nostalgic memory from our childhoods.

Review copyright 2024 Sue's Book Reviews