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A brilliant mystery series from bestselling author Enid Blyton, perfect for fans of The Secret Seven. Prince Bongawah is staying at a school camp near Peterswood, but before Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets get to see him he disappears in the middle of the night! The Find-Outers, along with the help of Ern and his brothers Sid and Pearce, are on the case to find the missing prince. And this time they'll have to work with Mr Goon... First published in 1951, this edition contains the original text and is unillustrated.
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LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
The ninth installment of Enid Blyton's fifteen-book Five Find-Outers and Dog series, in which a group of British schoolchildren spend their holidays playing detective, The Mystery of the Vanished Prince sees Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets once again in the midst of a mystery because of a
Of the nine books read thus far in this series, I think I enjoyed The Mystery of the Vanished Prince the least. Featuring a return of Ern, Mr. Goon's hapless nephew, who first appeared in The Mystery of the Hidden House, it has all the obnoxious classism that so irritated me in that earlier title. The children continue to be amused by Ern's pronunciation, his "portry," and his gormless admiration for Fatty.
Unfortunately, the characterization of Ern was by no means the worst aspect of this entry in the series, which also contained some regrettable scenes in which the Find-Outers "dress up" as Indians, acting out a little colonial fantasy in miniature. The passages devoted to Fatty's investigations among the "gypsies," who are portrayed as dirty and dishonest, were also quite upsetting. All in all, this is not a title I would recommend to impressionable young children, and can only regret its inclusion in such a popular series.
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practical joke. When Fatty manages to convince pompous police bobby Mr. Goon that Bets, dressed up in colorful, "exotic" clothing, is actually the sister of an Indian prince known to be at camp nearby, he has no idea that Prince Bongawah will soon disappear, and that Goon will come searching for little "Princess Bongawee." Out of favor with their hero, Inspector Jenks, Fatty and the others are determined to make amends, and solve the mystery...Of the nine books read thus far in this series, I think I enjoyed The Mystery of the Vanished Prince the least. Featuring a return of Ern, Mr. Goon's hapless nephew, who first appeared in The Mystery of the Hidden House, it has all the obnoxious classism that so irritated me in that earlier title. The children continue to be amused by Ern's pronunciation, his "portry," and his gormless admiration for Fatty.
Unfortunately, the characterization of Ern was by no means the worst aspect of this entry in the series, which also contained some regrettable scenes in which the Find-Outers "dress up" as Indians, acting out a little colonial fantasy in miniature. The passages devoted to Fatty's investigations among the "gypsies," who are portrayed as dirty and dishonest, were also quite upsetting. All in all, this is not a title I would recommend to impressionable young children, and can only regret its inclusion in such a popular series.
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Original publication date
1951
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