Malory Towers
 |
| First Term at Malory Towers Second Form at Malory Towers Third Year at Malory Towers Upper Fourth at Malory Towers In the Fifth at Malory Towers Last Term at Malory Towers | |
| Author | Enid Blyton |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature, bildungsroman |
| Published | 1946–1951 |
| No. of books | 6 (in the original series) |
Malory Towers is a series of six novels by English children's author Enid Blyton. In 2009, six more books were added to the series by author Pamela Cox, who has also made additions to Enid Blyton's St. Clare's series. The school is based on the girls' boarding school Benenden School that Blyton's daughter attended, and that relocated during the war to the Cornish seaside. The series follows the protagonist, Darrell Rivers on her adventure and experience in Malory Towers. The protagonist Darrell Rivers' name is clearly drawn from Blyton's second husband's name, Kenneth Darrell Waters. [1]
Plot
Darrell Rivers, the main character, begins her school life ingloriously at Malory Towers in Cornwall. Determined to do well and make friends, she falls under the spell of the brilliant but mischievous Alicia Johns, neglecting her schoolwork in favour of fooling around and playing pranks on the staff. The reader is treated to an early exposition of her violent temper (inherited from her father) when she rescues Mary-Lou, a smaller, weaker girl in her form, who is being held under water by the malicious Gwendoline Mary Lacey, and slaps Gwendoline hard. She rebuffs Mary Lou's attempts to make friends, since she believes Mary-Lou to be feeble and unable to stand up for herself, and clashes with fellow new girl Sally Hope, who insists that she is an only child despite written and verbal assurances from Darrell's mother that she has an infant sister. This leads to another altercation, in which a violent shove from Darrell exacerbates Sally's smouldering appendicitis, forcing Darrell's father (a surgeon) to perform an impromptu appendectomy in the school's sick-bay. The experience of thinking that she has made Sally seriously ill, leads Darrell to a greater determination to conquer her temper. Sally's attitude is revealed as pathological jealousy, which is resolved by her parents leaving her infant sister behind to visit her. Sally and Mary-Lou later stand by Darrell during a malicious episode (orchestrated by Gwendoline) in which Darrell is unjustly accused of spitefully destroying Mary-Lou's fountain pen. The first book ends with Darrell and Sally being firm friends and Mary-Lou an associate. Darrell's career from this point is smoother, and she eventually covers herself in the personal, scholastic and sporting glory that was originally expected of her. She is head of the fourth form, games captain of the fifth, and head-girl in her final year as well as being a successful lacrosse and tennis player. In all of the books she plays a pivotal role, though she is not always successful in her endeavours and indeed is temporarily stripped of her fourth-form captaincy (she is caught shaking a smaller girl (June) who was threatening to reveal the secret of a midnight feast held by the fourth formers out of personal spite), though she gets it back again by resolving a particularly complicated case of sibling rivalry. She is on friendly terms with most of her classmates and even makes her peace with Gwendoline Lacey at the end, when a personal tragedy strikes the vain, selfish class outcast.
At the end of her school life, Darrell is bound for the University of St Andrews with her best friend Sally Hope. She charges her younger sister Felicity to uphold the standard that she and her classmates set.
The second six books follow Darrell's younger sister Felicity, from the third year to her final term. In the seventh book, New Term at Malory Towers, You see Felicity battle with clingy friends as well as her sister’s enemy and snobbish new girl, Amy. In the eighth book, Summer Term at Malory Towers, you see the girls helping out old school friends of Darrell’s when someone is trying to ruin their new horse riding stables. Winter Term at Malory Towers, the ninth book, shows the struggles of trying to put on a successful show whilst dealing with the troubles of pushy Sylvia, sullen Olive and interfering Miss Tallant. Millicent and June (Alicia’s cousin) clash in Fun and Games at Malory Towers when girls must choose between music and sport. The eleventh book, Secrets at Malory Towers, sees the return of a familiar face from the second book. Jo, a girl who was expelled back when Felicity was in the second form, returns as Alice. A kind and caring girl who eventually saves another girl from a burning building; changing the girl’s view of her forever. In this book, you also follow the mischievous adventures of Daffy Hope. A new first former who happens to be Sally Hope’s (from the first six books) younger sister. The final book in the Malory Towers series, Goodbye Malory Towers, sees Felicity through the ups and downs of her last term at Malory Towers. It also sees the return of Gwendoline Lacey, an extremely disliked girl from Darrell’s year. In the second half of the book, you see Darrell’s year having a reunion and you see them solving the case of who is trying to see Gwen get the sack. The book finishes with both Darrell and Felicity saying goodbye to Malory Towers.
Books
The six official books of the series are:
- First Term at Malory Towers (1946)
- Second Form at Malory Towers (1947)
- Third Year at Malory Towers (1948)
- Upper Fourth at Malory Towers (1949)
- In the Fifth at Malory Towers (1950)
- Last Term at Malory Towers (1951)
Pamela Cox wrote six sequels of the series in 2009 which focus on the adventures of Felicity Rivers, Susan Blake, and June Johns:
- New Term at Malory Towers (2009)
- Summer Term at Malory Towers (2009)
- Winter Term at Malory Towers (2009)
- Fun and Games at Malory Towers (2009)
- Secrets at Malory Towers (2009)
- Goodbye Malory Towers (2009)
Related books
Blyton wrote two other series about life at a boarding school such as, St. Clare's and the Naughtiest Girl series as well as many other adventure and fantasy stories.
School building
The school has 4 towers that are 4 storeys high. The kitchen, dining hall and common rooms are on the ground floor, dormitories are on the first and second floors, teachers rooms and storage are on the top floor.
The school forms a square with a courtyard in the middle. The sides of the school are 3 stories high. Between the west and the north towers there are the classrooms. Between the north and east towers is the San and the headmistresses rooms. Between the east and south towers are the entrance, gym, assembly hall, labs and art room. Between the south and west tower are the mistresses rooms.
The school also has stables, tennis courts, sports pitches and an outside, natural swimming pool.