When Bobby is evacuated from London to a remote Devonshire village, a strange new chapter of his life begins. Empty of its menfolk, the village... read full description
reviews
Nov 14, 2010
Ali
rated it: 
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What a great read. I've read some poor reviews of this on Amazon, and can't understand why people didn't like it. The main criticsim seems to be that the character we meet at the beginning, young Bobby the evacuee, disappears part way through the book. However - although he was a lovely character and sorely missed - he wasn't the focus of the book, he isn't after all one of the Five Boys of the title.
The book is set in a small village in Devon during WW2 the More...
The book is set in a small village in Devon during WW2 the More...
Feb 26, 2011
Alison
rated it: 
I have really mixed feelings about this book. My main problem with it is that the main plot thread only really begins more than halfway through the novel. Prior to that, it's a pleasant little book about life in Devon during the Second World War. It is almost a collection of short stories, a set of anecdotes, some poignant, some highly amusing. There are some beautifully drawn, eccentric characters. The central protagonist is Bobby, a young evacuee sent to live with a benevolent spinster wi
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Nov 29, 2010
zespri
rated it:
This was a strange little book. Two different things seemed to be going on.
First the book is a series of anecdotes about those who stayed behind when the men of a village head to war. The five boys of the title are sons of these men, who are joined by Bobby, an evacuee from London. Each little chapter is an episode in itself, with an unusual, eccentric adventure in which the boys take part. Bobby's mum arrives and we presume he is taken back to London.
Suddenly, the myster More...
First the book is a series of anecdotes about those who stayed behind when the men of a village head to war. The five boys of the title are sons of these men, who are joined by Bobby, an evacuee from London. Each little chapter is an episode in itself, with an unusual, eccentric adventure in which the boys take part. Bobby's mum arrives and we presume he is taken back to London.
Suddenly, the myster More...
Mar 15, 2011
Chapple
rated it:
Bobby is evacuated from London to the Devonshire countryside and billeted with the spinster Miss Minter. One of my favorite scenes is when, desperate for an idea to keep Bobby occupied, Miss Minter dumps out her soup bean mixture and asks him to sort out the peas an beans.
Nov 09, 2011
Colin
rated it:
A curious novel that abandons its hero half way through, and flirts with being a string of connected short stories. Evocative, characterful and funny. If less immediately engaging than The Underground Man, Five Boys still deserves an esteemed place among WW2 evacuee / rites of passage novels like Goodnight Mr. Tom.
Aug 07, 2011
Selene
rated it:
This really didn't go anywhere! It started really well and then split into two parts without direct conclusions. Disappointing!
Aug 07, 2010
Nova
rated it:
Bobby is sent away from London and to the care of a spinster who has no idea how to entertain boys.
Jan 08, 2008
Caroline
rated it:
I picked this book up in a bookstore in London to read during the summer I was working there. I was enamored with British fiction about World War II, and had high expectations. This book would have been a solid 4 stars if not for the ending, which made me feel like I'd fallen into some sort of C.S. Lewis allegorical nightmare. But up until the weirdo Jesus Christ/pied piper teacher thing going on, I was digging the English-village-in-wartime story.
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