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The Magic Faraway Tree
(The Faraway Tree #2)
by
Jo, Bessie and Fanny take their cousin Rick on an adventure he'll never forget to the magic Faraway Tree, where he meets Moon-Face, Silky the fairy and Saucepan Man, and visits all the different lands at the top of the Faraway Tree. Like the Land of Spells, the crazy Land of Topsy-Turvy, and the land of Do-As-You-Please, where the children ride a runaway train!
...more
Hardcover, 115 pages
Published
1984
by Budget Books
(first published 1943)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of The Magic Faraway Tree (The Faraway Tree, #2)

I feel quite fine and have a great feeling of self satisfaction, because I reread one of the best Children's books that I've read. Enid Blyton books don't have much depth, but the author knows about storytelling. How nice it is to know the English language, and come across such gems as The Faraway Tree trilogy.
To summarize, the Faraway Tree is a magic tree where magical beings live. Also, at the top of the tree a ladder leads the climber into whatever land it is therein. Our adventurers Jo, Bess ...more
To summarize, the Faraway Tree is a magic tree where magical beings live. Also, at the top of the tree a ladder leads the climber into whatever land it is therein. Our adventurers Jo, Bess ...more

Fanny waited a whole book for Dick and I'm happy to report he turns up in book 2.
Or Franny and Rick as the characters have been renamed.
[Rant]
Now my MAJOR COMPLAINT! **stamps foot!**
Cousin Rick comes to stay: "He is going to stay quite a long time because his mother is ill and can't look after him,"says the children's mother. (this is a quote, the stuff below is artistic license)
So, point 1. Rick's mother VERY ill. Remember this, it will become important in a few sentences.
Later in the book the ...more
Or Franny and Rick as the characters have been renamed.
[Rant]
Now my MAJOR COMPLAINT! **stamps foot!**
Cousin Rick comes to stay: "He is going to stay quite a long time because his mother is ill and can't look after him,"says the children's mother. (this is a quote, the stuff below is artistic license)
So, point 1. Rick's mother VERY ill. Remember this, it will become important in a few sentences.
Later in the book the ...more

May 24, 2020
Richard Derus
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
oh-no-not-again,
kindled
Really, how could anyone not enjoy this trippy wartime (published in 1943) tale of escape to magical places with truly interesting residents? The Faraway Tree was introduced in The Enchanted Wood, which I didn't know before picking this one up. I don't know if I'm missing some crucial stuff by not having read that book first, but I never felt more than the ordinary sense of needing to know what was going on that comes with reading a new-to-me book.
What happens in the course of the kids' adventur ...more
What happens in the course of the kids' adventur ...more

Apr 28, 2018
Dannii Elle
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantastic-fabrications
Rereading a childhood favourite can sometimes prove hazardous. Often, what so appealed to our younger selves we later find riddled with plot holes, become distanced from the young protagonists, or find them just generally unsuited for an adult readership. For this reason I had stayed away from my once beloved Enid Blyton, for so long.
The Faraway Tree series were particular favourites of mine however, and I had been hankering to revisit them for some time. I knew I was taking the risk of marring ...more
The Faraway Tree series were particular favourites of mine however, and I had been hankering to revisit them for some time. I knew I was taking the risk of marring ...more

This was my favourite book when I was younger because it’s such an enchanting story. The story takes place in an enchanted forest in which a gigantic magical tree grows - the enormous "Faraway Tree". The tree is so tall that its top branches reach into the clouds and it is wide enough to contain small houses carved into its trunk. Three children find the tree in the enchanted forest, which is the start of their adventure. They meet lots of new friends in different parts of the tree like moon fac
...more

Five stars out of sheer sentimentality. I loved this book as a child and have read it countless times after finding it at a garage sale. I have so many pleasant memories reading this book, it will never leave my bookshelf.

Aug 26, 2013
B the BookAddict
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens
I read this book via Skype to my 7yr old niece; happy to say she loved it as much as I did when I was her age. Amazing how many times I have read this as a child, probably well into double digits. Reading it out loud brought back all the magic I had originally felt; a much loved story. A must for all children! 4★

My review-soon shelf is getting out of control again - been finishing more books than I've been reviewing! - best crack-on...
So I didn't love this one at all. Part of that's personal, and part of that's critical. Let's do the personal first...
When my son was a tiny baby and my wife was on maternity leave from work, we had a lovely bedtime routine. While Fin had his last feed I would read him a story. We worked our way through Winnie-the-Pooh and Wind in the Willows amongst others. I love ...more
So I didn't love this one at all. Part of that's personal, and part of that's critical. Let's do the personal first...
When my son was a tiny baby and my wife was on maternity leave from work, we had a lovely bedtime routine. While Fin had his last feed I would read him a story. We worked our way through Winnie-the-Pooh and Wind in the Willows amongst others. I love ...more

I read this book with an intermediate ELL student. They actually introduced me to the series, as I somehow had never heard of it. It was a dated, yet charming little tale of children who have a magic tree in their backyard that has rotating lands at the top, like The Land of Presents and the Land of Do-As-You-Please. Some parts were slow and some parts were simply enchanting, and now I want to visit a little market in the sky with a tiny man who has the moon for a face.
A side note: it'll be sup ...more
A side note: it'll be sup ...more

What can I say. This book is the reason I read. When I was 5 or 6 my nan sat down with me one afternoon and started to read this story. I feel in love immediately. In fact it became a ritual for my nan and I to read every afternoon until we finished the book. I looked forward to it every afternoon. If you want to get a kid to read, this is defiantly the book. It will always be in my heart and someday I wish to read the story to my kids and possibly grand kids and take them of to a truly magical
...more

The Faraway Tree books were another absolutely favourite childhood series and no wonder - these often hilarious - and slightly psychedelic - adventures showcase an astonishing imagination in full flight. ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ might not be a literary masterpiece, but Blyton’s sure, confident storytelling builds worlds of enchantment that are quite irresistible.

Is this the book that turned me into such a bookworm? I just read it to my six year old son and at times to my 39 year old husband. We all loved it. It was the first chapter book Ethan had the patience for. I asked him his fave character and of all characters it was the Angry Pixie. Would never have picked it. The humour is accessible to all which I don't always find as Ethan has yet to pick up references needed for jokes generally. But he loved all the descriptions of Saucepan's misunderstandin
...more

I've read 2 out of the 3 books of The faraway tree.
I read the first one years ago. At an age that allowed me to still being hopeful that such a tree exists. I loved it so much as a kid that I once dreamed I had gone up the tree. lol. In my memories, the book was huge and colourful. I came across it in the library some time back. It made me smile to realise that it wasn't such a big book after all. ^^" ...more
I read the first one years ago. At an age that allowed me to still being hopeful that such a tree exists. I loved it so much as a kid that I once dreamed I had gone up the tree. lol. In my memories, the book was huge and colourful. I came across it in the library some time back. It made me smile to realise that it wasn't such a big book after all. ^^" ...more

One of my favourite childhood books.How I wished I could visit those magical lands at the top of the magic faraway tree, eat all the weird and wonderful food they described, and be friends with a fairy and a man with a moon-shaped face!

In this one, Cousin Dick (don't joke!) comes to stay with the three children because his mother is very ill. He's a bit greedy, and that's really his besetting sin. The three decide to take him to their favourite wood and introduce him to the people living there.
My edition was missing a couple of chapters as the last two lands 'Land of Tempers' and 'Land of Presents' do not appear. Wonder why?! At any rate, this second book appears to be just a filler and the adventures the children go on are n ...more
My edition was missing a couple of chapters as the last two lands 'Land of Tempers' and 'Land of Presents' do not appear. Wonder why?! At any rate, this second book appears to be just a filler and the adventures the children go on are n ...more

Dec 16, 2018
Skip
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
series-in-progress,
fantasy
Second book in a series by Enid Blyton, published in 1943. Essentially, the continuing adventures of Joe, Bessie and Fanny in the magical tree, its zany inhabitants, and the various lands that can be accessed at the top of the tree, including adventures therein. They are joined by a cousin named Rick, who seems incapable of staying out of trouble. Also, Moonface really should lock the door to his house. A bit simplistic, probably because of its age.

Mar 08, 2012
David Sarkies
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who love fairy tales
Recommended to David by:
My Dad
Shelves:
childrens
Return to the Fairy World
11 March 2012
Well, I have now read this book, though I will continue to do what I normally do when I wish to revisit a review and that is to keep my older one below (normally because there are still things there that are relevant despite me having reviewed this book without reading it in like 25 years). Now I can also legitimately add it to my reading list as I have now read the book as opposed to my Dad reading it to me when I was six.
Once again the adult world seems ...more
11 March 2012
Well, I have now read this book, though I will continue to do what I normally do when I wish to revisit a review and that is to keep my older one below (normally because there are still things there that are relevant despite me having reviewed this book without reading it in like 25 years). Now I can also legitimately add it to my reading list as I have now read the book as opposed to my Dad reading it to me when I was six.
Once again the adult world seems ...more

The magic faraway tree, can I come visit thee?
I'll bring my imaginary friends along with me
we'll have some biscuits with our teas
and swim in pools made of police tears.
A friend of mine (Afreen) said this was her favorite childhood book and oh my I can see why that is so.
This book is full of imagination and magical wonders that a child would love to get lost into, I would definitely wish my future (at the moment non existent) kids to read this book!
As a child I always ran away from people who rec ...more
I'll bring my imaginary friends along with me
we'll have some biscuits with our teas
and swim in pools made of police tears.
A friend of mine (Afreen) said this was her favorite childhood book and oh my I can see why that is so.
This book is full of imagination and magical wonders that a child would love to get lost into, I would definitely wish my future (at the moment non existent) kids to read this book!
As a child I always ran away from people who rec ...more

This was my all-time favourite book growing up & unbeknownst to me at the time, my first experience with the fantasy genre. As a child I was so enchanted with the story, I believed the Enchanted Forest and the Magic Faraway Tree were actually real.
Only a few pages in and this delightful story came rushing back, along with the magical, wishful feelings experienced as a child. Fanny, Dick, Bessie & Jo, Moon-face, Silky, Saucepan, Dame Wash-a-lot & the Angry Pixie became old friends once again and ...more
Only a few pages in and this delightful story came rushing back, along with the magical, wishful feelings experienced as a child. Fanny, Dick, Bessie & Jo, Moon-face, Silky, Saucepan, Dame Wash-a-lot & the Angry Pixie became old friends once again and ...more

ahhhh i wanna plant a tree to take me far far away into a world where i can buy unlimited amounts of books for FREE.
onto the review :P this book i have to say was my childhood, well the tv show was. i remember reading the book and my mouth watering at the cakes that exploded with honey mmmh. tbh this is a magical fun read, something you can treasure. a book in which you can see the development in childrens stories, a classic if i must say!
onto the review :P this book i have to say was my childhood, well the tv show was. i remember reading the book and my mouth watering at the cakes that exploded with honey mmmh. tbh this is a magical fun read, something you can treasure. a book in which you can see the development in childrens stories, a classic if i must say!

Well this book was a mess! Missing 33 pages and repeated another 30 through the book!! It's so different reading your favourite childhood book as an adult. It was ok, it was the nostalgia for me that nade me love the experience. I will buy another with all the pages in and read it to my son for him to enjoy.
...more

I thought it was ok, though it seemed very convenient for the lands to be up at the Tree at the same time something happened. Like how the children's mother was ill and the land of medicines came the very next day at the top of the tree.
Overall good but I think the third one is much better then the other two.... ...more
Overall good but I think the third one is much better then the other two.... ...more

The trio of children from "The Enchanted Wood" are joined by their cousin Rick, somewhat impetuous and too fond of cakes for his own good.
Not quite as joyous as the first book, "The Enchanted Wood", but still a lot of fun. Enid Blyton was a maelstrom of ideas, and the format of this particular universe -- a magic tree which had at its top temporary doorways to an infinite number of small worlds -- is absolutely fitted to her strengths.
The children, in this volume, visit The Land of Topsy-Turvy, ...more
Not quite as joyous as the first book, "The Enchanted Wood", but still a lot of fun. Enid Blyton was a maelstrom of ideas, and the format of this particular universe -- a magic tree which had at its top temporary doorways to an infinite number of small worlds -- is absolutely fitted to her strengths.
The children, in this volume, visit The Land of Topsy-Turvy, ...more

Despite the fact that I've grown to look for meaning and depth in books for kids, The Magic Faraway Tree remains one of my favourite Children's books. This is because of the sheer load of creativity, entertainment and enchanting storytelling.
A few things I liked in particular about this Enid Blyton book are that the characters are not forced to play parts (Franny has no role simply because her character is quite mundane and might rub off on the story, similarly Whatzisname has not much to him th ...more
A few things I liked in particular about this Enid Blyton book are that the characters are not forced to play parts (Franny has no role simply because her character is quite mundane and might rub off on the story, similarly Whatzisname has not much to him th ...more

Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.
This was so imaginative-up to a point. I thought so much more could have been made of it all-a tree that leads to different lands? Yes please. Unfortunately, all of the lands were soft, playful, self-serving, twee. I didn't enjoy how completely devoid of any particular adventurous danger the adventures actually were. I didn't enjoy the obviousness of how it all turned out. I didn't find it flowed fro ...more
This was so imaginative-up to a point. I thought so much more could have been made of it all-a tree that leads to different lands? Yes please. Unfortunately, all of the lands were soft, playful, self-serving, twee. I didn't enjoy how completely devoid of any particular adventurous danger the adventures actually were. I didn't enjoy the obviousness of how it all turned out. I didn't find it flowed fro ...more

I read an original version of this book, before the names were changed. I really don't think that the Author should be made to change the names of characters in a book because of the childish behavior of others.
That said this was a great read of a book from my childhood.
It is about the adventures of 4 children, who played out in the forest at the end of their garden (how many kids do that now-a-days?)
They had several different unusual forest friends, that contributed to their adventures.
There ar ...more
That said this was a great read of a book from my childhood.
It is about the adventures of 4 children, who played out in the forest at the end of their garden (how many kids do that now-a-days?)
They had several different unusual forest friends, that contributed to their adventures.
There ar ...more

This series was a part of my childhood, my imagination would run wild to this series. This is the second book in the series and while you could read this series out of order and everything would make sense, I think you would get a lot more out of the series if you were to read it in the intended order.
I gave the first book in this series five stars, and that is what I've given this one too because I just can't fault it, or at least not the original version that doesn't have silly name changes.
In ...more
I gave the first book in this series five stars, and that is what I've given this one too because I just can't fault it, or at least not the original version that doesn't have silly name changes.
In ...more

i have only enid blyton to thank for introducing to me the wonderful and fascinating world of books. i started pretty late but hers were the books which were a part of my childhood. the faraway tree, the wishing chair, the famous fives, secret sevens, mystery series, noddy series and the circuis books were and still are an all time favourite. somehow all my enid blytons are still kept tucked in a cloth in my cupboard ...i just seem unable to give them away.
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See also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897 - 1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich ...more
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897 - 1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich ...more
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The Faraway Tree
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