Famous Five Parody Books by Bruno Vincent

The Famous Five are back, and they’re all grown up.
In this parody spoof series, Bruno Vincent brings Enid Blyton’s beloved characters back to life, only now they’re dealing in adventures of a more adult nature. Join Anne, Julian, George, Dick (and of course, Timmy the dog), as they jump on the bandwagon and partake in the latest health food dieting craze, learn about childcare, give up drinking, try teambuilding and deal with the Brexit crisis.

These five books are bound up in a style similar to the original Famous Five novels, complete with vintage-style cover illustrations which mimic the covers of our childhood books. In an act of nostalgia, relevant drawings from the actual series are scattered throughout the pages of these books, and even the characters’ manner of speaking (where everything is ‘darling’, ‘splendid’ and ‘jolly good’) is reinvigorated (albeit in a tongue-in-cheek nature).

With new adventures and situations bringing the Famous Five into the 21st century, old fans of the original series will most likely enjoy this parody experience…

Five Go Parenting



Crime solving takes an unexpected twist when the Famous Five end up as guardians to their infant niece Lily. Having put Cousin Rupert and his wife in jail for some shifty misdemeanours, the five are shocked when social services drops by with a parenting bombshell. But as with all their adventures, they take it in their stride, and are soon learning to navigate the scary world of childcare- feeding, nappies, baby buggies, education and sleeping patterns.

Will they succeed in keeping baby Lily alive? Will they manage to beat all the other parents and get her enrolled in the school of their choice? Is six months old too soon to start learning an instrument or language? And at what point will the explosive nappy experiences and bodily fluid expulsions end (or at least become less traumatic)?

Five On Brexit Island



Eager to avoid the political disaster following Brexit (the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union), the Famous Five decide to spend some time camping at Kirrin Island. But then a political argument between George and Julian gets out of hand, a twitter feed goes viral and the group (and Kirrin Island) find themselves swamped with journalists as a potential new referendum for independence flares up. Will Kirrin Island become its own country? Just how many European men is Anne seeing behind everyone’s back, and will these relationships be affected? Will the Famous Five be able to withstand another political vote? Only time (and a vote) will tell…

Five Go Gluten Free



When Anne is given a spiralizer and diet guide book for her birthday, she embarks on a new campaign to improve the health of the group and stamp out bad food decisions. Taking on raw food recipes, and eliminating gluten, alcohol, dairy and sugar, Anne hopes that their new diet will improve their overall health and wellbeing. But is it possible to really live under these conditions? Will their healthier new lifestyle make them happier? Or will this new adventure destroy the Famous Five?

Five Go On A Strategy Away Day



As employees of a large business which strives to achieve workplace cohesion, the Famous Five find themselves travelling into the country to attend a Strategy Away Day. This day- which is full of activities that aim to bring employees closer together and encourage trust and respect- is met with a mixture of trepidation and mockery by most members of the group, and excitement by others.

But there is more at stake than just the workplace leaderboard, when the Famous Five discover that their ultimate rivals- the Secret Seven- are in the adjacent conference room. Will they be able to band together to put the Secret Seven in their place once and for all? Or will this day of workplace cohesion be one that tears apart the very dynamics of the Famous Five?

Five Give Up The Booze



After a boozy New Year’s party leaves the Famous Five feeling a little worse for wear (and unable to recollect what actually happened the night before), they decide to give their bodies a break and give up alcohol for a month. But this collective New Year’s Resolution to be healthier and fitter is a lot harder than they think- before they know it, they’re taking up other vices to replace their boozing. While most are able to keep their new little sins a secret, the sudden remembrance of an upcoming stag/hens day and wedding throws a huge spanner into the works! With three fifths of the group in the wedding party, and the groom notorious for being the biggest (and rowdiest) drinker around, will the Famous Five be able to keep their resolution? Will they need to resort to alcohol just to survive the wedding? And will Timmy the dog finally be able to foil their teetotaller plans to his advantage?


Rating: 4/5
Published: November 2016

#Fiction
#Parody
#Humour
#Nostalgia
#Enid_Blyton




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