I think I was around nine or ten when I first read The Famous Five.

This was well before Harry Potter came into the picture. Back then, reading felt quieter. Less of a trend, more of a habit you picked up if someone put the right book in your hands.

I was living in Mumbai at the time, in the mid-90s. It was my father who introduced me to these books. He had read them himself as a child, and he thought I might enjoy them too. He was right.

The Famous Five were Julian, Dick and Anne, siblings who spent their holidays together, their cousin George, who was confident and fiercely independent, and Timmy the dog. Every time they met, usually during school breaks, they somehow ended up in the middle of an adventure. Secret passages, strange adults, hidden islands, and plenty of food breaks along the way.

What made the books so enjoyable was their simplicity. The stories moved quickly. The sense of freedom was constant. The kids were trusted to explore, to make mistakes, and to figure things out on their own. As a reader, you felt like you were tagging along with them, not being told what to think or feel.

I always liked George’s confidence, and of course Timmy. But more than individual characters, it was the group dynamic that worked. The friendships, the loyalty, the way they stuck together no matter what.

Looking back now, I’m glad my father introduced me to these books. They were some of the first novels I read, and they quietly helped make reading feel like a place I could return to. Over time, books in general became a kind of constant for me. Good company. A reliable escape from reality when I needed one.

I reread a few Famous Five books again during Covid. Some parts haven’t aged particularly well, which is hard not to notice reading them as an adult. But the core of what made them fun is still there. The sense of adventure. The ease of slipping into another world for a while.

They might not be perfect, but they were important. And for that, they’ll always have a place on my shelf.

If you’re curious to revisit them, or read them for the first time, you can find the books here.

— Raulito