There was awhile as a kid when I was really into the Hardy Boys books. The first one I remember buying (at a school Book Sale) and reading was "Hardy Boys Casefiles #42: The Last Laugh," naturally based around a comic book convention. I read most of the Casefiles books (before they switched to the TV tie-in photo covers) and generally preferred them to the regular series.
Eventually I began branching out into other similar and related series. I liked the new Tom Swift books, which put a more sci-fi spin on the standard plots; I even read a few of the more contemporary Bobbsey Twins novels. The one series, though, that I could never get into was Nancy Drew.
This wasn't for lack of trying; I own several Nancy Drew books (from various clearances), I liked the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys crossover books I read, but I couldn't manage to get more than a few chapters into any of her solo titles.
Having gotten way, way into the adventures of a different young female detective recently, and with Nancy's new film conveniently available through Netflix, I'm thinking now might be a good time to satisfy my curiosity and give "Carolyn Keene" another shot. I'd at least like to read through a complete book before I check out the movie, after all.
So, I did a teensy bit of Wikiresearch, and discovered that the Hardy Boys: Casefiles series was aimed at an older audience, which I imagine was why I preferred it. Given the often mature subject matter of my new favorite blond detective, I wondered if there was a parallel version of the Nancy Drew series, or something similar. Failing that, are there some classics in the Nancy Drew library, ones I should look to for an interesting introduction to the character?
I know there's got to be at least one closet paperback reader among my visitors, so speak up loud and proud.
On a related note, is it just me or does the concept behind "The Boxcar Children" get creepier as time goes by? "See, it's like 'Party of Five,' except they live like hobos." Weeeird.
4 comments:
You want the newer Nancy Drew books, where the girls are all eighteen - anything published in 1979 or later (numbers 57 and up). I remember liking "The Clue in the Old Lace" and the one where her friends are trying to get cast as extras in a horror movie. Still pretty tame, but there's more adult-relationship intrigue and death type stuff than the early ones where it's always 'some important thing got stolen'.
Have you seen the Nancy Drew manga?
http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Drew-12-Reversal-Detective/dp/1597070866/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205728136&sr=8-2
Reading Hardy Boys, I thought penlights were just the coolest thing ever.
Good Heavens, I practically grew up on Nancy Drew books. Being an old fart, I actually like the really really old ones, where she cruises around in her roadster, and wears frocks and gloves all of the time.
You liked the Casefiles, then read Nancy's version, ''The Nancy Drew Files'' (http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/files.html).
You said you enjoyed the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys crossovers, well that series is a spin-off of both the Casefiles and Nancy Drew Files.
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