Nancy Drew

[Anita Bensoussane]

I think that the title of this thread should be broadened to include the Hardy Boys and the Bobbsey Twins.

There's a Hardy Boys thread here:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... ardy#p1745" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please feel free to start a Bobbsey Twins thread as well if you like.

[snugglepot]

Split from another topic.

Any Nancy Drew fans out here? I mean the modern paperbacks, not the original hardbacks.

No, I loved them when I was a teenager in the seventies, but they were the hardcover series.

[Fiona1986]

If by fan you mean "someone who collects and reads Nancy Drew books and has approximately 130 books," then yes, yes I am a fan. Almost all of them are paperbacks, but I don't know if there should be a distinction between paperback fans and hardback ones. A majority of the paperbacks will be reprints of the originals.

I suspect you are wanting fans of the newest Nancy Drews though. Which I don't read. I stick to the "original" mysteries and the 80s Files. Not the Diary ones or the ones aimed at younger readers.

[Rob Houghton]

I've also read a few of the older ones - quite enjoyed them, although I must say I found them incredibly OTT! Usually Nancy ends up tied in ropes under the sea or in a burning building (just made up examples!) and yet she always escapes! Reading them reminded me of watching a 1970's TV series like Charlie's Angels.

[Chrissie777]

I've watched the 4 old Nancy Drew movies with Bonita Granville on TCM, they are really nicely done !

[Anita Bensoussane]

I agree that the Nancy Drew books tend to be over the top. There are so many fast and frantic scenes which seem as though they're about to end in tragedy, but all is resolved a bit too quickly and conveniently. I enjoyed the books as a child but never felt I knew Nancy in the way that I felt I knew Enid Blyton's characters. She was slightly older and a touch too glamorous and sophisticated.

We have a 1950s Parker Brothers board game called The Nancy Drew Mystery Game which we've played many times. It has little metal cars, wooden counters, instruction cards with a picture of Nancy on them and a beautifully-illustrated board showing various locations from the Nancy Drew books (Moss-Covered Mansion, Twisted Candles, Hollow Oak, Blackwood Hall, Tolling Bell and others). The aim is to create a whole row of counters in your colour at any one of the locations. During the course of the game you try to remove opponents' counters to prevent them claiming a location first. It's a simple game but a joy to play because the board is so lovely to look at.



http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/mysterygame.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rob Houghton]

I agree that Nancy Drew books are fast paced and exciting, but also that she seemed to get out of her scrapes way too easily!

That's a really beautiful looking game. One of the reasons I love the Enid Blyton card games (I have them all!) is because they are so good to look at - especially The Faraway Tree one.

[Darrell71]

Yeah I meant paperbacks as in the modern ones set in this century or the last decade of the previous one. I started reading ND with those, so the old ones seem too 'old-fashioned' now. It's fine for an EB book, but the cell phone using, computer using, modern Nancy Drew just can't fit into the original novels. It's unfortunate, but that's what comes of reading the modern ones first. Still, I like the stories and the characters, especially Ned and George.
Another thing I like is another girl being called George!

[Crwban]

Merged with an older topic.

I have only read a few of the first series but "The Secret of Shadow Ranch" is my favourite so far (the computer game of Shadow Ranch is great too).

[Fiona1986]

The Kachina Doll mystery is one of my all-time favourites. There are many I love, but I can't always remember the titles as there are so many books!