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amyl88's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating look at the publishing world, women in business, life at the turn of the century, and Nancy Drew herself. I'm sure I remember finding out that Carolyn Keene was a pen name; however, I don't think I ever heard the real story behind these books.
Along with Nancy, the Stratemeyer Syndicate was also behind several other series for children. The Hardy Boys and the Bobbsey Twins were some of the ones I read as a kid. There were many others, though. The founder of the Syndicate kept tight control over characters and plots, providing outlines to different writers who then churned these books out by the dozen. None of the writers were allowed to claim any of their work - all of the books were "written by" their respective authors, who never really existed.
This is a truly interesting history of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. After the founder died, his daughters took over in a time when women were not supposed to work outside the home. Harriet Stratemeyer Adams attended Wellesley, graduating in 1914. Her father, rather progressive for the times, still did not want to allow her to take a job. She worked for him for a while, then got married and became a housewife. Upon his death, she and her sister, Edna, tried to sell the company, but were unable to find any buyers who could pay what they wanted. They decided to try to figure it out themselves. They continued successfully running it for decades, though they ended up rather estranged. Edna eventually became a silent partner, moving to Florida, but continuing to assert her opinions from afar.
The real star of the story is the actual author of most of the Nancy Drew books, Mildred Wirt. She accepted the assignment as a young woman and was largely responsible for the development of Nancy as a character. She spent the latter part of her life working to attach her name to her body of work, because Harriet Adams was claiming to be Carolyn Keene instead of explaining how the Syndicate worked (multiple authors sometimes worked on one series). Though she had originally signed away her rights to the books, she was disturbed when Adams started claiming to be the author. Wirt also learned to fly at an advanced age and was a working journalist up until the day she died in 2002, at the age of 96. I would have liked to have known her!
I didn't realize syndicate writing was a thing when James Patterson was doing it. I am not a huge fan of it because I think authors should retain the rights to their material. I can see in this case how the lines might be blurry due to the heavy control over the plot and characters the Syndicate kept. Patterson at least gave his authors a credit on the cover.
Along with Nancy, the Stratemeyer Syndicate was also behind several other series for children. The Hardy Boys and the Bobbsey Twins were some of the ones I read as a kid. There were many others, though. The founder of the Syndicate kept tight control over characters and plots, providing outlines to different writers who then churned these books out by the dozen. None of the writers were allowed to claim any of their work - all of the books were "written by" their respective authors, who never really existed.
This is a truly interesting history of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. After the founder died, his daughters took over in a time when women were not supposed to work outside the home. Harriet Stratemeyer Adams attended Wellesley, graduating in 1914. Her father, rather progressive for the times, still did not want to allow her to take a job. She worked for him for a while, then got married and became a housewife. Upon his death, she and her sister, Edna, tried to sell the company, but were unable to find any buyers who could pay what they wanted. They decided to try to figure it out themselves. They continued successfully running it for decades, though they ended up rather estranged. Edna eventually became a silent partner, moving to Florida, but continuing to assert her opinions from afar.
The real star of the story is the actual author of most of the Nancy Drew books, Mildred Wirt. She accepted the assignment as a young woman and was largely responsible for the development of Nancy as a character. She spent the latter part of her life working to attach her name to her body of work, because Harriet Adams was claiming to be Carolyn Keene instead of explaining how the Syndicate worked (multiple authors sometimes worked on one series). Though she had originally signed away her rights to the books, she was disturbed when Adams started claiming to be the author. Wirt also learned to fly at an advanced age and was a working journalist up until the day she died in 2002, at the age of 96. I would have liked to have known her!
I didn't realize syndicate writing was a thing when James Patterson was doing it. I am not a huge fan of it because I think authors should retain the rights to their material. I can see in this case how the lines might be blurry due to the heavy control over the plot and characters the Syndicate kept. Patterson at least gave his authors a credit on the cover.
invisibleninjacat's review against another edition
5.0
This was a pretty great history of Nancy Drew, full of information I'd never encountered before. I really liked hearing about the lives of all the women involved. Stratemeyer's productivity also frightened me a little. :-)
juliabway's review against another edition
4.0
"Grab your magnifying glass, because this is a mystery story." That's the first sentence of the book, and it was all it took to convince me that this book was absolutely something I'd want to read. For the most part, the book didn't quite live up to this particular promise. It's not a mystery at all.
But it turned out to be something even better. Not just a history of the Nancy Drew stories and their place in our culture, but also the story of women in the twentieth century. Everything from the Wellesley College experience at the beginning of the century, to the roaring twenties, to Rosie the Riveter and the housewives of the 1950s, and so on. I also loved reading about the subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes in Nancy's persona. And of course, the lives of Harriet Adams and Mildred Wirt, the two ladies most responsible for the series.
All in all, I read this almost as quickly as I'd have read a Nancy Drew book back when I was a kid (though I always preferred the more modern "Case Files of Nancy Drew" to the classic stories).
But it turned out to be something even better. Not just a history of the Nancy Drew stories and their place in our culture, but also the story of women in the twentieth century. Everything from the Wellesley College experience at the beginning of the century, to the roaring twenties, to Rosie the Riveter and the housewives of the 1950s, and so on. I also loved reading about the subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes in Nancy's persona. And of course, the lives of Harriet Adams and Mildred Wirt, the two ladies most responsible for the series.
All in all, I read this almost as quickly as I'd have read a Nancy Drew book back when I was a kid (though I always preferred the more modern "Case Files of Nancy Drew" to the classic stories).
taylakaye's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. I was a big Nancy Drew fan growing up and I was completely fascinated by the story of the people who created her. I don't wish to spoil the illusion for anyone, but the identity of Carolyn Keene may throw you for a loop. The book seemed as though it would become boring and cumbersome as the history was rehashed, but I never reached that point with it. Kudos to the author on that. I stayed interested in learning more throughoutthe book about the creation of the character who shaped so many young girls lives.
samanthamurphy_redw01f's review against another edition
5.0
As a hardcore fan of the classic Nancy Drew series (the flashlight and yellow hardcover editions), this book has so much background information on the Stratemeyer Syndicate and Mildred W. Benson. I loved delving into this behind-the-scenes look! It has details you wouldn't find on your average Wikipedia page. I highly recommend it!
joan_anne's review against another edition
5.0
Not only great insight into Nancy but also into American history, feminism and the business structure and integrity that is missing in today's world.
crowyhead's review against another edition
4.0
This fascinating book tells the story of how Nancy Drew was conceived by Edward Stratemeyer (who also invented the Bobbsey Twins, the Hardy Boys, and dozens of other series) and brought to life by two strong women: Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who took over the Stratemeyer Syndicate upon her father's death, and Mildred Wirt Benson, who penned many of the sleuth's early adventures. Mildred and Harriet were both women before their time. Harriet was the CEO of a powerful company at a time when the mail she received still tended to be addressed to the "gentlemen" of Stratemeyer Syndicate. Mildred was an irrepressible force up right up until she died, becoming a reporter at a time when journalism was a "man's job." It's not surprising, then, that between the two of them they made Nancy Drew the capable, beautifully perfect girl detective she was. They often clashed -- Mildred's vision of Nancy Drew did not always mesh with Harriet's -- but it's clear in reading this that both of them were crucial to Nancy Drew's success as a cultural icon.