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wslockard's review against another edition
2.0
It could have been so much better. The "Showboat" was not haunted, and neither was there a Show on it!!!
We do see Nancy, Bess, and George going to visit Bess's cousin who lives in Louisiana. The cousin had previously been sweet and nice, and engaged to a nice fellow. But suddenly the cousin has tossed aside the nice fellow, and now she has gotten herself entangled in another engagement with an outsider! And this fiance number two seems to have a phony accent!
A weird moment occurs when the brainwashed bride asks Bess and company to try on some pixie costumes that are "essential" to an upcoming engagement party. George and Bess reject said costumes by acting with wildly inappropriate vocalizations and behavior.
Can someone please rewrite this day in Nancy's life please? Her weird friends are totally upstaging her.
We do see Nancy, Bess, and George going to visit Bess's cousin who lives in Louisiana. The cousin had previously been sweet and nice, and engaged to a nice fellow. But suddenly the cousin has tossed aside the nice fellow, and now she has gotten herself entangled in another engagement with an outsider! And this fiance number two seems to have a phony accent!
A weird moment occurs when the brainwashed bride asks Bess and company to try on some pixie costumes that are "essential" to an upcoming engagement party. George and Bess reject said costumes by acting with wildly inappropriate vocalizations and behavior.
Can someone please rewrite this day in Nancy's life please? Her weird friends are totally upstaging her.
nwiltse's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to see if the old Nancy Drew books were worth keeping in my library- or recommending to kids. So sad, but... I don't think they are. [b:The Haunted Showboat|862002|The Haunted Showboat (Nancy Drew, #35)|Carolyn Keene|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178987119s/862002.jpg|1006859] is from 1957 and includes 'colored' help named Pappy Cole and Mammy Matilda, Nancy and friends dressing for dinner (they are changing clothes all the time), and other dated details.
If this book were a classic, confusing vocabulary, etc. may be OK. But the book is far from a classic- and there are so many great mysteries written today for girls.
But Nancy is cool: One morning Nancy decided to wear her new 'skirt, blouse, and shorts set.' I was confused, until later when Nancy was able to simply 'unfasten the skirt of her three-piece ensemble' and dive into the Mississippi River. Ta-dah!
If this book were a classic, confusing vocabulary, etc. may be OK. But the book is far from a classic- and there are so many great mysteries written today for girls.
But Nancy is cool: One morning Nancy decided to wear her new 'skirt, blouse, and shorts set.' I was confused, until later when Nancy was able to simply 'unfasten the skirt of her three-piece ensemble' and dive into the Mississippi River. Ta-dah!
natashalg's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I didn't really enjoy this Nancy story as I have the others. Elements were repeated from previous books, and the plot just seemed less interesting. The supporting characters were also not developed well, and I didn't enjoy the "voodoo" aspect of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Violence
Minor: Mental illness and Fire/Fire injury
afszyd's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
lexie5562's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
samanthawattam's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
motherbird76's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
This was a decent story aside from the racism of the time it was written. Mammy Matilda and Pappy Cole were the black servants of the New Orleans family, and more. Rufus the voodoo doctor was another example.
laura_cs's review against another edition
2.0
So the first quarter of this book was Worst Road Trip Ever, and actually pretty decent for the start of a horror novel, which, you know, this is not. And of course they go to New Orleans so of course Nancy must encounter an older Black person who practices voodoo in the bayou. And of course he's the only Black person in the book who isn't working as part of the household staff somewhere...
Also, Bess and George's cousin... well, I was kind of waiting for the reveal that she was under hypnotism or something because she was such a jerk and mood swingy about everything.
Would have liked more actual scenes at the showboat, and a little more haunting there. Also, would like to shake the person who thought that the best illustration to use at the front of the book basically gives away the entire plot and spoils the bad guy reveal. Seriously? What the heck?
Also, Bess and George's cousin... well, I was kind of waiting for the reveal that she was under hypnotism or something because she was such a jerk and mood swingy about everything.
Would have liked more actual scenes at the showboat, and a little more haunting there. Also, would like to shake the person who thought that the best illustration to use at the front of the book basically gives away the entire plot and spoils the bad guy reveal. Seriously? What the heck?
manwithanagenda's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
'The Haunted Showboat' is the first of the original Nancy Drew mysteries to not have a rewrite. This is because the re-writing program was begun to address continuity inconsistencies, dated elements/slang and any "suddenly" problemantic language or themes. By the time the rewrites hit the books of the 1950s Nancy and her pals had been blanded down enough to satisfy the Syndicate. It was also the mid-1970s by the time they reached the books of the late 1950s and the time and expense was deemed not worth it.
The book takes Nancy, George, and Bess to New Orleans to investigate the haunting of an abandoned showboat that is stopping crew from making repairs. The boat is supposed to be the location for a reception where Bess and George's cousin will announce her engagment to a mysterious young man.
There's a lot of "romantic" nonsense tossed around about slavery that makes the eyes roll, but there are some truly ridiculous aspects of the mystery that nearly make up for it. I mean, they could have said nothing and that would have been troubling, but they go out of their way to mention slavery and then how at least...some good came out of it.
Never mind, on to Hawaii, maybe they'll talk about how America saved the islands from self-rule.
Nancy Drew
Next: 'The Secret of the Golden Pavilion'
Previous: 'The Hidden Window Mystery'
The book takes Nancy, George, and Bess to New Orleans to investigate the haunting of an abandoned showboat that is stopping crew from making repairs. The boat is supposed to be the location for a reception where Bess and George's cousin will announce her engagment to a mysterious young man.
There's a lot of "romantic" nonsense tossed around about slavery that makes the eyes roll, but there are some truly ridiculous aspects of the mystery that nearly make up for it. I mean, they could have said nothing and that would have been troubling, but they go out of their way to mention slavery and then how at least...some good came out of it.
Never mind, on to Hawaii, maybe they'll talk about how America saved the islands from self-rule.
Nancy Drew
Next: 'The Secret of the Golden Pavilion'
Previous: 'The Hidden Window Mystery'