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1.45k reviews for:
THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK. Nancy Drew Mystery Stories No. 1.
Carolyn Keene, Carolyn Keene
3.75 AVERAGE
1.45k reviews for:
THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK. Nancy Drew Mystery Stories No. 1.
Carolyn Keene, Carolyn Keene
3.75 AVERAGE
I grew up on the Nancy Drew books, and after a big life transition that left me feeling emotionally drained, I was drawn to the books of my youth. I have no notes or reviews because Nancy Drew is untouchable (in my humble opinion). 10/10 would recommend
I think this book took me about 3 hours to read. The large print and pictures make it really easy to read quickly! It's been quite a while since I've read these books, so I had forgotten all the fun, old-timey descriptions of clothing and technology ("photostats"). It was enjoyable!
The best part of the book was seeing how much had changed since the book was first published, and I don't think that was meant to be one of the highlights. I did not connect to any characters, was not invested in the plot, and I don't plan on reading the rest of the series. And of course the protagonist and friends are beautiful and hidden opera stars, while the antagonists are ugly and incompetent.
Oh, Nancy Drew is so sweet! I love how several chapters describe what she's wearing before she goes out to investigate. A yellow sunback dress and gloves. A linen summer suit. And something with a matching cardigan. Totes adorbs.
So juvenile; I understand why I loved it as a child. As an adult....cringe.
Classic Nancy sticking her nose in other people’s business
Strong female lead character long before females were considered strong or were the lead character.
This may seem unduly critical, but re-reading Nancy Drew as an adult reminds me of reading poorly written fanfiction, with Miss Drew as the ultimate Mary Sue. She is beautiful, perfect, kind, resourceful... and ridiculously dull. I appreciate what Carolyn Keene and Nancy have done to inspire children to read, but this is one series that I will not be revisiting as a jaded adult.
Of course these books have such nostalgic allure. However, reading this book as a bedtime story to my girls who are 7 and 9, I find it very hard to get through. There are lots of verbose words my kids interrupt to ask what they mean. There is too much flowery adjective use. It is really NOT written well AT ALL. And this particular story takes about 2/3 way through to get gripping. Still, I feel an obligation to introduce my kids to these classic books, but as a well-read adult, it is sad how badly written this is.
At the end of this book, my girls, 7 and 9, LOVED it. As an adult, the poor writing is a drawback but will continue reading these as bedtime stories to my girls since they are considered classics.
At the end of this book, my girls, 7 and 9, LOVED it. As an adult, the poor writing is a drawback but will continue reading these as bedtime stories to my girls since they are considered classics.
