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The Secret of the Old Clock (1930) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ by Carolyn Keene
I read the ebook version of the original 1930 publication of The Secret of the Old Clock.
This is the book that introduced the world to Nancy Drew. I really enjoyed this book, and though it definitely has its problems, it was a really fun read. There’s something about these types of books from the early 20th century that makes me want to just hop right into the pages and live there. I want to live in Nancy’s world.
When old Josiah Crowley dies, his will states that his fortune is to be given to money grubbing relatives. Nancy is convinced that there is another, more current will out there, and she sets out to find it. She meets with friends and family of Josiah Crowley. They all claim that he said he’d leave some money to them in his will, but there was no proof. Is there a second will? Or is Nancy just living on wishes? Find out in the first Nancy Drew installment!
As previously discussed on this blog, these books were rewritten starting in the late 50s, and this one is no exception. There are some differences between the two books. My two biggest notables were that in the original, Nancy is 16, but in the later series she is depicted as 18 years old. There is also a big whole chunk of story that involves a black caretaker who is dumb and drunk. He knows where all the jails are, and, in fact, the jail that Nancy has to visit in this scene is his ‘favorite jail’. In the newer version, none of this happens, and the caretaker is an old white man. In the later versions of Nancy Drew, she is more of a ‘role model’ than a young woman who takes risks and makes mistakes. She often lucks right into her findings in the original stories, too.
I love comparing the two different versions. I hope to read more Nancy Drew books to find out what else she gets herself into.
