The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, Book 1)

I bought this for my 7 year old second grader, who loves Nancy Drew mysteries. The vocabulary is excellent, & it is a quick read. There is no objectionable language and it is chaste enough for young children. Additionally, Nancy Drew doesn't behave disrespectfully to her parents, use incorrect grammar, or throw her friends under the bus like Junie B. Jones, another fictional titled character that was causing some stress between my daughter and me.

My daughter's reading level has improved immeasurably since beginning these Nancy Drew books & her love of reading has escalated as every chapter ends with a minor cliffhanger. She used to complain about her school mandated 20 daily minutes of reading, but now wants to sit down together and solve these mysteries. Thank you, Carolyn Keene!

Written by Mildred Wirt Benson from an outline by Edward Stratemeyer, THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK was first published in 1930. It was the first book in the Nancy Drew series, and it and those that followed presented its heroine as a rich, headstrong, and distinctly reckless teenager who sometimes carried a pistol and who wasn't above breaking the law when it suited her purposes.

As the series progressed and other writers began to generate Nancy Drew novels, the character changed and Nancy was "toned down;" instead of flatly rich, she became reasonably affluent; recklessness was replaced by commonsense caution; and while she might be willing to bend the law a bit she would never knowingly break it. In the 1950s and 1960s the earlier novels were re-written to reflect this change in character.

THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK was significantly rewritten in 1959, and the 1959 version is the only version currently in print. Given its era, you will find nothing in the way of cell phones, computers, or the like; Nancy's fashion sense includes gloves; and she always seems find time to whip up a credible meal from scratch for friends. This particular story finds Nancy involved in a search for a missing will. She is assisted in this by her father, who is a noted attorney, and by her older friend Helen Corning. (The re-occuring characters of George, Bess, and Ned do not appear in the earliest books.) As her investigation progresses she not only finds herself at odds with unworthy heirs, but confronting furniture thieves as well.

The Nancy Drew books are not great literature by any stretch of the imagination--they are too distinctly formula for that--but they are competently written, literate, and never talk down to their target audience; they are also good "comfort reading" for grown-ups who recall their childhood reading fondly. THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK is not, at least in my opinion, the "best" of the series, but it is no less amusing for all that. Innocent fun.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I grew up on the original series of books that had belonged to my own mother in the 30s and 40s. I had no idea they had tweaked the books in the late 50s to make Nancy more demure and deferential to men. Glad they are bringing back the original editions/printing! My great niece

Nancy Drew is heading home when she witnesses a little girl almost get hit by a truck. This chance meeting with Judy and her aunts leads Nancy into her first mystery. The aunts were counting on inheriting money from their cousin Josiah Crowley. But other relatives have produced a will that leaves everything to them. When Nancy begins to realize the plight of everyone left out of the will, she feels she must investigate. But where might the real will be hidden?
I read many of Nancy's mysteries while growing up, but I realized I'd never read this one before. The story seemed a little more straight forward then I remember others being, but it might just be me. Still, Nancy tackles the case with her usual enthusiasm. I was most surprised to discover the Bess and George weren't present for this first adventure. Frankly, I missed them.
I simply must share the line that drew lots of laughs from me. A villain is confronting Nancy and says, "This will be the last time you'll ever stick your nose in business that doesn't concern you!" If you only knew, fella....
Nancy may not represent the best literature available, but she's fun escapism that everyone needs. Over 70 years old, she's proved her staying power. This is the perfect series to make life long mystery lovers out of kids. Sure worked for me.

My 10 year old one is falling in love with this series. We have read the Nancy drew Clue Crew books, but this is new to her. She seems to like it a lot. I glanced through it and enjoyed the "good old day" mentality and writing style. My daughter recommends this book to everyone who is wondering if they should get it or not A classic.

The Secret of the Old Clock marks the debut of Nancy Drew an outgoing vivacious teenage sleuth. She is bold, tenacious and
dedicated the righting the wrongs in her world. Alas, this edited version from the original 1930 text is definitely watered down. Our heroine, is not as assertive as she was in the original and her character is flat. The original 1930 version is better written, adds more drama and puts you in the context of the times. It also shows the human side of Nancy that is not captured in the present version.
Okay, so this is not the "real" Nancy Drew. Should I have my child read it? By all means. Although it lacks the depths of the orignal it is entertaining mystery literature for those under the age of nine. They will love the exploits of Nancy and their imagination will run wild. I do recommend that they read it and if at all possible the original. The contrasts of the two Nancy Drews is a mystery within itself.

.Not as advertised. Was looking for old original books, not new ones. Shown as original date . Not again.

What's the point of reading a story that was extensively rewritten to reflect the modern times? When I want to read a Nancy Drew book, I want the original language to be untouched, unchanged, and intact. The 1959 version is a complete rewriting (by somebody else) of the 1930 version. So, what's the point? All in all, don't ever do that again.

This book arrived in the mail today. I am very pleased with the packaging and of the way the book looks. As a hard copy, the pages are worn but sufficiently good enough for a new reader to handle. Our 2nd grader is an avid reader at 3d or 4th grade reading of library books. I felt she was ready for the Nancy Drew series. Once she sets her mind to reading, we have to lure her away from the book to do something else -- but she always goes back into the story. For this we are terribly grateful. Because if it's not there, you cannot force a child to read. I recommend all such books to any child who shows an interest in reading because I remember myself and I loved being a part of the story from the outside looking in.

I remember that my father would buy me a Nancy Drew book every Friday so that I would have something to read for the weekend, but usually I had finished the book before the end of the day he bought it!!! These classics are always entertaining!!!