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Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman, but believing what he read made him mad. |
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She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain. |
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 Nancy Drew Classic Adventures
Two computer games: Secrets Can Kill and Stay Tuned for Danger
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 Nancy Drew Magnetic Postcards
Twelve classic covers from America's favorite teenage sleuth
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Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Extraordinaire 
"It would be a shame if all that money went to the Tophams! They will fly higher than ever!"With these opening paragraphs, teen supersleuth Nancy Drew made her literary debut more than seventy years ago. Rich, golden-haired, pampered, and clever, Nancy solved her first mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock, in 1930, and has barely slowed down since, as the books detailing her adventures continue to be churned out in the new millennium. Created by Edward S. Stratemeyer (the founder of a publishing empire), brought to life by Mildred Wirt Benson (the author of the initial books under the still-used "Carolyn Keene" pseudonym), and nurtured by Harriet S. Adams (Edward's daughter), Nancy Drew has enjoyed phenomenal success.
From 1930 through 1979, Grosset & Dunlap published fifty-six Nancy Drew titles in hardcover, ending with The Thirteenth Pearl; Simon & Schuster then began publishing new titles in paperback at an accelerated rate (currently six new titles appear each year); in June 2001, number 160, The Clue on the Crystal Dove, was published. Along the way, spinoff Nancy Drew series have been aimed at both younger audiences (Nancy Drew Notebooks) and older readers (Nancy Drew Files, Nancy Drew on Campus). In the 1930s, four Nancy Drew movies starred Bonita Granville; in the 1970s, a TV series featured Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy; and in the mid-1990s, another short-lived syndicated TV series starred Tracy Ryan. Nowadays, keeping up with modern technology, Nancy even appears in several computer games (for more information, click here). Nor has Nancy Drew's popularity been limited to the United States; the books have been translated into many languages, including French, Polish, German, Spanish, and several Scandinavian languages. Though Nancy has been modernized for today's readers, with the early books of the series having been revised--or even completely rewritten--and reissued, her initial incarnation is still fondly remembered (and the books are prized by collectors). (For more about the Nancy Drew revisions, see The Secret of the Mysterious Makeover: Nancy Gets a Facelift.) In the 1990s, Applewood Press began issuing facsimile editions of the original versions of the books; by October 2000, Applewood had reprinted the first fifteen books. Nancy Drew, the most famous resident of River Heights, has become an enduring icon, a glittering symbol, especially in her early days, of female liberation--having appeared soon after the era of women's suffrage and the heyday of the flapper. Indulged by a wealthy and understanding father, unencumbered by the presence of a worrying mother to tell her that "girls shouldn't do that" (Mom Drew conveniently died when Nancy was only three), relieved of household responsibilities by an amiable housekeeper, Nancy is free to do whatever she wants--she can hop into her blue roadster to travel to far-flung places in pursuit of a clue, she can fly anywhere in the world, she is not bound by the need to attend school or to earn a living (indeed, she often scoffs at the very idea of being paid in filthy lucre for her detective work). Despite her youth, Nancy exudes supreme self-confidence and unquestioned authority. Criminals quake at the sight of her and are moved to confess all; police officers defer to her crime-solving skills; foolish older women look to her for advice and the solution to their problems; young people admire her--and why not? She can do anything and everything: dance a ballet, act on stage, ride bareback in a circus, skillfully handle a sailboat; play championship-caliber golf and tennis. And whatever she does, she does it modestly, with feminine grace and charm. Nancy is always the leader: her two female sidekicks--boyish, gung-ho George Fayne and plump, timid Bess Marvin--are ever ready to follow her instructions and bow to her superior skills and intellect. (For more about the friendship of Nancy, Bess, and George, see Side by Side by Side: Three's Company.) Likewise, her nondemanding and long-suffering boyfriend, Ned Nickerson, though he sometimes is called upon to rescue her, always defers to Nancy and rarely complains when she routinely puts solving a mystery ahead of spending snuggle time with him. Nancy is never plagued by self-doubt, never loses her elegance and superiority. She is by no means your average teenage girl; she is the polished and poised ideal one hopes to reach...someday. Copyright © 2001. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared at Suite101.com.
Read more about Nancy Drew:
The Secret of the Mysterious Makeover: Nancy Gets a Facelift
NancyDrew.com Official Nancy Drew Web site, with material for both adults and children. The Nancy Drew Sleuth Unofficial Web Site Information about Nancy Drew and her fictional adventures. Around the World With Nancy Drew Comprehensive site about non-U.S. editions; details of Nancy's extensive fictional travels. |
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 Nancy Drew's Guide to Life
by Jennifer Worick
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 Nancy Drew: The Final Scene
Computer game from HER Interactive
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