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30th out of 2,174 books
—
6,620 voters
The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew #1)
by
Carolyn Keene,
Russell H. Tandy , Sara Paretsky (Goodreads Author)
In this first of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, Nancy, unaided, seeks to find a missing will. Her search not only tests her keen mind but also leads her into a thrilling adventure. This volume presents the original, 1930 version of the story. In 1959 the story was rewritten and condensed and this original version went out of print.
Hardcover, 210 pages
Published
September 1st 1991
by Applewood Books
(first published April 28th 1930)
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Jul 03, 2008
Jessica
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
girl sleuths who've recently learned to read
I see this edition is actually a postcard book, but I wanted to review The Secret of the Old Clock with its proper cover.
This was the first chapter book I ever read. I have a very clear memory of my mom giving it to me in the car on the way back from Palo Alto, which can't possibly be correct because she wouldn't have handed me a book while driving on the freeway. Maybe she gave it to me before we started driving, and I was reading it in the car? It's kind of a mystery.
Anyway, these books taught...more
This was the first chapter book I ever read. I have a very clear memory of my mom giving it to me in the car on the way back from Palo Alto, which can't possibly be correct because she wouldn't have handed me a book while driving on the freeway. Maybe she gave it to me before we started driving, and I was reading it in the car? It's kind of a mystery.
Anyway, these books taught...more
Nov 04, 2012
Abigail
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Young Mystery Lovers / Vintage-Series Readers
Review Temporarily Removed.
So I was watching the BDSM episode of Our America, and this one chick said that she first discovered her fascination with being tied up when Nancy was being tied up by the bad guys...
I TOTALLY DIDN'T GET THE MEMO THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN GETTING EXCITED.
Anyway, I loved this series as a child. I intend to revisit it someday. Nancy was my girl...and apparently these books are a gateway drug to a kinkier life.
I TOTALLY DIDN'T GET THE MEMO THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN GETTING EXCITED.
Anyway, I loved this series as a child. I intend to revisit it someday. Nancy was my girl...and apparently these books are a gateway drug to a kinkier life.
I want to give this a five because of the enormous impact it's had on the popular imagination, and because it's the first book in a series that features a female main character who is smart and brave and rescues her boyfriend instead of the other way around, and because I read it about 100000 times when I was a kid, but the writing is just so bad. One thing that never struck me before: why are there so many pairs of siblings in this book? Two aging sisters, two aging brothers, two young sisters,...more
I think Nancy drew was the beginning of the end for me. Her adventures and the mysteries that she solved made me yearn to solve my own. This made me inquisitive, leading to a job as a journalist at 14. It also made me want to write.
And here I am...just a few years later (Ok, more than a few), and I'm a writer of suspense, mysteries and thrillers! :) Go figure.
I recommend this book for pre-teens and young teens. It's a great escape. And for women who want to remember a piece of their youth, pick...more
And here I am...just a few years later (Ok, more than a few), and I'm a writer of suspense, mysteries and thrillers! :) Go figure.
I recommend this book for pre-teens and young teens. It's a great escape. And for women who want to remember a piece of their youth, pick...more
How can you work on a girls' mystery series project and *not* read Nancy Drew? I don't think you can, so my inaugural Nancy is the 1938 printing of ND #1. How did I not read this book as a child?
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Hmmm...I wish I had read Nancy for the first time as a kid, because I think I would have loved her then: she's spunky, independent, and ready to right the world's injustices. As an adult, though, I couldn't quite get past the fact that the injustices Nancy set out to resolve hinged upon putting tha...more
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Hmmm...I wish I had read Nancy for the first time as a kid, because I think I would have loved her then: she's spunky, independent, and ready to right the world's injustices. As an adult, though, I couldn't quite get past the fact that the injustices Nancy set out to resolve hinged upon putting tha...more
Okay -- yes I am about 25 years too old to be reading this book ... but I tried to read it when I was the appropriate age and couldn't get past the gloves and convertible running errands for Daddy.
I finally got past all that and decided, you know, it wasn't half bad. I am not a t-shirt wearing convert but at least I successfully read it and may try to read another at some point.
As previously mentioned, Nancy runs errands for her father the handsome widower Carson Drew, attorney at law. She has a...more
I finally got past all that and decided, you know, it wasn't half bad. I am not a t-shirt wearing convert but at least I successfully read it and may try to read another at some point.
As previously mentioned, Nancy runs errands for her father the handsome widower Carson Drew, attorney at law. She has a...more
Mar 20, 2011
Jodi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
books-in-a-series,
books-read-to-my-children
Somehow with my huge reading appetite as a child, I never picked up a Nancy Drew Book. I managed to read a few Bobsey Twin books, Box Car Children, Laura Ingalls, The Littles, Betsy-Tacy, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Anne of Greene Gables, but never Nancy Drew. I guess I missed out! Anyway, I got to enjoy my first book with my daughter who after seeing the Nancy Drew movie a few months ago has become a huge fan.
Because these books were written in the 50s (30s? - my book says 30s but would a girl have...more
Because these books were written in the 50s (30s? - my book says 30s but would a girl have...more
Jul 14, 2012
Simon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Simon by:
Samantha Pellegrino
I love this book despite how old it is or how it seems very juvenile, even though Nancy is my age.
I read it for the first time back in Grade 7 and I fell in Love with the series, I have made it a mission to own all of them (including the Hardy Boys) i have only managed to read up to the 9th book however, so now with the help of this website and my own determination, I will read all of them.
I think it is safe to say that some of the crimes committed in this book, couldn't happen today due to te...more
I read it for the first time back in Grade 7 and I fell in Love with the series, I have made it a mission to own all of them (including the Hardy Boys) i have only managed to read up to the 9th book however, so now with the help of this website and my own determination, I will read all of them.
I think it is safe to say that some of the crimes committed in this book, couldn't happen today due to te...more
I remember the first time I read this series. I was 8 and they were my older cousins so I wanted to read them to. (I wanted to be just like her and do everything she did.). As soon as I started reading it I was OBSESSED. I LOVED this series! it took me about 3 months to read all the books the local library had, and I started requesting them for birthday gifts ETc. I own almost the whole series, and I will never get rid of them. I want to pass them on to my own kids someday.
I wouldn’t say thes...more
I wouldn’t say thes...more
Dec 16, 2010
Montanamarynotmartha
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2010,
young-adult
Since this is a double book - I have a review for The Secret of the Old Clock already in another edition but here's a copy:
I just love that Nancy Drew! Her stories are so pure and free of the garbage that litters so many good books today. I also use these to study grammar and punctuation. Her books are free of slang and cliches so common in current fiction. This story was fun too. Nancy met lots of interesting characters and set out on her own to solve the mystery. Once she was almost caught spy...more
I just love that Nancy Drew! Her stories are so pure and free of the garbage that litters so many good books today. I also use these to study grammar and punctuation. Her books are free of slang and cliches so common in current fiction. This story was fun too. Nancy met lots of interesting characters and set out on her own to solve the mystery. Once she was almost caught spy...more
Jul 01, 2009
☆Brittany☆
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
mystery
Honestly reading this book as an adult was almost brutal. Nancy's whole demeanor/thoughts/words used etc were just so cheesy.
BUT, I read quite a few Nancy Drew books during my preteen years & I absolutely LOVED them. I loved them enough to never part with the books & if I find the "old style" edition of a Nancy Drew book that I don't have I buy it, still.
So, I am giving the book 5 stars because when I was a kid I really did think these books were amazing. Now, as an adult, they are ridi...more
BUT, I read quite a few Nancy Drew books during my preteen years & I absolutely LOVED them. I loved them enough to never part with the books & if I find the "old style" edition of a Nancy Drew book that I don't have I buy it, still.
So, I am giving the book 5 stars because when I was a kid I really did think these books were amazing. Now, as an adult, they are ridi...more
Reread it to see if I should keep it on my school library shelf. Not many takers on this series in my middle school library. I read it the first time at about 8. My cousin had the whole series and Hardy Boys too and I read them all. This one was my favorite. I guess I liked the rereading to be able to go back to the simple times and remember when there were no cell phones, bad guys were easy to spot and good guys always win. Don't know if there is a rewrite for modern readers but maybe it wouldn...more
When a young girl, Judy, is almost hit by a large moving van and falls off a bridge in her attempt to avoid being hit, eighteen-year-old Nancy Drew quickly rescue the girl and brings her back to Judy’s home, which she shares with her Great Aunts Mary Edna Turner. The two elderly ladies share with Nancy that they don’t have a lot of money, especially since their promised inheritance from Josiah Crowley fell through. Mr. Crowley’s fortune was willed to the snobby, rude, and already rich Topham fam...more
The Nancy Drew series is a wonderful read for children (mostly girls) with an interest in mysteries and the ability to read at about the fourth grade level. There are dangerous situations, but everything always turns out all right. Nothing in them will traumatize a precocious third grader.
The parent or teacher may want to know that there are two types of Nancy Drews. This title is the first of the originals written by the original Carolyn Keene. They are by far the best, if a bit dated. I loved...more
The parent or teacher may want to know that there are two types of Nancy Drews. This title is the first of the originals written by the original Carolyn Keene. They are by far the best, if a bit dated. I loved...more
Title: Secret of the Old Clock
Author: Carolynn Keene
Year: 1959 Number of Pages: 180
Intended Audience: Mystery lovers!
Main Issue: A will was never found with a sum of money for different people.
Setting: Yes, it could take place in a different setting, but it wouldn't have the same affect.
Description of Main Characters: Nancy Drew- young girl detective, loves adventure; Carson Drew- Nancy's dad, works as a lawyer
Summary: Nancy was driving home one day when a moving van sped right in front of her g...more
Author: Carolynn Keene
Year: 1959 Number of Pages: 180
Intended Audience: Mystery lovers!
Main Issue: A will was never found with a sum of money for different people.
Setting: Yes, it could take place in a different setting, but it wouldn't have the same affect.
Description of Main Characters: Nancy Drew- young girl detective, loves adventure; Carson Drew- Nancy's dad, works as a lawyer
Summary: Nancy was driving home one day when a moving van sped right in front of her g...more
So I have been a fan of the Adventure Games series a few years now and I decided I should read some books as well. And I bought this (I knew it was the edited version, where Nancy is toned down etc etc), but the game with the same name is my favourite, and I figured I should start from the beginning... Quite a disappointment. Too rushed, something happens in every short chapter, Nancy isn't as nice to people as I thought she should be... Is it just me? (And I still think of Hannah as black every...more
I never read these stories as a kid, and in a way I wished I did because I would probably have fond memories associated with reading the series that many other reviewers had. The ebooks I have are the revised ones (post 1950's). The most annoying thing is the vast amount of exclamation points. It was okay for the first few pages, but it got tiresome after a while. Another annoying thing is how often Nancy talks to herself. There seems to be little descriptions of anything and a whole lot of talk...more
Jan 15, 2013
Alex
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-loved-when-i-was-younger
I listened to this on audiobook in my car. (As an aside, I really loved the way Laura Linney read this story!)
What a fun trip down memory lane. I LOVED Nancy Drew when I was a kid, so much so that my best friend and I had a Nancy Drew Book Club (we were the only two members....) Her and I recently discussed that, which made me really want to re-read these books! I also was searching for new audiobooks for my commute, as I had just finished two long series that took a year and a half to listen to...more
What a fun trip down memory lane. I LOVED Nancy Drew when I was a kid, so much so that my best friend and I had a Nancy Drew Book Club (we were the only two members....) Her and I recently discussed that, which made me really want to re-read these books! I also was searching for new audiobooks for my commute, as I had just finished two long series that took a year and a half to listen to...more
The Secret Of The Old Clock By: Carolyn Keene
The Secret Of The Old Clock is about a girl named Nancy Drew. Nancy is 18 years old and she loves mystery. She is always ending up in helping and searching about crimes that are taking place . She lives in a little small town. She is the best at finding out crimes and saving peoples lives. Nancy and her father live in a house and have a housekeeper after awhile the housekeeper tried to act like a family member. She started to get information about a...more
The Secret Of The Old Clock is about a girl named Nancy Drew. Nancy is 18 years old and she loves mystery. She is always ending up in helping and searching about crimes that are taking place . She lives in a little small town. She is the best at finding out crimes and saving peoples lives. Nancy and her father live in a house and have a housekeeper after awhile the housekeeper tried to act like a family member. She started to get information about a...more
I loved Nancy Drew as a kid! My next door neighbor gave me my first ND book ("The Password to Larkspur Lane") when I was eight ... I think because she believed that the Egyptology books I was always reading were not kid-suitable. That was the beginning of my obsession. I used my allowance to buy more and was gifted with new books for birthdays and Christmas. My mother actually carried a list of the books I had around so that she would not pick out one I already owned. I still have books 1-56. 56...more
Read for Profiling Mysteries (Bought for Myself)
Overall Rating: 5.00
Story Rating: 5.00
Character Rating: 5.00
First Thought When Finished: What a nostalgic trip back into time. Nancy Drew was a big part of why I fell in love with reading in the first place!
What I Thought of the Case: The Secret of the Old Clock is the first in a long line of Nancy Drew cases. If you have never read a Nancy Drew book (what are you waiting for?) here is what you need to know: the cases are pretty straight-forward an...more
Overall Rating: 5.00
Story Rating: 5.00
Character Rating: 5.00
First Thought When Finished: What a nostalgic trip back into time. Nancy Drew was a big part of why I fell in love with reading in the first place!
What I Thought of the Case: The Secret of the Old Clock is the first in a long line of Nancy Drew cases. If you have never read a Nancy Drew book (what are you waiting for?) here is what you need to know: the cases are pretty straight-forward an...more
Oh, Nancy, how damned earnest you are! What infuriated me the most about this book -- and infuriated I was -- was the two-dimensional nonsense that spewed from each flat character's mouth. "I wish we could travel," say the two brothers, "if only we'd been left money in the old man's will!" Every time we meet them, which is not a few times, they'll speak that same one damned line. Alison constantly harping on about her desire for voice lessons, Judy's minders dreaming they could send the promisin...more
I admit i read this book late. 10 years late to be more accurate. haha. Well even though i found it juvenile, which is not a surprise since its written for teens and younger audience, i still found it enjoyable. I actually found myself quite hooked in all that childish mystery. I admire Nancy's persistence and determination in helping the rightful heirs to Josiah Crowley's wealth. My favorite character is Nancy's dad, Carson Drew for being so understanding towards his daughter. He gives room for...more
by Carolyn Keene, published in 1959.
This is the first Nancy Drew mystery, and also happens to be the first one I’ve ever read. And it was not as bad as I thought it might have been. It was quite a departure from Science Fiction and Fantasy - my mainstays - for sure.
Nancy is a young sleuth very much interested in solving mysteries. Her father, a lawyer, is a great aid for her as eh has the legal slant on all the things she is trying to do as well as sagely advice when Nancy needs it. The way the...more
This is the first Nancy Drew mystery, and also happens to be the first one I’ve ever read. And it was not as bad as I thought it might have been. It was quite a departure from Science Fiction and Fantasy - my mainstays - for sure.
Nancy is a young sleuth very much interested in solving mysteries. Her father, a lawyer, is a great aid for her as eh has the legal slant on all the things she is trying to do as well as sagely advice when Nancy needs it. The way the...more
“Nancy Drew” is what drew me in to the world of writing. It’s the series that started it all, so to say it inspires me is putting it mildly. I choose to review this particular book because it is the one that started it all. Carolyn Keene—the original Carolyn Keene, since I did notice a difference when it changed hands—writes a book that starts young readers out in getting hooked on the genre of mystery. In this particular book we are first introduced to the young 18-year-old sleuth, Nancy Drew,...more
Can I say how excited I was to read my first Nancy Drew book since about the 5th grade. I devoured these book throughout the school year and I really think Nancy gets some of the credit for my lifelong love affair with mysteries.
Underneath that excitement was just a small amount of fear. I haven't read this book in 25 years so I was scared that it wouldn't live up to the memory. It wouldn't be the first time that I reread a book I loved when I was younger only to find out that I really didn't ca...more
Underneath that excitement was just a small amount of fear. I haven't read this book in 25 years so I was scared that it wouldn't live up to the memory. It wouldn't be the first time that I reread a book I loved when I was younger only to find out that I really didn't ca...more
I recently saw a local ad for a 1959 set of nearly sixty Nancy Drew books and roughly the same number of Hardy Boys books in excellent condition at a great price. I'll admit that I was tempted to buy them, but I already have boxes of books that our current bookshelves can't accommodate, so to add over a hundred additional volumes at once seemed foolish. Plus, I've not revisited these books since my youth, and I suspect that they might not fare so well when read as an adult. I did a little poking...more
I found these reprints of the 1930 versions of the Nancy Drew series, and read them side-by-side with the 1950s versions. What a fascinating exercise!
The standout difference, aside from the really appalling portrayal of the one black person in the early edition, was the addition in the 50s of a number of incidents that seem to be intended to heighten the tension, including an orphan child and her elderly caretakers who desperately need a chunk of the inheritance and a dog attack that consists of...more
The standout difference, aside from the really appalling portrayal of the one black person in the early edition, was the addition in the 50s of a number of incidents that seem to be intended to heighten the tension, including an orphan child and her elderly caretakers who desperately need a chunk of the inheritance and a dog attack that consists of...more
Nancy Drew is a 18 year old girl that lives in River Heights. Nancy lives with her father, Carson Drew who is a attorney. Also at the home, the housekeeper named Hannah Gruen, kind of takes the motherly role of the home. Nancy's mother died when she was a little child. She loves sluething around and when a mystery about a man named Josiah Crowley died, she wanted to find the real will he had in store for his friends and family, not the one that left already rich Topham family all of his possesi...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past Present Future | 4 | 58 | May 09, 2013 01:42pm | |
| Nancy Drew Readers: The Secret of the Old Clock #1 - discussion topic | 5 | 6 | Apr 17, 2013 05:15pm | |
| Quote location | 1 | 9 | Mar 09, 2013 07:46am | |
| hardy boys vs. nancy drew | 31 | 56 | Feb 11, 2013 10:42am | |
| Books 4ever!: Original Series | 2 | 5 | Feb 01, 2013 04:06pm | |
| Nancy Drew Club: The Secret of the Old Clock | 1 | 8 | Sep 11, 2011 12:49pm |
Carolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Str...more
More about Carolyn Keene...
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Str...more
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“Read read read Thats all I can say”
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23 people liked it
“Not many girls would have used their wits the way you did," the officer observed.”
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Jul 03, 2008 01:59pm
Indeed! I'm sitting here giggling with nostalgic glee... but cut it out! I'm already doing a sentimental retrospective of Georgette H...more
Jul 03, 2008 02:07pm