Several things are to be expected from the Nancy Drew books, and I've taken the time to document them here:ġ. That being said, it doesn't escape from the flaws that personify the entire series - at least it's good to see that Carolyn Keene had already established these issues early in the series, and dammit if she didn't stick to them. One thing I've learned from re-reading some of these books as an adult is that whenever you start one, you have basically a fifty-fifty chance of ending up with 190 pages of dated, stupid crap. Which is not to say that the series is flawless and beyond criticism - kinda the opposite, really. I will probably never get over my girl-crush on Nancy Drew, and this book just confirms that fact. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf. The role of the writer of 'Carolyn Keene' passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three.

Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character.

Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet.

For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.Įdna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. Carolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years.

Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene