Customer Reviews

The Bungalow Mystery (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, Bk 3)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Originally written by Mildred Wirt Benson from outlines by Edward Stratemeyer, the Nancy Drew series was first published in 1930s. THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY was the third book in the 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 BUNGALOW MYSTERY opens with Nancy and friend Helen aboard a small boat--which begins to sink in a sudden storm. Helen is hurt, and although Nancy is a strong swimmer they are soon in danger of their lives. Fortunately, they are rescued by Laura, a recently orphaned teenager who is in the area to meet her new guardians. Nancy soon becomes suspicious of Laura's guardians and determines to investigate the matter; at the same time her father, attorney Carson Drew, is investigating the theift of bonds from a local bank. As is the way of Nancy Drew stories, these two plots soon link, and Nancy finds herself facing a ruthless gang of kidnappers and con artists.

The book is very much of its era: you will not find any cell phones, computers, or similar modern gadgets between its covers. Nancy herself is the "perfect good girl" according to the standards of the day: she tends toward skirts and jackets, wears gloves for social occasion, and is never too busy to whip up a quick luncheon (chicken salad always seems to be a favorite) for family or friends. And she is always prepared, even to the extent of having an overnight bag in the trunk of her car complete with two changes of clothing and a swim suit, just in case!

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.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This was the 2nd best book in the series, only to its predecessor, The Hidden Staircase. The book kicks into action around page 70 and is non-stop suspense from there on. Its actually one of the few books that has a good mystery in the story and the cliff hangers at the end of each chapter are well thought out. In my opinion most of the Nancy Drew books were awful. The set is over rated. Of the original 56 books, about 25 of them are good. Half the set. This ranks in at #2 with me.

This book was one of the best Nancy Drew books. It captivated your interest and was suspenseful. It was a story of friendships made and renewed. You'll like the surprise ending and how Nancy goes about solving the case.

I read quite a few of the Nancy Drew Mysteries as a child. I have retained only five of those books in my personal library, so I recently decided to start collecting them again and, of course, to re-read them. My mom gave me three this Christmas, one of which was the facsimile edition of the Bungalow Mystery from Applewood Books. This book is somewhat longer than the more common Grosset & Dunlap editions (the yellow hardcover books). Having read reviews on the facsimile editions, I was expecting something quite different than what I was used to. Upon reading the book, I did not find it (the story) to be very much different from the modernized editions. The illustrations, however, are very different and better. The quality of the book is much better, as well. Of the two editions, I would recommend the facsimile over the re-edited versions.

See if you can get the "Bungalow Mystery" in an Applegate edition, which preserves the original language and attitudes of the 30s. The updated versions are fine too, but the originals, although fixed in an earlier period, are remarkable for their descriptive, exact language.

Carefully plotted and deftly written, the "Bungalow Mystery" finds Nancy coming to the aid of a new friend who has rescued her during a storm on the lake near her summer camp. There is the trademark Carolyn Keene blend of exciting situations and Nancy's remarkable resourcefulness. I recommend all the Nancy
Drew yarns to the girls of my piano studio. Wholesome and winsome, Nancy has aged well, and continues to delight young readers.

I am really enjoying reading the original Nancy Drew books that Applewood Publishers has been turning out.The illustrations by Russell Tandy are great!I read the whole series 20 years ago in grade school.Now I'm a teacher and getting a kick out of collecting these books and rereading them!The language from the 30's is hilarious.The language is dated, but a scream to read these books. A real piece of Americana.If you loved these books as a child, reread the originals, they are far superior.

The Bungalow Mystery
Book 3 Nancy Drew

I have read this book several times in my lifetime. My first time was as an eighth-grader. Next, I read Nancy Drew while raising my girls. I'm now on the third-go-around. This time, I listened to the book on CD, and found it as exciting as ever.

Nancy and her friend, Helen Corning, are on vacation at a resort. When they take a boat out on the water, a storm capsizes their boat. Nancy and Helen's calls for help, bring a sixteen-year-old girl, Laura, to their rescue.

Helen and Nancy are concerned for Laura, who has lost her mother and is planning to meet up with her new guardians. When Nancy is called home, to care for her housekeeper, Hannah, who has a broken leg, she makes a mental note to check on Laura.

Laura finds out that her guardians are trying to steal her mother's jewels. She runs away, to Riverheights, where Nancy lives. Nancy Drew sets out alone to investigate Laura's guardians.

Nancy stumbles upon a securities theft, and a stolen identity, when she sets out to solve the Bungalow Mystery.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
author: Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

This Nancy Drew mystery moves fairly quickly, there is regular action and suspense. It begins with Nancy and her friend Helen boating on a lake when a storm comes up. Their boat strikes a log and quickly sinks. Teenage Laura Pendleton comes to their rescue, saving their lives. Laura is a girl with a problem; her parents have recently died, leaving her a wealthy girl.
In the event of such a situation, Laura's parents have arranged for a married couple called the Aborns to be named her guardians. However, when Laura meets them, they turn out to be greedy and conniving people. They treat Laura as a virtual prisoner, steal some of her assets and demand even more. Nancy gets on the case, tracking down the criminals and discovering that the people claiming to be the Aborns are in fact imposters. After several adventures and some time in captivity, Nancy is able to chase down the imposters and their cohorts when they crash a car. The chivalrous Nancy and her group risk danger to rescue the criminals before their car explodes.
I grew up reading the Hardy Boys series of adventure books and occasionally amuse myself by rereading them. My particular interest is in how the tone, content and presentation of the stories have changed over time. In a similar vein I occasionally read a book in the Nancy Drew series. This story was originally written in 1930 and was updated for the 1988 publication. While some modernization has been done, this is still essentially a story for the 1930's. Nancy is still extremely curious and intelligent, yet in many ways still a member of what was at that time considered "the weaker sex."

Like many of the Nancy Drews, the Bungalow Mystery shows what Nancy is really like. It shows her desire to help those in need, and resourcefulness in hunting down criminals, more than her attorney father had. Nancy was justified in being suspicious of Laua Pendelton's supposed guardian, though Laura said that Jacob Aborn and Mrs. Pendleton, who had died recently, were schoolmates. When Laura ran away (and helped Nancy move a downed tree so they could get to River Heights), she told Nancy how mean Jacob Aborn had been. Nancy's investigation started NOT at the bungalow on Melrose Lake but at a deserted shack; she learned, after she had sneaked into Laura's legal residence, that Laura had come under control of a professional crook who called himself Stumpy-- a gangsterly name if ever there were one! When he went to sleep, she returned to the abandoned shack and found the REAL Jacob Aborn chained and half-starved! After more adventures she ran down Stumpy Dowd, who had POSED as Jacob Aborn
to steal Laura's inheritance, and brought happiness to Laura when she and Jacob Aborn were brought together. A delightful story, to be sure.

I thought this book was good. It kept you interested and it makes you wonder what will happen to the bad guys in the end. It a good series if you want a light read series. Sure the series is about or around forty books, but from I know they are all about 180 pages. I can read one of these books in a couple of hours. They may not be long, but the author definitely did not waste any page space by boring you with unnecessary details. I will definitely read more in the series.

thank you for your time
and feel free to comment
this review,
Loran