MEN OF THE BLOG WEEK
Before I start today's entry, it's time for the end of the week count.
For the week:
CHAPTERS - 120
PAGES - 1,775
For the year so far:
CHAPTERS - 2,368
PAGES - 31,102
Today's book; "A dying criminal confessed that his loot had been secreted "in the tower." Both towers of the mansion that had been looted were searched, but in vain. It remained for the Hardy boys to make an astonishing discovery that cleared up the mystery."
One of the dear readers of the blog (iv) and I are having our own little book club today - he's decided to get out his childhood copy of The Tower Treasure and read it today as well. Today is also his birthday, so that puts a little pressure on the book to be good, because who wants to read a crappy book on their birthday. So, Happy Birthday iv - I hope you had fun reading today's book. I certainly did. I'm a newly converted Hardy Boys fan (in fact, I think I liked it better than Nancy Drew).
Wholesome thoughts about today's book:
- I'm so glad I was able to find the original version of this book, because I really didn't want to have to settle for the 50's butchered (I mean rewritten) version. When I read one of the Nancy Drew books all I could find was the 50's version and it felt like it lacked something (and the cover was hideous).
- I really enjoy the introduction to the book. I usually find the introductions incredibly boring and they general give away too much of the plot - but this one focused on the process of creating the Hardy Boys series. My favorite line from the introduction was when the author discusses how it was decided that, ". . . relations between the Hardy boys and their girl friends would not go beyond the borders of wholesome friendship and discreet mutual esteem." I just love the way people talk in old books, apparently even in the introductions. I think from now on people should skip the usual "It's not you, it's me" breakup speech and instead say, "I don't think our relationship should go beyond the borders of wholesome friendship." Or the next time someone in public is undressing with their eyes you can walk over and say, "I certainly hope that look was meant to be one of discreet mutual esteem and nothing more." Of course there's the very real chance that the other person will have no idea what you're talking about - but I don't think you should let a little thing like that stand in your way.
- I also loved the scene where the Hardy boys were almost run off the road by a roadster (I love that word by the way). Before you start thinking of me as a monster who enjoys seeing children almost die, let me assure you it was what came after they almost got run off the road that I was amused by. How did the Hardy boys respond to their near death experience? Did they panic? Why no, they're much too resourceful for that. Did they give the other guy the finger and call him every name in the book? Of course not, they're too wholesome for that (although there was that scandalous moment when one of the boys called him an idiot, and don't think I wasn't shocked by that moment). Instead, they gasped and called the guy a road hog. I think I'm going to take a lesson from the Hardy boys - the next time someone cuts me off in traffic I'm not going to yell profanity at him (not that I would ever do something like that), instead I'm going to be wholesome and retro and call him a road hog. Although, I'll probably be yelling it and shooting him a dirty look - which is a tactic I'm not sure the Hardy boys would approve of.
- At one point during the book, Mr. Hardy (whose first name is Fenton - remind me to add that to my list of baby names for future children along with Hurd, which is the unfortunate name of another character in this book) returns home from work and his children are anxious to discuss with him any clues he may have gathered throughout the day at his job as a detective. But, alas, Mrs. Hardy spoils the fun because she doesn't want to hear about the clues. Or, as the book puts it, "She seldom asked questions about her husband's work, being of a gentle nature that instinctively shrank from any discussion of crime." Okay, show of Internet hands, who thinks that Mrs. Hardy isn't really all that gentle? Who thinks the real reason why she didn't ask questions is because she's bored to tears by her husband's work? My theory is that the real reason why she walks out of the room every time her husband starts with the shop talk is so she can escape the boredom, and so she can mutter stuff under her breath without the children hearing, stuff like, "Does he ever even bother to ask about my day? No he doesn't. And yet I'm supposed to hang on his every word and pretend like he's the most fascinating person who ever walked the face of the earth." Or maybe I'm reading too much into that scene.
Here's my favorite line of the book; "She was a faded blonde in a gown of a fashion fifteen years back, in which every color of the spectrum fought for supremacy." - That's such a eloquent way of saying, "My goodness would you look at that hideous, tacky outfit that woman is wearing."
