Thursday, June 17, 2010

#142: The Case of Capital Intrigue

You can tell a lot about a ghostwriter by the Nancy Drew book they write. And I'm not wasting any time in expressing that message here, because it's written in every word of this book.
Let me start off with what I expected from this installment: Nancy goes to Washington D.C. to visit George, who (despite having no experience at... anything) has landed a photography internship at the White House. Nancy and George cruise around, talking animatedly about the history behind every single monument they pass. Someone steals a rare artifact given to the United States President from the leader of a made-up country named San Valente, and Nancy helps the FBI find both the artifact and the kidnapped ambassador. The president shakes her hand, and then she goes back to River Heights to continue her insipid life of accidentally stumbling into the mysteries that criminals just lay at her feet.

Yet that isn't quite what I got, and it's not a bad thing. In all the Nancy Drew books I've read, it is remarkably rare to come across one that so clearly aspires to be something more. I don't mean to degrade Nancy Drew books, but they generally come in the same basic formula: Nancy goes on vacation with Bess and George, someone sabotages the resort they're staying at, and it's up to our girl sleuth and her friends to figure out which of five characters sees some bit of gain in doing nasty things to nice people. Every mystery varies, but the point is they're not incredibly creative when it comes to plot.

But in this book, I saw a glimpse of the person writing. This can be either a plus or a minus. Good fiction will always be barren of authorial evidence- that is, if the author is placing some symbol or turning point in the story, it shouldn't be immediately obvious to the reader what the writer is trying to do (this can be a tough point of criticism for those- such as myself- who write stories heavy with epiphany). In other words, you don't want to see evidence of the author peeking through. But on the other hand, I would have to argue that reading something which gives us an insight into the author's own thoughts is extremely valuable.

I'm saying this because this particular book reads very much like a mystery-adventure-thriller (think Deception Point by Dan Brown). By this I mean that Nancy is investigating an inside job from the start, since the perpetrator appears to be someone working in the White House. I could have expected that of course, but the attention to detail is astounding, and the story goes on and on along the lines of what should be a full-length novel. Nancy befriends one of the interns, Eduardo, whose father happens to be the ambassador of San Valente. The two grow close, though Nancy's trust in Eduardo is thrown into question when she discovers that he was once involved with a gang in his home country. And then, as the two are out for a midnight walk at the Lincoln Memorial, a masked gunman attempts to hunt them down. They duck behind the mammoth statue of Lincoln while bullets mar the white marble, and then they make a miraculous escape. The next day, the adventure continues as the twosome race to the Watergate Complex to rescue Eduardo's kidnapped father, and then evade the police and rush back to the White House, enlisting the help of a couple of very trusting Secret Service agents to crack down on the perpetrator before time runs out.

Now if this doesn't sound even vaguely like a Dan Brown thriller (minus all of the history and crazy conspiracy theories), you should just slap yourself. The ghostwriter took a few steps here that were especially daring. I'll be honest, I for one am just a little perturbed by the notion of a gunman shooting at the Lincoln Memorial and defacing what is arguably the most magnificent statue in D.C. This may also have something to do with the fact that I regard Abraham Lincoln very highly for his dedication to preserving the Union (and the fact that I am a history nerd to begin with). But that's the daring move: taking something familiar, something of value, and creating a dangerous scenario around it. And this ghostwriter did it in a Nancy Drew book, not even hesitating to supply two of the 'good guys' with pistols as they creep through a hallway of the Watergate Hotel on a mission to save the ambassador. The characters aren't messing around here- it's gritty and it's not nice. But that's what makes this book stand out.

Furthermore, as with all thrillers, the protagonist has to have a love interest- and in case you were wondering, it's not Ned. I know I get on Nancy's case a lot for sporadically prancing around with other guys, but take a look...


Given the artist's rendition of Eduardo, I can't really blame Nancy.
And anyhow, this is just another risk the writer took (successfully, I might add). As you've seen, I am consistently ragging on Nancy whenever some guy appears in the middle of a case- but not now. The author does an incredible job of making their friendship sweet and subtle (until a slightly sappy ending, but let's not get too down about that). It isn't overdone, and most importantly Nancy remains true to herself throughout. She isn't hanging on Eduardo the entire time, forgetting about the case, or landing herself in any trouble that only a man could save her from. She's the Nancy we know and love, but she's showing us that doesn't have to change just because there's a new guy around. It's a breath of fresh air.

Any reader could easily qualify this book as just another Nancy Drew book, in which she goes on a trip, finds herself knee-deep in yet another mystery, and is consistently targeted by criminals who want this snoopy girl detective out of the way. But I'm pointing out the differences between this and other installments because, as I've said, it wants to be so much more. Given a few hundred pages, this episode in the life of Ms. Drew could make up a full-length novel.

And that's where I come back to my main point here: in this story, I see a writer who maybe doesn't want to write Nancy Drew books for a lifetime, someone who wants to be recognized for writing good, enjoyable fiction, though they know they're just blessed to have a job. So they channel their creativity, their penchant for adventurous mystery-thrillers, into the only secure medium they have if they're going to make ends meet as a writer.

It's a tough world out there for people who just want to write- you can crank out the novels and short stories, but the chances of getting published are slim to none. If ever someone gives it a go and sticks at it despite the constant letdowns from publishers, it's not because they think they'll get published someday. It's because they love to write.

Seeing the author through their words isn't always a bad thing- and when there's only so much you can expect from a Nancy Drew book, catching onto these things and thinking about them means quite a lot. Because behind every one of these cheesy books with varying degrees of impracticality, there is someone whose dreams haven't quite been fulfilled. And the most striking part is that they understand this, they accept it, and they keep writing.

Homecoming Surprise

I've been home for a whole week, and it is heaven.
Imagine late afternoons, lying in the grass, with a book in hand and some tea and biscuits on a tray. Imagine staying up late to watch re-runs of Felicity and The X-Files. Imagine waking up at 4am to catch live World Cup games. (Before yesterday, I was fully confident that Spain had this entire tournament in the bag- and now they have to win the next two games just to go on to the next round. Words cannot express how pissed I am about that.) And lastly, imagine a surprise package in the mailbox.
When I saw it was addressed to me, I assumed it was one of the used book companies on Amazon that I had ordered textbooks from months ago, and they had finally decided to ship me the books I didn't even need anymore. For whatever reason, my sister kept hovering behind me as I made feeble attempts to tear the package open with my nails. And when I at last slit into the plastic and peeled some of it away, I was shocked to see that oh-so-familiar font on a white paperback spine...


My sister had actually gone online and ordered five paperback books as a homecoming present for me. I am still thoroughly excited that I now have five books that are fairly difficult to come across. One drawback, however...

The pre-teen girl who last owned this book just looooooovvvved hearts. So much so that she had to draw them all over one of her Nancy Drew books.
I suppose I'll just have to deal with it- point is, I have five new books to add to my list, as well as a bundle of the old hardcover books that my sister also bought for me while I was away. I am now the proud owner of:

#12 - The Message in the Hollow Oak
#14 - The Whispering Statue
#15 - The Haunted Bridge
#17 - Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk
#19 - Quest of the Missing Map
#20 - The Clue in the Jewel Box
#72 - The Haunted Carousel
#117 - Mystery on the Menu
#130 - Sign of the Falcon
#138 - Legend of the Lost Gold
#142 - The Case of Capital Intrigue

That puts my total owned at 107! Hooray for progress!

Monday, June 7, 2010

SUMMER LOVE!

I'm feeling like a bit of a hippie at the moment. And I'm pretty sure it's because the sun is consistently shining its burning rays at last, and the Spring season is no longer perforated with those random days where the sky sits back and thinks, 'Hmmph. I like being gray and pouring rain on people. I am a grumpy expanse of air and I fully intend to ruin May and June for people because I'm just so darn grumpy. Hmmph.'
Gosh darn you, gray sky!

But the point is that I am finally able to walk barefoot through the park (except in the morning when there's dew everywhere... ewww) and I can lie in the grass and sing to the birds, who fly away embittered.
In two days, I will be done with finals and- provided I don't procrastinate- my room will be all packed up, ready for me to return home for a blissful three months. And with summer comes... oh my gosh, I've been waiting for this for weeks:
FREEDOM!
That is, freedom to sleep in without missing detailed lectures or a useful chunk of study time. And of course, the freedom to read whatever the hell I want, whenever I want. You know what's coming, and I hate Predictability (it is the arch-nemesis I find myself battling most often on my frequent late-night crime-fighting sprees). So instead of talking about some random girl sleuth- who by the way has absolutely nothing to do with this blog- here's my [projected] list of summer reading:


1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
  • I think re-reading this book will become a summer ritual of mine. I could go on and on about the symbolism in it, especially in the final chapters (during which I always cry- and believe me when I say it takes a lot for a book to make me cry. Movies, of course, are another matter). Thankfully, I've already gotten through about half of it over the course of this past quarter (when all the studying gets you down, nothing will heal your pain like Harry Potter will). Problem is, I'm worried I might finish it and then desperately want to read all the other books again. I'm already craving the audacity of students creating Dumbledore's Army under the snobby nose of one Dolores Umbridge. But anyhow...

2. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
  • For someone who loves fashion as much as I do, I am just as shocked as everyone else by the fact that I've never read this book. And really, I can't wait to read it just because I know I'll understand even the most obscure references. Hooray me! Hopefully, I'll also find it engaging and well-written, more so than Fashion Babylon (by Imogen Edwards-Jones), which does an excellent job explaining the inner workings of the fashion industry... but my goodness, she could at least learn to write some plausible dialogue and more developed characters. And I could at least keep myself from going off on tangents whilst writing this blog.

3. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
  • This is one of the many books that I started reading last summer and never finished, even though I was thoroughly enjoying it. I imagine the problem was that at the time, I was still tired out from an exhausting school year and wasn't in much of a mood for the constant switches in narrative. This time around, I'll still be tired after yet another year of studies, but I also have an insatiable thirst for good literature. Bring it on.

4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  • Perhaps it sounds a bit morbid that I have a thing for war novels and plays (Slaughterhouse-Five, The Handmaid's Tale, Mother Courage and her Children, etc.). I can only hope that my fascination with literature critical of war will offer me insight in whatever I end up doing in life- preferably, some sort of writing, teaching, or peace work.

5. 1984 by George Orwell
  • According to my high school Economics/Civil War teacher, there is one book that every young student must read at some point: 1984. Having read the first couple chapters, I already understand why. But as with The Blind Assassin, I just didn't have the drive to read such a dense book when I had just gotten out of school. Here's to giving it another try!

6. If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
  • One of my many inspiring English teachers from high school- who taught an entire class on Calvino's work and contributed to the soft spot I have for this author- told me that I would have to try reading this book at least 6 or 7 times before I was able to finish it. That's why this book isn't on my list as something I wish to finish reading this summer- but I want to get through the first try. And anyhow, I'm really missing that Calvino-esque 'meta' style in his works. Perhaps I'll end up reading some of his short story collections as well.

7. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
  • If there is one writer who can craft an impeccable murder mystery, it's Agatha Christie (that sort of almost rhymed, but didn't really). I first read The Clocks in 7th grade and loved it- which is remarkable considering it's one of her lesser-known works. And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Mirror Crack'd are some of my favourites from her- and who could deny any love for Miss Jane Marple after this profound, simple statement: 'Murder is stupid.' None could. And so I'm setting off to read what is perhaps her most classic piece.

8. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
  • The story of how I came across this book is a good illustration of the nerd in me. It goes like this: I took a trip to my university's bookstore to get a book I needed for class. It doesn't take that long to walk in, find the book, buy it, and get out- but just long enough that I miss my bus and have another half an hour to wait (and walking through the monsoon-caliber weather is not a highly desirable option). On this particular occasion, I figured it couldn't hurt to peek around the bookshelves to see what people were reading for other classes. Note: people generally don't care what other classes are reading. They get their books and get out. But being the nerd that I am, I wandered dreamily along the aisles of books, inspecting any works whose spines stood out to me. And one of them was Reading Lolita in Tehran. I think the combination of 'Tehran' and 'Lolita' is what was so striking, and after reading all about it on Amazon and skimming the first chapter, I'm rather excited for this new read. As with Catch-22 and 1984, I can only hope it will lend me a significant deal of perspective as I make my way in the world.

9. Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene (as many as I can get my hands on)
  • And at last, the time comes for the inevitable mention. I have a few lined up already: The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes (which I started a while back and had to put on hold, in favor of a book on Progressivism in the 1912 U.S. Presidential election); The Clue on the Silver Screen; The Bungalow Mystery; The Mystery of the Tolling Bell. Just to name a few.
I'm hoping that I'll be able to find many of the out-of-print paperback books on Amazon for $1 or less, although I know one was asking $15 (plus shipping cost) for a used copy. If anyone knows of an alternative to Amazon, please let me know! Borders, Barnes & Noble, Half-Price Books, and every thrift store I go to will offer me a large collection of the original hardcover books (many of which I still need) but the paperback books are hardest to find. Give me a heads' up if you have any ideas!
And as always, stay tuned :)