Franklon Dixon

Fiction 1927

I was reading an article about mystery and suspense novels which mentioned The Hardy Boys, and I harkened back to when I was 10, 11, 12 (?) and reading every Hardy Boys book.  So, I thought, "What the heck.  It is the dog days of summer.  I think I will reread a bit of my youth."

And so I  read the first three Hardy Boys books:

The Tower Treasure (1927)

The House on the Cliff (1927)

The Secret of the Old Mill (1927)

It was serious fun!  What I noticed first is the vastly different character style from what I read today.  Those who read my blog regularly know that I am a stickler for well-developed characters and plots.  All we know about the Hardy boys is that Frank is 18 with dark hair and his brother Joe is a 17-year-old blond.  We know nothing else, really.  No deep context about their lives or characters.

The other big noticing I have is the writing style.  Every sentence is short and crisp and either shows action, quick dialogue, or occasionally an internal thought.  They are, after all, young adult books.  And I enjoy the suspense still!

I recommend this exercise!  Not to go read three Hardy Boys books, but to read a book or two from that time frame in your life and notice what you notice.  Perhaps for you it was Nancy Drew or the Bobbsey Twins or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

Tell us here what you discover!

August 2026