Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase (original)

    This was the first original text Nancy Drew book I read. I had found it a mix of exciting, gloomy, and boring. I remember I absolutely loved that Nancy had a gun with her but I found a lot of the scenes at the mansion boring and became frustrated with how long it took Nancy to discover the secret passages. This was also my introduction to racist dialogue in old books.

    To be honest I'm hoping I don't enjoy this books because I would like to get rid of it to clear up some space to my bookshelf. Also every time I see it I think of how I foolishly spent a whopping $75 on it.

- I'm surprised Nancy left her house after Nathan Gomber's visit. I know she locked the doors and windows but if he's as unscrupulous as she thinks then he could break in.

- I thought it was interesting she went for a walk by the river. I don't know why but I always thought it interesting.

- The first time I read this book I was impressed and happy that the characters from the last book made brief appearances. I wish that had happened in more of the books.

- When asked for help by Rosemary and Floretta, Nancy insists she's not a detective. She doesn't even call herself an amateur detective.

- I think it's smart of Carson to arm Nancy with a gun. She's going to an unfamiliar place where sinister things are happening and the only other people who will be around to help her is two elderly ladies. I very much wish other books featured Nancy with a gun. It annoys me a bit how in the revised books Nancy has such close calls yet Carson and Hannah simply make her promise to be careful even though her promise never has helped in the past.

- I find it very annoying that when Nancy is looking for secret passageways and trap doors she doesn't think twice about the strange built in sofas. She spends days searching the walls of all the rooms. I have to assume the thought of checking the sofa would cross her mind.

- Although I love that Nancy has a gun I feel like sleeping with it under her pillow is not very safe. Also wouldn't it be easier to grab if it was on her nightstand? Or is she trying to hide it from any intruders since things have been disappearing from around the mansion. Not to mention a gun and a flashlight under the pillow would seem very bulky and uncomfortable. Maybe that's why she has trouble sleeping while there.

- Hold up, Floretta and Rosemary were just described as "nearly 30 years older than Nancy"...that means they're only 46 at most? I thought they were elderly! That changes things completely!

- Floretta and Rosemary remind me of Bess and George. Floretta is very timid and easily frightened whereas Rosemary is a little more brash and level headed. When the girls hear a scream in the middle of the night, Nancy wants to investigate it. Floretta doesn't want to but when Rosemary bluntly tells her to stay there then Floretta says she's rather go than be left alone. That's always happening with Bess and George.

- I'm surprised the girls don't think of hiring an actual, professional detective. They'd rather just leave their home.

- This book has a very depressing atmosphere to it. Nancy is alone in the empty, old mansion with just the two women and all three are sullen and worried. There is no electricity, no telephone, and they don't seem to leave the house for a week straight. It makes me feel depressed. In the revised Helen is present and that alone would have helped.

- I'm always fascinated by Mildred Wirt's racism in these books. Although I see people speaking about Nancy's racist past I do not see anyone actually calling out Mildred Wirt for this, people just seem to blame Nancy Drew as though she was a real person and responsible. Anyways, I actually had never considered Nathan Gombet as an antisemitic stereotype until I had read another review. Maybe this is because I was unaware that Gombet is a Jewish name, I had never heard it before. Also when I had read this before I hadn't yet read other original text Nancy Drew books and was unaware of Wirts' pattern of scheming, money hungry characters with "hooked noses" and Jewish names.

    It's unfortunate that racism is behind the character of Nathan Gombet as he's an excellent villain. He's extremely heartless and cruel as well as obsessed with seeking revenge for imagined wrongs against him. Where as other villains are just committing crimes because they're greedy or something, Gombet actually seems out of his mind and mentally unstable.

- I feel conflicted when it comes to Mr. Drew walking into Gombet's trap. On the one hand it makes sense that Carson would believe the story of Nancy becoming seriously injured in an automobile accident. Gombet did provide details such as the cars steering gear broke and she ran into a ditch. It also stands to reason that Carson would be unbelievably terrified of losing his daughter after already having lost his wife.

    On the other hand Mr. Drew should have been much more suspicious of Gombet especially after having been threatened by him. He doesn't even think for a second that Nancy may have been injured by Gombet nor does the strange telegram reply he got on the train cross his mind.

- Gombet is called a miser throughout the book which I don't think is the correct word. A miser hordes money and penny pinches but no reference is made to him doing this. He instead tries to scam and cheat other people out of money.

- Gombet says he will release Mr. Drew is he gives him a check and signs a paper promising not to prosecute. Carson should have just done this as contracts signed under force are not legal and will not hold up in court. As a lawyer he should know this. I mean, I guess Gombet could wait for the check to clear and then not release Carson but I doubt it as people would notice if he was gone long/indefinitely.

- I enjoyed two chapters being dedicated to Carson and his abduction. They're removed from the rewritten version and Carson just appears in the end.

- I'm not sure why Gombet thinks forcing the Turnbulls to sell their house equates to them selling it to him. Other people have been interested in the house so why would they sell to the person offering the lowest price?

- Talk about luck that the only room in Gombet house that Nancy goes into is the one with the secret passage. I feel like the closet it a strange place for a secret passage, even Nancy says the room would be an unlikely place. Also you would think an underground tunnel would have it's entrance in the basement or at least the first floor.

- Something I found a little strange was Nancy's full name being used a lot through the text.

    Unfortunately, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. As I mentioned I was hoping to get rid of it but I just don't have a reason to.