Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat

Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat by Victor Appleton (1910) As a gift, no doubt, I received a Tom Swift book when I was around ten or so. It was one published in 1960, and I've carried it around with me all these years and only recently tried to read it. I just couldn't get into it—far too contemporary! But what I didn't realize is this is the updated version of Tom Swift (by “Victor Appleton II”) and this 1960 Tom Swift is actually Tom Swift Jr., the son of the original Tom Swift, whose adventures are the focus of this earlier series, starting in 1910. (I realize that Tom Swift is a fictional character. So is Victor Appleton.) Anyway, once I knew that there was this earlier version, I picked up one of these older books, and I liked it much better. This book is the second of the series, (after “Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle”) and is subtitled: “Or the Rivals of Lake Carlopa.” Lake Carlopa is the presumedly fictional like on which Tom Swift lives and most of the adventures in this book take place. And there's a lot of a adventures—no outing is with without incident. One of the most alarming jaunts is when Tom comes upon an older friend who accidentally shot himself while out hunting. There are a lot of secondary characters—the funniest is old Mr. Damon, who speaks with expression like “Bless my shirt studs.” Probably the strangest is a hot-air balloon pilot who Tom and his father just barely save from a truly harrowing incident that goes on for pages. The man almost immediately becomes part of the family, so it's easy to speculate he might be involved in the next book in the series, “Tom Swift and His Airship.” In spite of all that action and eccentricity, there is still time for some practical, even educational passages, as Tom constantly tinkers with the mechanics of the boat and the engine. I'm assuming the author knew what he was talking about, and enjoyed infusing the story with some nuts and bolts. And there's even a few meals (often my favorite parts of series books). After one lunch, Tom lingers on for “a second apple dumpling with hard sauce on”—after which he's taken with a “very comfortable feeling” and even a sense of forgiveness toward his nemesis, the bully, Andy Foger. At least until he discovers that his boat is stolen!