August 22, 2024

The Mystery at Lilac Inn

August 22, 2024/ Randy Russell

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene (1930) This is the fourth Nancy Drew volume (original text)—first time I read it—but it’s the biggest bummer of a ND I’ve read yet—even though it seemed promising (about a jewel theft) and centered on a restaurant (Lilac Inn). It starts with Nancy stopping at this roadside restaurant for luncheon. With Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books, there are three things I really read them for: food, weather (usually some kind of storm), and nautical mishaps. This book has all of those, but the mystery isn’t very clever or compelling. There’s no point in giving it away, so I won’t go into details. I mean, it is a little baffling, for a while, but the solution is uninspiring. I guess I also read them for the mystery. Oh, and another reason I read these old versions, before rewrites, is that they sometimes have odd elements and weird humor. The oddball details in this one, however, involve Nancy’s observations of women who she’s interviewing to fill in for housekeeper, Hannah, while she’s out of town. Part of Nancy’s negative reaction to the applicants is based on their race and nationality, and the way it’s handled in the writing is in itself racist. It’s bad enough that no one was going to fill Hannah’s shoes, anyway. And why can’t Carson just clean up after himself? It’s not like he needs to take care of Nancy. Anyway, I couldn’t help, while reading this book, to consider what I’d do if I had children. I wouldn’t want them reading this book, I guess (even though, in general, I’d rather they read the original versions). I suppose if I had kids, I might steer them toward more contemporary books—the ones that are more inclusive of a variety of people. But then, once they got old enough, I suppose we could discuss what’s troubling about some of the older books—so they could take them for what they are, while not being all right with the problems. But at what age do kids have that level of sophistication? I guess that’s part of raising kids, figuring that stuff out. Until then, I guess I’m considering this an adult oriented book, because I’m not throwing this or any other book away.

8.22.24

R SPEEN

ELSEWHERE on this website, please find:

NEWS

Home Page—notice of recent additions to this website. Occasionally, a link to somewhere else.

MEMO

Currently, a kind of travelogue written by our roaming operative, Kenneth Oats. You can still find previous “blog” entries, by Randy Russell, by scrolling down, down, down…

MEDIA

Individual pages for select books, movies, and articles, with links to take you there. Ongoing, and more soon.

MEMORABILIA

For now, consisting of three separate pages. SOCK MONKEYS: Images of favorite fiber-art sculptures/children's toys, most commonly resembling monkeys and often fashioned from old socks. PHOTOS: A few, random photographs, most of which spent time on the main page of this website before being replaced by something new. COLLAGE: Images of collages, made with paper and glue. Most of which are small, for sale, dusty, able to be dusted.

MEMOIR

Memoir is often a fictional account of personal experience, passed off as autobiography, but here it's used as a heading for the chronological pages that are home to my ongoing project of typing and posting my personal journals, usually written by hand, in notebooks. STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM SODA starts way back in 1972 (as always, the oldest entries are at the bottom of the page, and newly recorded ones at the top)—progressing through childhood, adolescence, and up to heavy drinking proprietor of a punk record store (in which I get some help from my friends). NOW IT CAN BE TOLD takes up the story in 1982, when things get serious, and will proceed (ideally) until 1996 in which NOTEBOOK JOURNALS commences, and will run until 2016, when the journey is taken up by NO MEMORY. The intention is to record notebook entries from that year until January 19, 2020, and the beginning of the final page: SEX DIARY (Sexagenarian Diary) (That's a joke.) (And the next memoir page, projected for the decade of the 2030s, will be titled “Deviated Septuagenarian.”) (God willing.) Please note: this is an ongoing project which depends on me living long enough to type and post the multitudes of journal entries. Half the time, I can't read my own handwriting, and there's very little chance that anyone else would have the interest or patience to take it up after my death.

LUNCH

PIE — Currently this is the place for the extent of my dessert intake, specifically; Sparking Water (I am on a quest to try them ALL). (In Older Posts: Memories, drinking, drugs, holidays, family, the forbidden, pipe tobacco, doughnuts, cupcakes, macaroons, tapioca pudding, mung bean and coconut milk, ice cream, incense, croquembouche, cookies, candy, pie, Sahara, strudel, Jello, flan, cannoli, fank, custard, halva, schweddy balls, rice pudding, schaum torte, and more!)

TACO — Near perfect concepts, far-ranging ideas, everyday breakfasts, favorite foods, local destinations, ongoing adventures, tacos…

COFFEE — Cafe, coffeehouse, espresso bar, cat cafe, tearoom, coffee shop, on and on…

DINER — Family restaurant, cafe, greasy spoon, hash-house, lunch counter, blue plate, cafeteria, luncheonette, diners, etc.

LISTS

READING is a reading list of books that I’ve heard about, read about, that have been recommended to me, and/or books that I’ve found, borrowed, or bought that I want to investigate to determine if I want to read—now, or in the very near future. BOOKS is where I post what I’m now calling “Book Reports”—as they are more akin to book reports from grade school than actual “reviews.” VINYL Now posting all review of vinyl records here, as well as my long-running blog: DJ FARRAGINOUS. STEELY DAN is the page where I write about individual songs by the band, Steely Dan, who may not be my favorite band of all time, but are definitely my favorite band to write about. MOVIES is the page for writing about movies. Currently, I’m trying to find, watch, and write about all existing Ella Raines movies. SOAP EXOTICA is reviews and musings on Bar Soap (over 100 varieties and counting!)—often overly extensive, and admittedly, somewhat insane. LISTZ-O-MANIA! is the new page for random lists and rankings. Currently there’s the revised ranking of James Bond movies, my 100 all-time favorite pop albums, and an ongoing ranking of Daniel Clowes books!

PODCAST

This is the home page for “The Randy Russell Podcast” in which RR talks to a guest for an hour or so. Each episode might have a rough theme, but overall there is no real focus (except for, naturally, the guest, and RR). You can listen directly from this page, or download the podcasts from Apple Podcasts and the Stitcher app.

CONTACT

On this page there are BIOS of contributors to this website, as well as contact information. (Though, there is no guarantee the contact information is valid. If you want, or need, to send an email regarding any of the contributors here, or anything on this website, please write to this address: RandySRussell at Gmail dot com (addressed in, you know, email form. Sorry, no hyperlink here). Please make sure to spell the name RandySRussell correctly. If you don't include the middle initial “S”—or spell the last name with two S's and two L's, your email will not reach who it's intended for. It's rough. But also, if you'd like to correspond that old-fashioned way, with paper, stamp, and envelope, first send an email, and if you can convince me you're a person, and not a bill collector, I will trade addresses, and communication can happen not unlike it's 1999.

FINALLY

If you've read this far, Thank You for reading!