Clearly I read the 1960's re-writes of The Bobbsey Twins.
In 1960, the Stratemeyer syndicate began to rewrite most of the older volumes, many of which became almost unrecognizable in the process. This was done concurrently with the release of a new edition of the series, with picture covers, no dust jackets, and a lavender spine and back cover (replacing the various green bindings that had been used before). Many of the cover paintings were originally dust-jacket paintings that had been added in the 1950s (before which a single common dust-jacket painting had been used throughout any given edition), but most were new with the "purple" edition. In all, 20 were completely rewritten, all but two with modernized titles, while 16 were never released in this edition, evidently having been deemed to be dated beyond repair.
Most of the rewrites were motivated by changing technology (automobiles replacing horses and buggies) or changing social standards, particularly in how Sam and Dinah, the African-American cook and handyman, were portrayed.
I remember the purple covers! I was into the Hardy Boys and the Dana Girls, but those shelves at the library with those matching spines made me very happy.
Oh, and Cowboy Sam was the highlight of my earliest reading. I felt very grownup when I graduated to the detective series.
I wonder about Trixie Belden.
I have a bunch of Trixie Beldens, and I'm a little afraid to look.
Yeah, same. (On the wondering. I think my mother threw out my books.)
I have a bunch that were published in the 70s-80s and I reread them about a decade ago. ETA: I don't have the whole series. I don't remember any obviously awful racism. The thing that struck me on re-reading them was how rich everyone was. Trixie always seems to say her family are modest/poor, but they own a farmhouse in Westchester. Her dad manages a bank. They're middle class at worst. It's only in comparison with all their filthy rich friends with estates, that they're not that wealthy.
I'm reading The Sixth Extinction and this... is a hell of a sentence.
Somewhere in our DNA must lie the key mutation (or, more probably, mutations) that set us apart–the mutations that make us the sort of creature that could wipe out its nearest relative, then dig up its bones and reassemble its genome.
If I were the type to use a highlighter in a book, I would certainly mark this.
I devoured the Nancy Drew books in my youth. Maybe a mix of the original and the revised. As a child reader and as an adult reader, it is second nature for me to just accept the racism, classism, or other issue as a factor of another time, or fiction. If it wasn't a reality in my world it was shrugged off as belonging to a different time or culture.
It jolts me more as an adult, and if the content is promoting values I find appalling that is one matter, but if it is incidental to one character it doesn't really distract me much.
I happened to reread a Cherry Ames book, and was appalled at how sexist it was. Her oh so great doctor husband was super condescending.
Also, anyone know where I can ahem an epub of Handmaid's Tale? I want to reread it before the show, but can't find my copy. I hate to buy another one. And it's checked out at the library.
Don't know about Handmaid's Tale. I can tell you where to ahem a copy of my book as such places seem to be the only thing that comes up in my Google alert for it.
