September 2011 Book Club Discussion: The Secret Of The Old Mill

[tomswift2002]

Here's the place to post your comments on The Hardy Boys #3: The Secret Of The Old Mill.

Original Text
Written by Leslie McFarlane, Published on May 16, 1927 as the 3rd part of the Hardy Boys breeder set.

Revised Text
Written by Alistair Hunter, Published in 1962

The Revised Text version currently on the market uses the 2nd "Revised Artwork" that was commissioned in 1960 for the 1927 text.

[MacGyver]

I've only read the revised version of The Secret of the Old Mill and it's been quite a long while ago but from what I recall of it, I enjoyed it pretty well. The Hardy Boys track down a counterfeiting ring and have yet another classic case of having their dad's case and theirs wind up intertwining in the process. The action on the old mill was pretty neat particularly in Frank and Joe using the wheel to ascend into the millhouse. I need to go and reread this when I can- just haven't yet... (too many books and too little time...lol)
I liked thise one a good bit when I first read it- definitely thinks it's worth the reread.

[SDLagent]

I've read both versions and I like both although I prefer the original.

[Olivia]

This is one of my favs. I've read the revised Original, and I'll get to read the actual Original (from the facsimile collection).

Not sure why it's my fav. Maybe part of it is because they stay within their town (from what I remember), and I hadn't read that before at the time. It gives it a certain feel and a sort of authenticity of Bayport. So many times, Bayport seems like just a backdrop.

[MacGyver]

There are some other books where The Hardy Boys are primarily based in Bayport to solve the mystery- The Shore Road Mystery is another particularly good one for this purpose, as are the original text versions of The Tower Treasure and The House on the Cliff of course. And you have this some in the Digests and Casefiles as well- The Test Case (#172 in The Hardy Boys Digests) and True Thriller (#100 in The Hardy Boys Casefiles) both particularly come to mind for those.

[tomswift2002]

The Test Case (#172 in The Hardy Boys Digests) and True Thriller (#100 in The Hardy Boys Casefiles)

The Test Case is actually #171.  Trouble In Warp Space is #172.

[MacGyver]

Oops - you're right. Good catch.

[SDLagent]

Originally, Frank and Joe actually didn't travel outside of the Bayport area until the tenth book, What Happened at Midnight when they went to New York City. In the revised books, the boys go to New York in The Tower Treasure!