Girl Detectives and Wounded Crows

The Article

The other day I read a rather interesting article in Guardian Unlimited, which I assume is the web version of the British paper, The Guardian.

In any case, the article was about classic girl books. The writer wrote about how she’d grown up with and identified with the tough tomboys, like George in Enid Blyton’s Five books and – a slightly odd choice, in my opinion – Nancy Drew, the Girl Detective. These days there are plenty of mysteries for children and young adults, but back then I’m sure it was more rare.

In the article the author makes several good points and she also quotes Mark Twain, about what constitues a heoine. It’s sarcastic, but sadly true.

I just have to mention some late versions of George and Nancy.

First Lisa Simpson. I haven’t watched that much of the Simpsons (true), but I really admire Lisa anyway. She’s a tough, independent girl, who stands up for what she believes in, despite a lot of negative responses.

Since this is about Nancy, I just have to mention Veronica Mars, a Nancy for the 21 century. She’s tough and independent too, and a skilled professional, all at the age of eighteen.

But this was supposed to be about George and Nancy.

I remember that I found it odd to realize that my mother might have grown up with the same books. She didn’t, maybe by accident, but I’m also guessing the Nancy Drew and the Five books weren’t translated that early. Mom did read a lot by ‘Edith Blyton’ as the children in Sweden thought her name was back then.

I recall reading these books too (not all, but definitely Nancy Drew and the Five books). I didn’t identify with the girls as much as with the boys. I didn’t feel like a boy, but I couldn’t help noticing they got the best adventures.

Unfortunately, even at that age, I realized that though George tried to look like a boy, which I wouldn’t have minded at that age, if my body had been suited for it, she didn’t have a future as a boy. No matter how good she was at ‘serious’ subjects and no matter how strong and acrobatic, she would be forced into the girly-girl trap as an adult.

At least I knew I lived in another time and things would be different for me (ha ha). In any case, I didn’t give two hoots about the neat, well behaved girly-girls. I fell in love with the cutest, sweetest boys, but at the same time, I wanted to be them, at least while I read the book.

Most of all, though, I got into the adventures. It’s no coincidence that I consider myself a writer, though an unpublished one. The plot was more important to me, though personally, I work more on the characters and the dialogue. Those weren’t particularly important in the Nancy Drew or Five books, if I remember correctly.

Mysteries weren’t the only books I read. I literally devoured books. Mainly mysteries and fantasy but also books about horses, dogs and much more. Not that many romantic novels, and I still don’t. First of all, the love story didn’t hook me, and secondly, the ‘hero’ isn’t my thing either. They’re usually too sexist.

I want a sweet, shy, cute guy, preferably someone who’s a victim or has been hurt somehow. In the mystery I’m currently ‘reading’ (it’s an audio book I borrowed from mom) a girl describes the guy she’s in love with like this: He’s a real man, not some wounded crow. Then it hit me. I want a wounded crow. And I want to identify with a tough, but not mean girl.

Is that too much to ask?

In any case, I’m glad I read these books about relatively tough, active girls. It hasn’t changed my life in practice, but it’s definitely helped shape my personality. So now you know. It’s George’s and Nancy’s fault that I am the way I am.