What Ruth Fielding Deserved

I have just finished reading volume 28 in the Ruth Fielding series. I am close enough to the end that I can reflect on what I think of this series. As I have stated previously, I was very unsure about whether I should collect this series but reasoned that any series with 30 volumes must be worthwhile. Since I was able to purchase all of the books relatively inexpensively, I decided to build an entire set before reading any of the books.

It did turn out to be worth it. For those who have read my blog post in which I rate how much I like the different series books, I give the Ruth Fielding series a 3. This means that I feel that it is a very good series and worth reading. There were a few books that dragged for me, but the good books far outnumber the lackluster ones.

I do have to say that I would feel more strongly about the series if the dust jackets were nicer and the titles more descriptive. These were the reasons that I was reluctant to purchase the books, and I have to say that the outward appearance of the books still shades my opinion to a degree, even though I have now read the books. They could have been packaged better.

Many people have wondered why the Nancy Drew series has had a success that has far exceeded any of the other Stratemeyer Syndicate books. I personally feel that the packaging of the Nancy Drew books was far nicer than that of any other series books. The early Russell Tandy cover art for the Nancy Drew books is exquisite, and I believe that it is a huge factor in why the Nancy Drew books sold so well. The Ruth Fielding books were apparently a bestseller during their run, but if the books would have had beautifully painted individual cover art like the Nancy Drew books, the series may not have gone out of print during the early 1930s. Perhaps Ruth Fielding would have had the same staying power as Nancy Drew. The last seven Ruth Fielding books are in every way comparable to the early Nancy Drew books, so I feel that the packaging of the Ruth Fielding series is a factor in why it did not last.

Not only are the dust jackets boring, but the titles are boring as well. They are only slightly better than the boring nondescript titles of the Nancy Drew Files. Take the two books Ruth Fielding in the Far North and Ruth Fielding in Alaska. These two titles could easily refer to the same location. There is really nothing that distinguishes them.

I have had to laugh as I have read the later books in the Ruth Fielding series. I feel like they must have been running out of ideas for titles. Chapter 25 of Ruth Fielding Clearing Her Name is entitled “Ruth’s Great Triumph.” But then volume 29 is entitled Ruth Fielding and Her Greatest Triumph. Additionally, Chapter 25 of Ruth Fielding’s Crowning Victory is entitled “Ruth’s Crowning Triumph.” Oh, the superlatives!

In closing, I like Ruth Fielding, but she was denied what she richly deserved—descriptive, interesting titles and nice dust jackets with individualized cover art.