Dialect in Old Series Books

The old series books often have exaggerated dialect in them. Most frequently the dialect is "negro dialect" and is very unflattering to the character who speaks the dialect. Sometimes the dialect is that of a foreigner, such as a Chinese person, or that of someone who lives in the mountains or in the Deep South. I almost always find the various dialects to be extremely annoying because the words are spelled phonetically and have to be sounded out in order for the reader to interpret what the word is supposed to be. I am the type of person who prefers to read stories in which the words are spelled correctly. So to me, the dialects are pointless distractions from the story. Additionally, the dialects are almost always rather offensive.

I am now reading Betty Gordon at Mystery Farm. Betty Gordon, Bob Henderson, and Uncle Dick travel to the mountains of Kentucky to inspect a property that Bob has inherited. I am having to endure the "Kentucky mountain dialect" on almost every page of this book. I'm not used to seeing hit for it and sot for set—at least I think sot means set—I could be wrong. Needless to say, the dialect is obnoxious and slows down my reading. I will say that it is a little easier for me now since I'm around a third of the way through the book. However, I still don't like it.

Here is one sample from page 28:

"Hit's this-a-way, stranger. Thar's abandoned coal mines underneath. I heerd you-all coming down thar and I told Ramsey I knowed you wouldn't see hit quick enough, noway. I reckon you-all haven't been here afore? Have you?"

And another quote from page 32:

"I hope you won't think hard on me, for Gus is powerful sot agin me and my pappy. He called we-alls thieves. I reckon he ain't got no call to say that, noways. Me and my pappy nevah took nothing of his'n. You say now that the farm is yourn?"

I could give many more examples. I am glad that this book wasn't the first in the series. If it had been the first book, I might not have ever picked up another Betty Gordon. I am beginning to agree with people who have stated that the last few titles in the Betty Gordon series are not as good as the earlier titles. The series does seem to be on the decline with the books that I am currently reading.

To go back to the subject of dialects and how much they annoy me—it is in part because of the grossly-exaggerated "negro" dialects of Sam and Dinah that I have never been able to stomach reading the Bobbsey Twins books. I remember picking up one of the earliest Bobbsey Twins books, and Dinah spoke in such a way that it was extremely difficult to follow. Additionally, I noticed a certain word, which was spoken by Dinah, spelled phonetically on one page, and then spelled correctly when spoken by Dinah just a couple of pages later. It disgusted me that the author would belittle the character in such a way and not even be able to be consistent about it.

I did read and enjoy several of the revised-text Bobbsey Twins books as a child, so I am aware that the books are worthwhile. However, I remain unmotivated to build a set. I do not like the series books which were written for younger children quite as much as the ones which were written for older children.