More Thoughts on Ruth Fielding

I am now about halfway through volume 30. I have finished all of my Ruth Fielding summaries for my website. I normally write the summary for a book before I finish the book. I try to be vague about the ending, and it helps when I don't even know for sure how a book will end. Actually, I do know how #30 ends simply because I have read the summary of it that appears in the Girls' Series Companion. But even so, I don't know the entire story.

My favorite groups of books in the Ruth Fielding series are the World War I books, #13-15; all of the books written by Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward, #20-22; and all of the books written by Mildred A. Wirt Benson, #23-30. In these groupings of books, my very favorite two volumes are #20 Ruth Fielding in the Far North and #29 Ruth Fielding and Her Greatest Triumph. I like #20 because of the Blythe Girls phenomenon (see my post from December 29), and I like #29 because it reads so much like a Beverly Gray book.

Even though many of the earlier books are not quite as interesting as the later books, I feel like it is very necessary to have read all of the earlier books in order to fully appreciate the later books. The past history of the characters is important. The Ruth Fielding series tells a story, and that story begins with volume 1. It is a series that is best read in order and without skipping a volume. Sometimes, the events of one book lead into the next book, so in a few cases, the books would be hard to follow if the previous volume had been skipped.

Ruth Fielding Titles

Yesterday I posted a message in which I mentioned my dissatisfaction with the Ruth Fielding titles. While I feel like most of the titles could have been better, there are a few scattered titles which I feel are sorely lacking.

In keeping with the format of the existing titles, I would change volume 29 Ruth Fielding and Her Greatest Triumph to Ruth Fielding at Legend Island. Legend Island is the setting for volume 29, and it sounds so much more interesting than Greatest Triumph. How many greatest triumphs and victories can Ruth possibly have?

I would also change volume 16 from Ruth Fielding Down East to Ruth Fielding in Maine. I have difficulty in comprehending Maine as "down east" since I live in the south central United States. To me, Ruth Fielding in the East would have made more sense.

Finally, I would change volume 20 from Ruth Fielding in the Far North to Ruth Fielding in the Yukon. By changing Far North to Yukon, it makes the location sound different from that of volume 22 Ruth Fielding in Alaska.

I have not read any of volume 30 Ruth Fielding and Her Crowning Victory yet, but since I know what the setting is, I would probably change the title to Ruth Fielding Travels Abroad.

By the way, volume 29 Ruth Fielding and Her Greatest Triumph reads a lot like many of the Beverly Gray books. Ruth is on Legend Island in the Pacific Ocean, and the island is inhabited by crazy, superstitious natives who think that Ruth is bringing evil to the island. Since Beverly Gray is one of my all-time favorite series, I'm really enjoying Ruth Fielding and Her Greatest Triumph.

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.

Ruth Fielding: Scenario Writer and Detective!

I am now into the final stage of reading the Ruth Fielding books—I am reading the books that were written by Mildred Wirt Benson. While all of the books were credited to Alice B. Emerson, the actual writers were three different ghostwriters.

The first 19 books were written by W. Bert Foster. Since the first 19 books were all written by one person, there are no noticeable lapses in consistency.

What is most striking once the books are written by Ward and Wirt is that subtle changes occur in the characterizations and in the interaction between the characters. It's not something that I can easily describe here, but the way Helen Cameron acts and the way that Helen and Ruth interact definitely changes once the books are no longer written by Foster. I feel like the relationship between Ruth and Helen is more interesting for the reader during the books written by Ward, and I am not far enough into the books written by Wirt to have an opinion.

Volumes 20 through 22 were written by Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward. Except for what I have already stated above, these three stories are pretty consistent with the first 19 books. There is one thing that stands out. Ruth is suddenly disaster-prone, just like the ever unfortunate Blythe Girls. This is amusing, since Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward wrote the entire Blythe Girls series under the pseudonym of Laura Lee Hope.

Ruth Fielding in the Far North is the best example of the Blythe Girls phenomenon and is my pick for the most exciting book (of those that I have thus far read) in the Ruth Fielding series. Ruth's friends Chess and Helen have a serious car accident on page 11. On page 27, the boat upon which the friends are to sail is set afire. After repairs, Ruth and her friends depart. On page 39, the boat hits an iceberg, which rips a hole in the boat. The boat is patched, and the journey proceeds. On page 46, Helen falls overboard into the icy water. On page 58, the boat is caught in the ice, wedged in tightly where it cannot move. On page 65, the young people abandon the boat and set off across the "rubber ice" in a risky attempt to make it to land. On page 88, Ruth shoots at a polar bear that is about to attack. On page 120, the young people's boat is charged by an enraged bull walrus. On page 135, Ruth is lost in the snow, and by page 139, Ruth stumbles into a deep pit and is trapped with two bears. On page 159, Tom is knocked unconscious and falls into the icy water. Ruth plunges in to save him, and both nearly lose their lives. On page 185, the young people are lost in a blizzard and seek refuge in an abandoned igloo.

The other two Ruth Fielding books written by Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward also have more exciting events than the earlier Ruth Fielding books, but not as extreme as the ones I have mentioned.

I just finished reading volume 23, Ruth Fielding and Her Great Scenario, which is the first Ruth Fielding book that was written by Mildred Wirt Benson. In volume 23, Ruth's main interest is in working on her scenario for a contest, but in the latter part of the book, Ruth and her friends do a little detective work in regard to portions of her scenario that have been stolen. Now the detective work is not odd, since it is strongly tied into what is most important to Ruth—her career. The detective work is important because it is the first indication of the shift that occurs during the next book.

In volume 24, Ruth Fielding at Cameron Hall, Ruth loses her money in a bank robbery, and at the same time, Tom Cameron disappears. The two events seem to be related. Ruth vows to solve the mystery herself. From pages 54-55:

Ruth tried to hide her irritation. She understood Si Perkins and his methods. Obviously, if she waited for him to locate the guilty persons, she probably would never again see her forty thousand dollars. And Aunt Alvirah was depending upon her for the recovery of "the egg money!" Uncle Jabez Potter would always feel that he had lost his savings because he had followed her advice and had placed his money in the bank.

"I've sent for some city detectives," the sheriff went on, with a touch of pride. "They ought to be here some time to-day."

Ruth resisted a desire to reach out and shake the man. Did he never think for himself? "In the meantime, where will your thieves be? Miles away, of course. They won't wait around for the city detectives! Why don't you start out in cars and search the country around here? Surely, Mr. Jones knows in what direction the roadster was traveling when he saw it start away from the bank."
                        ....................................................

Ruth turned away. Little chance Si Perkins and his posse would have of running down the gang of criminals in the blue roadster unless they showed more skill and speed than they had previously.

It was with this passage that I realized that Ruth Fielding is morphing into Nancy Drew! It reads just like one of the passages from any of the early Nancy Drew books. Ruth has the same disdain for law enforcement as Nancy and feels like she can do a better job than they can, just like Nancy.

Milded Wirt's first assignment for the Stratemeyer Syndicate was Ruth Fielding and Her Great Scenario. Edward Stratemeyer gave it to her to see what she could do with it and whether she had what he needed in a writer. She submitted the first chapters and had to make a good many changes in order to give him what he wanted, but by the time she was finished with the manuscript, he was quite pleased. Wirt wrote the rest of the Ruth Fielding books and was given the Nancy Drew series as her next assignment. The rest is history.

Ceramic Christmas Trees

Judy Bolton #19, The Secret of the Musical Tree, features a ceramic Christmas tree on the front cover and as an important part of the story. For a number of years around 1997 to 2002, I put together a Christmas display each year featuring any of my series books that have a Christmas or winter scene on the front cover. My favorite one has always been The Secret of the Musical Tree.

One day around six or seven years ago, I was in a thrift store and saw a ceramic Christmas tree which reminded me a great deal of the tree seen on the Judy Bolton book. On a whim, I bought it and proudly took it home. This tree is pictured at the top left. The tree was missing one light, and I had to find a replacement. Quite by accident, I discovered the replacement lights, which are actually pieces of plastic that are shaped to look like bulbs, in a local craft store. The actual light source of a ceramic Christmas tree is from a light bulb that is placed inside or under the tree. The light shows through the holes to the plastic "lights."

In time, I gradually began to find additional ceramic Christmas trees in the thrift stores. Nearly all of the trees that I have purchased have been missing most or all of their lights. This is probably why the thrift stores undervalue the trees and price them at around $3.00 to $7.00 each. On eBay, some of the nicer and larger ceramic trees can sell for $200.00 to $300.00. Even the trees which sell at very low opening bids will still cost the buyer at least $25.00 when the postage cost is added to the purchase price.

I rather like the random way in which I continue to build my collection of ceramic Christmas trees. I never know when I will find the next one, how large it will be, or whether it will be green or white. I tend to favor the white trees over the green trees since I feel like the lights show up better in the white trees. Most of the trees that I find are around 15 to 17 inches in height. I have found a couple that are around 20 to 23 inches in height. I also have a few smaller ones that are around 10 inches in height.

The replacement lights can be bought online, both on eBay and at various craft websites, such as the Ceramic Painters Web Site or the Ceramic Art Space. The lights can be purchased in several sizes and types. There are the traditional ones which are shaped like bulbs as well as others which are birds, bows, butterflies, or flowers. Stars can be purchased for the tops of the trees, and the stars come in both small and large sizes.

The best time of year to find ceramic Christmas trees in thrift stores is any time of year other than the holiday season. I have never found ceramic Christmas trees in December, but I have found them during all other times of year. I have noticed that often I will find a tree during the month after Christmas. I believe that many people weed out old Christmas decorations after the holidays, and the ceramic trees are old-fashioned. Of course, this is exactly why I like them! I am looking forward to checking my thrift store during the next few weeks in the hope of finding another nice ceramic tree!

The Chalet School Series by Elinor Brent-Dyer

The Chalet School Series is a well-known series in the United Kingdom and is very popular with collectors. Many of the books are very scarce and are very expensive. The series is practically unknown in the United States, as it has never been published here. I became aware of this series during 2007, in a roundabout fashion, and wondered about it—but just a little bit. At first, I was not very concerned about learning about it. I would say that this was primarily because I had never heard of it and did not feel that there was any reason to learn about it. The Chalet School series never gets mentioned in the different U.S. forums for series book enthusiasts. Since nobody ever mentions it, I decided not to give it much thought. I am like many other collectors in that I am more drawn to books that I have heard of or that others have discussed as prized.

However, in spite of my lack of concern about the Chalet School series, I continued to have this gnawing feeling that I needed to learn about the series. I reasoned that a series originally published over the course of 45 years and for nearly 60 volumes that is very popular with collectors must be worth investigating. Over the course of several weeks, I tried to find out a few things by visiting a few Chalet School series sites, but I still could not make any determination about it.

I was completely lost as to what the series is like and how it compares to all of the American series books. Unfortunately, international postage is very expensive, and the U.S. dollar is very weak against the British pound, so the cost of these books is very formidable for a U.S. collector, even for the softcover books. In fact, the prices are downright scary. Even the very easiest to find books cost at least 5 pounds and postage runs around 7 pounds. So the cheapest books are at least 12 pounds, which coverts to around US $25.00. Generally, this would be for a softcover book. There is a problem with the softcover Chalet School books; many of them contain edited versions of the stories. I cannot justify paying $25.00 for an edited softcover book when I would prefer to obtain the original story. Now the hardcover Chalet School books can sometimes be had for around $25.00, but as a general rule, they will usually cost at least $40.00—and $60.00 and up is more realistic. These prices are for the easiest to find titles. The scarce titles cost in the hundreds of dollars.

I mention the prices because I finally decided that the only way to figure out whether this series is worth collecting is to buy few books and read them. Since I knew that I would ultimately only be satisfied with the hardcover books, I managed to acquire the first two titles in the series in hardcover with dust jacket. Each book ended up costing me around $50.00 or so. I have never had to invest so much in order to "try out" a series. So, was it worth it?

I read the first book, The School at the Chalet, and loved it. I am nearly done with the second book, Jo of the Chalet School, and have greatly enjoyed it. I have already begun to purchase additional titles, and I cringe to think of what the entire set will ultimately cost me. My plan right now is to purchase whichever books I can in hardcover with dust jacket. I have set a limit on what I will pay per book, so right now, most of the books are out of reach for me. After I have bought all of the books that I can from within my self-imposed limit, I will then proceed with either paying more for some of them or may settle for hardcover books that are missing their jackets. In the end, I may have to settle for softcover editions of some of the books. It will be awhile before I have to make that decision.

I am beginning to set up a Chalet School cover art gallery and information page for my site. Once I am satisfied with what I have composed, I will put it up for others to view.

More eBay Prices

Dana Girls:

#27 Silver Dolphin $15.50
#28 Wax Queen $51.22, $38.58
#29 Minstrel's Guitar $51.02
#30 Phantom Surfer $100.99, $89.88

Trailer Stories for Girls by Mildred A. Wirt:

The Runaway Caravan w/DJ $162.50
The Crimson Cruiser w/DJ $128.05
The Phantom Trailer w/DJ $288.57

House of Happy Endings by Leslie Garis

House of Happy Endings is Leslie Garis's shattering account of coming of age in a wildly imaginative, loving, but fatally wounded home.

In a large, romantic house in Amherst, Massachusetts, Leslie Garis, her brothers, and their parents and grandparents aimed to live an idyllic life—one that mirrored the charmed world that Howard Garis, author of the famed Uncle Wiggily books, and his wife, Lilian, created in the phenomenally popular children's series The Bobbsey Twins, Tom Swift, and Judy Jordan. But inside The Dell—where Robert Frost often sat in conversation over sherry and stories appeared to spring from the very air—all was not as it seemed.

At the center of the unfolding drama was Roger Garis, Leslie's father, a writer who struggled in vain for recognition. His mysterious mental disintegration, which seemed as much a result of his dark bond with his parents as it was biologically determined, led eventually to terrifying mood swings and drug addiction and threatened to destroy everyone around him. Refracted through the all-seeing eyes of a child, House of Happy Endings is a story of the struggle between art and life, innocence and experience, as it took place in one extraordinary, unforgettable family.

—from the front flap of the dust jacket

House of Happy Endings is Leslie Garis's memoir of her childhood growing up in a family of writers. Leslie's father was Roger Garis, who wrote several books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Roger's parents, Howard and Lilian Garis, were prolific writers for the Stratemeyer Syndicate.

House of Happy Endings tells the story of Roger Garis, his lifelong struggle with mental illness, and the devastating impact his illness had on his family. It also tells the story of the senior years of Howard and Lilian Garis.

The memoir is well-written, full of rich language, and is engaging from start to finish. It is an intriguing read for anyone who has enjoyed the writings of Howard, Lilian, Roger, and Cleo Garis. In the September/October 2007 issue of The Sleuth, Jennifer Fisher interviews Leslie Garis about her book. Leslie Garis comments, "My happy ending has come from taking hold of my one real inheritance—my family story—and turning it into a book that has touched many readers and will live on after I am gone. For me that is a tangible and satisfying happy ending." Despite all of the pain and suffering, it is indeed a House of Happy Endings.