The Whispering Statue
Encyclopedia
The Whispering Statue is the fourteenth volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories
series. It was originally published by Grosset & Dunlap
in 1937. An updated, revised, and largely different story was published under the same title in 1970.
Once there, the girls find a statue with an uncanny resemblance to Nancy, in a whispering pose. Further mysterious actions occur when Mrs. Conger acknowledges that she is being swindled, and dismisses Nancy. A seaplane accident leads Nancy to the estranged husband she has been seeking. In the climax of the story, Nancy hides behind the statue and uses her voice to make the statue appear to speak to both Mrs. Conger and the crook.
, and shows Nancy crouched behind a statue, speaking to a man. Rudy Nappi illustrated the same scene for the 1962 picture cover edition, with updated clothing and hairstyles. Nappi also illustrated the cover of the 1970 edition, which is predominantly blue and white, featuring Nancy's profile behind an overlay of a statue.
. Since the statue is a likeness of a long-dead woman, it is anachronistic that the statue sports a chic 1960's-era flip.
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories
The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories was the long-running "main" Nancy Drew series, published between 1930 and 2003. Initially, titles were published by Grosset & Dunlap, but with #57 publication switched to Simon & Schuster. Most people consider these first 56 to be the original series and consider the...
series. It was originally published by Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
in 1937. An updated, revised, and largely different story was published under the same title in 1970.
Plot summary - 1937 edition
Nancy, Bess, and George encounter a troublesome stray terrier on their way to the opening festivities of a new park and recreation complex in River Heights. The terrier carries the handbag of one of the guest speakers into a nearby pond. Nancy retrieves the handbag, and uses the wet notes to prompt the speaker during her address. Nancy learns that the woman seeks her estranged husband. Nancy keeps the terrier temporarily, and takes it with her when she, her father, and friends go on a retreat to the seashore. On the train, the girls observe elderly Bernice Conger, and suspect a youthful companion of trying to swindle the woman.Once there, the girls find a statue with an uncanny resemblance to Nancy, in a whispering pose. Further mysterious actions occur when Mrs. Conger acknowledges that she is being swindled, and dismisses Nancy. A seaplane accident leads Nancy to the estranged husband she has been seeking. In the climax of the story, Nancy hides behind the statue and uses her voice to make the statue appear to speak to both Mrs. Conger and the crook.
1970 revision
Nancy is asked to solve a puzzling mystery, whereupon she encounters a second case. The first mystery concerns a valuable collection of rare books. Wealthy Mrs. Horace Merriam has commissioned a supposedly reputable art dealer to sell the collection, but she now suspects that the man is a swindler. The second mystery involves the baffling theft of a beautiful marble statue, which bears an uncanny likeness to Nancy.The statue is known to whisper.Nancy becomes an undercover employee of the dealer. An attempted kidnapping, a nearly disastrous sailboat collision, and an encounter with a dishonest sculptor are just a few of the exciting challenges that Nancy is faced with as she gathers evidence against a clever ring of art thieves.Artwork
The original 1937 cover art is by Russell H. TandyRussell H. Tandy
Russell H. Tandy was an American illustrator, best known for his cover art for early editions of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series.Tandy was a friend of Edward Stratemeyer, whose syndicate created several series of books for young readers...
, and shows Nancy crouched behind a statue, speaking to a man. Rudy Nappi illustrated the same scene for the 1962 picture cover edition, with updated clothing and hairstyles. Nappi also illustrated the cover of the 1970 edition, which is predominantly blue and white, featuring Nancy's profile behind an overlay of a statue.
Criticism
Critics of the series express amusement that the likeness of the statue on the 1970 cover and in its text illustrations looks like Nancy due in part to its flip hairstyleHairstyle
A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...
. Since the statue is a likeness of a long-dead woman, it is anachronistic that the statue sports a chic 1960's-era flip.