I just noticed that somebody started a new thread asking why people dislike "Banshee Towers", so I thought I could start a similar thread asking you all what's so bad about "Secret Room" (one of my favorite Mystery sequels, I also love "Hidden House", Missing Man" and "Tally-Ho Cottage")?
Looking forward to many posts and lots of explanations !!!
Chrissie
Society Member
"For me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake."
Alfred Hitchcock
Nigel, I'm so happy to hear that !
Since I joined EBS in March, I did read the many readathons on FF, Adventure series and FFO since and was under the impression that only a fraction of the EBS members likes "Secret Room".
I'm very glad we both like it!
Chrissie
Society Member
"For me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake."
Alfred Hitchcock
Here's another who likes Secret Room! I feel it is the first which brings the Find-Outers forward into the first class band of amateur detectives they came to be. Fatty starts disguising himself and tricks like the invisible ink and the ability to get out of a locked room make this a great story. The time of year too - foggy days and cold nights are a nice change from the fine weather books which went before. Mind you I love the hot summer ones too!
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.
Thanks for sharing your opinion !
Yes, the invisible ink was indeed great and impressed me when I read this book for the first time and numerous times after that!
If I would have been much younger when I discovered these books, I sure would have tried the ink.
Did you ever write something with invisible ink and then made it visible? Is it really working?
Chrissie
Society Member
"For me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake."
Alfred Hitchcock
It is one of my faves too! The environment that has been created, the delicious sense of mystery and aventure, this book takes you through the mystery, but with Fatty being caught, it has some adventure too, unlike some other FFO stories. It was my fave (and first!!) EB book ever when I was 6! So don't know how you got this idea about peolple not liking it Chrissie! But, once again, what you are saying may be quite possible?
Have to agree with everyone else here. I like the book Secret Room, as Daisy has pointed out, it's where Fatty becomes leader and brings into force his disguises. It's a good story, too. Not one of my favourites, but just as likeable.
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"
Darrell71 wrote:
So don't know how you got this idea about peolple not liking it Chrissie! But, once again, what you are saying may be quite possible?
I got that impression while reading several FFO readathons on EBS. But I'm very glad that there are some members who like it .
Some members said that "Secret Room" would be different than the other sequels and I wonder why?
Chrissie
Society Member
"For me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake."
Alfred Hitchcock
Goon, the secret feel of the garden, wondering what the room could be used for (I must admit, I thought it was for a keeping a kidnapped child in), the coal cellar - in fact, off the top of my head, I loved it! It had a real Peterswood warmth to it!
Yup, the Secret Room's a good one.
I got my copy from my Aunt and think it's one of the best Find-Outer stories.
Plus Miss Crumpet is such an awesome name.
Last edited by Gingeroo on 23 Aug 2012, 20:04, edited 1 time in total.
'I'm George,' said the girl. 'I shall only answer if you call me George. I hate being a girl. I won't be. I like doing the things that boys do. You're to call me George. Then I'll speak to you. But I shan't if you don't.'
I also like this one. To my mind its the one where the FFO really get going and we really begin to enjoy the atmosphere of Peterswood. I didn't think it was an unpopular book at all. I much prefer it to Disappearing Cat which is my vote for second worst entry after Banshee Towers.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero
Secret Room was OK but not one of the best for me. If you look at the style in comparison with the later entries, the whole thing is a lot less sophisticated somehow. I know that Eddie agrees with me that the series doesn't really get going until Missing Necklace when Fatty really starts to develop and feels more mature. Maybe it's to do with the breaking of his voice and the ability to then undertake adult disguises but the series just gets stronger from that point on, in my opinion - until Banshee Towers! Having said that, the winter ones are generally my favourites, and I loved the winter sojourn through the snow by Goon to Milton House which was very atmospheric.
!!!
