Passage Press has reissued the original versions of the first six Hardy Boys mystery novels from the 1920s and 1930s. These books entered the public domain in 2023, and the company has opted to keep the period language and original ethnic references that some major publishers had removed decades ago. The New York Review of Books are openly questioning why a right leaning publisher would bring back these century old stories for adolescent readers.
The stories followed brothers Frank and Joe Hardy as they use courage and self reliance to protect their community from threats and solve crimes. The Hardy Boys series was originally conceived by Edward Stratemeyer, who developed the initial concepts and outlines for the iconic mystery franchise. To produce the books, the Stratemeyer Syndicate utilized the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon, which masked a rotating group of ghostwriters. Notably, Canadian author Leslie McFarlane penned the first 16 volumes, establishing the series’ enduring tone and character dynamics. This efficient “book packaging” system allowed the stories to maintain a consistent brand while being written by various contributors for nearly a century.
In the 1950s the Stratemeyer Syndicate revised the series to match changing cultural tastes. Editors shortened the books from twenty five chapters to twenty, and simplified words. They also cut out any racial or ethnic stereotypes. For example, in one of the books, an Italian grocer was described as “excitable like most of his countrymen.” Another featured a “rascally Chinaman” smuggler. Similar references to black characters also disappeared.
But in these reissued version, Passage Press left all the original text alone. Its notes point out that the 1950s changes removed politically incorrect content. The writing got simpler. The plots gained more of an action focus. The company s product page states they’re committed to making children s literature great again. Founder Jonathan Keeperman has said he wants to create a reactionary cultural apparatus as a counterweight to the dominant left. He aims to produce right wing art by telling the truth about the world. Thes novels are collected in two box sets with new illustrated covers, and are bundled with an edition of Treasure Island
The New York Review of Books article describes the effort as part of a strategy to build right wing cultural institutions. It highlights the books themes of male adventure and community protection in an idyllic American town. Readers on social media pushed back against that sort of framing. Many asking why nobody besides “right wingers” will publish complex children’s literature as they were first written. Others called the coverage proof that mainstream press now labels classic American stories as far right.
Many major publishing houses have stopped offering unaltered versions of old classics because of modern sensitivities. In fact, recent reprints of Roald Dahl’s books were edited in order to change or remove language deemed “problematic.” Ian Fleming’s work wqas also not immune, with so-called “sensitivity readers” being drafted to rework the original James Bond novels for the 70th-anniversary edition reprints. All the 007 reissues included trigger warnings at the beginning warning readers of the contents, saying “this book was written at a time when terms and attitudes which might be considered offensive by modern readers were commonplace.”
That kind of safe-space shift has opened a clear lane for independent presses like Passage Press to fill the demand. Parents now have access to the full original stories that shaped generations of young readers. At the same time, the left’s grip on big publishing is weakening, and is pushing traditional tales like these into the hands of smaller right leaning outlets.
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English (US) · 