This is awesome! I knew the portraits of Bach and the Age of Innocence were real, but I had no idea where the others came from. The top right one scares me the most because she’s the one who blinks her eye at you.
Currently reading: The Message in the Haunted Mansion
Since October 2019, I've been reading Nancy Drew books in chronological order and have finally arrived at this one (published in 1994). I might be biased because this book was, or course, adapted into one of the better ND games. However, it’s still probably one of the better ND books I’ve enjoyed in a long time.
What’s significant about this The Message in the Haunted Mansion is that all prior ND books eventually adapted into games (Secret of the Old Clock, Secret of Shadow Ranch, Secrets Can Kill, Phantom of Venice, The Bluebeard Room [Curse of Blackmoor Manor], Stay Tuned for Danger, the Final Scene) only loosely inspired their PC equivalents. This is not the case with this book - so much of what happens in the occurs occurs in the game in some form or another. I thought that I would just jot down my thoughts and any similarities/differences I found (spoilers):
Now I see why there’s a lot of confusion about the titles and whether it was “the” or “a”
Hannah, Bess, and George also accompany Nancy to San Francisco, so it’s pretty crowded in that mansion lol
Rose is described as having gray hair and is a retired teacher, not an actress
Rose and Abby are aunt/niece
Charlie is an old man who is desperate to get any work despite his years of experience since he’s old and walks with a limp
Abby still has red hair. Is described as being kind of heavy and sensitive about her weight (seriously what is it with Nancy Drew books and all the weight shaming?)
Ok it’s totally obvious that Rose and Louis are banging each other eeeewwwwwww
It’s not even chapter 3 and there have already been two accidents.
Emily Foxworth is described as someone Nancy met on a previous case in San Francisco, but doesn’t name the book.
The key to the attic desk is in a knob of the bedpost and is discovered because Bess grips the knob in a moment of being overdramatic
At least Rose actually gives Nancy, Hannah, Bess, and George actual renovation work! It’s not like in the game where Nancy is basically flown out to San Francisco to do literally 3 things.
It’s more explicitly stated that it’s around Christmas in the book (Louis carrying a Christmas tree into the mansion)
Nancy discovers the secret attic when trying to adjust the wrought iron phoenix on a tower of the roof. The tower gives way and she falls into the attic from above. They even kept the detail of the old rope handle breaking when she tries to exit.
Of course everyone is aware of this discovery due to all the commotion Nancy’s fall causes, so everyone gets to see the attic’s contents.
The reason for the fire is explained in explicit detail in the book, whereas it’s up to the game player to figure it out on their own. That is, the culprit uses the fire as a way to make it look like the old historical papers were destroyed, but actually steals them and puts Rose’s old correspondence in their place to burn. In the game, Nancy can read Rose’s letters before the fire and she can ask Rose, “are you missing any papers?” But this is never really pursued further. If HeR remastered the game, it would be interesting to have the culprit frame someone else by putting the papers in a place that incriminates another character (maybe Charlie lol).
Will keep working on my list of observations but will post what I have so far.
