Alice at Camp des Biches – Wikipedia

Alice at Camp des Biches (original title : The Bungalow Mystery , literally : The mystery of the bungalow ) is the third ^{[ first ]} American series novel Alice ( Nancy Drew in VO) written by Caroline Quine, name of collective pen of several authors. The author of this novel is Mildred Wirt Benson.

In the United States, the novel was published for the first time the April 29, 1930 By Grosse & Dunlap (New York). In France, he appeared the first time in 1957 at Hachette Jeunesse in the Green Library collection under the n ^O 290. This novel has not been reissued in France since 1985.

In this novel, Alice Roy meets Laura, an orphan of her age under the influence of a cruel tutor with very curious behavior. But is the tutor who he claims to be? This is what Alice will try to discover.

Note: The summary is based on unaccomed cardboard editions published from 1957 to 1973 in French.

On summer vacation at the Camp des Biches, Alice and her friend Hélène are walking in a motorboat on a large lake, when time suddenly passes from beautiful to storm. A torrential rain falls on the waters of the lake, drowning the canoe engine. Large waves capsize the boat and the two passengers fall into the water, far from their boat. A young girl in a boat hears their calls for help and is used to help them. The three young girls manage to regain the shore, healthy and saves. Alice and Hélène warmly thank their lifeguard: her name is Laura Pinkerton, and also spends the holidays by the lake with her tutor, Jacob Ascott. Laura informs Alice of the very authoritarian behavior of her tutor; She wants Alice’s opinion and presents Jacob Ascott to her. The man, hard and contemptuous, displeases Alice strongly.

A few days later, Alice leaves the hug camp by car. What is not his surprise when she meets on the Laura Pinkerton road on foot! The young orphan teaches her that she has just run away from her tutor. She asks asylum from Alice. Listening only to her good heart and by gratitude to the one who had saved her, Alice takes her to her house, in River City. When Laura explains to him by the menu the drugs of her tutor, Alice wonders if Jacob Ascott is the real tutor of Laura or a usurper. In the latter case, where is the real Jacob Ascott?

Alice goes to Ascott with the intention of having a discussion with him. Hearing him from afar that sinks into the forest, intrigued, she takes it in spinning. The man enters a small dilapidated house. Alice takes the opportunity to turn around and go rummage the house of Ascott, hoping to find clues. Hearing her return home, she hides in a closet, then returns home dilapidated in the forest. There, in the cellar, Alice is surprised to discover a chained man, dressed in rags, and very weakened: it is the real Jacob Ascott. The man she had followed was a crook whose goal was to take control of Laura’s inheritance.

Recurring characters [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• Alice Roy : seize ans ^{[ 2 ]} , mother orphan, daughter of James Roy.
• James Roy: Advitute ^{[ 3 ]} renowned, father of Alice Roy, widower.
• Sarah: The faithful governess of the Roy, who raised Alice to the death of her mother.

Characters specific to this novel [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• Hélène Carvin ( Helen Corning In VO): Alice’s best friend.
• Laura Pinkerton ( Laura Pendleton In VO): Young orphan.
• Jacob Ascott ( Jacob Aborn In VO): The tutor of Laura.
• Jerry Brand: Malterful.

Note: all editions have appeared by Hachette Jeunesse editions.

• 1957: Alice at Camp des Biches – coll. “Green library” n ^O 290, cardboard, original text. Illustrated by Albert Chazelle. Translation of Hélène Commin. 25 chapters. 252 p. ;
• 1967: Alice at Camp des Biches – coll. “Ideal-bibcèque” n ^O 327, cardboard with jacket, slightly abbreviated text. New cover and illustrations by Albert Chazelle. Translation of Hélène Commin. 25 chapters. 186 p. ;
• 1970: Alice at Camp des Biches – coll. “Ideal-bibcèque” n ^O 327, cardboard without jacket (plasticized cover), abbreviated text. Illustrations by Albert Chazelle. Translation of Hélène Commin. 25 chapters. 186 p. ;
• 1973: Alice at Camp des Biches – coll. “Green library”, cardboard, original text. New coverage of Albert Chazelle ^{[ 4 ]} . Translation of Hélène Commin. 25 chapters. 252 p. ;
• 1977: Alice at Camp des Biches – coll. “Green library”, cardboard, shortened text. New coverage of Jean-Louis Mercier. Translation of Anne JOBA. 25 chapters. 180 p. ;
• 1978: Alice at Camp des Biches – France Loisirs, Cartonnée, original text. Cover of C. Leborne (no interior illustrations);
• 1983: Alice at Camp des Biches – coll. “Green library”, cardboard (“striated” series), shortened text. New cover of Joseph Sheldon, interior illustrations of Jean-Louis Mercier. Translation of Anne JOBA. 25 chapters. 180 p. ;
• 1984: Alice at Camp des Biches – coll. “Green library”, cardboard (“striated” series) ^{[ 5 ]} , shortened text. New coverage of Jean Sidobre, interior illustrations of Jean-Louis Mercier. Translation of Anne JOBA. 25 chapters. 180 p.

Part of the intrigue of the novel was used in video games Nancy Drew’s surveys: the mystery of the clock , developed by Her Interactive. ^{[Ref. necessary]}

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• Armelle Leroy , The Club des Cinq, Fantômette, Oui-yes and the others: the big series of pink and green libraries , Paris, Hors Collection, 2005 , 110 p. (ISBN  2-258-06753-7-7 )
• André-François Ruaud and Xavier Mauméjean, The hero dico , Editions of electric sheep, coll. “Red library”, January 2009 ( Online presentation )
• (in) David Farah , Farah’s Guide , Farah’s Books, 1999 , 556 p. (ISBN  0-9639949-8-0 ) , « France »

external links [ modifier | Modifier and code ]