Susan Hated Literature

It is January, so that means the Six Nations is just around the corner, and I’ve just gotten my ever-so-secret instructions from the Irish Rugby Supporters club that’ll enable me to purchase my ticket for the match against France tomorrow. Nice one. Just the one, but that won’t stop me. I’m so heading to Croker for the rugby.

We will also get a chance to buy two other tickets, either for France or for England. I’m aiming to get to for the England match, have half promised B#5 that if I get them he can come along. But we’ll see what happens.

Anyways, a before Christmas Donagh of Dublin Opinion got in contact regarding books of the year, but of course it has taken me this long to get around to it. And because I rarely buy hardback books, and pay no real attention as to whether a book is new or old, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to regard this as a “Books of 2006″ type post, more a “books I enjoyed in 2006″ list.

In no particular order, my top reads of 2006:
• The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper
  This is a children’s fantasy sequence, arthurian in places, the first in the series of 5 was published back in 1965, but they really aren’t that dated at all. An example of some great writing, with no effort made to talk-down to a child’s level or anything so nasty.
• On Another Man’s Wound by Ernie O’Mally
  Ernie O’Malley’s account of his life fighting the Irish War of Independence. Entertaining and gripping account of how people from all sorts of backgrounds ended up on the same side.
• Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas trans. David Bellos
  I loved this book, which I picked up because of the cover
  
  but I loved for the writing, characters and the plot. Mainly for the character of Adamsberg though, he is great, and I’m waiting for more of Vargas’ work to be translated from French so I can enjoy them.
• The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
  Anther old children’s fantasy, though this is very, very different to The Dark is Rising. It is simple, and childlike and totally adorable. A little dated, but who cares.
• Thud! by Terry Pratchett
  Terry Pratchett is nothing less than a genius. Everyone should at least try to read some of his Discworld novels. But just because you don’t like one is no reason not to try another. I enjoy most of his books, but I LOVE his watch ones. Vimes has to be among the greatest of all fictional characters ever thought up.

And of course honourable mentions must go to the following:

Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black

Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace

George Hook’s autobiography Time Added On

Temeraire by Naomi Novik

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Back from the Brink Paul McGrath’s autobiography, written with Vincent Hogan

Check out the other lists and reviews from this technorati page

Tags: 6nations2007, Alias Grace, Back from the Brink, Beyond Black, Croke Park, favbooks2006, Favourite books, Ireland V France, irishblogsandbooks, On Another Man's Wound, rugby, Seeking Whom He May Devour, Six Nations, Temeraire, The Dark Is Rising, The Little White Horse, Thud!, Time Added On, We Need To Talk About Kevin

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ISBN: 0140316884
Author: Susan Cooper

5 Vol.s in one
1. Over Sea, Under Stone
2. The Dark Is Rising
3. Greenwitch
4. The Grey King
5. Silver On The Tree

First line:
‘Where is he?’
Barney hopped from one foot to the other as he clambered down from the trains peering in vain through the white-faced crowds flooding eagerly to the St. Austell ticket barrier

The first book in this sequence of five was originally published in 1965, so you might think that these books are quite dated, but you’d be wrong. There is the occasional hint that it isn’t a modern book, but nothing that detracts from the story, or from the characters.

My first introduction to this series came when I picked up The Grey King at a jumble sale a good few years ago. That was at least ten years ago, probably more. I really enjoyed the book, although I do remember being a bit annoyed that the cover illustration was clearly not a sheepdog. I did look for the others in the series but never found them in the library, and it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I reminded of the book when I spotted this collection on play.com, and bought it.

The series starts with Over Sea, Under Stone where the three Drew children (Jane, Simon and Barney) are holidaying with their parents and great Uncle Merry in Cornwell. A chance find in the house they are staying in leads them to a treasure hunt, and a search for the Grail. In the course of which they come to realise that Merry is more than simply an eccentric academic.

The second book introduces us to Will Stanton, and to the idea of the Old Ones. Will is the youngest of this circle, Merriman Lyon (Great Uncle Merry) is the oldest. Together they must search out the six signs that will be needed to defeat the Dark.

In the third book, Greenwitch Will meets the Drews. At first the Drews think he will get in the way, they think he doesn’t know about the Light and the Dark, but gradually they accept that they have to work together.

The fourth book sees Will off on his own. This is his first quest on his own, he has no Merriman to guide him in Wales as he searches for the harp that will wake the six Sleepers. In Wales he meets Bran, a local boy who is somewhat of an outcast as his father is overly religous and Bran himself is an albino. Bran’s closest friend is his devoted dog, Cafall

The final book, Silver on the Tree sees all six characters united for the final battle against the Dark.

As a series the first book seems a little out of place, it is a lot lighter, more childish than the later ones, and this is because Susan Cooper said that when she wrote Over Sea, Under Stone she never ended it to be part of a series. The rest of the books mix myth and fantasy with a great story to produce a very readable story. Local folklore is combined with more widely known legends. Arthurian legend plays a large role, especially in the final two books.

I would highly recommend these books to any fantasy/myth fans. I think my favourite will always be The Grey King, but the sequence as a whole more than lives up to my memory.

The Lost Land.com | fanlisting | IMDb for the proposed film

Tags: 9 Stars, Arthurian, Greenwitch, myth, Over Sea Under Stone, sff, Silver On The Tree, Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Rising, The Grey King

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