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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
The most fun I've had reading a young adult book in ages. I'd heard that this first volume of the series was a bit dull, and was completely delighted to find that wasn't the case at all! From the very beginning the reader is treated to a firm, dynamic central cast of three siblings who propel the story at every twist and turn with their teamwork, logical thinking, and heart. The lure of adventure quickly calls to them, and before the reader knows it they're swept off on a Grail quest whose grandness and mystery increases with every new discovery. Mostly a treasure hunt, this fine book is also very much a thriller, with a set of nefarious adults and a thuggish local boy setting their ill-meaning sights upon the heroic siblings. There are also shades of otherworldly things inserted here and there, none of which I'll mention for the sake of secrecy. Almost none of them are obvious, however, and I did waver before shelving this one under "fantasy." It's really the atmosphere of the tale that lends enchantment: the quest of three young children for the Grail of King Arthur. Really, I find it refreshing to read a book that touches upon fantasy without plunging its hands full into the barrel. Subtlety is an art, and Susan Cooper demonstrates her mastery of it countless times. I highly recommend this book to any burgeoning reader in want of adventure, or to any adult reader with a love of English, Arthurian, and/or rollicking adventure literature. Already I look forward to re-reading this down the years, and can't wait to continue the series.
I would be remiss, however, if I didn't address the subtraction of a star in my rating. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a seemingly stellar textual review attached to a less-than-5-star rating!
There are only two things that came into that decision. The first is small, and wouldn't merit a demerit on its own, that being Cooper's pernicious use of adverbs. I'm by no means anti-adverb--I believe there's room for all sorts of writing in the world--but they tend to flood the pages in places where they're unnecessary. When Jane raises an eyebrow, for instance, we don't need to be told that she did so "skeptically." We can tell by the action itself. While some of the adverbs were innocuous, many followed that pattern of unnecessary placement, and I felt that it was a trifle lazy on Cooper's part. The rest of her writing, however, is really top-notch, and I was never actively irritated by her use of adverbs. It's more a thing of "this could have been EVEN better."
The second detraction in the story was the 4/5-star line in my mind, that being racism. There are two instances that I caught. The first was during a scene where the children are adventuring around the Grey House, in which Simon continuously insists that they must pretend to be chased by "natives" while they're all hunting for treasure. It seems clear that they're referring to Native Americans (in the "savages" sense), until Simon eventually refers to a "witch doctor" and it all becomes a racist jumble of non-white indigenous stereotypes. The second instance is during a village faire, when Barney, the youngest, runs into a man dressed as an "Arab sheik," complete with brown face paint. As this book was published in 1965, I understand that white/Western cultural racial awareness was not, shall we say, at its peak. I do not think that these references make Susan Cooper an immoral person, or that she meant harm by them. That being said, they nonetheless should not have been present in the book, and any white reader should take issue with them, especially when in discussion with young readers. Part of the duty of a white reader is to acknowledge the bad with the good in any work of literature and require the future to do better. I hope that such instances will be absent from the rest of the series, but if they're present, I'll do my best to acknowledge them in future reviews.
But on the whole, this is an excellent book! I experienced it via audiobook and found the narrator to be terrific; happily, it appears that the other audiobooks retain his skills. Can't wait to continue with Cooper's wonderful, classic saga of Arthurian legend!
I would be remiss, however, if I didn't address the subtraction of a star in my rating. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a seemingly stellar textual review attached to a less-than-5-star rating!
There are only two things that came into that decision. The first is small, and wouldn't merit a demerit on its own, that being Cooper's pernicious use of adverbs. I'm by no means anti-adverb--I believe there's room for all sorts of writing in the world--but they tend to flood the pages in places where they're unnecessary. When Jane raises an eyebrow, for instance, we don't need to be told that she did so "skeptically." We can tell by the action itself. While some of the adverbs were innocuous, many followed that pattern of unnecessary placement, and I felt that it was a trifle lazy on Cooper's part. The rest of her writing, however, is really top-notch, and I was never actively irritated by her use of adverbs. It's more a thing of "this could have been EVEN better."
The second detraction in the story was the 4/5-star line in my mind, that being racism. There are two instances that I caught. The first was during a scene where the children are adventuring around the Grey House, in which Simon continuously insists that they must pretend to be chased by "natives" while they're all hunting for treasure. It seems clear that they're referring to Native Americans (in the "savages" sense), until Simon eventually refers to a "witch doctor" and it all becomes a racist jumble of non-white indigenous stereotypes. The second instance is during a village faire, when Barney, the youngest, runs into a man dressed as an "Arab sheik," complete with brown face paint. As this book was published in 1965, I understand that white/Western cultural racial awareness was not, shall we say, at its peak. I do not think that these references make Susan Cooper an immoral person, or that she meant harm by them. That being said, they nonetheless should not have been present in the book, and any white reader should take issue with them, especially when in discussion with young readers. Part of the duty of a white reader is to acknowledge the bad with the good in any work of literature and require the future to do better. I hope that such instances will be absent from the rest of the series, but if they're present, I'll do my best to acknowledge them in future reviews.
But on the whole, this is an excellent book! I experienced it via audiobook and found the narrator to be terrific; happily, it appears that the other audiobooks retain his skills. Can't wait to continue with Cooper's wonderful, classic saga of Arthurian legend!
2023 - audio
2022 - After hearing this series mentioned in a lecture about King Arthur retellings, I decided to read it again. Still a favorite.
2019 - I had forgotten most of it, so it was just as suspenseful as the first read.
2014 - Delightfully suspenseful. Couldn't put it down.
2022 - After hearing this series mentioned in a lecture about King Arthur retellings, I decided to read it again. Still a favorite.
2019 - I had forgotten most of it, so it was just as suspenseful as the first read.
2014 - Delightfully suspenseful. Couldn't put it down.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
An incredible adventure! I cannot wait to read the next book and spend time with these delightful characters all over again.
I love this story, and how it puts me right into that classic "kids in a strange house find something mysterious and magical" story, and also is so very very British and seaside, and introduces Merriman as magic, but also very human (which you get less of in The Dark is Rising).
This one was disappointing. I read it because of the summer "reading" issue of Newsweek - I should have known, really. I don't normally read Newsweek, but felt obligated as a librarian to read the "reading" issue. Anyway, this is lauded as a pre-Harry Potter young adult coming of age read, but I found it somewhat boring. Definitely not as sophisticated as Harry Potter and it was really set too much in reality for most fantasy fans, I think. It is nothing compared to His Dark Materials, either. I was hoping for another compelling series, but barely got through this first one, so didn't even try the others. Kids who love King Arthur and stories about the quest for the Holy Grail are the best possible audience - but I think only up to 6th grade at the most.
I really enjoyed this. Part of that is due to nostalgia - I read this series as a child and loved it then. Part of this is due to the fact that it is really well written. While the children are realistic children, not small adults, they have to use common sense and logic to solve the puzzle. While there is little to no overt magic, the author gives a wonderful, mystical sense of place to the story. Also, there are several scenes that are downright scary.
Not as lively as I’d been led to believe, but it sets the scene. Let’s see where it goes!
This was one of my favourite childhood series that I wanted to revisit. And there are reasons why these books stay relevant and gripping even for an adult read. That same familiar feeling of dread and tension that I felt as a child was still there to the same level now. Looking forward to starting The Dark is Rising now on Midwinter's eve which is where that book starts.