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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
I got the set for my 12th birthday and read them all as quickly as I could. I stayed up late with a flashlight reading these books, because I didn't want to wait until morning to find out what happened.
Not for me. I read all of the first novel (Over Sea and Under Stone) and thought it came across a bit like a middle grade version of Dan Brown. Definitely not my thing, and would have been a 2 star book if I rated it on its own. I then got about halfway through the second novel (The Dark Is Rising) which I thought was a little bit better, but still didn't catch my interest. That felt like about a 2.5 star book, based on the part that I had read. 270 pages feels like more than a fair shot and I'm content to say that this just isn't the story for me.
Fantastic when I was 11. Couldn't remember the name of the books for the longest time.
Strange, lyrical, beautiful. I’m not sure what to think of this series, but I certainly want to see what comes next.
I know it’s not a new book, but it has this sort of ageless quality that I love. It reminds me most of the Charlie Bone books, so British and ordinary and a little bit mysterious. The characters are flawed and very human, upping the stakes further for young Will.
It’s a story of growing up and growing wise, acknowledging and facing the darkness in the world. I wish I read this when I was younger, I think these books would’ve made excellent companions.
I know it’s not a new book, but it has this sort of ageless quality that I love. It reminds me most of the Charlie Bone books, so British and ordinary and a little bit mysterious. The characters are flawed and very human, upping the stakes further for young Will.
It’s a story of growing up and growing wise, acknowledging and facing the darkness in the world. I wish I read this when I was younger, I think these books would’ve made excellent companions.
My copy of this book (with one of the worst cover illustrations EVER) contains all 5 books in The Dark is Rising series. I've never read it, and am interested, since one of the books one a Newbery Award and one a Newbery Honor. I finished the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone in early April. Since it's an enormous hardback, and I was traveling, I put it down for a while, and am picking it back up for the second book, The Dark is Rising, now.
Over Sea, Under Stone (c1965) I would give about 3 stars. It's sort of a classic sibling summer vacation adventure/mystery in England, with a mysterious Great-Uncle, murderous strangers, and Aurthurian Legends and artifacts.
7/6/2013--I finished The Dark is Rising tonight. I'd give it 3 stars, also. It's the story of Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is one of the Old Ones, possessed of special magic, and is also the Sign-Seeker, who must collect six special signs, in order to hold back the rising Dark. The Dark Rider attempts to thwart Will at every turn, but with the guidance of Merriman (the mysterious Great-Uncle in Over Sea, Under Stone) and support of other Old Ones in his area, Will learns more about himself and his power, and attempts to find all the signs.
The story was interesting enough, but not so compelling that I wanted to pick it up and read it all the time. And many things that Will needs seem to conveniently show up right at the perfect moment, so there's some lack of suspense/danger and lack of a feeling of reality. But I'm still interested to see what happens in the next book, The Greenwitch, when the characters from the first and second books meet. But first I'm going to take a break again and read some other stuff.
12/11/2013--Since I finished "reading" this series on audio, and got done with the last book, Silver on the Tree, today, I'm going to mark it read. I reviewed the last three books in their audio records. I'm glad to have read the series, and enjoyed the last books more than the first couple, I don't think it's one I'd keep or re-read. Overall, I'd probably give the series 3.5 stars.
Over Sea, Under Stone (c1965) I would give about 3 stars. It's sort of a classic sibling summer vacation adventure/mystery in England, with a mysterious Great-Uncle, murderous strangers, and Aurthurian Legends and artifacts.
7/6/2013--I finished The Dark is Rising tonight. I'd give it 3 stars, also. It's the story of Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is one of the Old Ones, possessed of special magic, and is also the Sign-Seeker, who must collect six special signs, in order to hold back the rising Dark. The Dark Rider attempts to thwart Will at every turn, but with the guidance of Merriman (the mysterious Great-Uncle in Over Sea, Under Stone) and support of other Old Ones in his area, Will learns more about himself and his power, and attempts to find all the signs.
The story was interesting enough, but not so compelling that I wanted to pick it up and read it all the time. And many things that Will needs seem to conveniently show up right at the perfect moment, so there's some lack of suspense/danger and lack of a feeling of reality. But I'm still interested to see what happens in the next book, The Greenwitch, when the characters from the first and second books meet. But first I'm going to take a break again and read some other stuff.
12/11/2013--Since I finished "reading" this series on audio, and got done with the last book, Silver on the Tree, today, I'm going to mark it read. I reviewed the last three books in their audio records. I'm glad to have read the series, and enjoyed the last books more than the first couple, I don't think it's one I'd keep or re-read. Overall, I'd probably give the series 3.5 stars.
These were probably one of the earliest fantasy series I remember reading. I began with book two then devoured the rest. My daughter is keen on fantasy so when I went looking for a book to read together I settled on the first one in the Dark is Rising series hoping she would enjoy them just as much. We haven't yet got fully into the reading, she's a little hard to convince but I couldn't help myself and went on ahead reading the other four books and devoured them just as eagerly as before.
A classic fight between the light and dark, flitting between times and drawing on the celtic legends, these are wonderful books which should be better known.
A classic fight between the light and dark, flitting between times and drawing on the celtic legends, these are wonderful books which should be better known.
One of my absolute favorite series of ALL time!!! In fact, i am going to go reread it, and I RARELY ever do that. It will make it the 3rd time through. Awesome depiction of good versus evil. In fact, I had my student read the series one year and we wrote papers on the parallels between the series and Star Wars----the theme, not the actual Star Wars movie (as I am not a fan!!!)
Susan Cooper weaves legends and folklore together into an intriguing quest for eleven-year-old Will Stanton. It was a fun read told by a master storyteller.
i devoured this whole series as a child. susan cooper introduced to me a world of adventure and excitement in my sheltered little sphere; her words were descriptive, well-structured, and intelligent. i wanted to save the world with wil stanton, and i desperately wanted to be an old one (heck, i still do).