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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Three children on holiday discover an old manuscript in their family's rented house. The manuscript leads them on a hunt for the grail. A fun take on the Arthurian legend.
Many, many years ago, my brother Hugh told me I had to read this series and I devoured it. Well, I bought this book for my nephew, hoping he will enjoy it as much as his uncle and I did. So I decided to read it again and wow, it does not disappoint. My heart raced again and I cared deeply for the children again. So wonderful to revisit an old favorite, like seeing an old friend after many many years. So good to see you again!!
Good adventure story--as is the case with many of the older what-would-now-be-considered-YA novels, I feel like it suffered a little by my reading it aloud, when slower parts could be have been skimmed over if I were reading it to myself. But I admit that I'm curious to find out what happens in the following books. It also feels like there is a lot being set up in a long game kind of way. I'll make sure to check the rest.
Re-reading some of my favorite YA / Child fantasy so I can recommend & discuss with students... This was one I read back in 6th grade & am glad to have unearthed again.
My fourth grade teacher had four "The Dark is Rising" books. I only learned years later that "Over Sea, Under Stone" existed and served as the first book in the series (there weren't numbers on the side and I'm pretty sure I read them out of order as well, no wonder young Alexander was deeply confused). Susan Cooper's series contributed a great deal to my childhood mythology and the stories I was interested in, so I want to revisit the series with my new perspectives.
This was okay. I had a lot of trouble getting into the story, and when I did get into it around the final eighty pages, the payoff felt kind of low ().
If my memories are correct though, this book does help explain a lot of things that happened later in the series. Stay tuned as I read further!
This was okay. I had a lot of trouble getting into the story, and when I did get into it around the final eighty pages, the payoff felt kind of low (
Spoiler
the early images of exploring the Grey House was fun, and going into the cave at low tide was fun—but both came and went too quickIf my memories are correct though, this book does help explain a lot of things that happened later in the series. Stay tuned as I read further!
This is a childhood classic for me and I enjoyed it as much today than I did as a child. Susan Cooper is a master in using visual descriptions to stir powerful emotions in the reader. Barney's kidnapping is poignant because the atmosphere is filled with tension and fear without those words actually being used. Same thing when Simon is being chased down by the enemy. Uncle Merry is a dark and forbidding figure, yet also warm and protective. It's the aura of people and places that gets you. An exciting and mystical adventure for readers aged 10 to 12.
You know a book is phenomenal when … 30?!? … years after you read it for the first time, you can still recite the rhyme written within (iykyk)! I’m also having a hard time coming to terms that I read it that long ago
This book has been on my "To Read" list for a loooooooooooong time and I finally got around to it. Why did I wait? It was delightful and fast paced and a fantastic addition to the long list of Arthurian tales I've read. Going to pick up the sequel ASAP.
After finding an ancient manuscript in a rented vacation home, the three Drew children unravel its clues in search of an object that may sway the timeless battle of good against evil. Over Sea, Under Stone is a lackluster beginning to the Dark is Rising sequence, despite its lack of obvious flaws. It has a strong sense of action which provides a constant forward flow through the text, and it hints at a large, important tale--but the story is too local and so lacks consequence. It relies heavily on coincidence, stripping much of its impact; the protagonists are realistically characterized but largely unremarkable while their foes are blindly evil, a combination that renders the conflict flat and petty. Nothing glares, but, while readable, the book immemorable mediocrity. I'll continue with the series because I hear the next installment is where it finds its footing, but I don't recommend this one in its own right.