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kellbells's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure how much I enjoyed this, but glad I read it for sure. Garner described Elidor as the 'Anti-Narnia,' a darker, more pagan slant on children's fantasy realms. Only a quarter of the book actually takes place in Elidor - like Narnia, a once-beautiful land fallen into decay - and it isn't a friendly place. I wish the Watsons had been more individual (Roland's the youngest and true believer, Helen is The Only Girl, I honestly couldn't tell Nicholas and David apart) but Garner evokes images and emotions REALLY well. There's some great low-key horror when the Treasures of Elidor cause all the electronics in the house to run by themselves: "So they lay awake through that night, listening to the machinery. At two o'clock in the morning the food mixer burned itself out. But the washing machine rumbled on. The children and their parents stared clear-eyed at the dark." Plus this lovely passage near the end: "His mane flowed like a river in the moon: the point of the horn drew fire from the stars. Roland shivered with the effort of looking. He wanted to fix every detail in his mind for ever, so that no matter what else happened there would always be this."
gingerliss's review against another edition
4.0
I've picked this book up and put it back down many a time since I got it as a kid. I don't understand why though, as it was a surprisingly good read. Surprising because I remembered the amount of times I'd tried to read it and thought that probably meant it wasn't all that good. Well it was. Maybe though as a kid it was a bit of a difficult read, reading it now it seemed a little bit too mature for a children's book. I got the book because I loved the BBC series. About 15 years later I finally read it. I liked that the book was set in Manchester. It was a very quick read and enjoyable. Now interested in more of Alan Garner's books.
adrianlarose's review against another edition
3.0
Lovely quick read. If you love fantasy and can enjoy a British children's fantasy book, give it a go :-)
richard_farley1976's review against another edition
4.0
Great read for a short novel. It’s a shame this wasn’t longer the story could have developed and followed a path similar CS Lewis and Narnia.
the_book_griffin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jennykeery's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
I must have read this battered Puffin paperback back in library school but admit that I didn't remember much about it. Two strengths for me, first, that it is a short fantasy, no longer than it needs to be, and second, that it is original (despite being based on ancient legends) in that the children do not live in this other world, go on a quest there, and otherwise do what every other child does in a fantasy world. Instead, they get only glimpses of the other world, until in the end, even the unbeliever among them has to admit that it really existed. The scenes with the unicorn rattling around in the side streets of Manchester is unforgettable. And in the end, "The children were alone with the broken windows of a slum."
tmarjorie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lyndiane's review against another edition
3.0
This story left me feeling unfulfilled. The writing seemed patchy and the relationships between the four siblings lacked some credibility, perhaps because there is no mention of the children's ages.
The reader is persuaded to believe that the existence of Elidor depends solely on the Treasures being kept safe by the four children (according to an ancient Elidoran prophecy) but the author misses an opportunity to expound on the story as no explanation is offered as to how this prophecy is to be fulfilled. However, it transpires that Elidor really needs to be saved by a unicorn song, so what was the big deal about the Treasures?
I was left feeling that the author didn't have much interest in the story and was ina hurry to get it finished. Altogether really disappointing.
The reader is persuaded to believe that the existence of Elidor depends solely on the Treasures being kept safe by the four children (according to an ancient Elidoran prophecy) but the author misses an opportunity to expound on the story as no explanation is offered as to how this prophecy is to be fulfilled. However, it transpires that Elidor really needs to be saved by a unicorn song, so what was the big deal about the Treasures?
I was left feeling that the author didn't have much interest in the story and was ina hurry to get it finished. Altogether really disappointing.
jgwc54e5's review against another edition
5.0
I discovered Alan garner in my primary school library. I have always remembered his wonderful books.