Susan Cooper S/D

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My friend's wife was describing re-reading a series of books she had read as a child and I realized they were books I had read as well but only dimly remembered. I'm talking about Susan Cooper's "Dark is Rising" series. Should I bother treading down this nostalgic path or should I content myself with misty but intact memories of childhood?

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 30 April 2004 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I read these first as an adult and would venture to say they are among the YA books that will not disappoint upon revisiting. They are perfectly well-written and have accurate research about the lore she is expanding on, although I'm not an expert in the field, just a casual learner. I read the whole series in a weekend a few months back. Cooper didn't fall in that trap series authors often do where they lift whole descriptive paragraphs from one book to the next. Her child characters are real, rather than cookie cutter.

― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Friday, 30 April 2004 18:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"Over Sea, Under Stone" is a little more child-ish, I think, but they're all indisputably classic.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Friday, 30 April 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmmm. Maybe I will.

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 30 April 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

A coincidence - I only just re-read these books last month, and was still absorbed by them. They are classics. As a child my family moved around a lot, I was only ever allowed 1 small suitcase for my own ' stuff' and this series of books was carted around from one country to the next. I even covered them in plastic so they would last longer!

― kath (kath), Friday, 30 April 2004 22:29 (twenty-one years ago)

They're great - the first is flimsy, and the rest quite different, but it's a wonderful series.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Search: all
Destroy: none

Also reread all Alan Garner starting with Weirdstone of Brisingamen. And then read all the Diana Wynne Jones you can get yr hands on (esp. Fire & Hemlock)

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 6 May 2004 10:50 (twenty-one years ago)

As a kid I also recall liking A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond, which covered some of the same Welsh stories.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 6 May 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Ooooohhhh - do re-read the series. They hold-up incredibly well, though I agree that Over Sea, Under Stone is for the younger crowd.

I liked her The Boggart and The Boggart and the Monster, too - they're decent andfun fantasy, but nothing on the level of The Dark is Rising series. Oh, and King of Shadows is an interesting time-travel/time-warp piece that goes back and forth between modern day and Shakespeare's time and is a decent overview of the Bard for a youngster.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Saturday, 8 May 2004 07:52 (twenty-one years ago)

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