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Folio Society (2015). 176 pages. Illustrated by Darren Hopes. Bound in cloth. Frontispiece and 7 colour illustrations. Book size: 9" x 6 ¼"
Description
During a summer vacation in a secluded Welsh valley, three young people find themselves driven by the spirits of three mythical lovers to reenact an ancient tragedy.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Gwendydd
This is a very strange book. There are some things I liked about it - I liked the way the plot unfolded, and I thought Garner created some neat moments around the intrusion of a mythical world into a real one.
However, there are more things I didn't like about it. Sometimes the plot was really
But the big problem I had with the book is that I don't think Garner developed any sort of relationship between the myth and the modern storyline. In Garner's story, the medieval story of Blodeuwedd has never been completed, and is relived over and over by the modern characters. But it's hard to see any clear relationship between the modern characters and the mythical ones, and it's not clear why the story is relived over and over, and it's really not clear what happens at the end of the book. So I don't think the myth really added anything to the modern story, and I don't think the modern story added any new insights into the myth. This left me quite unsatisfied at the end of the book.
However, there are more things I didn't like about it. Sometimes the plot was really
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confusing, because there is hardly any narration at all - the story is told almost entirely through conversations between characters, and their conversations can be odd and hard to follow.But the big problem I had with the book is that I don't think Garner developed any sort of relationship between the myth and the modern storyline. In Garner's story, the medieval story of Blodeuwedd has never been completed, and is relived over and over by the modern characters. But it's hard to see any clear relationship between the modern characters and the mythical ones, and it's not clear why the story is relived over and over, and it's really not clear what happens at the end of the book. So I don't think the myth really added anything to the modern story, and I don't think the modern story added any new insights into the myth. This left me quite unsatisfied at the end of the book.
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LibraryThing member SandDune
Another story based on the legend of Blodeuwedd from the Mabinogion. In the original story Blodeuwedd is made out of flowers as a wife for Lleu Law Gyffes, who has been cursed by his mother to never have a wife of any human race. But Blodeuwedd falls in love with a huntsman, Gronw, and they plot
But all that is just in the background. In the foreground, Alison and her mother are spending their summer in the Welsh countryside with the mother's new husband and his son Roger. The newness of the family relationships causes its own tension, especially with Roger's sensitivity about his own mother's abandonment of her family, and there are other causes of tension in the house as well. A housekeeper has been hired for the summer, bringing her son Gwyn, and the relationship between the upper-middle class and English Alison and Roger, and the working-class and Welsh Gwyn is fraught with problems, with Gwyn falling into an uncomfortable gap between friend and employee. So when Alison hears strange scratching noises in the attic above her room it is Gwyn who goes up to investigate, discovering a china dinner service decorated with flowers. A dinner service which makes his mother unreasonably upset, and with which Alison is seemingly becoming obsessed as she recombines the flower patterns on the plates to form the owls which are hidden within, owls which mysteriously disappear as soon as they are made. And when Roger finds the stone of Gronw in the field below the house it seems as though the events of the legend are starting to impinge on the events of the current day.
I enjoyed this much more than when I'd read it originally as a child when I remember finding it confusing, even though I would have known the basics of the original story: Garner writes in a spare and minimalist style where no extraneous information is given. But reading it as an adult I can see much more of the undercurrents that link the narrative together which make it a rewarding read. So four stars for this one, it would have been four and a half it it hadn't been for the ending, which didn't live up to the promise of the rest of the book.
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together to kill Lleu, who only escapes by magic. And when Lleu returns to take his revenge the stone which Gronw holds up for protection is no match for Lleu's spear, which goes straight through it to kill Gronw. And in punishment for her wickedness Blodeuwedd is changed into an owl ...But all that is just in the background. In the foreground, Alison and her mother are spending their summer in the Welsh countryside with the mother's new husband and his son Roger. The newness of the family relationships causes its own tension, especially with Roger's sensitivity about his own mother's abandonment of her family, and there are other causes of tension in the house as well. A housekeeper has been hired for the summer, bringing her son Gwyn, and the relationship between the upper-middle class and English Alison and Roger, and the working-class and Welsh Gwyn is fraught with problems, with Gwyn falling into an uncomfortable gap between friend and employee. So when Alison hears strange scratching noises in the attic above her room it is Gwyn who goes up to investigate, discovering a china dinner service decorated with flowers. A dinner service which makes his mother unreasonably upset, and with which Alison is seemingly becoming obsessed as she recombines the flower patterns on the plates to form the owls which are hidden within, owls which mysteriously disappear as soon as they are made. And when Roger finds the stone of Gronw in the field below the house it seems as though the events of the legend are starting to impinge on the events of the current day.
I enjoyed this much more than when I'd read it originally as a child when I remember finding it confusing, even though I would have known the basics of the original story: Garner writes in a spare and minimalist style where no extraneous information is given. But reading it as an adult I can see much more of the undercurrents that link the narrative together which make it a rewarding read. So four stars for this one, it would have been four and a half it it hadn't been for the ending, which didn't live up to the promise of the rest of the book.
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LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
AUDIO Review - This is a really cool audio. For starters, each chapter is punctuated with classical music - music from the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra with Libor Persek, conducting. Wayne Forester does a great job reading the story as well. My one gripe? The plot itself was a little difficult to
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follow since a lot of detail is implied rather than spelled out. I might have had an easier time of it if I had read it rather than listen to it on audio. This is part children's story, part Welsh legend. The Owl Service takes children and adults alike through mythology and modern day tensions. Alison and Roger are step-children brought together by the marriage of Alison's mother to Roger's father. In an attempt to bond the family they go on holiday to the countryside of Wales. The vacation home has been in Alison's family for years and with it comes a cook/housekeeper and her son, Gwyn, who happens to be the same age as Alison and Roger. Together, the three children struggle to find their place in the newly formed union. But, the story really begins when Alison hears a noise in the attic. Nothing is there except a pile of dishware with an owl/flower design. These plates become the center of an ancient welsh myth and become Alison's obsession. Strange things start to happen. As she traces the design onto paper it disappears from the plates, leaving them a plain white porcelain. Then the plates are discovered smashed, one by one. What follows is a tale of secrets unraveling - great for young and old. Show Less
LibraryThing member Vanessamom25
Amazon -The much-loved classic, finally in ebook.
Winner of both the Guardian Award and the Carnegie Medal, this is an all-time classic, combining mystery, adventure, history and a complex set of human relationships.
It all begins with the scratching in the ceiling. From the moment Alison discovers
Relentlessly, Alison, her step-brother Roger and Welsh boy Gwyn are drawn into the replay of a tragic Welsh legend – a modern drama played out against a background of ancient jealousies. As the tension mounts, it becomes apparent that only by accepting and facing the situation can it be resolved.
Winner of both the Guardian Award and the Carnegie Medal, this is an all-time classic, combining mystery, adventure, history and a complex set of human relationships.
It all begins with the scratching in the ceiling. From the moment Alison discovers
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the dinner service in the attic, with its curious pattern of floral owls, a chain of events is set in progress that is to effect everybody’s lives.Relentlessly, Alison, her step-brother Roger and Welsh boy Gwyn are drawn into the replay of a tragic Welsh legend – a modern drama played out against a background of ancient jealousies. As the tension mounts, it becomes apparent that only by accepting and facing the situation can it be resolved.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
I loved this book as a child and I have to say that I love this book as an adult. Garner's writing is multi-layered and there are nuances to his writing that I am sure that passed me by as a child such as the differences between those who speak English and Welsh and the class barriers between the
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children which divide them. The story feel both fresh and as ancient as the myths it encompasses. Why Alan Garner is not as popular as JK Rowling I don't know as he should be. Show Less
LibraryThing member nimoloth
[Contains Spoilers]
I've finally finished Owl Service by Alan Garner. I have major issues with understanding this book, particularly the relationship between Lleu, Gronwy and Bloeduwedd and the three children. I hate not understanding a book.
• I think it is poorly written. It is extremely
• The ending - very pretty and all, but, wtf? What actually happened?
• I don't understand how the three children relate to the old Wlesh myth of Lleu, Gronwy and Bloeduwedd. Who is who? I see in the older generation that Huw represented Lleu, Nancy was Bloeduwedd and Bertram was Gronwy. Was Gwyn Gronwy or Lleu?
• They don't act realistically at all. None of the characters, except maybe Roger, who was simply an annoying teenage boy. Alison was most weird, and Gwyn was odd too in many ways. There was no explaination of their feelings os motives or anything.
• I like Gwyn, and feel both attraction and sympathy for him. I wish there was a happy ending for him and Alison. She was silly to spurn him because her mother said so, and immature in her reaction.
• There was however something vaguely appealing about the... tone of the book. Although it was very vague and dreamlike. But I think that's all the postivie comment I've got on it!
I've finally finished Owl Service by Alan Garner. I have major issues with understanding this book, particularly the relationship between Lleu, Gronwy and Bloeduwedd and the three children. I hate not understanding a book.
• I think it is poorly written. It is extremely
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disjointed and vague, and seems like it's missing so many bits.• The ending - very pretty and all, but, wtf? What actually happened?
• I don't understand how the three children relate to the old Wlesh myth of Lleu, Gronwy and Bloeduwedd. Who is who? I see in the older generation that Huw represented Lleu, Nancy was Bloeduwedd and Bertram was Gronwy. Was Gwyn Gronwy or Lleu?
• They don't act realistically at all. None of the characters, except maybe Roger, who was simply an annoying teenage boy. Alison was most weird, and Gwyn was odd too in many ways. There was no explaination of their feelings os motives or anything.
• I like Gwyn, and feel both attraction and sympathy for him. I wish there was a happy ending for him and Alison. She was silly to spurn him because her mother said so, and immature in her reaction.
• There was however something vaguely appealing about the... tone of the book. Although it was very vague and dreamlike. But I think that's all the postivie comment I've got on it!
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LibraryThing member madartist
An incredibly intricate book, weaving from ancient Welsh myth to modern day living. It is a beautiful story and one I return to from time to time.
LibraryThing member frannyor
I really didn’t like this book, although I was prepared to do so by all the enthusiastic reviews I’d seen. It was like slogging through a bad dream peopled with bad characters. I found all the children unpleasant and only Gwen at all sympathetic. That’s probably the point, but how does it
Telling a tale with dialogue is not a technique I appreciate. And in this book the dialogue was maddeningly tangential and in many instances violently hurtful. That’s probably the point, too, but how does it make a reader love a book?
I am enough of a snob to be troubled that I disliked a book that’s supposed to be deep and literary. Apparently it’s on a lot of school reading lists. I forced myself to finish it because I thought I could figure out what I was missing. I even started to reread it, but the barrier between it and me is still there. What is it about this book that draws other readers?
The central idea about dish designs turning into paper owls is not only not compelling, it's silly. Why dishes? How was the energy or the evil or whatever it was harnessed and forced onto the dishes in the first place? Again, there is the feeling of dream images that don’t translate well into words on a page. I struggle with that all the time, trying to convey the wonder of an imagined thing without tearing the cobwebs. I’m like Alison, compelled to keep tracing and cutting, dreaming and writing. Maybe the message of this book for me is simply to ease up on the self-editing. That could be powerful.
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make the book enjoyable? Telling a tale with dialogue is not a technique I appreciate. And in this book the dialogue was maddeningly tangential and in many instances violently hurtful. That’s probably the point, too, but how does it make a reader love a book?
I am enough of a snob to be troubled that I disliked a book that’s supposed to be deep and literary. Apparently it’s on a lot of school reading lists. I forced myself to finish it because I thought I could figure out what I was missing. I even started to reread it, but the barrier between it and me is still there. What is it about this book that draws other readers?
The central idea about dish designs turning into paper owls is not only not compelling, it's silly. Why dishes? How was the energy or the evil or whatever it was harnessed and forced onto the dishes in the first place? Again, there is the feeling of dream images that don’t translate well into words on a page. I struggle with that all the time, trying to convey the wonder of an imagined thing without tearing the cobwebs. I’m like Alison, compelled to keep tracing and cutting, dreaming and writing. Maybe the message of this book for me is simply to ease up on the self-editing. That could be powerful.
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LibraryThing member TadAD
Not as good as his two Alderley novels, but it's pleasant to read.
LibraryThing member sirfurboy
This is an award winning book from an excellent author, and set in a location very close to where I live. I should have loved it as much as I loved his other works, but unfortunately I did not connect with this book.
The story recalls the Welsh legend in the Mabinogion of Blodeuwedd. It uses the
Unfortunately the characterisation did not work for me. That is perhaps my problem, not the author's. Worse, some of the research was lacking - both in terms of geography and the Welsh language (the author avoids using Welsh words as much as possible, but, for instance, when he does use a name: "Lleu", he rhymes it with "Clue". It would be more closely rhymed with "Clay" in fact).
Maybe it was these niggles that put me off. Maybe to a reader unfamiliar with the area, the legend and the language would enjoy this more. But for me, it is one Alan Garner book I cannot positively recommend.
Having said that, it is not a bad read. I just think other works are better.
*EDIT: I now find myself unsure whether it was in fact "Llew" that he rhymed with "Clue". Still wrong though. Llew does not sound like "Clue". In fact it does not rhyme any English word I can think of. The "ew" being a sound like the "we" in "went" said backwards.
The story recalls the Welsh legend in the Mabinogion of Blodeuwedd. It uses the
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legend as a central part of the story, where an ancient tragedy is endlessly recapitulated each generation. Will this generation find a way to avoid that destiny?Unfortunately the characterisation did not work for me. That is perhaps my problem, not the author's. Worse, some of the research was lacking - both in terms of geography and the Welsh language (the author avoids using Welsh words as much as possible, but, for instance, when he does use a name: "Lleu", he rhymes it with "Clue". It would be more closely rhymed with "Clay" in fact).
Maybe it was these niggles that put me off. Maybe to a reader unfamiliar with the area, the legend and the language would enjoy this more. But for me, it is one Alan Garner book I cannot positively recommend.
Having said that, it is not a bad read. I just think other works are better.
*EDIT: I now find myself unsure whether it was in fact "Llew" that he rhymed with "Clue". Still wrong though. Llew does not sound like "Clue". In fact it does not rhyme any English word I can think of. The "ew" being a sound like the "we" in "went" said backwards.
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LibraryThing member raycun
interesting combination of Welsh mythology and British mid-20th century spare writing style
LibraryThing member phebj
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I’ve read very few books that could be classified as “fantasy” and I see so many fans of this genre on LT that I feel like I’m missing something, so I thought I’d give this book a try.
I have to admit I was pretty much lost until I resorted to
I’m giving it 3 stars because I did like the brooding and mysterious nature of the story and some of the characters (Gwyn and Huw in particular) and would consider reading another book by Alan Garner but I don’t have any desire to re-read this one.
I have to admit I was pretty much lost until I resorted to
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Wikipedia to read about the Welsh myth that’s at the heart of this story. I also went to Amazon to read some of the reviews and noted that quite a few people said you need to read the book at least twice to appreciate/understand it. I’m actually surprised it’s a YA book but then maybe UK teenagers are more versed in Welsh mythology and aren’t so lost.I’m giving it 3 stars because I did like the brooding and mysterious nature of the story and some of the characters (Gwyn and Huw in particular) and would consider reading another book by Alan Garner but I don’t have any desire to re-read this one.
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LibraryThing member SimoneA
I don't think I got this book... The Owl Service tells the story of three teenagers in a Welsh mansion, mixed with an old Welsh folk story. To begin with some negatives, I found the language very hard to understand at times. I don't know if it's the age of the book, the Welsh, or just the writing
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style, but I really had to pay attention. And still, I felt like I was missing a lot of the story. The good thing about this book is that, despite my limited understanding, the feeling of the book comes across. It is creepy and mysterious. Overall, I didn't hate the book, but I can't say I'd recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cynfelyn
I read this retelling of the Blodeuwedd story as a child. I was nine years old when The owl service was published in 1967, but I don't know whether I read it when it first came out. But I do remember being impressed, and scared.
LibraryThing member raschneid
I read this hoping I might be able to write my Celtic Literature paper on it; it ended up not being a good fit, but it was still a pretty interesting novel. It centers around the brief friendship of two English teenagers with a Welsh boy their age. The depiction of Welsh-English hostilities was the
What makes this book especially quirky is the style; it's very sparse, occasionally to the point of being confusing, and is generally very elliptical in terms of storytelling. On one hand, this was kind of cool, but I was already being plunged into an unfamiliar place and time, so the effect was somewhat overwhelming.
Generally I felt like I was peering into a world that I didn't belong in. This is a cool experience, but I never quite got comfortable in it.
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strongest thread of the novel; Gwyn, the Welsh boy, is a great character and his story is subtle but heartbreaking. There was also a very cool contrast between the social realism and the fantasy elements (which were all straight out of Welsh mythology.)What makes this book especially quirky is the style; it's very sparse, occasionally to the point of being confusing, and is generally very elliptical in terms of storytelling. On one hand, this was kind of cool, but I was already being plunged into an unfamiliar place and time, so the effect was somewhat overwhelming.
Generally I felt like I was peering into a world that I didn't belong in. This is a cool experience, but I never quite got comfortable in it.
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LibraryThing member Carol420
Inspired by Welsh mythology, this story is of ordinary people pulled from their ordinary lives into a magical and dangerous world. The legend goes that Blodeuwedd was the girl made by a wizard from flowers. She was created in order to be the bride of a prince who had been cursed never to marry a
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mortal woman. She conspired with her lover to murder the prince, and as punishment was turned into an owl. This little treasure was first published in 1967. It was an interesting read... but as it was written in the dialect of the Welsh and the Irish, some may find it a bit hard to follow. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
Inspired by Welsh mythology, this story is of ordinary people pulled from their ordinary lives into a magical and dangerous world. The legend goes that Blodeuwedd was the girl made by a wizard from flowers. She was created in order to be the bride of a prince who had been cursed never to marry a
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mortal woman. She conspired with her lover to murder the prince, and as punishment was turned into an owl. This little treasure was first published in 1967. It was an interesting read... but as it was written in the dialect of the Welsh and the Irish, some may find it a bit hard to follow. Show Less
LibraryThing member Fence
Alison and Roger have come to Wales on a holiday with their parent and respective step-parent. Roger’s father and Alison’s mother have recently married and in a way this is a sort of bonding session. The house is technically Alison’s, she inherited from an uncle. Gwynn is the housekeeper’s
Have I mentioned that this book was written and set in the 60s? Because they really needs to be in your mind when reading it.
Alison has been hearing strange scratchings from the attic and when Gwynn goes up to investigate he discovers a dinner service, he takes a plate down and almost immediately Alison becomes somewhat obsessed with the pattern. It appears to be flowers, but Alison can also see an owl in the flowers.
Those of you who are familiar with Welsh legends might be thinking, hmmm, flowers. Could this have anything to do with the myth of Blodeuwedd? Well, if you’re thinking that you’re perfectly correct.
Oh I have many thoughts about this book. Many many thoughts.
First off, I’m sure I read this as a child and had absolutely no idea what was going on. I’m pretty sure I also caught bits of the television adaptation, but I don’t remember any of that, apart from a general sense of weirdness. A description that definitely fits the book.
I really enjoyed it1 , it is just so strange. Garner describes it as a ghost story, and it almost feels like you are living through these crazy unexplained events because so much is just described. There are some reasons provided, and we get the myth of Blodeuwedd and that tragedy to underpin it all, but there is so much more than just the supernatural aspect to the book.
Most of the book, as I said, is descriptions of what is happening right now. There is very little internal monologue or expressions of what different characters are feeling. Not that there are none, but they are almost like dialogue that just isn’t spoken aloud. I’m not doing a good job of explaining this, am I.
The setting is very much in the here and now2 yet also about how the present is shaped by the past and the mistakes people make, and seem to make over and over again.
It is full of classism and prejudice. Alison comes from the land-owning classes. Roger’s father is wealthy but a business man. Gwynn is the working class boy, the servant. He is also Welsh and there are numerous snide remarks about that. Of course the reverse is also true, the Welsh resent the English for the very fact that they are English.
It is one I think you have to read to get any grasp of what it’s all about.
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son, the same age as Alison and Roger but very much not of the same class.Have I mentioned that this book was written and set in the 60s? Because they really needs to be in your mind when reading it.
Alison has been hearing strange scratchings from the attic and when Gwynn goes up to investigate he discovers a dinner service, he takes a plate down and almost immediately Alison becomes somewhat obsessed with the pattern. It appears to be flowers, but Alison can also see an owl in the flowers.
Those of you who are familiar with Welsh legends might be thinking, hmmm, flowers. Could this have anything to do with the myth of Blodeuwedd? Well, if you’re thinking that you’re perfectly correct.
Oh I have many thoughts about this book. Many many thoughts.
First off, I’m sure I read this as a child and had absolutely no idea what was going on. I’m pretty sure I also caught bits of the television adaptation, but I don’t remember any of that, apart from a general sense of weirdness. A description that definitely fits the book.
I really enjoyed it1 , it is just so strange. Garner describes it as a ghost story, and it almost feels like you are living through these crazy unexplained events because so much is just described. There are some reasons provided, and we get the myth of Blodeuwedd and that tragedy to underpin it all, but there is so much more than just the supernatural aspect to the book.
Most of the book, as I said, is descriptions of what is happening right now. There is very little internal monologue or expressions of what different characters are feeling. Not that there are none, but they are almost like dialogue that just isn’t spoken aloud. I’m not doing a good job of explaining this, am I.
The setting is very much in the here and now2 yet also about how the present is shaped by the past and the mistakes people make, and seem to make over and over again.
It is full of classism and prejudice. Alison comes from the land-owning classes. Roger’s father is wealthy but a business man. Gwynn is the working class boy, the servant. He is also Welsh and there are numerous snide remarks about that. Of course the reverse is also true, the Welsh resent the English for the very fact that they are English.
It is one I think you have to read to get any grasp of what it’s all about.
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LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
One of my favourite books from childhood. There's so much to grasp, so many depths, so much unexplained, so satisfying. One character is there living in the same house as all the others and influencing the action - but we never meet her - how and why did Alan Garner engineer that? I try not to
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re-read too often and the story keeps fresh for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member electrascaife
An ancient Welsh curse gets reenacted every generation, and we're here given one iteration of the doomed scenario when a family comes to vacation in the home that the step-daughter has inherited from her father, and she, her step-brother, and the son of the housekeeper (who herself has a strange
So yeah, this one is much better thought-out and executed than that Brisinger mess, I have to say. It's an interesting plot and Garner does a fair job telling it, with Gwyn - the housekeeper's son - stealing the story by being by far the most interesting and well-drawn character.
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part to play in events) find themselves inevitably and unwillingly taking on the magical age-old roles that started it all. Will they be able, unlike so many before them, to resist the pull of the curse and break the cycle?So yeah, this one is much better thought-out and executed than that Brisinger mess, I have to say. It's an interesting plot and Garner does a fair job telling it, with Gwyn - the housekeeper's son - stealing the story by being by far the most interesting and well-drawn character.
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LibraryThing member datrappert
Considered a classic by many, I found it less so. There were some good scenes, but a lot of it is a deliberate muddle and you start to wonder if anything is going to happen. When it does, it is anticlimactic to say the least. And the ending is one that scholarly articles have been written on, since
The audiobook was very well read by Wayne Forester.
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so many readers object to it. I won't spoil it for you. I did enjoy the Welsh setting very much. It makes me wan to spend time in one of those valleys, no matter how insular it turns out to be.The audiobook was very well read by Wayne Forester.
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LibraryThing member Crowyhead
This is a pretty odd little book; I really enjoyed it, but the very end left me a little confused. It would probably appeal to those who liked The Dark Is Rising, since it taps into a lot of Welsh mythology and such, but it's a much more subtle and psychological story. I'm going to have to check
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out Alan Garner's other books. Show Less
LibraryThing member Andy_Dingley
One of my least favourite books from childhood, surpassed mostly by the other Alan Garners.
Our school was Very Keen on Alan Garner. So we had the obvious canon of them forced upon us. Which rarely works. Particularly so for the Owl Service. This is a novel mostly of teenage jealousies. If you're
Much later, I decided to re-read Alan Garner (CS Lewis too, who came off rather worse for it). These days I live in a village where Merlin is sleeping under a hill nearby and our local cafe has a life-size carving of Blodeuwedd, because why wouldn't you? So I understood Garner's world rather better and this time round I loved it.
It's a "Young Adult" book. But that's not a kid's book.
Our school was Very Keen on Alan Garner. So we had the obvious canon of them forced upon us. Which rarely works. Particularly so for the Owl Service. This is a novel mostly of teenage jealousies. If you're
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11, you've not only not read the Mabinogion, you've not yet been jilted by your crush in favour of the posh kid either. So when we were forced to read this, we had neither of the reference points that Garner bridges between, so no wonder we didn't understand it. We probably thought it was about owls, or plates.Much later, I decided to re-read Alan Garner (CS Lewis too, who came off rather worse for it). These days I live in a village where Merlin is sleeping under a hill nearby and our local cafe has a life-size carving of Blodeuwedd, because why wouldn't you? So I understood Garner's world rather better and this time round I loved it.
It's a "Young Adult" book. But that's not a kid's book.
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Subjects
Awards
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (Winner — 1968)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 1967)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1967
Physical description
176 p.; 9 inches
Local notes
Inspired by a legend from the Mabinogion and set in a remote Welsh valley, it tells the story of three young people who awaken a deadly mythical power. When Alison discovers the owl service, a set of plates painted with an ambiguous, shape-shifting pattern, her curiosity soon grows into an obsession. The plates awaken Blodeuwedd, a woman made from flowers to be the wife of a young lord and transformed into an owl after betraying him. Though they do not know it – the extent to which the myth has already shaped their lives emerges only slowly – Alison, Roger and Gwyn have revived a terrible anguish that lies smouldering in the mountains and woods around them.
Other editions
The Owl Service by Alan Garner (Hardcover)
The Owl Service (Lions) by Alan Garner (Paperback)