Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks (2010), Edition: 50th Anniversary Gift edition, Hardcover, 288 pages
Description
A tale of Alderley When Colin and Susan are pursued by eerie creatures across Alderley Edge, they are saved by the Wizard. He takes them into the caves of Fundindelve, where he watches over the enchanted sleep of one hundred and forty knights. But the heart of the magic that binds them - Firefrost, also known as the Weirdstone of Brisingamen - has been lost. The Wizard has been searching for the stone for more than 100 years, but the forces of evil are closing in, determined to possess and destroy its special power. Colin and Susan realise at last that they are the key to the Weirdstone's return. But how can two children defeat the Morrigan and her deadly brood?
User reviews
LibraryThing member imyril
One of the most magical and influential books of my childhood, this is Garner's early masterpiece (however sniffy you may choose to get about the hodgepodge of mythologies).
Two children are sent to live in the myth-stalked landscape of Alderley Edge. Searching for the Wizard of legend, they find
It is the language and the sense of place that makes this a real gem. Garner knows every byway he describes, and the setting is inextricably part of the drama, even more so than the various mythological borrowings that propel the plot. The characters - especially down-to-earth farmer Gowther Mossock and direct dwarf Fenodyree - are unforgettable.
In many ways this is underdrawn, with much suggested rather than shown or told (unusually so for a children's book), which is part of its eternal appeal. This book sparks the imagination, opening up dreams and nightmares at any age.
Speaking of evocative description - I blame this novel specifically for my discomfort with tight spaces. Claustrophobics beware - the Earldelving leaves its mark!
Two children are sent to live in the myth-stalked landscape of Alderley Edge. Searching for the Wizard of legend, they find
Show More
themselves threatened by goblins at dusk - and are rescued by the wizard and his allies. The children soon discover that not all walking legends are pleasant as they become the object of the Morrigan's attentions and must join the ongoing battle to keep Britain safe from the morthbrood.It is the language and the sense of place that makes this a real gem. Garner knows every byway he describes, and the setting is inextricably part of the drama, even more so than the various mythological borrowings that propel the plot. The characters - especially down-to-earth farmer Gowther Mossock and direct dwarf Fenodyree - are unforgettable.
In many ways this is underdrawn, with much suggested rather than shown or told (unusually so for a children's book), which is part of its eternal appeal. This book sparks the imagination, opening up dreams and nightmares at any age.
Speaking of evocative description - I blame this novel specifically for my discomfort with tight spaces. Claustrophobics beware - the Earldelving leaves its mark!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Sile
Colin and Susan are sent to stay with their mother's nurse in Alderley Edge and while exploring the landscape, as children are wont to do, they become embroiled in an age-old conflict and the adventure begins.
Alan Garner weaves together myth, folkore and landscape in a wonderful children's tale.
As an audio version, and not having read the actual book, I was pleased with the choice of Philip Madoc as narrator. Different voices were employed, as well as accents though these might seem very out of place in modern-day Alderley Edge which has a rather different populace from that of when the book was penned. I found Mr Madoc's voice rather soothing, though he held my attention throughout.
As an adult I enjoyed the tale, and, as a youngster I would relished the book and it would have become a firm favourite.
Alan Garner weaves together myth, folkore and landscape in a wonderful children's tale.
Show More
Although Garner takes great pains to describe landscape and the feeling it invokes in the characters, the characterisation of the various players in the tale is somewhat absent apart from what we learn from their actions. As the tale is aimed at children, this is not really a drawback as imagination is brought into play and attributes can be allocated to each character as desired. As an audio version, and not having read the actual book, I was pleased with the choice of Philip Madoc as narrator. Different voices were employed, as well as accents though these might seem very out of place in modern-day Alderley Edge which has a rather different populace from that of when the book was penned. I found Mr Madoc's voice rather soothing, though he held my attention throughout.
As an adult I enjoyed the tale, and, as a youngster I would relished the book and it would have become a firm favourite.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Cecrow
I find it peculiar that we don't know the ages of Susan and Colin, which one is the older sibling, what they look like or anything about their backgrounds. They seem to have identical personalities. It makes it hard to get interested in them, although by being so generic I suppose they're easier to
I read WoB as a result of working through the "501 Must-Read" books list. Unfortunately this is one of the titles that makes me wonder why it was selected. I've childhood favourites of my own that I'd rather weren't put down by anyone but, all mercy aside, WoB would not stand out in YA fiction if published today. Perhaps in 1960 a modern story about dwarfs and wizards was relatively scarce, so it could be bland and still be found engaging. This book is widely praised and could be termed a classic if allowing for its age and possibly its influence, but I'd sooner revisit Tolkien's hobbits, Susan Cooper's take on the Wild Hunt legend, or Lloyd Alexander's Prydain.
Show More
identify with. Struggling with this, I came to page forty where the characters miss the obvious connection that I did not. That's when I started skimming. The adventure that ensues is decently written and there's some good atmosphere, but there was nothing compelling me to slow down. Most of it is travelogue without plot development, the author's detailed knowledge of the setting mistakenly leading to his outlining every smallest bit of woods and meadow, etc. with geographic precision. The ending is extremely abrupt, cutting off at the very second the climax is resolved.I read WoB as a result of working through the "501 Must-Read" books list. Unfortunately this is one of the titles that makes me wonder why it was selected. I've childhood favourites of my own that I'd rather weren't put down by anyone but, all mercy aside, WoB would not stand out in YA fiction if published today. Perhaps in 1960 a modern story about dwarfs and wizards was relatively scarce, so it could be bland and still be found engaging. This book is widely praised and could be termed a classic if allowing for its age and possibly its influence, but I'd sooner revisit Tolkien's hobbits, Susan Cooper's take on the Wild Hunt legend, or Lloyd Alexander's Prydain.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cerievans1
I am a regular Radio 4 listener and listened to a recent reading of this book, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of its publication. Set in and around Alderley Edge in Cheshire, which is a patch I know very well, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen is a playful, famous five-ish, apparently 'seminal'
So, the Edge at Alderley is described by Wikipedia as "a steep and thickly wooded sandstone ridge... which is the area's chief topographical feature. Alderley Edge overlooks the Cheshire Plain". There are views for miles around "From its highest point, the Edge affords panoramic views across Cheshire and the Peak District and walking paths through the property, as well as one to nearby National Trust property Hare Hill. From the Edge, the Cheshire Plain, can be seen extending from the area of Macclesfield Forest on the south east side with its with undulating land and woods, towards the extreme easterly point of the Derbyshire peaks, and northerly to Manchester and Blackstone Edge in Yorkshire.
Until trees were planted at the Edge (1745–1755), visitors to the Edge could see a full 360° panorama of the country around; today the view from the Edge itself is limited to the northerly and easterly directions. Trees now obscure the views in other directions, including views of the Wrekin in Shropshire to the south; The Cloud near Bosley and Mow Cop (where the Cheshire Plain meets the Peckforton Hills, Beeston Castle, and the Delamere Forest) to the south west; and west to the mountains of North Wales".
Colin and Susan spend the days of the summer holidays exploring the edge and the surrounding parkland, under strict instructions from Gowther not to enter the abandoned mines (which actually exist). When one day, Colin and Susan encounter a white bearded man called Cadellin, their time at Alderley transforms beyond all recognition.
Cadellin is the several hundreds of years old guardian of Fundindelve, an underground sanctuary of dwarves and magicians, but his power to keep Fundindelve safe and to keep the world safe is limited by the absence of the Weirdstone of Brisingamen, a stone of great power. Unbeknownst to everyone, Susan is wearing the Weirdstone around her wrist.
Cadellin issues a warning for Susan and Colin to stay away from the Edge, that they may be in grave danger. But, after a few months of staying away, Colin and Susan are unable to resist exploring Stormy Point and the Edge. They are captured by the evil Svarts who steal the Weirdstone.
From this point onwards, Susan and Colin and a cast of helpers struggle to fight the evil forces of Grimmir and his associates.
Good points of this book include the brilliant sense of place and tense atmosphere that persists through the book. Alderley Edge is depicted accurately, I recognised lots of features described in the book including the steep climb towards the Edge, the Wizard pub, the houses scattered around the hillsides.
A fairly major lacking point however was the total absence of characterisation of Susan and Colin. There is nothing to distinguish them, they are never described in detail, they are truly a blank canvass. I felt this was a significant flaw in the book, especially when you compare it to later creations such as Lyra in His Dark Materials. For these reasons, I can't give the book more than 3 1/2 stars.
Show More
fantasy novel which set the way for classics such as His Dark Materials. Colin and Susan are sent to live with a family friend in Alderley Edge for six months as their parents are otherwise occupied. The family friend is a farmer's wife, Bess who lives next to 'the Edge' (not the bassist from U2) with her husband Gowther and their flock of various animals. So, the Edge at Alderley is described by Wikipedia as "a steep and thickly wooded sandstone ridge... which is the area's chief topographical feature. Alderley Edge overlooks the Cheshire Plain". There are views for miles around "From its highest point, the Edge affords panoramic views across Cheshire and the Peak District and walking paths through the property, as well as one to nearby National Trust property Hare Hill. From the Edge, the Cheshire Plain, can be seen extending from the area of Macclesfield Forest on the south east side with its with undulating land and woods, towards the extreme easterly point of the Derbyshire peaks, and northerly to Manchester and Blackstone Edge in Yorkshire.
Until trees were planted at the Edge (1745–1755), visitors to the Edge could see a full 360° panorama of the country around; today the view from the Edge itself is limited to the northerly and easterly directions. Trees now obscure the views in other directions, including views of the Wrekin in Shropshire to the south; The Cloud near Bosley and Mow Cop (where the Cheshire Plain meets the Peckforton Hills, Beeston Castle, and the Delamere Forest) to the south west; and west to the mountains of North Wales".
Colin and Susan spend the days of the summer holidays exploring the edge and the surrounding parkland, under strict instructions from Gowther not to enter the abandoned mines (which actually exist). When one day, Colin and Susan encounter a white bearded man called Cadellin, their time at Alderley transforms beyond all recognition.
Cadellin is the several hundreds of years old guardian of Fundindelve, an underground sanctuary of dwarves and magicians, but his power to keep Fundindelve safe and to keep the world safe is limited by the absence of the Weirdstone of Brisingamen, a stone of great power. Unbeknownst to everyone, Susan is wearing the Weirdstone around her wrist.
Cadellin issues a warning for Susan and Colin to stay away from the Edge, that they may be in grave danger. But, after a few months of staying away, Colin and Susan are unable to resist exploring Stormy Point and the Edge. They are captured by the evil Svarts who steal the Weirdstone.
From this point onwards, Susan and Colin and a cast of helpers struggle to fight the evil forces of Grimmir and his associates.
Good points of this book include the brilliant sense of place and tense atmosphere that persists through the book. Alderley Edge is depicted accurately, I recognised lots of features described in the book including the steep climb towards the Edge, the Wizard pub, the houses scattered around the hillsides.
A fairly major lacking point however was the total absence of characterisation of Susan and Colin. There is nothing to distinguish them, they are never described in detail, they are truly a blank canvass. I felt this was a significant flaw in the book, especially when you compare it to later creations such as Lyra in His Dark Materials. For these reasons, I can't give the book more than 3 1/2 stars.
Show Less
LibraryThing member themulhern
"bog-standard" is apt. But I find it difficult not to enjoy 1960s English children's fantasy. It is period now, the children in this book, as in so many others, do farm chores after school.
Although there is a great evil(!), the style is not as portentous as that of Susan Cooper. The whole purpose
"The Book of Three" is so much more coherent and interesting, but Lloyd Alexander was a mature author when he wrote that, while Alan Garner was just 22.
Although there is a great evil(!), the style is not as portentous as that of Susan Cooper. The whole purpose
Show More
seems to have been to use cool words and ideas from Norse and Celtic mythology, and to describe in great detail the area around where the author grew up. There is a map, and a rendezvous on a hilltop, and the book is over in a flash."The Book of Three" is so much more coherent and interesting, but Lloyd Alexander was a mature author when he wrote that, while Alan Garner was just 22.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DaveLaw
I recently re-read this after about 30 years and I have to say it is still enchanting. Set in a time of innocence but danger and Garner brings out the characters well. By the end of the book you feel you know Gowther and Colin and Susan. Probably a little dark for the young with its detailed
Show More
encounters in the Earldelving. Show Less
LibraryThing member scribeswindow
This book was prescribed reading when I was in year eight. I remember the teacher reading out loud and the whole class silent, engrossed and mesmerised by this story. When the bell rang for the end of class I think everyone was collectively disappointed. I'm yet to get my hands on this, for my own
Show More
collection, but when I do I intend to read this to my own children - who are at present very young - and I hope to evoke that same feeling I had when it was read to me. Memorable. Show Less
LibraryThing member Vanessamom25
Amazon.com Review - Readers who love E. Nesbit or Susan Cooper may discover a new favorite in Alan Garner, winner of many awards for literary excellence including the Carnegie Medal. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, first published in 1960, is the story of two children, Susan and Colin, who are sent
Garner's knowledge of folklore and the Alderley area--his characters' dialect sounds realistic instead of like rote fantasy-speak--imbues his story with a thoughtful depth. His writing is as clear as poetry: "And they passed between the stones, only to stop short a couple of paces later, with despair in their hearts, cold as the east wind." There is a sequel to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, called The Moon of Gomrath, and both books are superbly written, absorbing tales of wizardry and adventure. --Blaise Selby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Show More
to rural England to stay with Bess Mossock, their mother's childhood nurse. The Mossocks' farm is delightfully old-fashioned, and the Alderley area is dotted with interesting woods to explore as well as treacherous disused mines. Susan and Colin encounter a frightening local woman, and feel they are being watched by crows. The air of menace quickly becomes acute danger as the children are pursued by small goblinlike beings, who truss them in cobwebby ropes. An ancient wizard named Cadellin comes to their rescue. As they learn more of the dark forces that threaten Alderley, Susan and Colin find themselves on the run through the abandoned mine tunnels, aided by a pair of heroic dwarfs.Garner's knowledge of folklore and the Alderley area--his characters' dialect sounds realistic instead of like rote fantasy-speak--imbues his story with a thoughtful depth. His writing is as clear as poetry: "And they passed between the stones, only to stop short a couple of paces later, with despair in their hearts, cold as the east wind." There is a sequel to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, called The Moon of Gomrath, and both books are superbly written, absorbing tales of wizardry and adventure. --Blaise Selby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Gingerbreadman63
I first read this at 9 years old, and the die was cast, I later bought the above copy at 11 in an experience which memory makes as magical as the book in a little bookshop in Flinders Lane. Although I am now much older the book still exerts a powerful hold on me, and although I later moved onto
Show More
such giants of fantasy as Toklien and Lewis. Its a tale whose blending of the real landscape of Chesire with its mythic past holds a supreme place in my love of such tales. Show Less
LibraryThing member john257hopper
I was prompted to read this children's classic fantasy novel, first published in 1960, by seeing a post on Alan Garner in a blog by someone I know professionally involved in teaching children to read and enjoy literature. It's also to an extent a re-read as I read at least some of it as a teenager
Show More
in the late 70s/early 80s, though I recalled nothing of it. It's wonderfully written and imaginative, the story of two children, Susan and Colin, who get involved with a variety of good and evil fantasy creatures, seeking the significant eponymous stone, chasing through caves and across hills, forests and plains in Cheshire, the author's native area. While it's definitely high quality, and gripping in places, I found it didn't really stir me emotionally quite as much as I thought it might. I will read the famous sequel, The Moon of Gomrath, and probably the third and very much later volume in the trilogy, Boneland. Show Less
LibraryThing member xavierp
I first read this book aged 10 at school. After reading the story we visited Alderley Edge to see the places and the settings for the book, which really brought the book alive.
Garner wrote some wonderful books for children which weren't patronising and were always exciting.
Garner wrote some wonderful books for children which weren't patronising and were always exciting.
LibraryThing member KWharton
I found this book odd. I think it would have been better to have read it as a child, when I would have given it my full attention. Because I didn't give it my full attention and read it quite quickly, I forgot some of the minor characters and/or objects, which meant I didn't remember them if they
I definitely felt that it was part of a series - it ended rather abruptly.
It did feel very Tolkienish, except that the setting was contemporary (England in the 1960s, I think, judging from publication date?). I liked that Susan and Colin got equal time and were equally in charge of their own decisions and their part in the story. Not bad for a story written in the 60s! I also felt that [a:Alan Garner|47991|Alan Garner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1363273417p2/47991.jpg] wrote about caves very well indeed. I got the impression that he is either a keen caver or someone who once went caving and found it too claustrophobic so never went again! I am not familiar with old English/Celtic mythology, but I suspect there were references that others might pick up on. I did recognize Ragnarok! There were quite a lot of mythical creatures/objects mentioned that were not explained (or maybe I missed them because I read too quickly).
All in all, I would like to read more of the series but I am not in a huge hurry, so they might just end up on my "to read" list for years.
Show More
reappeared or didn't remember why they were important. I would have loved an index. If I'd been reading an ebook, I probably would have searched for some of the things I'd forgotten when they turned up again. I found it a bit annoying that the maps gave spoilers about how the story would turn out (for example, a label saying "Fall of the [no spoiler here!]").I definitely felt that it was part of a series - it ended rather abruptly.
It did feel very Tolkienish, except that the setting was contemporary (England in the 1960s, I think, judging from publication date?). I liked that Susan and Colin got equal time and were equally in charge of their own decisions and their part in the story. Not bad for a story written in the 60s! I also felt that [a:Alan Garner|47991|Alan Garner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1363273417p2/47991.jpg] wrote about caves very well indeed. I got the impression that he is either a keen caver or someone who once went caving and found it too claustrophobic so never went again! I am not familiar with old English/Celtic mythology, but I suspect there were references that others might pick up on. I did recognize Ragnarok! There were quite a lot of mythical creatures/objects mentioned that were not explained (or maybe I missed them because I read too quickly).
All in all, I would like to read more of the series but I am not in a huge hurry, so they might just end up on my "to read" list for years.
Show Less
LibraryThing member thesmellofbooks
Garner writes wonderfully and Madoc reads wonderfully. In my youth this would have been a favourite. Nowadays I want a bit more than thrilling quests. Beautifully done.
LibraryThing member TomSlee
Read first when I was about eight. Reread it on a cold afternoon. Garner is one of the best of a strand of British children's authors who let ambiguity and confusion into their works. I remember this and his others gave me a very "grown up" feel when I first read them, and I can still see why.
Show More
Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
This and its sequel, The Moon of Gomrath, are Alan Garner's best.
LibraryThing member riverwillow
I haven't read this book for years. I'd forgotten how terrifying I'd found it, there is a whole section when the group is fleeing through the tunnels that terrified me, in the way that children love to be scared. Garner is a master storyteller. Fantastic.
LibraryThing member CelineNorah
I adored this book as a young teen. It completely captured me in a way no other book had ( except Something Wicked This Way Comes) I drew countless illustrations of it. I loved the style and the story. Poetic and exciting, though I suspect the style wouldn't go down as easy with teens today
Show More
perhaps?. Show Less
LibraryThing member ShannaRedwind
I studied this book when I was in grade 7 and remember enjoying it.
LibraryThing member veracite
I know I read this book as a child but I don't remember anything in it. Perhaps I read books a little fast as a child, inhabiting each one and passing to the next without taking much with me? But this book doesn't have a heap of emotional resonance and the ending, after the detailed action, seems
Show More
abrupt. Show Less
LibraryThing member Skywolf
This was one of my absolute favourite books as a child, and is still amongst my top ten of all time. I have read it countless times, and it never loses its suspense or magic.
LibraryThing member LoftyIslanders
A classic! There is a sequel, but this book is complete and doesn't end with a cliffhanger. Brother and sister in the English countryside. She finds the stone that's been handed down for generations is wanted by forces both evil and good.
LibraryThing member infjsarah
Although a "classic", sadly I didn't enjoy this much. I enjoyed Prydain a lot more.
Maybe one that really is for children only.
Maybe one that really is for children only.
LibraryThing member antiquary
This was one of the first fantasies influenced by Tolkien and Lewis before the later flood. It involves two children, Colin and Susan, who go to stay with the farmer Gowther and his wife Bess in Cheshire near Alderley. Bess had been Susan's mother's nurse and had given her a crystal which her
Show More
mother passed on to Susan. This turns out to e the weirdstone, Firefrost, a focus of magical power, sought by the evil witch SElina (who uses real black magic rituals Garner found in old texts) and the orc-like svarts, and protected by the Gandalf-like wizard Cadellin and the good dwarves. Show Less
LibraryThing member AJBraithwaite
Another book that I was surprised I hadn't read before. I loved Garner's use of archaic forms of English and was completely freaked out by the claustrophobia-inducing description of getting through the narrow spaces of the cave (although I could have done with a diagram at times, finding some of
In places I thought it was overly reliant on Tolkein's work, but the evocation of the places around Alderley Edge made up for that in some degree. I left the novel half-finished before I went to sleep and my dreams were haunted by the landscape.
Show More
the scene difficult to picture). In places I thought it was overly reliant on Tolkein's work, but the evocation of the places around Alderley Edge made up for that in some degree. I left the novel half-finished before I went to sleep and my dreams were haunted by the landscape.
Show Less
LibraryThing member questbird
Atmospheric children's fantasy with quite scary villains and monsters. I'd read it before this year, but it was good to revisit.
Subjects
Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Adult Literature — 2013)
501 Must-Read Books (Emma Beare, 2006) (Children's Fiction)
Language
Original publication date
1960
Physical description
288 p.; 8.58 inches
ISBN
0007371101 / 9780007371105
Local notes
When Colin and Susan are pursued by eerie creatures across Alderley Edge, they are saved by the Wizard. He takes them into the caves of Fundindelve, where he watches over the enchanted sleep of one hundred and forty knights. But the heart of the magic that binds them -- Firefrost, also known as the Weirdstone of Brisingamen -- has been lost. The Wizard has been searching for the stone for more than 100 years, but the forces of evil are closing in, determined to possess and destroy its special power. Colin and Susan realise at last that they are the key to the Weirdstone's return. But how can two children defeat the Morrigan and her deadly brood?
This 50th anniversary edition is redesigned and features an author's foreword.
This 50th anniversary edition is redesigned and features an author's foreword.