Book Review

[kenjari]

The Dark Is Rising sequence
Over Sea, Under Stone
The Dark Is Rising
Greenwitch
The Grey King
Silver on the Tree

by Susan Cooper

This series of books is fantastic. It's a bit towards the younger side of YA, although the first book is more so than the rest. In fact, Over Sea, Under Stone is almost more of a prologue to the rest of the series, at least in tone and plot. My only real criticism is that the Dark don't seem quite menacing or truly dangerous enough - they often behave a lot like ultra-sinister bullies and it's made very clear that they can't do real harm to any of the major characters, thus making the stakes seem rather low or at least pretty abstract. However, this is younger YA, so not only is this more appropriate to the intended audience, it probably doesn't read the same way to them.
On to the stuff I loved:
The use of British/Celtic myth and legend was brilliant. There's a lot there: Arthur, Lyonnesse, the Wild Hunt, etc. Cooper worked it in quite seamlessly, and often without spelling it all out, so that the readers could work it out for themselves.
I was happy about the use of Wales as a setting for the last two books. Wales is one of my favorite places, and the books did a great job of evoking northern Wales for me.
I loved the way Cooper addressed the Light's all too frequent lack of consideration for the feelings and psychological comfort of ordinary people. I found myself getting annoyed with this aspect of the novels, but then in the last two books, this point is discussed. I was impressed that Will and Merriman did not simply indulge in easy "the ends justify the means" or "but it's for the greater good" explanations. Instead, they acknowledge that this lack of consideration was a price to be paid for serving the Light, a price often difficult to come to terms with. Cooper understands that just because a story deals with the struggle between sides of unequivocal Good and Evil doesn't mean that there is no complexity.
The Dark Is Rising follows a pretty common fantasy trope of a young person finding out that they are some sort of Chosen One or have an unusual and heroic destiny. It also includes familiar elements like the mysterious older advisor/mentor, quests for items of power, and a visit to a magical quasi-utopian land. Yet none of this comes off as cliched or trite. The familiarity is of a comfortable sort, like revisiting a favorite place.

Comments

[cerridwynn.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so glad you liked these! They are my favorite YA series -- I re-read them about once a year. I will be forever grateful to the elementary school librarian who first showed them to me.

[apintrix.livejournal.com]

I don't think of "The Dark Is Rising" (book) as about Will Stanton, really. He's just the narrative frame on which to hang the *really* interesting story of the Walker. (Kind of like Gatsby is about Gatsby, not the narrator.)