Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising #1) (1965)

-

by Susan Cooper



Three siblings on summer holiday discover an ancient treasure map and race against the forces of the Dark in order to unlock its secrets.

 


This is one of those books that I’ve always known I should read and have finally gotten around to. 



I have not been disappointed.

 

"Above the Sea, Under the Earth" (Italian)


Susan Cooper masterfully evokes long, lazy vacations in a seaside getaway, where every feature of the geography seems to promise wonderful things.

 

Susan Cooper


I was reminded of my own beach vacations as a boy, my brother and I making up stories about every cave we found and longing for a real adventure. 


"Before the Tide Comes" (German)


The fantasy aspects of the story are nearly nonexistent, so some readers may feel like they are the victims of a bait and switch, but the quality of this story and the writing is so high that I did not feel cheated.

 


Many reviewers have noted that the series improves with later installments, so I know I have some great reading ahead of me.



"Over Sea, Under Stone" (Dutch)

"Over Sea, Under Stone" (Finnish)

"Over Sea, Under Stone" (Latvian)

"Over the Sea and Over the Stone" (Portuguese)

"The Chalice Under the Rock" (Romanian)

"Over Sea, Under Stone" (Serbian)

"Over Sea, Under Stone" (Swedish)

"On the Sea, Under the Deep Rock" (Vietnamese)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The End of the Affair (1951)

-
Image
by Graham Greene Maurice Bendix, a writer in WWII London, becomes  obsessed with learning the reason a married woman, Sarah Miles, broke off her love affair with him.   She never explained, and he feels there must have been another man.   When he gets his hands on her diary, he will learn how profoundly Sarah's world changed on the day a bomb struck the building they were occupying, and his own world will be shaken as well.   This is the last of Graham Greene's overtly Catholic novels, and it is fascinating.   Graham Greene Although I found Sarah's abrupt conversion unconvincing (the same problem I had when I saw the film adaptation), I was quickly won over as the consequences played out.   Religious faith can place a burden on the faithful, and Greene often describes it as if it were some form of affliction.   Many Christians say that accepting God will improve one's life here on earth, but in Greene's world, believers often endure terrible suffering and loneliness
Read more

The Thing (1982)

-
Image
Director: John Carpenter Writers: Bill Lancaster, based on "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. Stars:  Kurt Russell,  A. Wilford Brimley, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur The crew of an Antarctic research station (Kurt Russell,  A. Wilford Brimley, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites) finds itself in conflict with an alien life form that can change its shape in this classic horror film that was considered both an artistic and commercial failure at its time of release.   Once the creature’s abilities are understood, we are treated to an object lesson (more relevant now than ever) in the destructive effect of division and mistrust on efforts to deal with an existential threat.  This is John Carpenter’s best film.   In addition to building a tremendous atmosphere with a wonderful sense of setting, the constricted
Read more

The Man of Bronze (Doc Savage #1) (1933)

-
Image
by Kenneth Robeson AKA Lester Dent An attempt on the life of Doc Savage--genius, crime fighter,  supreme physical specimen--takes him and his crew of loyal specialists to South America, where they will uncover the secret that Doc's father has left in the care of the people of a lost civilization.   All criticisms of this book concerning clunky prose and mechanical construction are entirely beside the point.   No one should read a pulp adventure novel expecting anything more than a quick, fun read--and Lester Dent (writing as Kenneth Robeson) delivers one.   Lester Dent Pulp authors worked fast and trod a well-worn path traveled by hundreds of other writers telling thousands of similar stories.  However, only a small percentage is remembered today, and Dent surely deserves to be included among their number.   "The Man of Bronze" (French) "The Golden Pyramid" (Italian)
Read more