The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen: Alan Garner

[poliphilo]

I began my reading of Alan Garner with Elidor (I think I read it aloud to my kids) and carried on from there in chronological order. Somehow I never bothered to go back to the first two books- and I doubt if I'd ever have bothered if Boneland (out this August) hadn't been announced as the long-delayed third part of the trilogy. I'm reading The Weirdstone now and- coming to it straight from a re-reading of The Stone Book Quartet-  I'm taken aback by the flabbiness of the prose, the absence of characterization, the stiltedness of the dialogue.  Two middle-class children come to Cheshire to lodge with a couple of salt of the earth peasanty types who say "sithee"; it could almost be Enid Blyton...

Garner himself went through a phase of hating the book. In his first revulsion he called it "one of the worst books published in the past 20 years." Now he's mellowed. Books don't last for half a century if they're unmitigated rubbish. In a recent interview he calls it "a young man's book" and praises its "energy". 

I still don't altogether understand the affection in which it's held. It's the work of writer who is still learning his craft and hasn't- to be honest- got very far with it. Great things were to follow, but when Garner's name comes up it's not Red Shift that gets mentioned first, or Thursbitch, it's the bloody Weirdstone- even though they are masterpieces and Weirdstone is a codge.

No, it's beyond me. I'm missing something, but what? 

Comments

[glitzfrau.livejournal.com]

I read it as a child and loved it, but then, I haven't read the Stone Book or Red Shift or Thursbitch (why not?). I think what I loved most was, firstly, the glorious dark creepiness and terror of the dark Edge and winding holes and the Morrigan. Secondly, Susan is the heroine, not Colin, and Colin is very, very fallible. Enid Blyton children don't make the terrible mistakes that these two do.

But you have lengthened my reading list! Hooray! Thank you.

[sambeth.livejournal.com]

Don't know. I read this to Lenny last year, because it's such a famous classic and all, and all he can remember of it now is the hours and hours they spent wandering around caves, and the implausible rustics. It's a shame, because I loved Elidor, and I wish I'd read that to him now.

[jfs.livejournal.com]

You're missing the patina of nostalgia that reading it in childhood would have laid over it.

Weirdstone Is the reason I'll never take up pot holing as a hobby.

[sovay]

Great things were to follow, but when Garner's name comes up it's not Red Shift that gets mentioned first, or Thursbitch, it's the bloody Weirdstone- even though they are masterpieces and Weirdstone is a codge.

It will be interesting to see what Boneland is like.

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

The Dear Departed loved the Alderley Edge books, because he was brought up there, and he remembered people who said "sithee".
He loathed Red Shift. I think that it's rather fine.
I don't think that there is any resemblance to Blyton - the geography is too correct, and the children are much more real - but Elidor and Weirdstone are certainly child-orientated. Also, Blyton, although she published anthologies of Greek and Roman tales, didn't make nearly so much use of traditional mythology, which is what I find appealing about them

[petercampbell.livejournal.com]

For most people Wiredstone was their first Garner book, and it holds a special place in their affection for that reason alone. But his later work is undeniably superior. How did Red Shift ever get marketed as a childrens book?

[methodius.livejournal.com]

Enid Blyton? Enid Blyton!

I thought Garner was all downhill from Elidor.