The Weirdstone of Brisingamen: A Tale of Alderley
by Alan Garner
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
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New York, New York, United States
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About This Item
GARNER, Alan. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen. A Tale of Alderley. London: Collins, 1960. 8vo, 224pp. Blue cloth with spine stamped in silver. Differing map endpapers. Spine ends and corners lightly rubbed, else a clean, tight copy in original color pictorial dust jacket (light wear – chipping, creasing, small closed tears -- around edges and folds).
First edition. Deep in a cave, a wizard watches over the enchanted sleep of one hundred and forty knights who are to be awakened to fight a great evil. The problem is, he's lost the stone he needs to awaken them. When he saves the lives of two young children from the eerie creatures that chase them, he enlists them to find the Weirdstone of Brisingamen so that the forces of evil can be kept at bay. But will Colin and Susan be able to find the stone and bring it back before it's too late? The first book by this celebrated Carnegie Medalist.
Synopsis
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen is a children's fantasy novel by English author Alan Garner, first published in 1960. The novel is set in and around Macclesfield and Alderley Edge in Cheshire, and tells the story of two children, Colin and Susan, who are staying with some old friends of their mother's while their parents are overseas. Susan possesses a small tear-shaped jewel held in a bracelet: unknown to her, this is the Weirdstone of the title.
Reviews
Long before J.K. Rowling imagined a schoolboy wizard, Alan Garner delivered a classic novel that still stands head and shoulders above the recent spate of juvenile fantasies.
When siblings 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, deep below the Edge, where he watches over the enchanted sleep of one hundred and forty knights. But the heart of the magic that binds them — Firefrost, the titular Weirdstone of Brisingamen, has been lost. Colin and Susan discover they are the key to the Weirdstone’s
return. But how can two children defeat the Morrigan and her deadly brood?
Alan Garner’s first novel still retains its magic, fifty years after its publication. It scores over most fantasies by setting the adventure in a very real environment, and adapting real folklore and myth to enrich the fantastical narrative. Those familiar with Alderley Edge will no doubt realise the potency of the landscape and the magic that surrounds it. Weirdstone captures this magical fusion and weaves it seamlessly throughout the story. Beautifully paced, innocently told and yet with shadowy recesses, this is a true classic.
Most welcome, then, is The Weirdstone of Brisingamen reissue in a special Fiftieth Anniversary hardback. Attractively bound, it has a new introduction by Garner giving background to the history and inspirations behind the novel. Although some may argue that the story is a little dated for today’s readers, this does nothing to diminish the storytelling and magic.
Arguably the best children’s fantasy ever written, and with the wealth of folklore within, it is required reading for adult fantasy readers too.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Books of Wonder (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 1049169
- Title
- The Weirdstone of Brisingamen
- Author
- Alan Garner
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Collins
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1960
- Size
- 8vo
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
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Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Chipping
- A defect in which small pieces are missing from the edges; fraying or small pieces of paper missing the edge of a paperback, or...