The Weirdstone of Brisingamen
by Garner, Alan
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- VeryGood unmarked, light wear to extremities, bright spine titling.
- Seller
-
Nevada City, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Collins Clear-Type Press, 1960. No edition stated, assumed 1st printing.. Hardcover in blue cloth boards with silver titling on spine, no jacket.. VeryGood unmarked, light wear to extremities, bright spine titling.. The author*s first book, original British edition. Solid clean tight copy with traces of external wear, perfect inside.
5-3/4 x 8-1/2, 224 pp, endpaper maps.
5-3/4 x 8-1/2, 224 pp, endpaper maps.
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
On Oct 5 2014, a reader said:
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
- edburynbooks (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 18945
- Title
- The Weirdstone of Brisingamen
- Author
- Garner, Alan
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover in blue cloth boards with silver titling on spine, no jacket.
- Book Condition
- Used - VeryGood unmarked, light wear to extremities, bright spine titling.
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- No edition stated, assumed 1st printing.
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Collins Clear-Type Press
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1960
- Keywords
- Fiction, Poetry, Literature, Criticism
Terms of Sale
edburynbooks
Books are returnable for full refund but the buyer pays the return postage. If the book was as described by the seller, no original postage charge will be refunded.
About the Seller
edburynbooks
Biblio member since 2007
Nevada City, California
About edburynbooks
I sell from my home, where I have about 25,000 books shelved or stored. I am also an author, poet, photographer, taroist, publisher, collector. Selling books online for almost 15 years, including my own titles and rare books from my collection.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- 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....
- 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...