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Over Sea, Under Stone
(The Dark Is Rising #1)
by
On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that -- the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their very lives in peril. This is th
...more
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Paperback, 196 pages
Published
May 25th 2004
by Aladdin Paperbacks
(first published 1965)
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Start your review of Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising, #1)
Sep 12, 2016
mark monday
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
inbetweenworld,
legendarium
a slight but winning intro into a phenomenal series. this opening book follows the Drew children on summer holiday in Cornwall as they hurtle breathlessly from place to place, ancient map in hand and Arthurian treasure awaiting them as they skillfully avoid the forces of evil.
this is probably my 3rd or 4th time reading this book, and this particular time found me more amused than impatient. once upon a time, a long time ago, I started this series by reading The Dark Is Rising - and Over Sea, Ove ...more
this is probably my 3rd or 4th time reading this book, and this particular time found me more amused than impatient. once upon a time, a long time ago, I started this series by reading The Dark Is Rising - and Over Sea, Ove ...more
Jul 02, 2010
karen
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kiddiwinx,
thanks-for-prezzies
how great is ariel?? ariel is exactly this great:
i had never read this series, but had always wanted to. so ariel straight up mailed it to me! like santa! in june!
ariel, i have also always wanted a choker made of rubies and emeralds and sweet sweet diamonds.
while i am waiting for that,i will write a review for this book. obviously, there are going to be comparisons to that narnia series - british siblings shuttled off to a spooky house with secret passageways behind a wardrobe with an eccentric ...more
i had never read this series, but had always wanted to. so ariel straight up mailed it to me! like santa! in june!
ariel, i have also always wanted a choker made of rubies and emeralds and sweet sweet diamonds.
while i am waiting for that,i will write a review for this book. obviously, there are going to be comparisons to that narnia series - british siblings shuttled off to a spooky house with secret passageways behind a wardrobe with an eccentric ...more
Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising #1), Susan Cooper
Over Sea, Under Stone is a contemporary fantasy novel written for children by the British author Susan Cooper, first published in London by Jonathan Cape in 1965. Cooper wrote four sequels about ten years later, making it the first volume in a series usually called The Dark is Rising (1965 to 1977).
Over Sea, Under Stone features the Drew children, Simon, Jane and Barney, on holiday with their parents and Merriman Lyon, an old family frie ...more
Over Sea, Under Stone is a contemporary fantasy novel written for children by the British author Susan Cooper, first published in London by Jonathan Cape in 1965. Cooper wrote four sequels about ten years later, making it the first volume in a series usually called The Dark is Rising (1965 to 1977).
Over Sea, Under Stone features the Drew children, Simon, Jane and Barney, on holiday with their parents and Merriman Lyon, an old family frie ...more
May 09, 2016
Ashley Marie
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Ashley Marie by:
Meg Hopp
Shelves:
fantasy-misc,
favorites
4.5 stars
I have to admit I wasn't expecting a lot from this book -- I thought it would be much more geared toward the middle-grade crowd and probably fall in with the books I would've loved as a kid but if I read them now I'd be bored. But! I was happily surprised (and by surprised I mean snagged hook line and SINKER by this brilliance).
It starts out feeling very Narnia-esque;a family siblings go to stay with an eccentric uncle professor and then the kids discover a passage behind the wardrobe.
...more
I have to admit I wasn't expecting a lot from this book -- I thought it would be much more geared toward the middle-grade crowd and probably fall in with the books I would've loved as a kid but if I read them now I'd be bored. But! I was happily surprised (and by surprised I mean snagged hook line and SINKER by this brilliance).
It starts out feeling very Narnia-esque;
The first book of my all-time favorite children's fantasy series. Yes Harry Potter is amazing, The Chronicles of Prydain is exceptional, Redwall is pretty fantastic. But for my money, Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series ranks as my #1 favorite. It has everything - an Arthurian theme, witches, the Holy Grail, Celtic Mythology, fun characters, and the writing is just superb. It's no wonder these books garnered a ton of awards because it really does stand out like a shimmering diamond in the c
...more
In these incredibly anxiety-plagued final days leading up to USA’s Election Day, I decided to go for what I was hoping would be a comforting read, and this sort of obliged. It’s sweetly written, with likable, resourceful children doing their best to solve puzzles and evade bad guys. Unexpectedly, it featured a few dated, discomfitingly racist tropes, and its pace sputtered a bit more than I would have wanted. I’ve heard that the later books in this classic children’s fantasy series are much more
...more
Over Sea, Under Stone reminds me of that endless string of ’80s and ’90s movies featuring plucky groups of child protagonists outwitting bumbling adult villains. You know the ones I mean—The Goonies is probably the most famous example, but there are others. Children get into real danger and use a combination of courage and clever planning to defeat the bad guys and save the day. In this case, Simon, Jane, and Barney work together to decipher a medieval treasure map that could lead to the Grail o
...more
A Nancy Drew-esque adventure in which some kids with the last name Drew attempt to find the Holy Grail.
"Another book on the Arthur legend?" I groaned before commencing a hearty dismissive snore. I guess I didn't read the description close enough on Goodreads or on the back of the book. I knew it was YA, but expected magic. Even sampling of it. This was not the fantasy novel I was looking for.
These days reading about three English kids romping around the Cornwall seaside in search of King Arthur ...more
"Another book on the Arthur legend?" I groaned before commencing a hearty dismissive snore. I guess I didn't read the description close enough on Goodreads or on the back of the book. I knew it was YA, but expected magic. Even sampling of it. This was not the fantasy novel I was looking for.
These days reading about three English kids romping around the Cornwall seaside in search of King Arthur ...more
It’s time for a The Dark is Rising sequence readathon again! If you wish to join, you can do so via this blog. It’s the perfect time of year to reread the books, at least the second one in particular, with the winter solstice coming up. I always try and read them around this time of year!
With that said, here goes my millionth (ish) review of Over Sea, Under Stone. I’ve noted before that it’s basically an Enid Blyton adventure/mystery story, with Arthurian trappings. This time through, I noticed ...more
With that said, here goes my millionth (ish) review of Over Sea, Under Stone. I’ve noted before that it’s basically an Enid Blyton adventure/mystery story, with Arthurian trappings. This time through, I noticed ...more
Very few people [who know me at all:] are unaware that The Dark Is Rising is possibly my favourite series of books in the history of ever. Still, I haven't done a series of proper reviews for them, which is a horrible shame, and I'm going to do that this time through.
This is probably the fifteenth time I've read Over Sea, Under Stone, give or take a few times. Someone I knew recommended skipping it, since it's the most childish book in the series -- written, if I recall correctly, well before th ...more
This is probably the fifteenth time I've read Over Sea, Under Stone, give or take a few times. Someone I knew recommended skipping it, since it's the most childish book in the series -- written, if I recall correctly, well before th ...more
I am on a serious childhood nostalgia bender over here. Let that be a warning to you.
This series came back to me like a bolt from the blue on a perfectly normal day last week, and I suddenly had to read it right now. But, fantastic, no problem, I thought. When I originally read these books -- and read them, and read them, and read them -- it was on cassette. The good old National Library Service for the Blind cassettes in their snap plastic cases. And the NLS has been busily digitizing the colle ...more
This series came back to me like a bolt from the blue on a perfectly normal day last week, and I suddenly had to read it right now. But, fantastic, no problem, I thought. When I originally read these books -- and read them, and read them, and read them -- it was on cassette. The good old National Library Service for the Blind cassettes in their snap plastic cases. And the NLS has been busily digitizing the colle ...more
What can I say. It's winter; we're snowed in; temperatures will be plummeting. Time to reread, even if it means returning to a children's series that I only discovered as an adult. This is the first of the Dark is Rising series, and although I've read the Dark is Rising, the second book in the series, more than once, I thought this time I'd indulge myself and start at the beginning and read them through. They are quest stories, rich in Arthurian lore with bits of magic with history and artifacts
...more
I wanted to like this but couldn't sink my teeth into the plot or characters. Jane, Simon, and Barney, go with their parents to Cornwall to visit their Uncle Merry. The three explore the old grey house and discover an ancient map that puts them on the quest for the Holy Grail. The forces of Dark want the map too for its unlimited power and with the help of Uncle Merry it is a mad race to see who can find it first. The threesome are not sure who is good or bad and their innocent trust oftentimes
...more
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 it. I have not been disappointed. Susan Cooper masterfully evokes long, lazy vacations in a seaside getaway, where every feature of the geography seems to promise wonderful things. I was reminded of my own beach vacations as a boy, my brother and I making up storie ...more
This is one of those books that I’ve always known I should read and have finally gotten around to it. I have not been disappointed. Susan Cooper masterfully evokes long, lazy vacations in a seaside getaway, where every feature of the geography seems to promise wonderful things. I was reminded of my own beach vacations as a boy, my brother and I making up storie ...more
This book was bad... Really bad. I think maybe if I had read this as a young child it wouldn't have bothered me, but reading this as an adult it wasn't a good read....
I picked this book up as a recent Magical Space Pussycats read and I had hoped to enjoy reading a kid's fiction for once. Unfortunately this story really suffered from prejudices and poor writing so I found myself getting more and more frustrated page by page.
In this story we not only see three young British Middle-class children m ...more
I picked this book up as a recent Magical Space Pussycats read and I had hoped to enjoy reading a kid's fiction for once. Unfortunately this story really suffered from prejudices and poor writing so I found myself getting more and more frustrated page by page.
In this story we not only see three young British Middle-class children m ...more
Apr 08, 2017
Mathew
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
52books2017,
kidnapping,
class,
folk-lore,
disguised-identity,
map,
intertextuality,
key-stage-2,
mystery,
outdoor-play
It was an absolute treat to revisit this book and begin again on the Dark is Rising journey. There is much to like about Cooper's writing, her characters and sense of place are strong but deep within the veins of the words is this sense of a connection with our history and heritage. I'm a suckler for anything with monoliths and megaliths in and this was is full to the brim. Not only that but much like The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, there is this search and connection with an ancient past that I
...more
This is the first book of Susan Cooper’s Dark is Rising cycle. The Dark is Rising is actually the second book in the series, and much like another famous English fantasy series **coughNarniacough**, the second book is the better one; though in that case you get in to written chronology versus story chronology, and the conversation becomes complicated. I hadn’t read this first one since my early teens. And while it is good, I can’t wait to get the next one in the series. I also noticed many simil
...more
Jan 29, 2020
Paul E. Morph
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-read-in-2020
I first read this series when I was about ten or eleven and coming back to them now, some thirty-and-change years later, has been an absolute joy. These were the books that first got me hooked on the Arthurian myth and sparked my interest in British folklore.
If you’re a fan of fantasy and/or great children’s books, you really MUST try this series! Oh, and if you had the misfortune to see the abysmal movie adaptation a few years back PLEASE don’t let that travesty put you off reading the original ...more
If you’re a fan of fantasy and/or great children’s books, you really MUST try this series! Oh, and if you had the misfortune to see the abysmal movie adaptation a few years back PLEASE don’t let that travesty put you off reading the original ...more
Ultimately this is another one of those, "I'm now probably too old and will never experience the nostalgia that other people experience while re-reading this."
However, Susan Cooper's writing is pleasant and the story offers an exciting adventure, so I'm interested to read the next book.
It is (of course) aimed at a young audience, and I wish someone had given this to me when I was a child, I definitely would have loved the adventure. ...more
However, Susan Cooper's writing is pleasant and the story offers an exciting adventure, so I'm interested to read the next book.
It is (of course) aimed at a young audience, and I wish someone had given this to me when I was a child, I definitely would have loved the adventure. ...more
Feb 02, 2019
Nicky
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-and-ya,
fantasy
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
At one point, I read The Dark is Rising trilogy at Christmas every year, lining up the timeline of The Dark is Rising itself with the season, as the most obviously timed event in the books. I still maintain that it’s a good series: Cooper did some clever things with mythology and history. I recently read an article by Michael D.C. Drout, ‘Reading the Signs of the Light’, which made that very clear (though that essay is more focused on the second book of the series ...more
At one point, I read The Dark is Rising trilogy at Christmas every year, lining up the timeline of The Dark is Rising itself with the season, as the most obviously timed event in the books. I still maintain that it’s a good series: Cooper did some clever things with mythology and history. I recently read an article by Michael D.C. Drout, ‘Reading the Signs of the Light’, which made that very clear (though that essay is more focused on the second book of the series ...more
I've been wanting to read this series for many years and the book is a perfect escape from stressful uni study! I really enjoyed the brisk, engaging writing that vividly described this lovely part of England and I wanted more than anything to follow Barney, Jane and Simon as they moved from harbour to rocky outcrops to little bays and beaches in search of the Grail.
It helps if you're familiar with the Arthurian legend, but really anyone can enjoy this timeless adventure story and - let's face it ...more
It helps if you're familiar with the Arthurian legend, but really anyone can enjoy this timeless adventure story and - let's face it ...more
This book is the first of a series. It has a weird family resemblance to the Chronicles of Narnia: some children explore a mysterious old house while on holiday by the Cornish seaside. There is even a wardrobe, albeit not one that functions as a conduit to a magical world. The book seems to start off somewhat slowly but builds up to a very tense climax near the end, as Simon, Jane and Barnabas Drew grapple with the powers of evil aided by Great-Uncle Merry and a lovable dog named Rufus.
I really enjoyed this story. I know that it is aimed a young reading group, but it was exciting and fun. There was enough mystery and danger to keep me wanting to listen. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see what is next in store for the Drew children and their Great Uncle Merry.
2.0 to 2.5 stars. A well written, original fantasy story. While written for a younger audience, it is in no ways condescending to them. First in the "Dark is Rising " sequence, this book introduces readers to the ages old battle between the Light and the Dark. Not a bad read.
...more
I read the shit out of this series when I was a kid. I still have the above original copy I read as a kid. I haven't re-read them in years but they still stand out as some of, perhaps THE, best series of "fantastic" novels for children.
Revel in children's literature before the age of film adaptations, farting cartoon rabbits, and social messages being fuck-squared into the trapezoid of literary mediocrity!
Three English kids go on holiday to Trewissick in Cornwall (a fictional version of Mevagiss ...more
Revel in children's literature before the age of film adaptations, farting cartoon rabbits, and social messages being fuck-squared into the trapezoid of literary mediocrity!
Three English kids go on holiday to Trewissick in Cornwall (a fictional version of Mevagiss ...more
I had read book 2 in this series and enjoyed it, so I thought I'd go back and start the series from the beginning. Funnily enough though, this story has nothing to do with the second one, as far as I can recall (having read the second one some time back). It was good in its own right though.
I liked it right from the beginning in that the three children are not introduced in a simplistic fashion as in many children's books. We are just launched into the adventure. In fact you never really find o ...more
I liked it right from the beginning in that the three children are not introduced in a simplistic fashion as in many children's books. We are just launched into the adventure. In fact you never really find o ...more
Jan 03, 2021
Elizabeth
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade,
genre-fantasy
Over Sea, Under Stone felt like a prologue. Even the sequence of titles suggests this, as The Dark is Rising is actually the second book.
Anyways, this book follows Simon, Jane, and Barney as they go onvacation “holiday” in Cornwall with their parents and Great-Uncle Merriman Lyon. The kids do some exploring in their vacation house and stumble upon a centuries-old map that supposedly leads to the Holy Grail.
Over Sea, Under Stone starts out reminiscent of the Narnia Chronicles—some British siblin ...more
Anyways, this book follows Simon, Jane, and Barney as they go on
Over Sea, Under Stone starts out reminiscent of the Narnia Chronicles—some British siblin ...more
Apr 05, 2010
David
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
arthurian,
childrens,
england,
fantasy-contemporary,
signed-by-author,
female-author,
reread,
owned
It's been many, many years since I first read this series. It was one of my favorites as a child, so I just recently bought the boxed set to work my way through it again.
Over Sea, Under Stone is, if I recall correctly, not really part of the main series, being more of an introduction to the war between Light and Dark, with few of the characters appearing in the later books, except of course for Merriman Lyon. I remember even as a kid thinking that this was the least interesting book in the serie ...more
Over Sea, Under Stone is, if I recall correctly, not really part of the main series, being more of an introduction to the war between Light and Dark, with few of the characters appearing in the later books, except of course for Merriman Lyon. I remember even as a kid thinking that this was the least interesting book in the serie ...more
It'll surprise no one who knows me that I'm rereading this set of books at this time of year: Over Sea, Under Stone is more of a summer book, I suppose, but the one most rooted in a particular time of year is The Dark is Rising, the second book, in winter. (The runner-up would be The Grey King, set in the autumn around Samhain.) So I imagine that a few more reviews of these books will be added to my total before the end of the year...
I read Over Sea, Under Stone in one go, this time. There are s ...more
I read Over Sea, Under Stone in one go, this time. There are s ...more
My 8 year old son would have given this book a higher rating I am sure. I think he must be more patient than I am. But I had trouble making it through this book for some reason. From the too-drawn-out events that happened in the story, to the maddening way the children had of foolishly doing the exact wrong thing time and again, to the author's attempt to utterly drown the readers in adverbs...I was ready for this book to be over when we were barely halfway through. That being said, it wasn't a
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeking Tumnus podcast review of Over Sea, Under Stone | 1 | 6 | Sep 13, 2017 04:03PM | |
| Silver Stag Book ...: Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper | 2 | 16 | Jan 03, 2014 08:24PM |
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Susan Cooper's latest book is the YA novel "Ghost Hawk" (2013)
Susan Cooper was born in 1935, and grew up in England's Buckinghamshire, an area that was green countryside then but has since become part of Greater London. As a child, she loved to read, as did her younger brother, who also became a writer. After attending Oxford, where she became the first woman to ever edit that university's newspap ...more
Susan Cooper was born in 1935, and grew up in England's Buckinghamshire, an area that was green countryside then but has since become part of Greater London. As a child, she loved to read, as did her younger brother, who also became a writer. After attending Oxford, where she became the first woman to ever edit that university's newspap ...more
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The Dark Is Rising
(5 books)
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“Once upon a time... a long time ago... things that happened once perhaps but have been talked about for so long that nobody really knows. And underneath all the bits that people have added the magic swords and lamps they're all about one thing - the good hero fighting the giant or the witch or the wicked uncle. Good against bad. Good against evil.”
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“You remember the fairy tales you were told when you were very small - 'once upon a time...' Why do you think they always began like that?"
"Because they weren't true," Simon said promptly.
Jane said, caught up in the unreality of the high remote place, "Because perhaps they were true once, but nobody could remember them.”
—
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"Because they weren't true," Simon said promptly.
Jane said, caught up in the unreality of the high remote place, "Because perhaps they were true once, but nobody could remember them.”
