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My Brother Michael
ONLY A MOMENT BEFORE
Camilla Haven is on holiday alone, and wishes for some excitement. She had been sitting quietly in a crowded Athens cafe writing to her friend Elizabeth in England, "Nothing ever happens to me..."
Then, without warning, a stranger approached, thrust a set of car keys at her and pointed to a huge black touring car parked at the curb. "The car for Delphi, mademoiselle... A matter of life and death," he whispered and disappeared.
From that moment Camilla's life suddenly begins to take off when she sets out on a mysterious car journey to Delphi in the company of a charming but quietly determined Englishman named Simon Lester. Simon told Camilla he had come to the ancient Greek ruins to "appease the shade” of his brother Michael, killed some fourteen years earlier on Parnassus. From a curious letter Michael had written, Simon believed his brother had stumbled upon something of great importance hidden in the craggy reaches of the mountainside. And then Simon and Camilla learned that they were not alone in their search...
The ride was Camilla's first mistake... or perhaps she had unintentionally invoked the gods. She finds herself in the midst of an exciting, intriguing, yet dangerous adventure. An extraordinary train of events turned on a nightmare of intrigue and terror beyond her wildest daydreams.
Camilla Haven is on holiday alone, and wishes for some excitement. She had been sitting quietly in a crowded Athens cafe writing to her friend Elizabeth in England, "Nothing ever happens to me..."
Then, without warning, a stranger approached, thrust a set of car keys at her and pointed to a huge black touring car parked at the curb. "The car for Delphi, mademoiselle... A matter of life and death," he whispered and disappeared.
From that moment Camilla's life suddenly begins to take off when she sets out on a mysterious car journey to Delphi in the company of a charming but quietly determined Englishman named Simon Lester. Simon told Camilla he had come to the ancient Greek ruins to "appease the shade” of his brother Michael, killed some fourteen years earlier on Parnassus. From a curious letter Michael had written, Simon believed his brother had stumbled upon something of great importance hidden in the craggy reaches of the mountainside. And then Simon and Camilla learned that they were not alone in their search...
The ride was Camilla's first mistake... or perhaps she had unintentionally invoked the gods. She finds herself in the midst of an exciting, intriguing, yet dangerous adventure. An extraordinary train of events turned on a nightmare of intrigue and terror beyond her wildest daydreams.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
284 people are currently reading
2368 people want to read
About the author
Mary Stewart
92 books2,841 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.
She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Her unofficial fan site can be found at http://marystewartnovels.blogspot.com/.
Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.
She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Her unofficial fan site can be found at http://marystewartnovels.blogspot.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews
June 24, 2020
3.66 stars. I've read this four times over the years, and it grows on me a little more every time.
"Nothing ever happens to me," writes Camilla Haven to her friend from an Athens restaurant in a bout of lonely self-pity, so of course you know that she'll be proven wrong in very short order. "Beware of what you wish for, for you are liable to get it" might as well be the second line in the book.
Camilla is traveling through Greece, wishing to tour the historic area of Delphi but a little short on cash. So when a stranger comes up to her in the restaurant and hands her the keys to a car parked outside, saying "You wanted a car for Delphi, non?" and adding that it was a matter of life and death for "Monsieur Simon" before conveniently disappearing, it seems like fate is taking a hand in Camilla's life. So off she goes, to deliver the car to Simon and see Delphi. She does both -- but events take a far stranger turn than she could have ever imagined.
The ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi
So begins a three-day whirlwind of mistaken identities and resolving a 14 year old mystery, complete with a handsome and mysterious stranger, a struggling artist, a French trollop, long-lost historic treasures, a truly staggering number of cigarettes (this was written in the late 1950s so you just have to think of them as part of the atmosphere...), evil and revenge, in the backcountry part of Greece, with quotes from ancient Greek plays at the start of each chapter adding a foreboding, epic feel to the story.
This book is heavier on the murder and mayhem than a typical Mary Stewart romantic suspense novel, and the romance part here is very subtle, more hinted at than actually experienced. The plot was a bit confusing to me the first time or two I read it. Others may disagree, but I don't consider this one of Mary Stewart's best novels. Still, even an average Mary Stewart book is worth reading. She creates a wonderful sense of atmosphere through her detailed descriptions of exotic places, in a time now past.
"Nothing ever happens to me," writes Camilla Haven to her friend from an Athens restaurant in a bout of lonely self-pity, so of course you know that she'll be proven wrong in very short order. "Beware of what you wish for, for you are liable to get it" might as well be the second line in the book.
Camilla is traveling through Greece, wishing to tour the historic area of Delphi but a little short on cash. So when a stranger comes up to her in the restaurant and hands her the keys to a car parked outside, saying "You wanted a car for Delphi, non?" and adding that it was a matter of life and death for "Monsieur Simon" before conveniently disappearing, it seems like fate is taking a hand in Camilla's life. So off she goes, to deliver the car to Simon and see Delphi. She does both -- but events take a far stranger turn than she could have ever imagined.
The ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi
So begins a three-day whirlwind of mistaken identities and resolving a 14 year old mystery, complete with a handsome and mysterious stranger, a struggling artist, a French trollop, long-lost historic treasures, a truly staggering number of cigarettes (this was written in the late 1950s so you just have to think of them as part of the atmosphere...), evil and revenge, in the backcountry part of Greece, with quotes from ancient Greek plays at the start of each chapter adding a foreboding, epic feel to the story.
This book is heavier on the murder and mayhem than a typical Mary Stewart romantic suspense novel, and the romance part here is very subtle, more hinted at than actually experienced. The plot was a bit confusing to me the first time or two I read it. Others may disagree, but I don't consider this one of Mary Stewart's best novels. Still, even an average Mary Stewart book is worth reading. She creates a wonderful sense of atmosphere through her detailed descriptions of exotic places, in a time now past.
January 2, 2020
the ruins of Delphi are a melancholy tribute to past glories, and to past atrocities. the Englishman's brother Michael is likewise dead and gone but not forgotten; the mystery of his death lingers on, a lure for the curious and mournful, bait for the greedy and murderous. Greece is a hot and dusty place, stark and beautiful, a place to get lost and found in. passionate Greece, inspiring Greeks and English alike. the English woman is moving past her own past in this heated place, finding adventure and danger and of course love. Mary Stewart writes a tale that is both sprightly and foreboding, brisk and brooding, steeped in Grecian culture both modern and archaic. her artistry is as strong as ever: she paints a picture of a place that is easily felt, smelt, heard, tasted, seen. Seen and Unseen both hold court in this novel; some come to their court for guidance and a way forward, some to bury the past and honor it, and others to unbury that past, and its treasures. the book is a tense affair, much like its nervous heroine. the sun burns on, despite the darkness: the reader can feel its heat and see its glare, as the characters in this parched landscape feel their own blood turn hot, see their secret selves suddenly exposed to blazing light of day.
October 22, 2016
The absolute joy of Mary Stewart is her ability to take you right out of this world and place you securely in her own. My Brother Michael is one of my favorite mystery/romances, with a stirring plot that moves rapidly and keeps you guessing to the end.
"Nothing ever happens to me" laments Camilla and right away we know the adventure is about to begin. Mary Stewart transformed the fainting heroine into a plucky girl regularly in her novels, but I especially love the way she takes this girl who is feeling less than confident at the outset and allows her to exhibit a very believable courage in a very scary situation.
I have set myself a goal of revisiting all of Mary Stewart's novels and this year I have done a number of them and enjoyed them all. So far, though, My Brother Michael has been my favorite of the mystery/romance genre.
"Nothing ever happens to me" laments Camilla and right away we know the adventure is about to begin. Mary Stewart transformed the fainting heroine into a plucky girl regularly in her novels, but I especially love the way she takes this girl who is feeling less than confident at the outset and allows her to exhibit a very believable courage in a very scary situation.
I have set myself a goal of revisiting all of Mary Stewart's novels and this year I have done a number of them and enjoyed them all. So far, though, My Brother Michael has been my favorite of the mystery/romance genre.
July 29, 2016
Update:
Better reading experience this time around, due to the fact that I had my own new Chicago Press edition and didn't have to rely on the library's old, musty, tattered copy. No hazmat suits needed, and this copy smells as a book should :D
Oh and yeah, the story is another hit outta the park by Stewart.
Original Review:
Mary Stewart’s, My Brother Michael, was a singularly interesting reading experience for me, to say the least.
I received the old, tattered copy from my library sporting a particularly garish aqua and yellow library bound graphic cover and consisting of browned, wavy pages (looking like the book had been dropped into a vat of coffee) and emitting a distinctive….musty....odor. Dog-earned and ripped pages, and the doodles of (surely) a five year old child also graced Dame Stewart’s novel of suspense featuring lovely Camilla Haven and Simon Lester as they search the ruins of Delphi to learn what happened to Simon’s brother, Michael, 12 years previously.
I tell you all this in advance in an attempt to make you understand the complete allure of Stewart’s wonderful writing talent in the face of so many reader obstacles. Despite the cringe-worthy factor of holding this book without the protection of rubber gloves and a face mask, My Brother Michael kept me enthralled from the first coffee-stained page ( oh, please let it be coffee ), to the last tattered page.
As a special unexpected bonus, I read Stewart’s beautiful Chapter 7 (in which Camilla and Simon tour the ruins of the temple of Delphi by moonlight) under the faux-moonlight of a street light in a Church parking lot while awaiting my daughter to leave a school function. And how utterly cool to sit in my dimly illuminated car and imagine a hero so suave, so educated, so utterly Stewart-ish that he could stand among the moonlit ruins of a Grecian amphitheater and recite a stanza of Sophocles’ Electra (in Greek, no less!) and then in English with a swoon-worthy Brit-accent. Only a Stewart hero could get away with THAT! Be still, my romantic-suspense heart….
Better reading experience this time around, due to the fact that I had my own new Chicago Press edition and didn't have to rely on the library's old, musty, tattered copy. No hazmat suits needed, and this copy smells as a book should :D
Oh and yeah, the story is another hit outta the park by Stewart.
Original Review:
Mary Stewart’s, My Brother Michael, was a singularly interesting reading experience for me, to say the least.
I received the old, tattered copy from my library sporting a particularly garish aqua and yellow library bound graphic cover and consisting of browned, wavy pages (looking like the book had been dropped into a vat of coffee) and emitting a distinctive….musty....odor. Dog-earned and ripped pages, and the doodles of (surely) a five year old child also graced Dame Stewart’s novel of suspense featuring lovely Camilla Haven and Simon Lester as they search the ruins of Delphi to learn what happened to Simon’s brother, Michael, 12 years previously.
I tell you all this in advance in an attempt to make you understand the complete allure of Stewart’s wonderful writing talent in the face of so many reader obstacles. Despite the cringe-worthy factor of holding this book without the protection of rubber gloves and a face mask, My Brother Michael kept me enthralled from the first coffee-stained page ( oh, please let it be coffee ), to the last tattered page.
As a special unexpected bonus, I read Stewart’s beautiful Chapter 7 (in which Camilla and Simon tour the ruins of the temple of Delphi by moonlight) under the faux-moonlight of a street light in a Church parking lot while awaiting my daughter to leave a school function. And how utterly cool to sit in my dimly illuminated car and imagine a hero so suave, so educated, so utterly Stewart-ish that he could stand among the moonlit ruins of a Grecian amphitheater and recite a stanza of Sophocles’ Electra (in Greek, no less!) and then in English with a swoon-worthy Brit-accent. Only a Stewart hero could get away with THAT! Be still, my romantic-suspense heart….
July 12, 2012
So this is the third Mary Stewart novel that I have read in the past six days. I might be obsessed. It's certainly a possibility that I have been considering. At any rate, I feel like a should light up a cigarette (or twenty) and put on a pencil skirt and heels and go running through the mountains or something. Her work is fun and well-written, suspenseful, imaginative. It's also a bit dated, which honestly matters little to me. I sort of like being thrown into what feels like a black and white film starring Grace Kelley or Bogey. In my mind, Mary Stewart is like the Alfred Hitchcock of novel writers and I am thoroughly enjoying devouring everything that she has penned.
The latest that I've read-My Brother Michael-is set in Greece in the late 1950s and while reading I found myself going through my photo albums looking at pictures of a trip to Greece. It's a magical country and makes a romantic yet mysterious setting for this story. I won't go into the details--just read the book jacket--but it was another good one and I am already onto the next. must. remember. to. sleep.
The latest that I've read-My Brother Michael-is set in Greece in the late 1950s and while reading I found myself going through my photo albums looking at pictures of a trip to Greece. It's a magical country and makes a romantic yet mysterious setting for this story. I won't go into the details--just read the book jacket--but it was another good one and I am already onto the next. must. remember. to. sleep.
October 17, 2016
I'm afraid I never could get completely interested in this book. One of Stewart's early novels, it already had many of the ingredients that sometimes make me feel comfortable and other times make me think "Ah, The MS Formula!".
Young single lady off on her own in a foreign country because a friend/relative who was supposed to go with her couldn't? Check.
Mysterious event that whirls our young single lady into a storm of other mysterious events mostly due to her own curiosity? Check.
Highly detailed descriptions of a lovely setting? Check.
This should have been fun to read. Who hasn't dreamed of traveling through Greece, visiting the ancient shrine at Delphi? But I was annoyed by Camilla, the main character. Too helpless, too inept, too lacking in self-confidence. Of course that is another part of The MS Formula. Stewart heroines nearly all seem to start that way, and mostly I end up liking them by the time we have all survived the adventure Stewart creates for us. But Camilla? She never felt like a living, breathing woman. She was just a character in a book, and never held any fascination for me. Same with the other people of the story. I simply never cared what happened to any of them.
But Greece was beautiful, and I learned a lot about Delphi and its famous Charioteer statue, thanks to Stewart's prompts and Wikipedia. And I liked this comment by Simon (Michael's brother) when Camilla seems almost to be pitching a hissy fit wondering why the country seems so magical. She gets really annoyed by that idea, and I thought her annoyance was a little odd. Did she not want to feel that magic, that aura of the past that lingers in any ancient place? Why did she get so ticked off, I wonder? I feel that type of magic many times here in Mexico; I would be thrilled at the chance to feel it in Greece. I certainly wouldn't be upset about it. I was puzzled by her reaction. Just feel the magic, don't analyze it, Camilla!
Well anyway, Simon says: "I think the secret is that it belongs to all of us ~~ to us of the West. We've learned to think in its terms, and to live in its laws. It's given us almost everything that our world has that is worth while. Truth, straight thinking, freedom, beauty. It's our second language, our second line of thought, our second country. We all have our own country ~~ and Greece."
Young single lady off on her own in a foreign country because a friend/relative who was supposed to go with her couldn't? Check.
Mysterious event that whirls our young single lady into a storm of other mysterious events mostly due to her own curiosity? Check.
Highly detailed descriptions of a lovely setting? Check.
This should have been fun to read. Who hasn't dreamed of traveling through Greece, visiting the ancient shrine at Delphi? But I was annoyed by Camilla, the main character. Too helpless, too inept, too lacking in self-confidence. Of course that is another part of The MS Formula. Stewart heroines nearly all seem to start that way, and mostly I end up liking them by the time we have all survived the adventure Stewart creates for us. But Camilla? She never felt like a living, breathing woman. She was just a character in a book, and never held any fascination for me. Same with the other people of the story. I simply never cared what happened to any of them.
But Greece was beautiful, and I learned a lot about Delphi and its famous Charioteer statue, thanks to Stewart's prompts and Wikipedia. And I liked this comment by Simon (Michael's brother) when Camilla seems almost to be pitching a hissy fit wondering why the country seems so magical. She gets really annoyed by that idea, and I thought her annoyance was a little odd. Did she not want to feel that magic, that aura of the past that lingers in any ancient place? Why did she get so ticked off, I wonder? I feel that type of magic many times here in Mexico; I would be thrilled at the chance to feel it in Greece. I certainly wouldn't be upset about it. I was puzzled by her reaction. Just feel the magic, don't analyze it, Camilla!
Well anyway, Simon says: "I think the secret is that it belongs to all of us ~~ to us of the West. We've learned to think in its terms, and to live in its laws. It's given us almost everything that our world has that is worth while. Truth, straight thinking, freedom, beauty. It's our second language, our second line of thought, our second country. We all have our own country ~~ and Greece."
August 3, 2009
"Nothing ever happens to me..." As Camilla Haven sits in a cafe in Athens and writes those very words in a letter to her sister, she has no idea the twists and turns her life is soon going to take. A strange man comes and gives her the keys to a rental car, telling her she must take it to Monsieur Simon in Delphi right away - a matter of life and death. Since she had wanted to go to Delphi and no one comes to claim the car Camilla decides on a lark to take the car and go and she soon finds herself mixed up in a mystery involving Simon Lester. Simon has come to visit the scene where his brother was murdered during WWII, and to discover the secret behind his death that has laid buried under the rubble of an earthquake.
And that is all I’m going to tell you. In true Stewart fashion, Camilla and Simon's story take many twists and turns along with the prerequisite nail biting life and death conclusion. While plot wise I didn't enjoy this quite as much as The Moon Spinners (things got a bit slow in the middle), I very much enjoyed Stewarts magical descriptions of the Greek countryside, and most especially the ruins at Delphi. Wow, just wow, I was all over the net looking for pictures and seriously considered booking a trip to see for myself. Nobody but nobody in this genre does it better, it's like being there.
And that is all I’m going to tell you. In true Stewart fashion, Camilla and Simon's story take many twists and turns along with the prerequisite nail biting life and death conclusion. While plot wise I didn't enjoy this quite as much as The Moon Spinners (things got a bit slow in the middle), I very much enjoyed Stewarts magical descriptions of the Greek countryside, and most especially the ruins at Delphi. Wow, just wow, I was all over the net looking for pictures and seriously considered booking a trip to see for myself. Nobody but nobody in this genre does it better, it's like being there.
April 22, 2020
I have always had a bit of a thing for Greece. I read a lot of Greek mythology as a child (the distance librarians sent me a lot of it) and then I read books like this one as a teen. Once I had determined that organic chemistry was not for me in university, I threw myself into the Classics department's offerings, even taking three half courses in Ancient Greek. I recall only the first sentence that I ever translated (the boat is in Byzantium). Some how, I've never managed to travel to that sun soaked land, and it seems unlikely that I'll be able to do so any time soon. But re-reading this charming novel has certainly reminded me of that desire.
Mary Stewart just writes devastatingly well. Her descriptions of the surroundings, while they don't take up too much page space, are gorgeous and evocative. I feel like I've been to Delphi. Her quotations at the beginning of each chapter are spot on. She maybe doesn't torment her characters quite as much as some other authors, but she certainly gave Camilla a full basket of troubles to carry.
And, praise Apollo, she knows how to work in a bit of the magic and mystery of Ancient Greece into a more modern story. Plus, there is no better way to learn all about a potential romantic partner than to see how he handles a mystery and a villain. Though romance is undoubtedly present, it takes a distinct back seat to the situation at hand. I think it is romantic suspense like this that shaped my reading taste for the romance genre, making me impatient with authors who zero in on the relationship angle without providing a strong story to hang it on.
If you've never read a Mary Stewart book, you could do much worse than to choose this one. It is delightful.
Mary Stewart just writes devastatingly well. Her descriptions of the surroundings, while they don't take up too much page space, are gorgeous and evocative. I feel like I've been to Delphi. Her quotations at the beginning of each chapter are spot on. She maybe doesn't torment her characters quite as much as some other authors, but she certainly gave Camilla a full basket of troubles to carry.
And, praise Apollo, she knows how to work in a bit of the magic and mystery of Ancient Greece into a more modern story. Plus, there is no better way to learn all about a potential romantic partner than to see how he handles a mystery and a villain. Though romance is undoubtedly present, it takes a distinct back seat to the situation at hand. I think it is romantic suspense like this that shaped my reading taste for the romance genre, making me impatient with authors who zero in on the relationship angle without providing a strong story to hang it on.
If you've never read a Mary Stewart book, you could do much worse than to choose this one. It is delightful.
March 13, 2021
Another solid romantic suspense from Mary Stewart. A real influencer, Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels for one.
Camilla Haven is in Athens writing a letter to a friend complaining nothing exciting ever happens to her. She’s looking for an adventure after getting out of what was a stifling engagement with the perfect man. I assume it was an engagement but she could be a widow as it’s a little unclear.
Through a series of miscommunication she ends up driving a car to Delphi for a man named Simon. Simon is on somewhat of a pilgrimage to see the place where his brother Michale was murdered during the war.
I’m not going to get into too much plot except to say that as with most suspense stories the action takes place in a short amount of time. Elements are the potential fraternal revenge, a very slow burn romance as blink and you miss it, an ever present and very busy OW, multiple bad guys, Greek pride, a possible treasure, smuggling, treachery all under the classical sky near the Delphi ruins. Mary Stewart has a lot more on page violence than I’ve read in her other books.
As the book is set post WWII, part of the plot touches in how treasure can get mislaid during wartime. The movie Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn movie Charade as well E. Peters The Sea King's Daughter both deal with similar storylines. The romance portion between Simon and Camilla is intense but very implied via intense glances.
Stewart is such a good writer that she creates strong images, and it’s easy to match images to the characters and the places she writes about. My Brother Michael is a solid addition to her wealth of books, but misses 4 stars in a couple of areas.
This has a distinct air of the British upper lip, and the portrayal of the bad girl of the book, a tousled-haired French girl with pointy breasts and a cigarette hanging off her lower lip and the morals of an alley cat is absolutely hysterical. The English/French, good girl/bad girl tension between the oh-so proper Camilla and the very improper Danielle is one of the best parts of the book.
A book that needs to be read as the audio was a grade C. Yes, the accent is British, but the Narrator sounded like Dame Judy Dench doing a snooty lockjaw rendition of Gloria Upson instead of a 25 year old year old heroine in search of her own identity.
The Characters:
Simon
Camilla
Danielle
The car
Delphi
Stephanos
The Charioteer of Delphi
Camilla Haven is in Athens writing a letter to a friend complaining nothing exciting ever happens to her. She’s looking for an adventure after getting out of what was a stifling engagement with the perfect man. I assume it was an engagement but she could be a widow as it’s a little unclear.
Through a series of miscommunication she ends up driving a car to Delphi for a man named Simon. Simon is on somewhat of a pilgrimage to see the place where his brother Michale was murdered during the war.
I’m not going to get into too much plot except to say that as with most suspense stories the action takes place in a short amount of time. Elements are the potential fraternal revenge, a very slow burn romance as blink and you miss it, an ever present and very busy OW, multiple bad guys, Greek pride, a possible treasure, smuggling, treachery all under the classical sky near the Delphi ruins. Mary Stewart has a lot more on page violence than I’ve read in her other books.
As the book is set post WWII, part of the plot touches in how treasure can get mislaid during wartime. The movie Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn movie Charade as well E. Peters The Sea King's Daughter both deal with similar storylines. The romance portion between Simon and Camilla is intense but very implied via intense glances.
Stewart is such a good writer that she creates strong images, and it’s easy to match images to the characters and the places she writes about. My Brother Michael is a solid addition to her wealth of books, but misses 4 stars in a couple of areas.
This has a distinct air of the British upper lip, and the portrayal of the bad girl of the book, a tousled-haired French girl with pointy breasts and a cigarette hanging off her lower lip and the morals of an alley cat is absolutely hysterical. The English/French, good girl/bad girl tension between the oh-so proper Camilla and the very improper Danielle is one of the best parts of the book.
A book that needs to be read as the audio was a grade C. Yes, the accent is British, but the Narrator sounded like Dame Judy Dench doing a snooty lockjaw rendition of Gloria Upson instead of a 25 year old year old heroine in search of her own identity.
The Characters:
Simon
Camilla
Danielle
The car
Delphi
Stephanos
The Charioteer of Delphi
January 26, 2015
Originally published here.
I've been dreaming of Greece. I've never been there myself, much to my continual dismay, and so it remains at the very top of my list when it comes to countries I need to visit next. Lately, I've been doing some research on the country for work. Hence the dreams. And whenever I dream of Greece, I remember my original copy of Edith Hamilton's Mythology that I read cover to cover several times over. And I remember Mary Stewart and the wonderful mysteries she set there. From The Moon-Spinners to This Rough Magic to MY BROTHER MICHAEL, I read them and drift from Crete to Corfu to Delphi in a haze of lemon trees, windswept isles, and footprints of the gods. I've been in love with this place for a long time, and I fervently hope I get to travel there someday. But for now I shall have to be content with my battered copies of Mary Stewart's novels and the adventures her heroines take in this place I long to see. It's so hard for me to choose which of her three Greek books I prefer. They're all splendid and it most likely depends on my mood at the time. The Moon-Spinners has, perhaps, the best mystery, This Rough Magic the swooniest male lead (and all that Shakespeare), and MY BROTHER MICHAEL my favorite title and lady. And, of course, Delphi. So today, you get Delphi, Michael, and Miss Camilla Haven. Not necessarily in that order.
Camilla Haven is sitting alone in a cafe in Athens, bemoaning the lack of action in her life. Having recently broken off her engagement to larger-than-life Phillip, she goes ahead on holiday to Greece all by her lonesome hoping it will be good for her. All that sun and history and good food. But it turns out it's just lonely, albeit in a spectacular setting. Until a stranger approaches her with a set of car keys and a whispered message of urgency. Someone named Simon is in Delphi in need of the car. It is, the man assures her, a matter of life and death. She must take it to him. Several rounds of language-stilted protests ensue. And before she knows it, Camilla is behind the wheel of the big black car and on the road to Delphi. On her way there, she does, in fact, meet a man named Simon, who is in Delphi trying to decipher the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of his brother Michael more than a decade earlier during World War II. Armed with Michael's last letter and three gold sovereigns, Camilla and Simon set out for the site of his brother's death. Simon is convinced Michael was on the track of something important, and before long they begin to realize they're not the only ones who are still looking for whatever Michael found.
Lady Stewart is so great at first lines and openings. The first passage of MY BROTHER MICHAEL:
Within the space of two paragraphs I not only feel for the main character, but I feel as though I'm sitting there with her. I can hear it and smell it and taste it. I'm in Athens wondering how in the world I got there. This is one of Ms. Stewart's most atmospheric and action-packed novels. From negotiating the hairpin turns to Delphi, to wandering through ancient amphitheaters with handsome Classics teachers, to scrambling through caves, enough happens to Camilla within the space of these 240 pages to last a lifetime, let alone one brief holiday. I love Camilla's audacity. She's always lived in other people's shadows. And yet she goes on the trip to Greece. She takes the car keys. She cares about this Simon she does not know. And speaking of Simon? I'm excessively fond of him. For his part, he never casts Camilla in shadow, his or anything else's. He quotes Euripides and courts death in the name of his brother, and he accepts Camilla's strange story at face value and the two of them are off like a shot in no time. So much about this novel is based on mistaken identities, years of subterfuge, and bad blood. And I eat it up with a spoon every time I re-read it. I am fairly swept away at the richness of it all. And, as I return to it, the romance in this one appeals more and more. Hints of it are established from glance one. But hints is all they are at first. This is a relationship that builds slowly and surely and to great effect. Truly all of Mary Stewart's strengths, from intrepid women to mouth-watering locales to heart-pounding suspense, come together in this exciting tale. Withe one crazy, climactic ending to top it off. Whenever I return to MY BROTHER MICHAEL, it almost comes as a bit of a shock that I've never actually been to Delphi, that I'm not returning to a place I know so well and people whose hands I've held in mine. A classy, perennial favorite.
I've been dreaming of Greece. I've never been there myself, much to my continual dismay, and so it remains at the very top of my list when it comes to countries I need to visit next. Lately, I've been doing some research on the country for work. Hence the dreams. And whenever I dream of Greece, I remember my original copy of Edith Hamilton's Mythology that I read cover to cover several times over. And I remember Mary Stewart and the wonderful mysteries she set there. From The Moon-Spinners to This Rough Magic to MY BROTHER MICHAEL, I read them and drift from Crete to Corfu to Delphi in a haze of lemon trees, windswept isles, and footprints of the gods. I've been in love with this place for a long time, and I fervently hope I get to travel there someday. But for now I shall have to be content with my battered copies of Mary Stewart's novels and the adventures her heroines take in this place I long to see. It's so hard for me to choose which of her three Greek books I prefer. They're all splendid and it most likely depends on my mood at the time. The Moon-Spinners has, perhaps, the best mystery, This Rough Magic the swooniest male lead (and all that Shakespeare), and MY BROTHER MICHAEL my favorite title and lady. And, of course, Delphi. So today, you get Delphi, Michael, and Miss Camilla Haven. Not necessarily in that order.
Camilla Haven is sitting alone in a cafe in Athens, bemoaning the lack of action in her life. Having recently broken off her engagement to larger-than-life Phillip, she goes ahead on holiday to Greece all by her lonesome hoping it will be good for her. All that sun and history and good food. But it turns out it's just lonely, albeit in a spectacular setting. Until a stranger approaches her with a set of car keys and a whispered message of urgency. Someone named Simon is in Delphi in need of the car. It is, the man assures her, a matter of life and death. She must take it to him. Several rounds of language-stilted protests ensue. And before she knows it, Camilla is behind the wheel of the big black car and on the road to Delphi. On her way there, she does, in fact, meet a man named Simon, who is in Delphi trying to decipher the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of his brother Michael more than a decade earlier during World War II. Armed with Michael's last letter and three gold sovereigns, Camilla and Simon set out for the site of his brother's death. Simon is convinced Michael was on the track of something important, and before long they begin to realize they're not the only ones who are still looking for whatever Michael found.
Lady Stewart is so great at first lines and openings. The first passage of MY BROTHER MICHAEL:
"Nothing ever happens to me."
I wrote the words slowly, looked at them for a moment with a little sigh, then put my ballpoint pen down on the cafe table and rummaged in my handbag for a cigarette.
As I breathed the smoke in I looked about me. It occurred to me, thinking of that last depressed sentence in my letter to Elizabeth, that enough was happening at the moment to satisfy all by the most adventure-hungry. That is the impression Athens gives you. Everyone is moving, talking, gesticulating--but particularly talking. The second one remembers in Athens is not the clamour of pneumatic drill or even the age-old sound of chisels chipping away at the Pentelic marble which is still the cheapest stone for building . . . what one remembers about Athens is the roar of talking. Up to your high hotel window, above the smell of dust and the blare of traffic it comes, surging like the sea below the temple at Sunium--the sound of Athenian voices arguing, laughing, talk-talk-talking, as once they talked the world into shape in the busy colonnades of the Agora, not so very far from where I sat.
Within the space of two paragraphs I not only feel for the main character, but I feel as though I'm sitting there with her. I can hear it and smell it and taste it. I'm in Athens wondering how in the world I got there. This is one of Ms. Stewart's most atmospheric and action-packed novels. From negotiating the hairpin turns to Delphi, to wandering through ancient amphitheaters with handsome Classics teachers, to scrambling through caves, enough happens to Camilla within the space of these 240 pages to last a lifetime, let alone one brief holiday. I love Camilla's audacity. She's always lived in other people's shadows. And yet she goes on the trip to Greece. She takes the car keys. She cares about this Simon she does not know. And speaking of Simon? I'm excessively fond of him. For his part, he never casts Camilla in shadow, his or anything else's. He quotes Euripides and courts death in the name of his brother, and he accepts Camilla's strange story at face value and the two of them are off like a shot in no time. So much about this novel is based on mistaken identities, years of subterfuge, and bad blood. And I eat it up with a spoon every time I re-read it. I am fairly swept away at the richness of it all. And, as I return to it, the romance in this one appeals more and more. Hints of it are established from glance one. But hints is all they are at first. This is a relationship that builds slowly and surely and to great effect. Truly all of Mary Stewart's strengths, from intrepid women to mouth-watering locales to heart-pounding suspense, come together in this exciting tale. Withe one crazy, climactic ending to top it off. Whenever I return to MY BROTHER MICHAEL, it almost comes as a bit of a shock that I've never actually been to Delphi, that I'm not returning to a place I know so well and people whose hands I've held in mine. A classy, perennial favorite.
March 20, 2015
A Solid 3
What I found hard with this book was that all 400 pages happened in Three Days . After the beginning car mix up nothing happened till chapter what, 15?
And in all honesty, I didn't care overly much about the characters. I liked them, yes I really did. But that's where is ended. Camilla was, welllll… a bit, weak. If I had been her I'd have run, no matter what. I didn't find myself liking Simon much, I know I was supposed to, but I didn't. Grey eyes or no. His gray eyes never entrapped me.
I detested Danielle, her tongue flicking between her teeth, showing bright pink against glittering white teeth with pale pink lips, tormenting poor Nigel and her nasty, burly sidekicks. Then there was Nigel, I cared about him most.
I think, that if you cut out the bit about Michael, the story wouldn't really change. You'd just lose your excuse for Simon to be in Greece. I can't really bring myself to say I liked this book, but I am glad to have read it as a group read because now I have others to gripe with and show me the good points that I failed to notice.
I guess I missed Mary Stewart's usual beautiful atmosphere and you-can-see-em-an-feel-em animals and children. Not that the descriptions weren't beautiful, I guess it just wasn't quite what I was used to. But as other reviewers have said, you can really feel the sultry sun beating down on your head
This book was surprisingly similar to The Valley of Adventure, I know it's a kid's book but, they were written around the same time, set around the same time and have a similar "finding".
PG to PG-13 because of violence and a bigillion+1 Cigarettes. How'd they Breathe??! Let alone think. The big question, would I reread this? No. Sorry all, this one didn't hit the spot.
What I found hard with this book was that all 400 pages happened in Three Days . After the beginning car mix up nothing happened till chapter what, 15?
And in all honesty, I didn't care overly much about the characters. I liked them, yes I really did. But that's where is ended. Camilla was, welllll… a bit, weak. If I had been her I'd have run, no matter what. I didn't find myself liking Simon much, I know I was supposed to, but I didn't. Grey eyes or no. His gray eyes never entrapped me.
I detested Danielle, her tongue flicking between her teeth, showing bright pink against glittering white teeth with pale pink lips, tormenting poor Nigel and her nasty, burly sidekicks. Then there was Nigel, I cared about him most.
I think, that if you cut out the bit about Michael, the story wouldn't really change. You'd just lose your excuse for Simon to be in Greece. I can't really bring myself to say I liked this book, but I am glad to have read it as a group read because now I have others to gripe with and show me the good points that I failed to notice.
I guess I missed Mary Stewart's usual beautiful atmosphere and you-can-see-em-an-feel-em animals and children. Not that the descriptions weren't beautiful, I guess it just wasn't quite what I was used to. But as other reviewers have said, you can really feel the sultry sun beating down on your head
This book was surprisingly similar to The Valley of Adventure, I know it's a kid's book but, they were written around the same time, set around the same time and have a similar "finding".
PG to PG-13 because of violence and a bigillion+1 Cigarettes. How'd they Breathe??! Let alone think. The big question, would I reread this? No. Sorry all, this one didn't hit the spot.
March 8, 2014
2 1/2 Stars
This wasn't my favorite Mary Stewart. In fact, if it was my first MS I probably wouldn't pick up another (but I WILL because I know what she can do!)
I won't give a summary because there's plenty of reviewers who have, but I will say that I did enjoy the descriptions of Greece. I could feel the intense heat coming through my sandals and could smell the herby wild flowers and taste the pomegranates. Mary Stewart is very good at setting a time and place.
But I didn't feel the characters so much. To me they seemed rather cookie cutter. The unappreciated heroine, tall dark and handsome englishman, untidy and slightly eccentric artist, resident vamp, and of course the burly greek tough guys. Don't get me wrong, they were ok, I just didn't feel much for them or care too much what became of them. Actually, I did care about Nigel the artist. He was interesting and I liked him.
Story line was just ok. Not a reread for me
CONTENT:
SEX: None
VIOLENCE: Moderately strong at end
PROFANITY: Mild, mostly D's
DRUG USE: A LOT of smoking! Like EVERY character is a chain smoker.
MY RATING: PG
This wasn't my favorite Mary Stewart. In fact, if it was my first MS I probably wouldn't pick up another (but I WILL because I know what she can do!)
I won't give a summary because there's plenty of reviewers who have, but I will say that I did enjoy the descriptions of Greece. I could feel the intense heat coming through my sandals and could smell the herby wild flowers and taste the pomegranates. Mary Stewart is very good at setting a time and place.
But I didn't feel the characters so much. To me they seemed rather cookie cutter. The unappreciated heroine, tall dark and handsome englishman, untidy and slightly eccentric artist, resident vamp, and of course the burly greek tough guys. Don't get me wrong, they were ok, I just didn't feel much for them or care too much what became of them. Actually, I did care about Nigel the artist. He was interesting and I liked him.
Story line was just ok. Not a reread for me
CONTENT:
SEX: None
VIOLENCE: Moderately strong at end
PROFANITY: Mild, mostly D's
DRUG USE: A LOT of smoking! Like EVERY character is a chain smoker.
MY RATING: PG
April 4, 2016
(2.5 stars) The first "adult" books I read were the 50s/60s gothics and romantic suspense books by Holt & Stewart et al. This was a title that I had long recalled as a favorite since reading it in the early 60s. When my f2f mystery discussion group chose it I was happy to revisit. After 45 years or so I wish I could say it lived up to my memories- alas, it was OK but no longer something special. I was, however, impressed with the quality of Stewart's writing. Her sentence structure & turns of phrase were lovely, loaded with allusions, metaphors, & quotations and a vocabulary that had me returning to the dictionary several times! The pace was sort of slow by today's suspense standards, the romance decidedly staid and the violence surprisingly gritty. Descriptions were wonderfully evocative- I think that is what I had remembered most, the lovely picture of the Greek countryside. Another sign of the times (or sponsorship by a tobacco company)- everyone in the book smoked *constantly*!
(Listed as first read in Aug 1964 with 4-star rating per diary)
(Listed as first read in Aug 1964 with 4-star rating per diary)
September 23, 2021
September 2021: There is something so small about Mary Stewart’s vacation destinations: intimate and remote - and all-encompassing, as if this beautiful distant dot on the map, away from everyday life, isn’t limited or claustrophobic but suggestive of an entire future. She’s so good at characterization and at placing her characters in a particular space and time; her settings breathe and her protagonists think and talk and take up space. Particularly here, where Camilla has a moving, understated journey.
This is a small-scale Stewart mystery, confined to the ghosts of this tiny place. Everyone is plagued by their own ghosts, and by the juxtaposition of those ghosts and general history, and so does this village - and Greece - seem to be. It’s a beautifully set up story in that way, contained and clever, atmospheric and quiet. Quiet doesn’t mean uncommunicative, though, which is impressive. And that understated quality also does such a good job of conveying loss… There’s real poetry to the understatement. It’s the most masterful part of this novel.
September 2016: I don't think this is quite as good as those four stars suggest; that said, this is sincere in a way that modern books in the same vein aren't, and that makes My Brother Michael stand out.
It's partly Stewart's writing, which is breathless and awed by its depictions much the way Camilla is. It's partly the innocence of the time, which makes the plot stand out in stark contrast. And it's partly the novel's acknowledgement of its tropes (can they be called tropes, if the book was published in 1959?) - how stunned Camilla (and the reader!) is when she realizes she's known Simon for 24 hours. Also:
I do wish the plot, which is slightly nonsensical, actually concluded. Instead, once the story gets going, it revolves around a treasure hunt with casually high stakes, and concludes as soon as the hunt comes to an end. For a storyline I bought into because of its protagonist, I'd have liked a little more focus on her toward the end.
This is a small-scale Stewart mystery, confined to the ghosts of this tiny place. Everyone is plagued by their own ghosts, and by the juxtaposition of those ghosts and general history, and so does this village - and Greece - seem to be. It’s a beautifully set up story in that way, contained and clever, atmospheric and quiet. Quiet doesn’t mean uncommunicative, though, which is impressive. And that understated quality also does such a good job of conveying loss… There’s real poetry to the understatement. It’s the most masterful part of this novel.
September 2016: I don't think this is quite as good as those four stars suggest; that said, this is sincere in a way that modern books in the same vein aren't, and that makes My Brother Michael stand out.
It's partly Stewart's writing, which is breathless and awed by its depictions much the way Camilla is. It's partly the innocence of the time, which makes the plot stand out in stark contrast. And it's partly the novel's acknowledgement of its tropes (can they be called tropes, if the book was published in 1959?) - how stunned Camilla (and the reader!) is when she realizes she's known Simon for 24 hours. Also:
"But I do admit there's another side to this Great Emancipation. Things do seem a trifle dull occasionally, after so many years spent being swept along in Philip's - you must admit - magnificent wake! I feel just a little bit high and dry. You'd have thought something - some sniff of an adventure - would have happened to a young woman (is one still young at twenty-five?) marooned on her own in the wilds of Hellas, but no! I go tamely from temple to temple, guidebook in hand, and spend the rather long evenings writing up notes for that wonderful book I was always going to write, and persuading myself I'm enjoying the peace and quiet... "After that opening, I welcomed Camilla's obviously forthcoming adventures. She's earned her excitement.
I do wish the plot, which is slightly nonsensical, actually concluded. Instead, once the story gets going, it revolves around a treasure hunt with casually high stakes, and concludes as soon as the hunt comes to an end. For a storyline I bought into because of its protagonist, I'd have liked a little more focus on her toward the end.
November 27, 2019
This was good.
Nope, can't leave it at that.
So--I enjoyed this a lot, particularly Stewart's amazing descriptions. But in the end, it felt a little forgettable, despite having possibly the highest body count in any Stewart novel. (I could be wrong. I haven't read all of them. But there are a lot of deaths.) I think some of the disconnect between me and the book is attributable to the romantic subplot being very downplayed. And the thing is, it should be downplayed. The two main characters barely know each other, and that makes more sense than Stewart's patented insta-love. But I liked them together and I wanted to see more sparks.
I was deeply moved by and I really liked the descriptions of all the ancient sites. They actually made me wish I could go to Greece...but I would want to go in 1959, before everything was overrun by tourists. I sort of wonder if that's not the real fantasy element of a Mary Stewart novel, the idea that someone could find these hidden-away, unspoiled locations, untouched by the masses.
I think I have Wildfire at Midnight next. I'm fast running out of ones I want to read, and am debating revisiting the Arthurian Saga.
Nope, can't leave it at that.
So--I enjoyed this a lot, particularly Stewart's amazing descriptions. But in the end, it felt a little forgettable, despite having possibly the highest body count in any Stewart novel. (I could be wrong. I haven't read all of them. But there are a lot of deaths.) I think some of the disconnect between me and the book is attributable to the romantic subplot being very downplayed. And the thing is, it should be downplayed. The two main characters barely know each other, and that makes more sense than Stewart's patented insta-love. But I liked them together and I wanted to see more sparks.
I was deeply moved by and I really liked the descriptions of all the ancient sites. They actually made me wish I could go to Greece...but I would want to go in 1959, before everything was overrun by tourists. I sort of wonder if that's not the real fantasy element of a Mary Stewart novel, the idea that someone could find these hidden-away, unspoiled locations, untouched by the masses.
I think I have Wildfire at Midnight next. I'm fast running out of ones I want to read, and am debating revisiting the Arthurian Saga.
January 26, 2015
3.5 stars.
I've just had a holiday & was in a town for the well heeled. Obviously they don't bother selling their unwanted books (& various other stuff) as I found a pile of books "free to good home" I took about 10 & this one was the one I was most excited about, (in spite of the unappealing cover art) as Stewart's "This Rough Magic" was one of my favourite reads from last year.
Firstly I am guessing that Stewart was a heavy smoker herself or lived surrounded by smokers, as pretty much every character in this book puffs like a train.
Also I would like to read a book of her's where both the hero & heroine spring to life for me. (anyone know of one, please list it in the comments for me!) This time the hero, Simon, is the more strongly drawn.
Stewart brings a now forgotten Greece to life, where you could visit a famed site such as Delphi & hardly see another tourist.
For me this book had an excellent start, when Camilla acts on impulse, loses it's way a bit in the middle & a satisfactory conclusion.
So I'm still searching for a Stewart I like as much as "This Rough Magic!"
I've just had a holiday & was in a town for the well heeled. Obviously they don't bother selling their unwanted books (& various other stuff) as I found a pile of books "free to good home" I took about 10 & this one was the one I was most excited about, (in spite of the unappealing cover art) as Stewart's "This Rough Magic" was one of my favourite reads from last year.
Firstly I am guessing that Stewart was a heavy smoker herself or lived surrounded by smokers, as pretty much every character in this book puffs like a train.
Also I would like to read a book of her's where both the hero & heroine spring to life for me. (anyone know of one, please list it in the comments for me!) This time the hero, Simon, is the more strongly drawn.
Stewart brings a now forgotten Greece to life, where you could visit a famed site such as Delphi & hardly see another tourist.
For me this book had an excellent start, when Camilla acts on impulse, loses it's way a bit in the middle & a satisfactory conclusion.
So I'm still searching for a Stewart I like as much as "This Rough Magic!"
May 1, 2024
Ni 3 ni 4, pa nek budu 4 zvjezdice! Očekivala sam opuštajuću romansu, ljubavnu priču na obali mora, kad ne lezi vraže, dobih sve, osim toga! Još kad sam vidjela da je knjiga napisana 1959. i da se spominje Jugoslavija (u nebitnim detaljima, ali svejedno 🤷🏻♀️), kupljena sam bila do poslednje stranice! U suštini, iza ovih šećerlemastih korica dobićete sve osim slatkih stranica, pa budite spremni da zagrizete ove neobične kiselkasto- gorke zalogaje koje nam je Meri servirala!
February 7, 2013
I don't think there's much new to say about any of these Mary Stewart books that I didn't say about all the others. They're a little bit of a guilty pleasure with me, but hey, female heroines, mostly decent male leads (I think Simon miiight be my favourite thus far, given his calmness, intelligence, and careful treatment of the protagonist, plus the fact that he's not related to her, doesn't laugh at her, and trusts her), mysteries... Not always quite so cosy, really, since this one involves a surprising body count. Love the descriptions of Greece, especially Delphi; Mary Stewart is no slouch when it comes to depicting the atmosphere of a place.
Not entirely surprising, at any point, and I'm not sure I ever dare to think about these books critically in terms of colonialism and the like. But if you like Mary Stewart's work in general, you'll like this.
Not entirely surprising, at any point, and I'm not sure I ever dare to think about these books critically in terms of colonialism and the like. But if you like Mary Stewart's work in general, you'll like this.
March 13, 2021
Continuing with my Mary Stewart binge and continuing to wonder why only Moonspinners was ever turned into a movie. My Brother Michael, out of all the ones I’ve read so far, was by far the easiest to imagine being played out on screen, with perhaps a young Fox brother and a young Jane Birkin in the lead roles.
The start of the book is great. Our heroine, Camilla, has not long broken up with Phillip (I thought she had divorced, but I just read some other reviews which said it wasn’t specified, so I might have just assumed it was a divorce). She’s gone on a holiday to Greece where she finds herself complaining, via a letter she is writing to a friend whilst sitting in an Athens cafe, that nothing exciting ever happens to her. Thus, when a man hands her the keys to a sleek black car which has been hired for a ‘Simon in Delphi’ as a ‘matter of life and death’, she actually decides to deliver the vehicle, regardless of the obvious mistaken identity.
There is, of course, a Simon in Delphi. Simon has travelled to Greece to visit the site where his brother Michael died. He hasn’t arranged for a car though, so the pair set out to solve the mystery.
This book probably has the biggest body count of any of the Stewart books so far. It also gets the award for the most cigarettes smoked. LOL It does have the usual Stewart moments though -- the dramatic car chase, the endlessly beautiful descriptions of a European country (this time, Greece and Delphi in particular) and its peoples, the heroine getting instantly and deeply involved in the complicated life of the hero and, thankfully, that strong feminist undertone with the plucky heroine finding a way to save herself instead of waiting for the man to sort her out.
Actually, the parts which turned Camilla into a weak female (her driving, her inability to keep track of her money) were played strictly for laughs and perhaps a bit of an up yours to the aforementioned Phillip. Even the rivalry between Camilla and the conniving other woman didn’t set back feminism as much as one expects when these types of storylines are thrown in.
Stewart’s romantic subplots are always so well done. This one was as understated as you can get while still being considered a romantic suspense.
I probably didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as Stewart’s other books though. I can’t really put my finger on why. It was still a great read, however, and hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm for Stewart.
4 out of 5
The start of the book is great. Our heroine, Camilla, has not long broken up with Phillip (I thought she had divorced, but I just read some other reviews which said it wasn’t specified, so I might have just assumed it was a divorce). She’s gone on a holiday to Greece where she finds herself complaining, via a letter she is writing to a friend whilst sitting in an Athens cafe, that nothing exciting ever happens to her. Thus, when a man hands her the keys to a sleek black car which has been hired for a ‘Simon in Delphi’ as a ‘matter of life and death’, she actually decides to deliver the vehicle, regardless of the obvious mistaken identity.
There is, of course, a Simon in Delphi. Simon has travelled to Greece to visit the site where his brother Michael died. He hasn’t arranged for a car though, so the pair set out to solve the mystery.
This book probably has the biggest body count of any of the Stewart books so far. It also gets the award for the most cigarettes smoked. LOL It does have the usual Stewart moments though -- the dramatic car chase, the endlessly beautiful descriptions of a European country (this time, Greece and Delphi in particular) and its peoples, the heroine getting instantly and deeply involved in the complicated life of the hero and, thankfully, that strong feminist undertone with the plucky heroine finding a way to save herself instead of waiting for the man to sort her out.
Actually, the parts which turned Camilla into a weak female (her driving, her inability to keep track of her money) were played strictly for laughs and perhaps a bit of an up yours to the aforementioned Phillip. Even the rivalry between Camilla and the conniving other woman didn’t set back feminism as much as one expects when these types of storylines are thrown in.
Stewart’s romantic subplots are always so well done. This one was as understated as you can get while still being considered a romantic suspense.
I probably didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as Stewart’s other books though. I can’t really put my finger on why. It was still a great read, however, and hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm for Stewart.
4 out of 5
September 28, 2019
3.5 stars
This wasn't my favorite Mary Stewart novel and I'm not sure if it was the particular book or just me phasing out of my romantic thriller/Gothic novels phase.
But the more I think about it, the more I think it was the book.
It contains a lot of what I love in the other Stewart novels I've read: a beautiful setting, lots of action, a strong and intelligent heroine. There is some good "female psychology" as the heroine contrasts the hero of the piece with her ex. (Either I missed it or we never actually found out if this was an ex-husband or just fiance?) The ex plays in the background and I was pleasantly surprised with how he remains an important character for the heroine while remaining a nonentity for the plot. Cause that is how life is some times, isn't it? We react to things because of our past experiences. I think another author would have eked out as much angst as possible out of the former relationship but not Stewart. The reader does not need to be bashed over the head.
Further, it gives us a strong heroine from the start. We meet her as someone who just left an unhealthy relationship. She might be wistful, but she doesn't mourn. And since we're talking a publishing date of 1959 on this one, I'm going to credit the author for the way she handles her newly single character.
But alas, the pro-female approach rather shrivels up and dies with the appearance of a female "vamp." She uses men. Men use her. Women do not get along with her. She is at immediate odds with the heroine. You know the type, and she comes in all her glory in this particular novel. I suppose it wasn't anything unusual and yet I did find the existence of her character disappointing.
The hero also disappointed me. I suppose, to give him some credit, he doesn't go kissing girls he has had, like, one conversation with like the heroes of most Stewart novels. But he is this pulled together, almost all knowing character and I found him annoying. Most particularly this came at the end when he basically tells the heroine "I know you've been in bad relationships before but it is going to be okay now" and I just wanted to be like BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW. EXPLAIN YOSELF, STALKER.
My final complaint is that in the end, the heroine doesn't really "save herself" in the sense other Stewart heroines do. Sure, there is the prerequisite chase scene with the baddy-bad guy, but the hero plays a more significant role. And I guess I have just come to expect more.
An enjoyable novel but not my favorite.
This wasn't my favorite Mary Stewart novel and I'm not sure if it was the particular book or just me phasing out of my romantic thriller/Gothic novels phase.
But the more I think about it, the more I think it was the book.
It contains a lot of what I love in the other Stewart novels I've read: a beautiful setting, lots of action, a strong and intelligent heroine. There is some good "female psychology" as the heroine contrasts the hero of the piece with her ex. (Either I missed it or we never actually found out if this was an ex-husband or just fiance?) The ex plays in the background and I was pleasantly surprised with how he remains an important character for the heroine while remaining a nonentity for the plot. Cause that is how life is some times, isn't it? We react to things because of our past experiences. I think another author would have eked out as much angst as possible out of the former relationship but not Stewart. The reader does not need to be bashed over the head.
Further, it gives us a strong heroine from the start. We meet her as someone who just left an unhealthy relationship. She might be wistful, but she doesn't mourn. And since we're talking a publishing date of 1959 on this one, I'm going to credit the author for the way she handles her newly single character.
But alas, the pro-female approach rather shrivels up and dies with the appearance of a female "vamp." She uses men. Men use her. Women do not get along with her. She is at immediate odds with the heroine. You know the type, and she comes in all her glory in this particular novel. I suppose it wasn't anything unusual and yet I did find the existence of her character disappointing.
The hero also disappointed me. I suppose, to give him some credit, he doesn't go kissing girls he has had, like, one conversation with like the heroes of most Stewart novels. But he is this pulled together, almost all knowing character and I found him annoying. Most particularly this came at the end when he basically tells the heroine "I know you've been in bad relationships before but it is going to be okay now" and I just wanted to be like BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW. EXPLAIN YOSELF, STALKER.
My final complaint is that in the end, the heroine doesn't really "save herself" in the sense other Stewart heroines do. Sure, there is the prerequisite chase scene with the baddy-bad guy, but the hero plays a more significant role. And I guess I have just come to expect more.
An enjoyable novel but not my favorite.
June 17, 2018
3.5 stars....
Woman goes on vacation in Greece with a skinny budget. One of the places she wants to see is Delphi, location of the famous Oracle of Delphi; however, her penny-pinching means she will have to make it a day trip, missing much in the experience. While pondering her problem in a street cafe, a stranger approaches her and gives her the keys to a car he believes she has rented to be delivered to Simon in Delphi. The rushes away after a confused conversation complicated by language barriers. Left with the keys to a car she doesn't own, but must apparently deliver to a man named Simon in Delphi, what is a girl to do? Why, go to Delphi, of course!!
Man walks around town and notices a fuss occurring in the street. A woman in a large car, which she doesn't know how to drive (ooops!) has caused the commotion. The villagers assure the woman that the man can assist her in finding the Simon she seeks. Coincidence follows coincidence and sets up a mysterious situation involving the suspicious death of Simon's brother during World War II.
I love Mary Stewart's writing, but this book was not as polished as others written by her. It was easy to read, with the exception of a little boredom in places. High excitement doesn't happen until the end. She is vivid in her descriptions of Greece, which was enchanting, but if you lack knowledge of the classics, the book may be lackluster. (Stewart wrote in a different generation, where education was of value!)
Woman goes on vacation in Greece with a skinny budget. One of the places she wants to see is Delphi, location of the famous Oracle of Delphi; however, her penny-pinching means she will have to make it a day trip, missing much in the experience. While pondering her problem in a street cafe, a stranger approaches her and gives her the keys to a car he believes she has rented to be delivered to Simon in Delphi. The rushes away after a confused conversation complicated by language barriers. Left with the keys to a car she doesn't own, but must apparently deliver to a man named Simon in Delphi, what is a girl to do? Why, go to Delphi, of course!!
Man walks around town and notices a fuss occurring in the street. A woman in a large car, which she doesn't know how to drive (ooops!) has caused the commotion. The villagers assure the woman that the man can assist her in finding the Simon she seeks. Coincidence follows coincidence and sets up a mysterious situation involving the suspicious death of Simon's brother during World War II.
I love Mary Stewart's writing, but this book was not as polished as others written by her. It was easy to read, with the exception of a little boredom in places. High excitement doesn't happen until the end. She is vivid in her descriptions of Greece, which was enchanting, but if you lack knowledge of the classics, the book may be lackluster. (Stewart wrote in a different generation, where education was of value!)
May 8, 2010
I'll be honest, this may not be a five star book. But it holds a memory for me that has stayed with me for over 30 years so there is something special about it. I first read it when my sons were little, I was home alone and there was a huge thunderstorm going on. This book scared me so badly that I spent the night sitting behind a chair with a rifle on my lap...seriously. I still have a vivid memory of how I felt that night and always remembered th name of this book.
So this year I found a used copy in a bookstore and decided to see if it really was as scary as I remembered. It is not. It still gets pretty tense, and I was right in my memory that the scary part was in a cave. It is a really good story told in the first person by Camilla who is on vacation in Athens. To her surprise, in a few hours she is in Delphi in the company of an Englishman she met quite by accident. She is plunged into an adventure to find out the meaning of a last letter from Simon's brother Michael before his death on the slopes of Parnassus. Great writing as usual that brings alive the area and the characters. I think now I could read it in a thunderstorm and be okay! I hadn't read Dean Koontz back then!
So this year I found a used copy in a bookstore and decided to see if it really was as scary as I remembered. It is not. It still gets pretty tense, and I was right in my memory that the scary part was in a cave. It is a really good story told in the first person by Camilla who is on vacation in Athens. To her surprise, in a few hours she is in Delphi in the company of an Englishman she met quite by accident. She is plunged into an adventure to find out the meaning of a last letter from Simon's brother Michael before his death on the slopes of Parnassus. Great writing as usual that brings alive the area and the characters. I think now I could read it in a thunderstorm and be okay! I hadn't read Dean Koontz back then!
June 29, 2020
Mary Stewart is fun. She takes a little work for fun, sometimes it takes a month or 9 to build up momentum. I started this in September and didn't accomplish much until Friday when I read it in two days.
As romances go, this one was pretty subtle, but I appreciate that. Simon and Camilla kind of fall in instant love, but no one talks about it - they keep dancing around it, even joking a little about it, but it's never really obvious and if the reader were a skimmer, or not reading carefully she might miss the oblique comments between them. It's rather realistic in an unrealistic way. I have to say, I like that.
I'm also glad that I'd just read Euripides - a different play to be sure - so the epigraphs were especially meaningful. Stewart is obviously really well educated and well read. Her allusions are spot on and worth looking up to if you don't know them. The setting - in and around Delphi - is so beautifully crafted with words that you feel as though the ancient Greek landscape is, in itself, a character in the story.
It can be hard to work so diligently to enjoy a light read, but Mary Stewart is worth it. My "guilty pleasure" book for the 20 for 2020 reading challenge with The Literary Life podcast.
As romances go, this one was pretty subtle, but I appreciate that. Simon and Camilla kind of fall in instant love, but no one talks about it - they keep dancing around it, even joking a little about it, but it's never really obvious and if the reader were a skimmer, or not reading carefully she might miss the oblique comments between them. It's rather realistic in an unrealistic way. I have to say, I like that.
I'm also glad that I'd just read Euripides - a different play to be sure - so the epigraphs were especially meaningful. Stewart is obviously really well educated and well read. Her allusions are spot on and worth looking up to if you don't know them. The setting - in and around Delphi - is so beautifully crafted with words that you feel as though the ancient Greek landscape is, in itself, a character in the story.
It can be hard to work so diligently to enjoy a light read, but Mary Stewart is worth it. My "guilty pleasure" book for the 20 for 2020 reading challenge with The Literary Life podcast.
January 6, 2015
Not my favorite Mary Stewart, but very diverting as always. Wonderful setting in Greece, references to the Greek classics and art, and some very scary final moments. I loved the first bit where Camilla finds herself in possession of a car, just as she finishes writing to her sister that 'nothing ever happens to me.' I liked her vulnerability and the back story about her overbearing ex-husband. The hero, Simon, was rather remarkably tough for a classics professor, but maybe he got his training during the war or something.
Mary Steward never fails to deliver magical scenes: in My Brother Michael it is Camilla's starlit midnight visit to the ruins in Delphi, and also the moment when Simon quotes from Euripides in the ancient theater on Mt.Parnassus.
PG: Some frightening moments including several killings, one rather surprisingly violent.
Mary Steward never fails to deliver magical scenes: in My Brother Michael it is Camilla's starlit midnight visit to the ruins in Delphi, and also the moment when Simon quotes from Euripides in the ancient theater on Mt.Parnassus.
PG: Some frightening moments including several killings, one rather surprisingly violent.
March 10, 2014
Group read with the Mary Stewart group.
I still give this 4.5 stars. I enjoyed this reread just as much the second time around, despite all the tossed cigarette butts.
I liked how Camilla was just coming out of her shell after 6 years of living in someone else's shadow. Of course Mary Stewart's description of Delphi and the surrounding area is wonderful. There is some serious suspense and danger in this one and some really bad guys. I also liked that Simon was on a quest to find out what happened to his older brother.
Reread March 2014
I still give this 4.5 stars. I enjoyed this reread just as much the second time around, despite all the tossed cigarette butts.
I liked how Camilla was just coming out of her shell after 6 years of living in someone else's shadow. Of course Mary Stewart's description of Delphi and the surrounding area is wonderful. There is some serious suspense and danger in this one and some really bad guys. I also liked that Simon was on a quest to find out what happened to his older brother.
Reread March 2014
March 3, 2021
I so enjoy listening to these familiar stories on Audible! Who knew I could love Mary Stewart's writing even more!
Read
April 14, 2022A complete contrast to the previous book by this author that I listened to (Rose Cottage). From a quiet return and discovery of relatively minor secrets we jump to high adventure and particularly nasty murder.
I almost bounced off this one because the opening chapters are focused on "I'm so overwhelmed by driving" done in a comedic tone, which I didn't find particularly interesting. Then we shift to lost treasure, and mostly logical behaviour from the main character. Pretty awful 'overheard' death in the concluding chapters.
I almost bounced off this one because the opening chapters are focused on "I'm so overwhelmed by driving" done in a comedic tone, which I didn't find particularly interesting. Then we shift to lost treasure, and mostly logical behaviour from the main character. Pretty awful 'overheard' death in the concluding chapters.
October 1, 2022
3.75*
Not my favourite of hers but still a great read, full of suspense, a couple of action scenes, some attraction at play, and of course the wonderful setting that Stewart’s skill brings to life.
Not my favourite of hers but still a great read, full of suspense, a couple of action scenes, some attraction at play, and of course the wonderful setting that Stewart’s skill brings to life.
July 20, 2018
3.5 stars.
Camilla Haven is on holiday alone, and wishes for some excitement. She had been sitting quietly in a crowded Athens cafe writing to her friend Elizabeth in England, "Nothing ever happens to me..."
Then, without warning, a stranger approached, thrust a set of car keys at her and pointed to a huge black touring car parked at the curb. "The car for Delphi, mademoiselle... A matter of life and death," he whispered and disappeared.
From that moment Camilla's life suddenly begins to take off when she sets out on a mysterious car journey to Delphi in the company of a charming but quietly determined Englishman named Simon Lester. Simon told Camilla he had come to the ancient Greek ruins to "appease the shade” of his brother Michael, killed some fourteen years earlier on Parnassus. From a curious letter Michael had written, Simon believed his brother had stumbled upon something of great importance hidden in the craggy reaches of the mountainside.
And then Simon and Camilla learned that they were not alone in their search...
This is the 8th book I've read by Mary Stewart and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was pleased that it was set in Greece like her book The Moonspinners, which happens to be my favorite out of all her books so far. Mary Stewart was once again able to capture the essence of a place and make me feel like I was there, which is one of the strong points of her novels; that is when it doesn't interfere too much with the storytelling. Most of this book is set in beautiful Delphi which I would love to visit someday among lots of other places in Greece.
It's always interesting to read books that were written in this time period (1959). I love picturing the cars and the clothing from that time as I read. Can you imagine hiking through the mountains in a dress? Also there were so many cigarettes smoked that I'm certain every one of the characters eventually die from lung disease, but back then it was the thing to do and they didn't yet know the devastating health issues smoking could cause. It did seem like there was more smoking in this book than in most of her other works though.
This book managed to be good once the story really got going, but it did take a bit too long for that to happen, which is why I can't give this one a complete 4 stars. There was mild romance and quite a bit of suspense before the end which was all good, and a murder that takes place on the page instead of just being discovered. I admit I found the way it was done a little disturbing. As for the characters, the protagonist was easy to like and so was the love interest, and Stewart managed to write a character in this book that I found downright irritating, but that's the way she was supposed to be so it was all good.
This book also involved ancient Greek art, namely statues that were very rare because few of them survived the war. One in particular, The Charioteer, is featured in this book and it was described so well that I had to look it up to see what it looked like, especially when the eyes are described.
Overall this was a good read, if slow to get going and I would rank it 5th on my list of Mary Stewart books, pretty much even with Wildfire at Midnight. I liked the protagonist better in this one, but Wildfire at Midnight was more suspenseful.
1. The Moonspinners
2. Nine Coaches Waiting
3. Madam Will You Talk?
4. The Ivy Tree
5. My Brother Michael
6. Wildfire at Midnight
7. Airs Above the Ground
8. The Stormy Petrel
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
Camilla Haven is on holiday alone, and wishes for some excitement. She had been sitting quietly in a crowded Athens cafe writing to her friend Elizabeth in England, "Nothing ever happens to me..."
Then, without warning, a stranger approached, thrust a set of car keys at her and pointed to a huge black touring car parked at the curb. "The car for Delphi, mademoiselle... A matter of life and death," he whispered and disappeared.
From that moment Camilla's life suddenly begins to take off when she sets out on a mysterious car journey to Delphi in the company of a charming but quietly determined Englishman named Simon Lester. Simon told Camilla he had come to the ancient Greek ruins to "appease the shade” of his brother Michael, killed some fourteen years earlier on Parnassus. From a curious letter Michael had written, Simon believed his brother had stumbled upon something of great importance hidden in the craggy reaches of the mountainside.
And then Simon and Camilla learned that they were not alone in their search...
This is the 8th book I've read by Mary Stewart and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was pleased that it was set in Greece like her book The Moonspinners, which happens to be my favorite out of all her books so far. Mary Stewart was once again able to capture the essence of a place and make me feel like I was there, which is one of the strong points of her novels; that is when it doesn't interfere too much with the storytelling. Most of this book is set in beautiful Delphi which I would love to visit someday among lots of other places in Greece.
It's always interesting to read books that were written in this time period (1959). I love picturing the cars and the clothing from that time as I read. Can you imagine hiking through the mountains in a dress? Also there were so many cigarettes smoked that I'm certain every one of the characters eventually die from lung disease, but back then it was the thing to do and they didn't yet know the devastating health issues smoking could cause. It did seem like there was more smoking in this book than in most of her other works though.
This book managed to be good once the story really got going, but it did take a bit too long for that to happen, which is why I can't give this one a complete 4 stars. There was mild romance and quite a bit of suspense before the end which was all good, and a murder that takes place on the page instead of just being discovered. I admit I found the way it was done a little disturbing. As for the characters, the protagonist was easy to like and so was the love interest, and Stewart managed to write a character in this book that I found downright irritating, but that's the way she was supposed to be so it was all good.
This book also involved ancient Greek art, namely statues that were very rare because few of them survived the war. One in particular, The Charioteer, is featured in this book and it was described so well that I had to look it up to see what it looked like, especially when the eyes are described.
Overall this was a good read, if slow to get going and I would rank it 5th on my list of Mary Stewart books, pretty much even with Wildfire at Midnight. I liked the protagonist better in this one, but Wildfire at Midnight was more suspenseful.
1. The Moonspinners
2. Nine Coaches Waiting
3. Madam Will You Talk?
4. The Ivy Tree
5. My Brother Michael
6. Wildfire at Midnight
7. Airs Above the Ground
8. The Stormy Petrel
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
December 8, 2023
“I think the secret is that it belongs to all of us - to us of the West. We've learned to think in its terms, and to live in its laws. It's given us almost everything that our world has that is worthwhile. Truth, straight thinking, freedom, beauty. It's our second language, our second line of thought, our second country. We all have our own country -- and Greece.”
I remember this book as not being a favorite, not coming near the high bar set by all of her other titles. Except for The Ivy Tree another of Mary Stewart's books I wasn't too fond of. It is precisely because of that, and because consequently, I had only read this novel twice before, that I decided to give it another chance and listen to it on Audible. Hopes were high, but I'm sorry to say that it lived down to my memories.
Of course, Mary Stewart's prose and her descriptions of the countryside and attractions of the Greek precinct of Delphi were as masterful as ever. But I found the plot and mystery to be rather boring and uninvolving. Our heroine and our hero, the same. They share a lot of character similarities with her other creations, but there is nothing that sets them apart or makes them particularly engaging or interesting. Most of her other lead characters, especially the women, had something about them that stood out and made them uniquely likable or admirable. One of the problems may have been that Stewart's usual teenage boy sidekick with whom our heroine can banter and look after is missing in this one. She is basically on her own, except for Simon, the hero, whom she barely comes to know. With no one to bounce off of, so to speak, Camilla remains rather one-dimensional. The romance is so slight as to be almost non-existent. Their growing feelings for each other are never shared with the reader and we only assume. On a more shallow note, I found it distracting that Camilla was tramping over the rough and rocky Greek countryside in a dress and presumably heels.
One scene in this book that has always remained with me, did not disappoint. Camilla is being stalked by the ruthless murderer. She is hiding in plain sight but knows he will soon be able to see her and he is coming up the steep hillside after her. Instead of waiting for the inevitable she steps out, brushes herself off, and meets him instead of cowering in hiding without hope of escape. I could feel her terror and inability to deal with the suspense. Indeed, the last 20% or so of the book contains some of the most harrowing and tense action in a Mary Stewart book, culminating in a to-the-death fight between Simon and the villain.
I hate to give a Mary Stewart book any less than 3 stars, but the ending lacked closure regarding Simon and Camilla's relationship, and how they were going to deal with a wondrous discovery that they found hidden deep in a cave.
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