Marianne Dreams

by Catherine Storr

On her tenth birthday, Marianne is forced to bed with a fever. Picking up a pencil she starts to draw a house. That night she dreams. As Marianne sleeps, she finds herself transported to the house she has drawn, and the mysterious world that lies beyond. Together with a strange but familiar boy, she embarks on an adventure that runs between reality and dream. Catherine Storr's classic children's novel is adapted for the stage by Moira Buffini. Marianne Dreams premiered at the Almeida Theatre, London, in December 2007.

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Author Catherine Storr was educated at St. Paul's Girls' School and went on to study English at Newnham College, Cambridge. She then went to medical school and worked part-time as a Senior Medical Officer in the Department of Psychological Medicine of the Middlesex Hospital from 1950 to 1963.

Her first book was published in 1940, but was not successful. It was not until the 1950s that her books became popular. She wrote mostly children's books as well as books for adults, plays, short stories, and adapted one of her novels into an opera libretto. She published more than 30 children's books, but is best known for Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf and Marianne Dreams, which was made into a television series and a film.

Reviews

[Loni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book as a child. So imaginative, scary, exciting. Adaptation was also imaginative, dreamy, real. Loved it.

[Clara James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book as a child. Must have read it at least 20 times. Scary, brilliant and fascinating.

Would love to read it again.

[Rohani · Rating 2 out of 5]

This does not interest me as much as the book. I would have been very confused if it had not been for Catherine Storr's original novel. I think the difference between the stage adaptation and the novel is the psychological, almost Freudian, approach to Marianne's dreams in the adaptation, whereas the novel is more fantasy. The theatre production of this play is interesting and challenging, but there are just too many unexplained subplots that I found it hard to keep up.