The Magic Cottage

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Summary: GHOSTIES AND BEASTIES AND THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT..
Review: An attractive young couple is looking for an attractive little house. An attractive little house is looking for the perfect couple. When Midge and Mike find Gramarye, a darling, quaint little cottage in the English countryside, it is as if a spell had been cast upon them. They purchase this little cottage in the middle of nowhere, after a rather unusual negotiation.

Warm and cozy, with an inviting air, Granmarye is everything of which they ever dreamed, and they thrive in its salubrious atmosphere. The days never seemed brighter, nor the nights more romantic. The local flower and fauna around the cottage seem to blossom right before their very eyes. The small animals in the woods seem especially friendly, as do its birds, and they all seem to want to pay a call at the cottage. It is as if the house had a positive psychic energy of its own. It is as if it were a fairytale come true.

Midge and Mike discover that Granmarye's former owner, an elderly woman, had a reputation as a healer. They also discover that a local cult lives not far from them and that its members are reviled by the nearby townspeople. They meet a few of these so called cult members, and they do seem a tad peculiar. They also appear to be quite nervous when visiting Midge and Mike. The cult's leader, however, seems to want to visit very badly. Midge does not mind, but Mike has certain reservations, as there is something about that cult that just does not sit right with him.

Slowly, a shift in the atmosphere in the cottage takes place. As the tension in the book increases, strange and creepy things begin to occur in the cottage. A change in its psychic energy is beginning to take place, replete with a mysterious figure in the woods. Slowly but surely, Midge's and Mike's paradise on earth starts to become a living hell. Spooky, mysterious, and, alternately, charming and chilling, this is one of author's best books.

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Summary: Spooky!
Review: Like the reader from England (dated May 20th 1999), I too have read this book numerous times and that tells you something, doesn't it? It is spooky, yet enchanting. It is mystical. I love it. I love the description of the cottage and the woods. Buy the book and enjoy it.

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Summary: Big disappointment....
Review: The Magic Cottage ended with a bang but started slow. The fast paced conclusion was excellent pulling the story together, filled with horror and wonder. I wanted the story to move faster, the first half was like slogging through mud, you can see the glorious meadow beyond but first have to plod through muck to get there. The story involves a couple who buy their first house after living in London apartments. They find a worn cottage in a remote village, it needs lots of restoration but they believe it will be grand. So after purchasing it, it is fixed up, and they settle into life in the country. They are stunned to find gardens blooming where once weeds had been, animals coming for visits, seemingly unafraid of human contact, they are somewhat dismayed to find a mysterious castle through the woods filled with "Synergists". They are warned by the village folk to stay away from the Synergists. Slowly the leader of the group, entices Midge to explore her pain filled past. The end is a flurry of spooky horror. What is really behind all the mysteries at the cottage, are the Synergists friends or evil foes, what happened to Flora (the previous owner of the cottage). I recommend the book, but be prepared for a slow start to a slam bang finish.

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Summary: Will sent icy centipedes up ur back!!!!!!
Review: This book is ideal for someone who doesnt like horror as strong as Stepehn King's or William Peter Blatty's. I wasnt expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, i was merely in search for a good author. I'm experimental with books, so I'll read an author once!
Anyway, I found this to be quite good. Good writing, and will literally make you shiver at times, and stop you from walking into your kitchen when your by yourself. You never know what you might find sitting at the table....
Enjoy...................... ;-)

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Summary: My favorite book...
Review: This was one of the most enchanting, gripping stories I have ever read. Great book! The story centers around a couple from London, Mike and Midge, who hunger for a house of their own. Midge starts scanning the newspaper and is drawn to a little add for a cottage called Gramarye. When they go see the house they find out from the realtor that is being sold as part of the estate of a very old woman who lived there most of her life and died suddenly. When they go to the house Midge is completely enchanted by the little cottage, feeling like it is home. Mike sees the flaws that need fixing. Still, passion wins over and they buy the little house and work to restore it's beauty. They seem like the perfect couple who has just found the perfect home.

Yet ... there is something strange about Gramarye, Mike can feel it, Midge seems oblivious to it. Animals come into the house and eat out of their hands, they befriend a little red squirrel who comes in daily and chatters away at them. Wounds heal spontaneously. It all sounds pretty silly, but it is all part of the magic that is Gramarye.

Soon the enchanting life starts to take a turn when they meet young people who live in a house on the other side of the forest behind their house. Midge becomes entangled with their group, which ends up being a cult. The cult wants the house and will stop at nothing to possess it. Thus begins the battle of wills while Mike tries to save Midge from the cult and his new home from their possession. Don't worry, I haven't given anything away.

This book was a mystery loaded with magic and danger. It has ghosts and spirits, both good and evil. It begins by sparking the imagination, and the tension grows stronger and stronger in this well wrought story, until it reaches a crescendo that will leave you breathless. This was such a good book that I put my owner bookplate in it and made it a keeper for my own shelf. Find this book and read it, you'll love it as much as I did!

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Summary: growing suspense & magic.........
Review: This was one of the most enchanting, gripping stories I have ever read. Great book! The story centers around a couple from London, Mike and Midge, who hunger for a house of their own. Midge starts scanning the newspaper and is drawn to a little add for a cottage called Gramarye. When they go see the house they find out from the realtor that is being sold as part of the estate of a very old woman who lived there most of her life and died suddenly. When they go to the house Midge is completely enchanted by the little cottage, feeling like it is home. Mike sees the flaws that need fixing. Still, passion wins over and they buy the little house and work to restore it's beauty. They seem like the perfect couple who has just found the perfect home.

Yet ... there is something strange about Gramarye, Mike can feel it, Midge seems oblivious to it. Animals come into the house and eat out of their hands, they befriend a little red squirrel who comes in daily and chatters away at them. Wounds heal spontaneously. It all sounds pretty silly, but it is all part of the magic that is Gramarye.

Soon the enchanting life starts to take a turn when they meet young people who live in a house on the other side of the forest behind their house. Midge becomes entangled with their group, which ends up being a cult. The cult wants the house and will stop at nothing to possess it. Thus begins the battle of wills while Mike tries to save Midge from the cult and his new home from their possession. Don't worry, I haven't given anything away.

This book was a mystery loaded with magic and danger. It has ghosts and spirits, both good and evil. It begins by sparking the imagination, and the tension grows stronger and stronger in this well wrought story, until it reaches a crescendo that will leave you breathless. This was such a good book that I put my owner bookplate in it and made it a keeper for my own shelf. Find this book and read it, you'll love it as much as I did!

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Summary: Enchanting, Scary, Thrilling, Thought-provoking read!
Review: This was the first Herbert book I read...back in 1988..I have since read them all and it remains my favourite. It is a story of a young couple who move into a beautiful (round) cottage in the countryside. Herbert is at his best as he tells this tale, enchanting you with his descriptions of the animals, people & surroundings. I find James Herbert fantasticly good at making me laugh during even the scariest moments - this book is certainly funny, but equally keeping you on the edge of your seat as you read. Sex, drugs, rock n roll, art, the occult, love, life and death all feature in this unique story, winding you in as you discover more and more about the characters....Watch out for Rambo the squirrel...he appears in several of Herbert's books in different forms. Over and above any other book I have ever read I would recommend this one...do give it a shot...I hope you'll find it as enjoyable as I do.

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Summary: Prepare to enter an idyllic world...or is it?
Review: Your normal, everyday couple; in love...ambitious...wanting to escape the city. They find a fairytale thatched cottage, 'Gramarye', in the English countryside...or does IT find them??

This book had such an effect on me that I almost felt dreamlike and magical whilst reading it.

Strongly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Prepare to enter an idyllic world...or is it?
Review: Your normal, everyday couple; in love...ambitious...wanting to escape the city. They find a fairytale thatched cottage, 'Gramarye', in the English countryside...or does IT find them??

This book had such an effect on me that I almost felt dreamlike and magical whilst reading it.

Strongly recommended!