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Summary: What a fun read!
Review: Although presumably written for children, this book was a lovely read on an Autumn afternoon for a 42-year-old. I did not realize until I reached her bio at the end that Cooper co-wrote the wonderful play "Foxfire" nor the Jane Fonda TV vehicle "The Dollmaker".
I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series, as well as other works by Susan Cooper.
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Summary: One of the Best
Review: This is absolutely one of the best books I read as a teen. It was so good I had to read it twice. It is a fantasy about other worlds and crossing over into those and is told wonderfully.
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Summary: Wonderful, resonates with myth and depth
Review: This is a wonderful book, bridging the contemporary world and the world of myth. The characters in both worlds are sensitive and human in the best sense--they have regrets and make mistakes and also have surprising moments where they surprise themselves with their strength.The language in this book is hauntingly beautiful. It is ostensibly a book for children, but this strikes me as an ageless book, definitely fit for adults.
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Summary: One of my all-time favorites
Review: I first read this book in 7th grade, and fell in love with it. The whole series is amazing in how it captures the feeling of a battle between good and evil without just violence. I am now 32 and intend to re-read it for like the 15th time. Buy the whole series!
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Summary: a monolith of the modern fantasy canon
Review: cooper's 'the dark is rising' was the first book i read in her series of five; i was ten years old. it was so well-written and conceived that i re-read the book perhaps dozens of times before i realized that there was more to the story than this one volume. i am now in my mid-twenties with a master's degree in english lit from a premier university, working in publishing...still re-reading the series. 'the dark is rising' by itself is an incredible weaving of arthurian legend, celtic tradition, and a fantastic battle of good versus evil, but when taken in context of the series it becomes a pivotal moment around which the other books orbit. will stanton and merriman are fleshed out as intense, intricate beings, not simply automaton soldiers for the light. the forces of the dark reveal a cunning and inhuman power not seen in the drew novels. and the charm and history of a battle beyond time glow throughout the text. cooper's imagery, reworking of mythology, and incorporation of the mundane into the supernatural are at their best in this beautiful book, suited for imaginative dreamers of all ages.
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Summary: Hmm. . .
Review: I'm not sure why this book seemed so bad to me. With a few books I have felt that I was missing something the author had hidden, but I could not feel that this book even contained anything to be missed! I've never had such a hard time with a book, and I generally can read the most mature literature. I like Cooper's writing style, but of all the books in her series, this is my least favorite. The order of events and the mystical things that happen leave the reader waiting for them to make sense, but they never do! Perhaps this book will work for me someday, but I much preferred the prequel, Over Sea Under Stone. Too bad it couldn't help make Dark is Rising make better sense.
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Summary: A Mom-Chauffeur's Dream
Review: With 4 kids, I spend a lot of time in the car. With Alex Jennings reading this wonderful book, I actually wanted to spend MORE time in the car. He is an incredible reader - perfect, in fact. It is a better experience to listen to him read that it ever would be for you to read it yourself. The other great thing is The Dark Is Rising is something I enjoyed as much as, if not more, than my kids! I highly recommend this book-on-tape to all of the minivan moms out there and to all of their active kids.
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Summary: The Sound Person Winces
Review: I was baby sitting one time when one of the kids showed me this series. The true mark of a great story is that you keep coming back to it, re-reading many times even when you know the ending. Susan Cooper command of the depths of Celtic-British symbolism and mythology is awesome. These are great books. Alex Jennings has done a fine job as reader. So the cassette tapes ain't the best quality. So the cassette tapes aren't even medium quality. So there's audible tape hiss even with Dolby B. I believe there is an audio medium called the Cee Dee, and if there is any book or series that demands its own merits be reflected in the production, "The Dark Is Rising" would be up at the top of the list. Order your copy so's you make sure you ask for the CD's.
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Summary: Brian's Review
Review: I believe that this book was exquisit. That is alot coming from me, for i am only a 13 year old, who cant even spell exquisit. I perticularly like this book, not because of the amazingly suspensful adventures (although those, too), nor for the interesting time-travel theme (i liked this, too), but because i simply like the charactors. I loved the way Susan Cooper clearly made you dislike the veil, while the charactors of the Light are, at the end of the book , like your best friends. I liked this book ALOT. I give this book 4stars.
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Summary: My personal favorite of the series
Review: Of the five books in this sequence, this is my definite favorite. The writing is vivid, and the snowbound setting makes this story very streamlined. I started with Over Sea, Under Stone, and while I found it enjoyable, this second book enthralled me. I would recommend reading this book second (as it is listed in the natural order) because it starts to slowly reveal things that make more sense later on. The first book is just to whet your appetite, this book adds the kicker. The sense of menace and dread is excellent. I wish this book had ben longer so that I could have enjoyed it even more. Definitely worth your time.
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