The Weirdstone of Brisingamen: A
Tale of Alderley by Alan Garner
A Childhood Favorite
Readers who love E. Nesbit or Susan Cooper may discover a new
favorite in Alan Garner, winner of many awards for literary excellence
including the Carnegie Medal. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, first
published in 1960, is the story of two children, Susan and Colin, who are
sent to rural England to stay with Bess Mossock, their mothers childhood
nurse. The Mossocks farm is delightfully old-fashioned, and the Alderley
area is dotted with interesting woods to explore as well as treacherous
disused mines. Susan and Colin encounter a frightening local woman,
and feel they are being watched by crows. The air of menace quickly
becomes acute danger as the children are pursued by small goblinlike
beings, who truss them in cobwebby ropes. An ancient wizard named
Cadellin comes to their rescue. As they learn more of the dark forces that
threaten Alderley, Susan and Colin find themselves on the run through the
abandoned mine tunnels, aided by a pair of heroic dwarfs. Garners
knowledge of folklore and the Alderley area--his characters dialect sounds

realistic instead of like rote fantasy-speak--imbues his story with a
thoughtful depth. His writing is as clear as poetry: And they passed
between the stones, only to stop short a couple of paces later, with
despair in their hearts, cold as the east wind. There is a sequel to The
Weirdstone of Brisingamen, called The Moon of Gomrath, and both books
are superbly written, absorbing tales of wizardry and adventure. --Blaise
Selby
Personal Review: The Weirdstone of Brisingamen: A Tale of
Alderley by Alan Garner
C. S. Lewis once wrote that a children's book that adults couldn't enjoy
probably wouldn't be much good for children, either. Well, here's a slim but
splendid volume that he would undoubtedly have savored! While any child
who loves adventure, magic & an eerie sense of the otherworldly will love
this book, so will any discerning adult with the same tastes.
Written in crisp, poetic prose that evokes powerful images in just a few
words, the power of this story builds & builds, as we follow Colin & Susan
into an older world of magic that still lives just behind the surface of the
everyday world. Drawing upon Arthurian, Norse & Celtic legend, Alan
Garner takes us into a world of mystery & wildness that always feels real,
not the least bit made up. No by-the numbers D&D rehashings here! Just a
story with the weight of myth, piercing & cold as an enchanted iron sword,
ablaze with wonders & steeped in the blackest of shadows.
It's amazing to me that this superb story, as well as its equally superb
sequel "The Moon of Gomrath," aren't better known. Alderley should be
spoken of in the same breath as Middle-Earth & Narnia & Hogwarts --
although as a writer, Garner is in a class of his own. There's a certain
uneasiness at play in these pages, a recognition that magic, even good
magic, is dangerous & liable to have unexpected, even tragic
consequences. And that's all to the good. The reader should come away
from such an encounter with both awe & a little fear.
In later books, Garner delves more deeply into the nature & workings of
myth -- intricate, thought-provoking work. But in this early tale & its sequel,
he's probably more accessible to the general reader. In any case, he offers
a fine tale -- one most highly recommended!
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