The Owl Service - Alan Garner

The Owl Service by Alan Garner / ISBN 9780007127894 / 219-page paperback published by Harper UK

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Winner of both the Guardian Award and the Carnegie Medal, this is an all-time classic, combining mystery, adventure, history and a complex set of human relationships. Featuring an introduction by Philip Pullman.

It all begins with the scratching in the ceiling. From the moment Alison discovers the dinner service in the attic, with its curious pattern of floral owls, a chain of events is set in progress that is to effect everybody’s lives.

Relentlessly, Alison, her step-brother Roger and Welsh boy Gwyn are drawn into the replay of a tragic Welsh legend – a modern drama played out against a background of ancient jealousies. As the tension mounts, it becomes apparent that only by accepting and facing the situation can it be resolved.

“…A rare imaginative feat and the taste that it leaves is haunting.” The Observer

"One of the first and best [novels] for and about teenagers; it remains one of the most original and gripping ghost stories… timeless." Amanda Craig, The Times

“Alan Garner’s The Owl Service is not meant only for children or anyone else; it’s a novel; and not many better novels will be published this year…The power grows, throbs nearer, builds to unbearable tension, and comes to wild release in the last few pages.” The Guardian

Alan Garner was born and still lives in Cheshire, an area which has had a profound effect on his writing and provided the seed of many ideas worked out in his books.