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Children's & Teenage > Fiction > Fantasy
The Owl Service (Paperback)
  • The Owl Service (Paperback)
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The Owl Service (Paperback)

(author)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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£7.99
Paperback 240 Pages
Published: 06/07/2023
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Synopsis Author
Waterstones Says

Deftly interweaving a tale of Welsh mythology into a sensitive and nuanced coming-of-age, The Owl Service is a lyrical, eerie pastoral and arguably Garner's touchstone work.

Reissued in 2023 with new cover art by Chris Wormell

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 a new 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.

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780007127894
Number of pages: 240
Weight: 160 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 22 mm

MEDIA REVIEWS

“…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 "A fascinating book… The Owl Service is a fabulous, multi-layered book of mystery and suspense." The Book Bag “This book is a superb piece of architecture in which every detail plays its proper part.” Growing Point

Titan of British fantasy, Alan Garner debuted in 1960 with the magisterial novel of Cheshire myth and mystery The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, embarking on a strange and remarkable trilogy he would not conclude until 2012’s haunting Boneland. Along the way, Garner completed several other children’s tales, including the Carnegie Medal-winning The Owl Service, plus two novels for an adult audience. Lauded by figures such as Neil Gaiman and Ali Smith, Garner’s influence on our fiction runs deep.

Visit the Alan Garner author page

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“The Owl Service”

I first read this book more than twenty five years ago and it is still etched in my mind as a disturbing and compelling read. Alan Garner wrote superb fantasy books for older children (and , indeed, adults) and this... More

Paperback edition
Helpful? Upvote 78
Big Bearded Bookseller

“A classic for a good reason”

A children’s classic that has passed me by, along with so many others.
It was reading Bookworm by Lucy Mangan that I’ve realised I have such a huge hole in my reading, classic children’s fiction and I’m now trying to... More

Paperback edition
Helpful? Upvote 54
Sharon, Bookseller at Waterstones Gloucester

“Must read for every child and grown up.”

I love so many things about this book and can understand why Garner's works appeal across age ranges - there is both complexity and simplicity to the weird creepiness which keeps you enthralled.

The class... More

Paperback edition
Helpful? Upvote 54

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