Customer Reviews

The Catherine Cookson Collection (The Dwelling Place / The Gambling Man / The Glass Virgin / The Man Who Cried)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've seen all the movies in this set except for the man who cried, I haven't gotten to watch that one yet. I started watching Catherine Cookson films as a teenager because my grandma watched them all the time. I fell in love with them. As depressing as her films can be (it seems there is always a tragedy in her films) the ending is always good. In this set the Gambling Man is my favorite, I suggest you watch it first. I also own set 1. Set 1 has The Wingless Bird, The Fifteen Streets, The Moth, and the Rag Nymph. Also a wonderful set to add to your collection. I bought The Girl separately. There are two more movies that I bought that are sold as a set and they are The Black Velvet Gown and The Black Candle. Both of those movies are wonderful, especially the Black Velvet Gown. It is a wonderful love story.These films are great on DVD, the picture is nice and clear and the sound is really good. A good buy!

Catherine Cookson was a master storyteller. More of the British television adaptations of some of Cookson's best stories are here on DVD. Every one of the stories are worth the typical cost of a current running motion picture so this set has a bargain price. I'd rate any of the 17 movies adapted from Catherine Cookson's books a 5-star; and I have them all.

There is usually some violence involved in these Victorian stories as Cookson wrote about the common and poor people of the Victorian era, not the aristocrats. Their life style was much harsher, dirty, and troublesome. Cookson was able to show romance, love, and family value in many of her characters as well. You will get quite a mix of characters, and many will be as unforgettable as the story itself.

Cookson almost always wrote of the Newcastle area in NE England and the sets allow you to look back in time and to see the sights for yourself. And the costumes, so realistic, help set the stage for the delightful stories. Don't always expect the delightful ending, or the anticipated finale. Cookson likes to surprise.

Warning: Keep this set on the adult shelf. Almost all of the stories, because of the people and region portrayed in the tale, offer segments unacceptable to younger children due to language, sexuality, violence, nudity, and/or content. But the other 97% is "BANG-ON," and "JOLLY GOOD."

If you love historical romance and accurate history you can't go wrong with this set. Nobody does history like BBC and they stick close to Ms. Cookson's story line too.

The acting is superb and the sets are wonderful. You really get a feel for the time that Catherine Cookson is writing about.

I truly enjoy all of Catherine Cookson's made for TV movies, the storylines, locales, costumes and actors make for great TV, even if somewhat gritty, which could have been left out of a perfectly good story

Excellently done. Fine acting. No porn, no violence, no gutter language, yet very adult themes presented in an adult manner.

I've enjoyed Catherine Cookson books and now I can doubly enjoy them on DVD's with actors I enjoy watching. The stories have a little bit of all kinds of life in them and I don't tire of them.

Catherine Cookson has some really good books. I have to say I like the movies better than the books as they are a little hard to get through at times...at least for me.
I really liked The Glass Virgin and The Dwelling Place.
The Glass Virgin is about a young girl that grows up believing she is the daughter of her parents. When the truth comes out her life changes dramatically. She goes through much hardship with a special friend.
The Dwelling Place is again about hardship and making choices. The young girl is raped. Other reviewers have stated the unlikelyhood of her marrying the rapist. I have to disagree to some degree because it was a different time and place then. There are historical accounts of women doing just that and living their lives out together.

this was a great set of family movies and will watch them againand again
when needing a pick me up I get Castherine Cookson's movies out!
The one where the girl and her siblings live in the cave, The Dwelling Place, and The Man who Cried with Cirian Hinds,as The Gambling Man with Robson green, As well as the Glass Virgin. All really good movies of that period in time
I wish we could get the Round Tower but it is only in Region 2 disk.
So shop aamazon and buy them either in VHS or DVD settings
excellent actors and good family stories
All of Catherine Cookson's movies are well written and acted on
I had seen it so bought i, As I did all of her moviest
chfancier"fancier of fine movies"

I like period pieces like sense and sensibility etc. thought I would like this collection based on description.....not my cup of tea. Will stick to the classics.