Melusine: A Mystery [Library Binding]

Lynne Reid Banks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

A teenaged boy becomes embroiled in the mysterious life of a farm girl while on vacation in the south of France.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The chateau at which Roger and his family arrive for vacation is not what they had hoped; apart from a few resplendent rooms, the place is rundown and dirty. Roger instantly christens the owner, Monsieur Serpe, an ogre, and sets out to befriend his lovely daughter Melusine by helping her milk her goats. But Roger stumbles into mythic elements and family intrigue: a forbidden locked tower beckons Roger, and Melusine seems to be not only the victim of abuse, but of much darker secrets as well. Banks ( The Writing on the Wall ; Indian in the Cupboard ) piles illusion upon illusion, hemming Roger into his ultimate choices but also revealing his compassion and faith in incredible facts. Roger and all his family's members are deftly created, and the author's handling of fairy-tale archetypes (the ogre and his accursed daughter) borders on the sublime. A complex and vastly entertaining gothic novel. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Lynne Reid Banks was born in London. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she acted and wrote for the repertory stage. Later, she turned to journalism, becoming one of Britain's first female television news reporters. In 1962 she emigrated to Israel, where she married a sculptor, had three sons and taught for eight years in a kibbutz. She now lives with her husband in England. She writes, travels, and visits schools, at home and abroad, full-time. Among Lynne Reid Banks's popular novels for young readers are Angela and Diabola; Harry the Poisonous Centipede; The Fairy Rebel; The Farthest-Away Mountain; The Adventures of King Midas; The Magic Hare; Maura's Angel; and the award-winning Indian in the Cupboard books. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: Topeka Bindery (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613083407
• ISBN-13: 978-0613083409
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,817,796 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lynne Reid Banks is a best-selling author for children and adults. Her classic children's novel 'The Indian in the Cupboard' has sold nearly six million copies worldwide. She was born in London in 1929 and worked as an actress, writer and TV news reporter. Lynne has written thirty books: her first, 'The L-Shaped Room', was published in 1960. She now lives in Dorset, where she continues to write. Lynne says that writing for children comes much more easily than writing for adults. Tony Ross was born in London in 1938. He has worked as an art director at an advertising agency, a graphic designer, a cartoonist, a teacher, a film maker and as a Senior Lecturer in Art at Manchester Polytechnic.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Gothic puzzle, September 13, 2002

By 

Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Melusine (Paperback)

Lynne Reid Banks's _Melusine_ is a fine example of the sort of book I like to call "Teen Celto-Gothic"--defined by mysterious places, dark family secrets, and forces of mythology that make themselves known in the mundane world. Among such novels are older books like Garner's _The Owl Service_ and Pope's _The Perilous Gard_ , and newer books like Liz Berry's _The China Garden_. _Melusine_ is another of this sort, and certainly good enough to be on the shelf with these others.

The story begins as Roger (whose age I estimate at 14 or so), his parents, and his little sisters arrive at the run-down French chateau where they will be spending their vacation. Their first impression of the house is inauspicious; the front rooms are squalid, and the owner, one Monsieur Serpe, a belligerent jerk. But things seem to get better. The part of the house where Roger's family will be staying is well-kept and pretty. And Roger begins to make friends with Serpe's shy daughter, Melusine.

The family vacation turns sinister as Roger begins to hear the sound of something slithering through his room at night. And a struggle he witnesses between Serpe and Melusine suggests a more ordinary but more disturbing horror. Stranger and stranger things happen, and all the while Roger's feelings for Melusine deepen. When he reads about the mythical Melusine in a guidebook, the situation at the chateau begins to become clear--but in order to believe what he knows to be true, Roger must allow himself to believe in the impossible. Can Melusine be saved from the horror at the chateau, or can she save herself? This is a creepy, moody, engrossing novel recommended to those who like that sort of thing. I couldn't put it down.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It has stuck with me..., September 30, 2000

By 

"vegangirl" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Melusine (Paperback)

I actually read this book years ago, when I was a teenager. I can't remember all the plot twists and details, but the power of the story has remained with me to this day. Everytime I see it on the shelf, I feel this overpowering sensation that brings me back to the story. This is definitely an intricate mystery. It is at once strange, beautiful, scary, and highly compelling. I found it to be well-written, easy to follow, absorbing, and meaningful. It is one of my favorite fiction books. The story is set in western France, at a chateau. An American family is visiting France and staying at an almost empty chateau, inhabited only by a man and his mysterious daughter. You'll have to read it to find out more!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful, sad, suspenseful, and slightly dark reading, December 25, 2000

By 

daisy (NV, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Melusine (Paperback)

I read this book in junior high and loved it. This is the story of a sad, dark, lonely girl whose pain and frustration are finally released in the form of a supernatural occurence. The setting- a fallen-down French castle- is perfect for the storyline. This novel has enough suspense to make it a page-turner. If you like this story, check out the similar novel Pictures in the Dark by Gillian Cross.