Customer Reviews

Thornyhold

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My first response to this novel, when it was originally published, was to compare it negatively to Mary Stewart's earlier thrillers. I thought the plot trivial, the heroine insipid and overall wondered if the author, always one of my favorites,was losing her magical touch that had inspired me for over 20 years. Now, upon listening to the audio book version read by the talented Jane Asher, I believe my first impressions was wrong.

Granted Geillis Ramsey is not Mary Stewart's typical heroine: the career girl on vacation or on the new job who through a set of odd happenstances literally must fend for her life. Geillis is reflective. While Ms Stewart's other heroines, report and record the vivid locales through the sense-provoking medium of the author's glorious prose, Geillis Ramsey revels in it. She is an older contemplative Ms Stewart telling of her love of home, relating small yet monumentally beautiful occurrences of her own life, set in the green splendour of the UK. At the same time, she weaves these "little things" into a feasible fictional story of a lonely girl who with the help of an older unorthodox cousin finds her special niche in terms of self, community and finally love. The elan of witchcraft interjects a minor touch of the old Stewart suspense, but, on the whole, I believe this is Ms Stewart's tribute to life, love, and nature.

Lyrically beautiful and highly recommended.

I've been reading Mary Stewart since high school, which was a long time ago. I've always been taken with her ability to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere. In THORNYHOLD she does this superbly. In STORMY PETRAL and ROSE COTTAGE I, very sadly, felt her advanced age was affecting her writing. I was afraid I'd read my last really good Mary Stewart book. However, THORNYHOLD is wonderful; a lovely place to escape to when you need a break from this hectic modern world, and feel the need to spend some time in a romantic cottage full of magic. I recommend you visit soon and often.

I thought this book was the one of the best I have read in a long time. You could curl up by a fire and read for hours. It's like a fantasy world. I'm sure everyone has dreamed of being a witch one or twice in there life,But, fore Gellis it has come true. If you like Gothic and you like a romantic witch story this is the book for you!

I absolutely LOVED this book! Once I started it I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It has the perfect blend of spells, potions, romantic love, family love, humor, and mystery as Gilly comes to terms with her childhood memories. I did not want this wonderful story to end.

This is a book I find myself picking up at least once a year to sit down and savor all over again. I return to this book not only for the excellent writing, but for it's peaceful tone with strong hints of otherworldly drama and its undercurrents of romance as well as its richly woven descriptions. While I love all of Mary Stewarts books, this is by far my favorite. I highly recommend it.

I received this book as a Christmas present when in elementary school, and I confess that it took a while for me to open it up. Once I read it, however, I had to read it again. And again. And again. Fifteen years later, I am still reading this touching tale. This novel is an excellent example of loving and being sure of oneself. The descriptions are beautiful but not overbearing, and the simple story touched with magic is engaging. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Mary Stewart can take you there. But they were not necessarily simpler or less complicated times...

Thornyhold is less well known than Steward's tour-de-force Merlin/Arthurian novels, but still one of my favorites. Where many of her novels have modern (for the time) heroines, fighting villains in the form of thieves, murderers, selfish relatives, whatever, Gillie has less obvious battles to fight. Set in post-World War II England, where rationing still held sway and everyone knew their neighbors, Thornyhold is much like it's heroine: deep, introspective, self-depreciating, and ultimately, quietly triumphant -- much like their author.

If you are looking for excitement, battles, gunfights, and torrid love affairs, it isn't for you. But if you are looking for a truly brilliant example of character development, where gaining self knowledge is important...look into this gem.

this book is for the mysterious people who love a good romance. it's about a girl named geillis who has a hard childhood but when her godmother dies inherits her house. but to her surprise there was more about the house and her neighbors that met the eye. well anyway if you love the topic about witches as much as i do this book is definately for you!

I usually love books like these, I especially love reading them between larger more invloved books or in between books in a long series. Gothic Romance is one of my favorite generas and this book fits the description. This was also my first book by Mary Stewart. I had read other reviews about her books before and I have always wanted to read her. She sort of reminds me of Barbara Michaels. I started out really enjoying this book. Our heroine is Gilly and she has had a rough childhood filled for the most part without love. Her only good childhood memories involve her spinster cousin who is also her godmother, and most likely a witch. So when she inherits her godmother's home, Thornyhold she also inherits all the creepy problems that come with it and it might be more than she baragined for. The only reason why I didn't like this book more was because I found the romance to be a bit cheesy but I know what can you expect from a gothic romance novel. For the most part the novel flowed really well and I enjoyed all of the descriptions of English countrysides and the way this author walked along the thin line of reality.

Thornyhold is a magical read for those of you who love a genteel cozy. If you would like to curl up and imagine yourself in a cozy cottage with a touch of mystery and witchcraft....brew yourself a cup of tea, grab a scone or some great chocolate and allow yourself to enter the cottage. There is a gentle romance, a mysterious cat, and chanting in the woods. If you like the type of book where you can practically see the lace tablecloth and imagine the china teapot this book is for you. My mother, my daughter and my best friend concur with me....this is the best book i have ever read! They don't write em like this anymore!!!