| Over Sea, Under Stone | |
|---|---|
First edition cover |
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| Author(s) | Susan Cooper |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Dark Is Rising Sequence |
| Genre(s) | Children's Fantasy Mystery novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Publication date | May 1965 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 252 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | NA |
| Followed by | The Dark Is Rising |
Over Sea, Under Stone is the first novel in the five-volume "The Dark Is Rising" sequence by British author Susan Cooper. It was first published in London by Jonathan Cape in 1965. It tells of the three Drew children: Simon, Jane and Barney, and their holiday to Cornwall. The story has more of the character of a mystery than the later novels in the sequence, with the traditional fantasy elements only being hinted at and those references only later in the narrative.[1] Thus it has been said that it can ease readers into reading in this genre. [1]
Contents |
During the Drew children's holiday to Cornwall the children slowly come to realize their Great Uncle Merry is more than he appears. Following clues in an old treasure map they find in the attic, they seek an ancient treasure to aid the forces of Light and thwart the Darkness.
This story is about three children trying to figure out the mystery of a map they find. It is not easy because there are also other people (working for 'The Dark') who want to steal the map for themselves. Great Uncle Merry, Simon, Jane, and Barney try to solve the riddle and keep the map safe. Eventually they work out what it means and find a mythical treasure.
Successful soon after publication, the series then generated large amounts of interest, and was well received by the literary world. The novel marks - for a narrative intended for children - fairly sophisticated use of English, with an extensive vocabulary and complex sentence structures.[2]
In 1995 Armada Productions adapted 'Over Sea, Under Stone' for BBC Radio 4 as part of its Children's Radio 4 strand. In 1997 it was followed by 'The Dark Is Rising'. Each serial consisted of four half-hour episodes with few changes from the books(the most noticeable change made being the reduction of Will Stanton's siblings to only three).
Ronald Pickup (familiar to many as the voice of Aslan in the BBC Narnia TV adaptations) played Merriman in both serials while Struan Roger played Mr. Hastings, Mr. Mitothin and The Rider.
'Over Sea, Under Stone' was repeated once in 1997 a few months before 'The Dark Is Rising'. Neither serial has been repeated since, nor has it been made commercially available.
Trewissick, the Cornish village in which the entire novel is set, is based directly on the actual village of Mevagissey, located in South Cornwall. The author used to holiday there as a child.
The vicarage, which Jane Drew visits and first meets Mr. Hastings, is based on Mevagissey House, the former vicarage of Mevagissey.