- Hardcover: 627 pages
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) (August 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0891909389
- ISBN-13: 978-0891909385
- Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.5 x 0.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 885 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
'Perhaps the greatest gifts Anya Seton brings to her historical novels are the zest of her narrative, the life she breathes into the most insignificant characters, and the atmosphere she evokes around them.' Books and Bookmen 'Her most intriguing and ambitious novel to date ... an exciting and suspenseful story' Liverpool Daily Post
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
In 1552, Celia de Bohun falls hopelssly in love with Stephen, the resident priest in the Catholic household of Sir Anthony Browne. Against his will, Stephen returns her love, and the pair become the victims of their savage times. Centuries later, their tragedy threatens the life and happiness of another Celia, the young, rich and unhappy wife of Richard Marsden and lady of the Sussex manor called Medfield Place. She can only be saved by piercing the green darkness of the past and revealing its mysterious truth.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A TALE OF STAR-CROSSED LOVERS...,
By
This review is from: Green Darkness (Paperback)
I first read this book some thirty odd years ago and really enjoyed it. It was also my first introduction to the author, who is a master storyteller and wonderful writer of historical fiction. Seeing this book on my shelf, I decided to read it again. Time has certainly not diminished the capacity of this well-written book to entertain the reader.This is a tale of star-crossed lovers and reincarnation. It is a story of passion and love that transcends time and is really two stories. One takes place in the twentieth century and the other in sixteenth century Tudor England. Combining history, romance, and suspense, it will keep the reader turning the pages. When, after a whirlwind courtship, titled Englishman, Richard Marsdon, marries Celia Taylor, a young American heiress, it seems to be a fairytale romance. It had simply been love at first sight. While living in his ancestral home with Celia, however, Richard seems to change, withdrawing from Celia emotionally. Celia finds the change almost incomprehensible, but she, too, is having her own issues with her strange sense of deja vu. All things came to a head when they throw a house party, and something happens that causes Celia to hover between life and death. As luck would have it, present at the time is a medical doctor and master of mysticism, Dr. Akananda. He senses that Celia must relive her past in order to understand and survive her present. The book then segues into sixteenth century Tudor England, where Celia was a young and beautiful woman, working as a servant in a nobleman's home. It explores her life and the passion that was to dominate her, body and soul. Of the two stories that emerge, the more interesting one takes place in the past, as the author vividly brings to life the religious tumult, political strife, and jockeying for position and power that characterized Tudor England. Moreover, many of the people that Celia knows in the present have their counterparts in the past, which adds another dimension to this tale of good and evil. Splendidly told, this story of star-crossed lovers will keep the reader turning the pages. Those who enjoy well-written historical fiction with a strong infusion of romance will very much like this book.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb historical novel!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Green Darkness (Hardcover)
I had read Green Darkness a long time ago (almost everybody here read the book a while back!). Anyways, since then I have read hundreds of other novels, but for some reason I have never been able to forget this novel.I still distinctly remember the main protagonists, and Ms Seton's style of writing had such a marvellous quality of taking you back to the Tudor Era, making you feel that you were a part of that period. I have read many historical romances since then, but rarely do I feel transported back to the time about which I am reading. Anyways, this is a wonderful book, and if you ever get your hands on it, read it and KEEP it. I am sorry I didn't!
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Tragic, Enthralling Romance,
By Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Green Darkness (Hardcover)
In the 1960's, young Celia Marsdon travels to England to visit the ancestral lands of her husband, Richard Marsdon. Once they get there, things get strange--Richard begins acting like an utter jerk, while Celia begins to have strange fits and visions. Celia's mother has befriended a Hindu guru, Dr. Akananda, and it is he who figures out what's wrong with the young couple. The troubles of the present time can only be solved by revisiting a tragedy from the past.And so the older story begins, in the reign of Edward VI, as lovely young Celia de Bohun and her loving aunt take up residence with a grand family as "poor relations". Celia is a fascinating and "real" character, full of contradictions and human failings. She is headstrong and impulsive; dreaming of true love but entranced by male flattery; innocent but coquettish. She creates a scandal when she falls in love with the family chaplain, Stephen--who in turn desires Celia but does not want to break his vow of chastity. They part--but never forget each other. Time passes; Edward's persecution of Catholics gives way to Mary's persecution of Protestants; the family fortunes rise and fall; sympathetic characters harden into detestable ones (I weep for you, Magdalen!). Anya Seton draws us deeply into her world, filled with schemes, ambition, and lies; and with ghosts, madwomen, superstitions, and a particular, notorious Celtic witch. And when Celia and Stephen finally meet again, nothing can stop the power between them. It ends tragically, and we cry; we've been so sucked into the Tudor story that we forget we're headed back to the 1960's to resolve it all. One gripe: It always gets on my nerves when authors of historical fiction insert modern beauty standards into their novels. I didn't like the treatment of the overweight girl, Mabel. This story is supposed to be taking place in a time when "pleasingly plump" was a compliment and not a euphemism. Had Mabel really lived, I doubt she would have been thought of so derisively. However, this gripe is sort of offset by the kudos I must give to Seton for having a sympathetic gay character in her novel--especially considering the date of publication. Even current romance writers (who should know better) still tend to assign homosexuality to the most depraved of villains. So, I grumble about Seton's treatment of the overweight, but I'm impressed with her treatment of the gay man in the story. Overall: An enthralling story. Starts slow, but by the time you get to the halfway point, you won;t be able to put it down.
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