The Owl Service

From the author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted Treacle Walker

Winner of both the Guardian Award and the Carnegie Medal, this is an all-time classic, combining mystery, adventure, history and a complex set of human relationships. Featuring a new introduction by Philip Pullman.

It all begins with the scratching in the ceiling. From the moment Alison discovers the dinner service in the attic, with its curious pattern of floral owls, a chain of events is set in progress that is to effect everybody’s lives.

Relentlessly, Alison, her step-brother Roger and Welsh boy Gwyn are drawn into the replay of a tragic Welsh legend – a modern drama played out against a background of ancient jealousies. As the tension mounts, it becomes apparent that only by accepting and facing the situation can it be resolved.

“"...A rare imaginative feat and the taste that it leaves is haunting." The Observer "This book is a superb piece of architecture in which every detail plays its proper part." Growing Point "Alan Garner's The Owl Service is not meant only for children or anyone else; it's a novel; and not many better novels will be published this year...The power grows, throbs nearer, builds to unbearable tension, and comes to wild release in the last few pages." The Guardian”

"!A rare imaginative feat and the taste that it leaves is haunting." The Observer "This book is a superb piece of architecture in which every detail plays its proper part." Growing Point "Alan Garner's The Owl Service is not meant only for children or anyone else; it's a novel; and not many better novels will be published this year!The power grows, throbs nearer, builds to unbearable tension, and comes to wild release in the last few pages." The Guardian

Alan Garner was born and still lives in Cheshire, an area which has had a profound effect on his writing and provided the seed of many ideas worked out in his books. His fourth book, ‘The Owl Service' brought Alan Garner to everyone's attention. It won two important literary prizes – The Guardian Award and the Carnegie Medal – and was made into a serial by Granada Television. It has established itself as a classic and Alan Garner as a writer of great distinction.

From the author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted Treacle Walker> Winner of both the Guardian Award and the Carnegie Medal, this is an all-time classic, combining mystery, adventure, history and a complex set of human relationships. Featuring a new introduction by Philip Pullman. It all begins with the scratching in the ceiling. From the moment Alison discovers the dinner service in the attic, with its curious pattern of floral owls, a chain of events is set in progress that is to effect everybody's lives. Relentlessly, Alison, her step-brother Roger and Welsh boy Gwyn are drawn into the replay of a tragic Welsh legend - a modern drama played out against a background of ancient jealousies. As the tension mounts, it becomes apparent that only by accepting and facing the situation can it be resolved.

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