The Magic Cottage

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When they are befriended by the local cult members - the Synergists - life becomes complicated and Midge looks increasingly like a willing victim. I had a lot of fun with this book, even though the pacing was a little slow. The vivid images of the cottage and all of the creatures and flowers there will be with me for a while. In Mike's introduction to the adventure with Gramarye, he half-seriously compares it to The Amityville Horror. Although suffering the same fate as so many series of its era—virtually all the episodes are lost, a kinescope of one episode is held at the UCLA Film and Television Archive, with another (dating from December 28, 1950) held by the Paley Center for Media. An additional episode may survive as part of the Peabody Award collection. [6] See also [ edit ] This was my introduction to this author and I enjoyed this introduction. At first, this seems like a horror genre novel as the reader knows there is something going on with this cottage. The author does a slow burn for the tension as we get a pervading presence throughout. There is also a sub plot with a religious group that eventually will tie in with the main plot. I did think with the main plot and the sub plot was a little too slow for the majority of the book. I was interested in both plots but not totally enthralled. The finale when these two plots merge is fantastic and why I raised my rating the half star. It was explosive and switched genres to the fantasy genre without losing a beat. I could not stop reading the final scene and I believe it would be great to see visually.

Een leuk koppel verhuisd van de drukke stad naar een prachtige cottage op het Engelse platteland. Het sfeertje deed me denken aan de tv serie midsomer murder (voordat er in de aflevering een moord wordt gepleegd). Het huis lijkt een weldadig helend effect te hebben. Er lopen massa's tamme dieren rond het huis. Op een klein duister sfeertje na wat je toch op je hoede laat zijn was het een heerlijk knus verhaal. Mike and Midge are young, professional and in love. Their artistic talents allow them to consider moving to the countryside to work from home. While looking for their ideal love nest, Midge is overcome with a passion to buy Grameri, a dilapidated cottage in the middle of nowhere whose former owner, the local healer, has recently died. Deadpan Snarker: When Mycroft espouses the doctrine of his Synergist creed, Mike readily deflates his pomposity. Herbert's latest novel begins as a rather taut political thriller/horror hybrid, but it begins to deteriorate about halfway through, becoming increasingly poorly paced and confused. The story Continue reading » Het einde voelt als een explosie van geweld vergeleken met het rustige karakter van de rest van het boek.Good Shepherd: Downplayed. Reverend Sixmythe, while genial and conscientious, gives a distastefully graphic description of his discovery of Flora's corpse, seemingly to spite Mike and Midge's light reception of his warnings of the Synergists. Starfish Aliens: Possibly - in a glimpse of deep space offered by Mycroft's channelling of cosmic energy, Mike and Midge see, amidst the hinted stars and planets, "shapes that were sometimes human and sometimes vast expanses of protoplasmic masses, a coagulation of life forms." We thought we'd found our haven, a cottage deep in the heart of the forest. Quaint, charming, maybe a little run-down, but so peaceful. The woodland animals and birds

Genius Loci: Seemingly by absorbing the essence of its occupants via its position on a location of the earth which exudes " ethereal vitality", Gramarye can physically alter itself. Johnny (or Jenny) was only jaywalking/ S(he) didn't mean harm to a soul/ But because (s)he was only jaywalking/ An auto went out of control./ Two thousand pounds of chrome and steel/ Flying through the air,/ That was the end of an automobile,/ And innocent kids that were there,/ etc., etc. Mycroft briefly transfers Mike to a gloomy realm of festering malignancy, in which an airborne river houses bizarre creatures. Firstly I must say the narrator did a good job overall. His voice for Midge who is supposed to be an attractive young lady, unfortunately sounded a bit like Julian Clarey. This image whilst comical in my mind, detracted from the story for me a bit but eventually i got wrapped into the story again. From day one things are not as they seem: 'A pretty cottage in a pretty setting but I had glimpsed something dark,' observes Mike early on. Midge can see only the good, while Mike, the cynic and part-time musician, questions all around him.

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Two love birds in a rural cottage that’s not what it seems and a battle between good and evil… fantastic! Cowardly Lion: Mike freely admits aversion to avoidable hazard, yet steels himself to undergo it when necessary. Magic is Evil: Averted; magic is defined an "ethereal vitality" innate to all things, which some people are able to channel. Hermit Guru: Reclusive Flora Chaldean was known for some healing ability, and guarded the secret of Gramarye against the insidious influence of the Synergists.