Adèle Geras finds that Susan Hill's mix of fantasy and the real world makes for a perfect family book in The Battle for Gullywith
"Susan Hill can turn her hand to everything. She's well known for her novels for adults (I'm the King of the Castle is on many A-level syllabuses), her elegant short stories (The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read), her atmospheric detective stories featuring Simon Serrailler, her sequel to Rebecca, Mrs de Winter, and above all her ghost stories. The Woman in Black is one of the longest-running plays in London's West End, but the novel from which it is taken is even better. Her most recent book for adults is a short and deliciously spooky novella called The Man in the Picture."
The Guardian
Saturday April 12, 2008
Stephanie Merritt on The Battle for Gullywith
"Magic and mystery still dominate older children's books, presumably in a bid to capture those legions of bereft Potter fans, and Susan Hill's chilling The Battle for Gullywith (Bloomsbury £10.99) is a fine supernatural adventure. Ten-year-old Olly is unhappy when his family moves from London to the ramshackle old farm of Gullywith, but he is soon troubled by more than homesickness. Sinister stones with mysterious markings appear around the house, and it seems the house itself is trying to get rid of them.
With the help of his new friend KK and the magical Nonny Dreever, Olly must confront the ancient power that lies buried under Withern Mere. Hill's landscape is beautifully vivid, shifting from majestic to menacing in a moment, and the magic is introduced so matter-of-factly that it's impossible not to be hooked."
The Observer
Sunday March 23, 2008 |
