Greenwitch is a

contemporary fantasy Contemporary fantasy, also known as modern fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy, set in the present day or, more accurately, the time period of the maker. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenre, urban fantasy. Strictly, supernatural fiction c ...

novel by

Susan Cooper Susan Mary Cooper (born 23 May 1935) is an English author of children's books. She is best known for '' The Dark Is Rising'', a contemporary fantasy series set in England and Wales, which incorporates British mythology such as the Arthurian le ...

, published by Atheneum Press in 1974. It is the third entry in the five book ''Dark Is Rising Sequence''.

Synopsis

The Drew children – Simon, Jane, and Barney – return to

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

with their uncle Merriman Lyon. Merriman enlists them along with Will Stanton, his protégé, to recover a golden grail needed to defeat the forces of the Dark.

Themes

The book draws heavily on Celtic mythology and

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...

, as well as

Classical mythology Classical mythology, Greco-Roman mythology, or Greek and Roman mythology is both the body of and the study of myths from the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans as they are used or transformed by cultural reception. Along with philosophy and poli ...

. The figure of the " Greenwitch", and the associated all-female festival attended by Jane, has been compared to female fertility rites in European mythology.

Critical reception

The book received mixed to positive reviews from critics. '' Kirkus Reviews'' described it as "breathtakingly impressive", but criticized the conflict between good and evil as being overly abstract. Both Rebecca Fisher of ''Fantasy Literature'' and Tara L. Rivera of

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

praised Cooper's writing, but similarly criticized the interactions between Will and the Drew Children. Susan Davie of the ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'' described Will's presence in the novel as "superfluous." Karen Patricia Smith has written "''Greenwitch'', the third book in the series, is quite different in mood from the earlier books. In this dreamlike novel set in Cornwall, magic often occurs during the hours of darkness and yet readers are not left with the feeling that experiences have been merely imagined. The Greenwitch, a figure created by village women, comes into possession of a great secret coveted by the powers of Light and Dark. Young Jane's innocence moves the creature to release the secret. Jane is an interesting figure because at first she appears to be a rather flat character who reacts according to convention. Yet as the story progresses, we learn that even those who are skilled and knowledgeable in fighting the powers of the Dark are powerless in this instance. Ironically it is Jane who is successful, not through dramatic means, but rather through communicating her compassion for the Greenwitch."

References

{{Reflist 1974 fantasy novels Celtic mythology in popular culture Low fantasy novels Modern Arthurian fiction Novels by Susan Cooper Novels set in Cornwall