Anya Seton Forum

Anya Seton

Forum

I was so affected by Green Darkness! I have always been a Christian and felt I was immovable in my faith as I knew it, but this story helped me understand some things and open my mind to some "non-biblical" concepts. This was the first book ever that I was literally and abjectly drawn to read nearly in one sitting. I was transported to a different time and back again. The "levels" or "layers" of the story were nearly as intrigueing as the words and plot. What a twisted and interesting path it follows and how I loved the journey!

>>By thebrattly (Sunday, 26 Jan 2003 02:14)

Katherine is one of my very favorite books (along with Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff and Katie Mulholland by Catherine Cookson). I've read KATHERINE at least 15 times and never tire of it.

I often wish I had a time machine so I could travel back to mideval England and see if Katherine was as beautiful and charming as Anya writes her.

A great book - a must read for every hopeless romantic who wants to fall in love with the characters of a novel. (And these are characters you will never forget).

>>By Saramee (Sunday, 26 Jan 2003 02:14)

Katherine is the great 'comfort' book of all time, when your feeling blue or need to escape to Medieval England, this is it.Read about the real John of Gaunt and you can understand why Katherine fell for him in a such a big way, he is a fascinating individual.Katherine is an inspiration for all women and I was at her feet at fifteen years old.I am now a librarian and often recomend the book and readers always come back, loving it.I think it may be the best historical novel ever written and has had many imitators...it would make a fabulous movie.

>>By Merewyn (Sunday, 26 Jan 2003 02:14)

My high school english teacher recommended Katherine to me. I have read it atleast a dozen times. I have also read all of Seton's other books. In my opinion, they are the BEST books I have ever read. I will continue to reread them, and recommend them to friends.

>>By SHEILA (Sunday, 9 Mar 2003 22:37)

I found Avalon in a used bookstore for $1. It was the first Anya Seton book I ever read, and I loved it. She is an amazing historical fiction writer!

>>By Carolyn (Wednesday, 12 Mar 2003 19:40)

Katherine is my favorite book, along with ¨Cathereine¨by Juliette Benzoni. Both books presents the same idea of a low-class-origined young and beautiful women being raised in social by a prince. Both books takes place in medieval Europe, and both are historicaly accurate (a rare virtue in novels!). "Catherine" by Juliette Benzoni takes place in the 15 century in France of the 100 years war. Although it's a bit too romantic, it;s highly recommended.

>>By sagitra (Thursday, 13 Mar 2003 18:25)

I read Green Darkness in 1973. It is the best book I have ever read. I own 2 copies. This book gave me a passion for English History and a desire to visit England. I have also read Katherine, which was almost as good as Green Darkness. I recently (last month) fulfilled my dream and visited the north of England, around Newcastle. Some friends took me on a short road trip and we came across this castle named Dunstanburgh Castle. When I read the little sign, it said "Castle of John of Gaunt", and I got chills, knowing Katherine had probably been there many hundred of years ago. I have read several other books by Anya Seton, but the 2 listed above really touched my life. She is great.

>>By Alice Adams (Thursday, 17 Apr 2003 18:29)

Anya Seton once came to a literary lunch in my home town of Ridgefield, Connecticut (she lived in nearby Greenwich). It was a year or less since the publication of Green Darkness. I was a high school senior and was taking an AP English course, which is how I happened to be invited to the lunch. I went ONLY because she was to be there and because I had adored, with all my teenage passion, that book. Imagine my disappointment when Miss Seton was unable to speak due to severe laryngitis - further, we had no chance to actually speak to the authors. I have read and re-read and own all of her books, but I believe Green Darkness, Katherine and The Winthrop Woman to be her absolute best. I only wish I had had the chance to express this to her!
- Mandy S. (Tuesday, 22 Apr 2003 17:35)

By chance in my local library the other day I came across the name Anya Seton and suddenly remembered that feeling of excitement I had when I read ALL her books about 35 years ago. I just had to take out "Green Darkness" and relive that exciting feeling again, and tonight I will easily "enter" 16th century England in a way I haven't done in 35 years... ("entering" & "climbing out" of a book was my phrase of choice AFTER I had read my first Anya Seton novel...it was the only way to describe how I felt at the time about her writing) I know by the time I'm through 'Green Darkness"I have no doubt I'll be taking out all her other books again. I am a huge fan and the only other author that I think even comes close to Ms. Seton is Diana Gaballdon (her earliest books)....Because of Ms. Seton's writing style, historical adventure/romance it created in me a huge interest in history and long term living in England. The romance of it all stays with me.

>>By Sheena Hudson (Wednesday, 7 May 2003 22:14)

I just finished Anya Seton's Green Darkness. It was excellent. I liked it just as much as Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, one of my all time favorites, maybe even more.

>>By Alison (Thursday, 15 May 2003 21:14)

The story of Katharine Swynford and John of Gaunt, as told by Anya Seton, proved to be a powerful influence in my own life. After reading that book in 1969 (when I was in the 8th grade) I decided to live in England. I am now 47 and have lived in England for 23 years. I have been a teacher of English History for most of that time and I never fail to put my students onto the works of Mrs. Seton Chase. Just as a matter of interest some of you may be interested in reading a novel called The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howach. This is the story of Katherine and John of Gaunt told in a rather more modern fashion...fascinating how Ms. Howach got away with doing this!

>>By Anne Groombridge (Monday, 19 May 2003 01:49)

Katherine was the first of many Anya Seton novels I read and is my absolute favorite. I was so taken with it that I had to dig up information about the history of Katherine and John of Gaunt in the encyclopedia the moment I finished the book! It inspired me to do what I first dreamed of in high school (but was too chicken to try), and that is to write. I wound up writing Young Adult romances rather than historical romance novels, probably because I could use my own background for settings and save myself the expense of traveling to do all that research!

>>By Ann Herrick (Friday, 30 May 2003 01:58)

I can only mirror comments already made about Katherine, a wonderful love story that makes me cry buckets when I reach the last page and the Afterword. I've visited Lincoln Cathedral several times and spent some time by her burial spot imagining how life must have been way back then.

Green Darkness is special as one of the main characters is one of my ancestors - Anthony Browne. My great grandmother was the last of the Brownes and our local paper published her family tree when she died. It is an amazing feeling to read about one of my ancestors in a story.

>>By Wendy Jervis (Monday, 7 Jul 2003 08:13)

I was browsing in Opportunity Shop about 15 years ago when I picked up a copy of Katherine by Anya Seton. I immediately fell in love with the book and have read it over over numerous times. I lived in England for sometime and had the privelege of visiting some of the areas that Katherine lived. Because of the this novel I have researched the characters and medieaval England extensively. It is my favourite tattered book on my book shelf.

>>By Blanche (Monday, 15 Mar 2004 10:58)

Katherine has to be my all-time favorite book. I read it in 1972 (it was assigned reading for my boyfriend who was in a Chaucer class -- no way was he reading a historical romance!). Most people don't get what I got out of it -- an appreciation for a well-told story and a sincere desire to learn about England.

In 1997, I visited the ruins of Kenilworth Castle. In 2001, I visited Lincoln Castle and Cathedral and Katherine's tomb. And Geoffrey Chaucer's very plain tomb is in Westminster Abbey, with the Kings he served. It was nice to see. I hope to visit Kettlethorpe (I was about six miles away, but had no way to get there!)

I read the book about once a year -- I even picked up a paperback copy in England last year. WARNING: It is slightly abridged, so if you know the book as well as I do, you will notice the missing parts.

And to anyone who hasn't read this book -- go buy it and read it!

Kim

>>By Garu Garu (Tuesday, 11 May 2004 18:53)

I agree with everything said by everyone else - Anya Seton is responsible for my love of the genre - she taught me to love the plantagenets - I read green darkness so many times my school librarian told me to buy it - I did - then I found Katherine and I've been in love with John ever since!

>>By claddaughgreen (Monday, 25 Jan 2010 10:54)

The discussion board is currently closed.