I came across this book at a second-hand store.

I recall reading Watership Down - at least thirty years ago - and having a great liking for it.

So, for just a dollar, I decided to pick up this particular book.

This book isn't actually all that similar to Watership Down.

However, the writing style remains gently beautiful, and as the plot progresses, it becomes increasingly intense.

By the conclusion of the book, I, just like the protagonist, found it difficult to believe what I knew.

The story had such an impact that it made me question my own perceptions and beliefs.

It was a captivating read that took me on an unexpected journey.

Even though it wasn't what I initially expected, I'm glad I gave it a chance.

Sometimes, the most interesting discoveries are made in the most unlikely places.

This book has taught me that you never know what hidden gems you might find when you least expect it.

It has reignited my love for reading and the joy of exploring new stories.

I look forward to seeing what other literary treasures await me in the future.

I can clearly understand why my younger self was so deeply enamored of this book. It contains a mysterious thread that weaves throughout, an other-worldly element that adds an air of enigma, and a hedonistic sexuality that was likely far more appealing to a girl in her twenties than to a woman in her... well, let's not dwell on that.

I did indeed enjoy this book the second time around. Mainly because I had forgotten virtually all of the story except the part related to the eponymous girl of the title. She is like a porcelain figure, and my mother happened to have a girl of the same description sitting on a shelf in her house for as long as I can remember. After reading the book, I pleaded with my mother to give me the girl, and I placed her on my own bookshelf. Since then, the girl and the book have remained inseparable.

I have not altered the 4-star rating, even though I believe I was not as completely swept away this time. The story is quite good and still, in my opinion, Richard Adams' best effort. Although I have also derived enjoyment from both Watership Down and The Plague Dogs.

In The Girl in a Swing, our narrator, Alan Desland, is a dealer in antique porcelain and ceramics. During a buying trip to Copenhagen, he meets the lovely Kathe Wasserman and falls immediately and hopelessly in love. Kathe is very mysterious and evasive, and the reader senses right away that there is something amiss. However, Alan, in his state of moonstruck adoration, either does not notice or at least refuses to admit it.

After a slow start, during which we are provided with some essential background that becomes significant later in the book, the pace quickens, and the real story begins to unfold. By the end, you feel the opposite of that initial slowness. Instead, you feel as if you have been hurtling down a mountain road at an ungodly speed, hurtling towards a cliff that overhangs a dark sea. There are some intense religious discussions regarding forgiveness that I found extremely interesting, as well as some sexual exploits that I found rather tiresome.

I am no longer in love with the book in the way I was when I was younger. My powers of suspension of disbelief are not what they once were. Nevertheless, I am still glad that I revisited it, if only to remind myself of who I was when I would have been urging all my friends to read this one.

Very well written. Sensuous. Textured. That aspect was 4.5 stars, at least. The author's use of language creates a vivid and engaging experience for the reader. The descriptions are rich and detailed, making it easy to imagine the scenes and characters.

But in the length, progression, and especially the redundant reinforcements of the narrator's "eyes", his character and his detachments, almost prissiness, to life in general? That was just too, too for my taste. The story seemed to drag on at times, and the repeated emphasis on certain aspects became tiresome.

And then there is the instant wife! I was entirely with Tony on this one. If that scenario had been one with my best and rare friend, I would have gotten FAR more specific with him too. The idea of falling in love and getting married so quickly seems rather implausible.

Others seem to think that their time together was of such romance, sexuality, core joy perceptions etc. that it was "worth" it. Magic couple, whirlwind mania etc. However, I couldn't quite see it that way. I felt that the relationship lacked depth and substance.

I'm pretty sure I am in the minority on this love story - in appreciation of its sweep and cadence supreme for sure I am in the minority. Yes, there is something fatalistic about it from the get go to the finale. But it's not either entirely loving or is it mind/thought/cognition on the same planes between the two partners. And that made it nearly "icky" to me. Of course it was full of lies, and not only the "big" one, either. Mostly on her end.

It's a 5 star expose on 10 star looks woman "power" - I'd guess. That as well. But it also holds quite uneven speed / tempo. Sometimes it just plods. Other key periods - it almost seems to skip. I'm not a fan. It did not increase the tension for me. Or the paranormal "feel" either. Just made it more sad. And it IS sad.

This was written in another era of general guidelines and norms of morality to family, sex, community of wider sense than exists now. However, in some ways it could not be more contemporary. Because "me, first" is eternally and entirely the same kind of rationalizations that have taken wider berths to women's choices today. Also centering on their offspring and others very lives. Cruelty reigns. "I have no pity" - spoken in many various languages. So exactly accurate. No pity. None.

Others will like this book much more than I. The fine china and porcelain prose is 5 stars. It's exquisite. So is much of the philosophical conversations, wiles of theory etc. Especially upon her pagan sexuality factor as needing to be "installed" into religious belief and its scriptures. Especially organized forms of Christian dogma or the teachings of those formal religious entities. That entire portion was quite a window. She would have been a good, no, a great Viking. Not a Christian in any sense. But could she conflate the two!

I'm glad I read it. It lost an entire star in its length. Too much of him, too much of her - for me. His Mother - I would have liked MORE. She must have had ESP to have left them for their length of marriage. And it lost another star in the ending. Obscure and just barely believable. Melodrama over the top. It seemed to belong more to 1910 than 1950 something.

In that instant, the room I had known all my life became strange. The furniture and other things seemed unfamiliar. It was not my home but an unknown, dread place, dark as a forest, alien and minatory. Like a wild animal, moving freely or making noise here could expose one to mortal danger.

[9/10]

I made two excellent choices for my spooky Oktober Fest this year. [the other one is ‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir’] Adams’ story is insightful, atmospheric, and deeply disturbing. He builds up the psychological pressure and character profile slowly, starting with Alan’s childhood. But it’s well worth taking the time, considering the quality of the prose and the subtlety of the argument, which is informed by numerous literary references and poetry quotations.

I was already a fan of Mr. Adams’ storytelling, but this has made me reevaluate my high esteem for him. I believe the best writers have more than one story in them. They don’t just reapply the successful formula that got them noticed, but challenge themselves to explore new territories and modes of expression. Richard Adams has a thin output but is successfully experimenting with form and subject. His works range from ‘Watership Down’ about rabbits and social interactions, to ‘Shardik’ a fantasy novel exploring myths and violence, and ‘The Plague Dogs’ which is about his love for animals and a satire of medical experiments, as well as friendship and adventure. And then there’s this little-known gem, which on the surface is a standard haunted house thriller but surprises with its depth of psychological study, elegance of phrasing, clever tension-building, and passion for the subject. Some of Adams’ signature touches point towards his cherished themes, like the location in his native Berkshire with vivid descriptions of the landscape, creatures, and history, the liberating spiritual force of physical love, and the power of myth/religion to define our view of the world.

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I didn’t expect to have enough material for a lengthy review, so I initially planned a gross simplification: A later-day, cold-blooded Victorian meets a pagan Goddess, between the idyllic downs of Berkshire and the cold shores of Copenhagen. Steamy scenes follow as Kathe awakens Alan to the joys of sex, but old nightmares lurk to haunt their nights together.

There’s a lot of subtext worth exploring. Before meeting the alluring and mysterious Kathe, we listen to Alan Desmond’s life story in a long flashback, starting from a scene where he haunts the home where she once swung naked. Alan was a shy, introverted boy whose self-confidence was undermined by cruel kids. Later, at Oxford, he preferred solitary activities to social ones. After graduation, he worked in his father’s porcelain shop, finding spiritual satisfaction among the inanimate yet beautiful objet d’art.

Two incidents stand out in Alan’s early development: his bullying and an experiment in paranormal activity. The beautiful often remain unaware of their wealth, taking for granted the privileges they have. Alan concludes his musings by justifying his decision to observe life from the sidelines, like Mr. Bartleby. A key scene is the seance experiment in his teacher’s house, creating expectations of dread and misfortune. Another quote from Milton underlines the dark core of the story.

After all this setup, the reader is ready to meet Kathe in Copenhagen. She is breathtakingly beautiful and guards her secrets fiercely. Alan’s life is turned upside-down, and he convinces her to move to England and marry him without knowing her past. Their honeymoon in Florida is full of passion, but marital bliss is soon tinged with sinister incidents. Kathe is determined to prove her love, but her past remains a mystery.

At night, things in the Desmond house get creepier, and Alan’s premonitions and nightmares increase. The last part of the novel justifies its place among the horror shelves. The author walks a fine line between supporting extrasensory theories and maintaining a realistic, naturalist narrative. The religious angle is also presented in a modern, balanced way. The gothic beauty of the text shines in the final pages, touching on the subject of the Goddess, the significance of the title, and the role of the artist to transcend pain and discover beauty.

I firmly believe that the discovered receipt for the green tortoise was the decisive evidence, the so-called "smoking gun". However, as the smoke gradually dissipated, everything remained unclear.

Despite being enveloped in the smoke, I simply couldn't put this matter aside. It was as if I was caught in a web of mystery and confusion.

I found myself constantly thinking about it, trying to make sense of what had just occurred. But no matter how hard I racked my brain, I still couldn't quite figure it out.

The situation seemed to be more complex than it initially appeared, and I was left with a sense of unease and uncertainty.

Yet, this very mystery also had a strange allure, compelling me to keep digging and seeking answers.

At one point in this book, the narrator is engaged in vividly describing a conversation he had with someone. However, rather than providing a detailed and comprehensive account, he abruptly breaks off his recollection with the rather dismissive "etcetera" and then promptly moves on to other matters.

I truly wish that the author had employed this trick of abbreviation to condense the overly bloated prose not just a few times but perhaps a few hundred times throughout this entire story.

This book seems to be a strange and rather unappealing hodgepodge. It is part supernatural "thriller" that disappointingly never manages to offer a satisfying explanation for its own mysteries. It is also part the egotistical ramblings of an offensive armchair English intellectual, and yet another part a textbook on the history of ceramics. These disparate elements are haphazardly glued together with some truly ridiculous (and also, on occasion, quite offensive) sex writing.

This book was recommended to me by someone, and I can't help but feel that they have played a sort of literary Rick-roll on me. In short, this is a book that I would highly recommend avoiding.

While reading this long and often slow book, I was mostly enjoying it. However, I couldn't help but keep flipping to the cover blurbs from top-tier sources that claimed how scary it is. I constantly wondered, "When does that start?"

In the last chapters, when the supernatural elements finally took center stage, I had to admit that they were creepy, but hardly what I would call terrifying.

Then, very late last night, I was awakened from a deep sleep to answer the call of nature. Upon returning to bed, I found myself replaying some key passages from the book in my mind. And to my surprise, I found them so frightening that I literally shivered under the covers.

Well done, Mr. Adams. Your book managed to have a delayed effect on me and truly scared me when I least expected it. It shows that sometimes, the power of a story lies not only in its immediate impact but also in its ability to linger in our minds and haunt us later.

I look forward to seeing what other works you have in store for us. Maybe they will be just as terrifying, if not more so.

Vähän heilun kolmen ja neljän tähden välillä. The story is crafted skillfully like a detective novel, with small clues sprinkled throughout the book predicting the final solution. The ending left me shocked, and perhaps that's why I ended up with a three-star rating. Although the cover reads "romantic reading material", in my opinion, this book is a horror. It is primarily a mystery story, although it can't be noticed during the first half. There is a lot of sex in the book, and at the center is a passionate relationship that, in a certain way, is the cause and starting point for the inevitable outcome. In my rating scale, the most important difference between three and four stars is that four-star books I will likely read many times. On the other hand, I would like to read the book again with the knowledge of the characters' motives. Surely I would find many things in the text that I missed on the first reading. However, there is still a certain aversion due to the ending, both towards the main characters and their choices, and it doesn't attract me to pick up the book again anytime soon. Nevertheless, I can recommend it to horror lovers. As long as one can endure getting through the gruesome parts, the horror is ultimately palpable.

A haunting little ghost story awaits the reader, one that has more depth than initially meets the eye.

The reason it fails to receive a higher rating lies in the fact that I found the writing to be somewhat verbose and pretentious on occasion. Additionally, in my opinion, the main character wasn't particularly likable.

Nevertheless, it is still worthy of a read due to the way it skillfully sets the mood and gradually intensifies the sense of foreboding and dread as the story unfolds. I am also a fan of how it leaves certain questions unanswered and certain resolutions ambiguous, much like any excellent ghost story should.

Despite its flaws, this ghost story manages to create an atmosphere that lingers in the mind and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

Not a review but an Intriguing Comparison

This particular piece has a certain resemblance to Watership Down. It is set near Newbury, which immediately creates a specific geographical context. Just like in Watership Down, you have this premonition that things won't turn out well. There's an air of uncertainty and potential danger lingering in the background. And then there's the description of "they are at it like rabbits." This phrase adds a touch of vividness and perhaps a hint of chaos or frenzied activity. It makes you wonder what exactly is going on among these characters. Are they engaged in a struggle for survival, like the rabbits in Watership Down? Or is there something else entirely at play? The similarities to the famous novel make this piece all the more interesting and worthy of further exploration.

The Girl In A Swing was published in 1980 by a man born in 1920. Reading it felt more like delving into a classic rather than a modern novel.

This is my fourth book by Richard Adams that I have perused. In the sixth grade, he was the subject of my Who Do You Most Admire essay. We all know how passionately I love Watership Down. And when I read Traveler and The Plague Dogs as a kid, I adored them.

The Girl In A Swing is a more mature novel. It combines male fantasy, religion, and the supernatural quite abruptly after a lengthy treatise about an ordinary British man's life. Richard Adams' writing style is evident from the very first paragraph. It makes me realize just how generic modern books are.

Books nowadays could almost be written by a computer, lacking in personality and a distinguishable style. Adams has a unique use of language, and he meanders so thoroughly in this novel that you are ultimately shocked by the turn of the story. I rate this a 3.5. It is a bit dated, but I loved how Adams once again pulled me in and made his characters come alive for me, along with their charming English lifestyle.

A love story,

a ghost story,

a story which most definitely fits the definition of `haunting'.

If you've seen the movie, please do not judge the book by the film.

I don't think the film was bad, but that medium just cannot do justice to this sort of story.

You have to live it for yourself.

This novel and Trevanian's The Summer of Katya have haunted my imagination for over twenty years.

I've read both books a number of times since the first read long ago, and they only improve with age.

The love story in this book is so deep and touching that it makes your heart ache.

The ghost story aspect adds an element of mystery and惊悚 that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Together, they create a hauntingly beautiful tale that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

It's a story that you have to experience for yourself to truly understand its power and magic.