Flavours of Christmas

 

The Dark is Rising

I'm presently indulging myself in listening to the BBC adaptation of Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising", a story that has always captured the feeling of a Christmas laced with darkness. The book itself had a huge impact on me in my first year at secondary school, around the same time as I read "The Lord of the Rings", and its one that I return to every now and again like Alan Garner's "The Weirdstone of the Brisingamen". The BBC adaptation is near perfect, set in 12 short episodes. It's atmospheric and evocative, and I wish that they'd done some of the other books as well.  You can find it here.

I discovered this through the book; the podcast came much later.

The Box of Delights

Another story that evokes Christmas for me is John Masefield's "The Box of Delights". This one came to me courtesy of the BBC TV series back in 1984. It has many of the flavours of "The Dark is Rising"; Christmas, snow, combined with evil and magic being afoot. Susan Cooper's tale is a little more hard hitting, but the "Box of Delights" isn't afraid to scare. The BBC has shown the series again this December and is releasing it on Blu-Ray. I still have a set of DVDs for this, which replaced my VHS copy. 

I read the book much later; it was satisfying fun, with a style aimed at a slightly younger audience than "The Dark is Rising" but enjoyable all the same.  Reflecting on the original transmission date, I was first introduced to these around the same time.

Winter's Tale

Mark Helprin's "Winter's Tale" evokes similar feelings for me although I came to it a couple of years later. It tells the tale of a young Irishman, Peter Lake, as he attempts a burglary against the backdrop of a snowy winter in New York sometime towards the end of the 19th Century. In the house he finds Beverly Penn, a young heiress, and they fall in love. Surreal, beautiful and haunting, this is a love story as much to the city as the protagonists. Again, it magic and fantasy bleed in, leaving a feel of the surreal. I haven't reread this as often (indeed, I'm still gutted that my early edition hardcover disappeared somewhere with someone in the past) but every time that I do, it brings the same feelings and joy.

If you look for the book these days, you'll often find it titled "A New York Winter's Tale", named after the film adaptation which starred Colin Farrell, Jennifer Connolly, and Russell Crowe. This was done well, but like all adaptation, it differs from the original (although it captures the intent quite well).

I also quite like dipping into the MR James ghost stories at this time of year, both the books and the various BBC versions which are quite satisfyingly done.

What media evokes this season for you?

21 December 2024