| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'completely engaging' (Jennifer Taylor THE BOOKSELLER )
'a beautifully written story. Sally Gardner has clearly researched the times and customs very well indeed for she had me transported back to that far off time. I would definitely recommend this book, told with such care and feeling.' (Muriel Barking NEW BOOKS )
'Beautifullly written, completely absorbing story... the author evokes the streets of London and the political upheavals of the day with compelling ease. (Christine Kidney THE BOOK MAGAZINE )
'will captivate readers with its riveting and detailed parallel storylines, its intriguingly drawn characters, and, above all, its engrossing first person narration' (Marla Arback YABOOKSCENTRAL.COM )
'the skillful writing sweeps through mid-seventeenth century London.' (SCHOOL LIBRARIAN )
'a thrilling story that mixes historic realism, credible characters and the dreamy, sometimes violent, dimension of a netherworld. The two blend seamlessly in this gripping and orginal story that abounds with gritty suspense. An excellent read.' (Mary Arrigan SUNDAY TRIBUNE )
'a book filled with enchantment and difference. You won't read many novels as beautifully written and as enthralling as this rich, spellibinding, new-off-the-black fairy tale.' (John Millen SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST )
'a beautifully written story. Sally Gardner has clearly researched the times and customs very well indeed for she had me transported back to that far off time. I would definitely recommend this book, told with such care and feeling.' (Muriel Barking NEW BOOKS )
'Beautifullly written, completely absorbing story... the author evokes the streets of London and the political upheavals of the day with compelling ease. (Christine Kidney THE BOOK MAGAZINE )
'will captivate readers with its riveting and detailed parallel storylines, its intriguingly drawn characters, and, above all, its engrossing first person narration' (Marla Arback YABOOKSCENTRAL.COM )
'the skillful writing sweeps through mid-seventeenth century London.' (SCHOOL LIBRARIAN )
'a thrilling story that mixes historic realism, credible characters and the dreamy, sometimes violent, dimension of a netherworld. The two blend seamlessly in this gripping and orginal story that abounds with gritty suspense. An excellent read.' (Mary Arrigan SUNDAY TRIBUNE )
'a book filled with enchantment and difference. You won't read many novels as beautifully written and as enthralling as this rich, spellibinding, new-off-the-black fairy tale.' (John Millen SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST )
SCHOOL LIBRARIAN
'the skillful writing sweeps through mid-seventeenth century London.'
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I, Coriander is about a girl living in the time of Oliver Cromwell and Charles II. It ties together fantasy- a magical fairy world ruled by an evil queen, and the reality. It shows great sadness from two aspects- one in the real world with the Puritans and problems Coriander faces (tugged at my heartstrings- excellently written) and one in the fantasy fairy land.
Personally, I am not a fan of fantasy writing. I find them cliched, which this proved to be by having the "evil queen." and, 'good vs. evil.' Despite this, I feel the author has brilliantly described the struggles in the real world- it is an excellent read and shows great effort and historical knowledge.
I recommend it for ages 11 +
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is absolutely brilliant. When i Started reading it i could not put it down! Coriander, the hero of the story, lives a perfect life with her mother and father in London.Until a pair of silver shoes arrive on their doorstep for Coriander. After this her life is turned upside down, as she strays between our world and the world her mother came from, the land of Fairies. On the way she makes friends and enemies. The ending, however, is perfect. This is a must read for everyone, from history lovers to fairy lovers!!!
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
'I,Coriander' is a fascinating fairy tale giving a sharp historical perspective on the Commonwealth, the period following the English civil war.It is a substantial fairytale told with total conviction by Sally Gardner who marries the fantastical fairies with solid historical facts presented elegantly in a totally credible fashion. She is adept at conjuring up the sights, sounds and smells of 17th century England. She is particularly good at smells; the stench of the middens running along the street, the smell of unwashed bodies, the upturned chamberpots, the filthy Thames. She writes of a period made famous by Samuel Pepys in his diaries. It is a period of violent, political turmoil with suspected royalists being denounced, and Puritans with their killjoy approach to life, holding sway over everything.
The heroine Coriander, only child of a wealthy silk merchant and his fairy wife Eleanor, inherits from her dead mother her 'cunning' skills. She can diagnose and heal sickness using her mother's simples and herbs.
It is a delightful, beautifully constructed novel. It reads easily as it tells of the travails of the child Coriander stepping between life as the stepchild of a violent ranting Puritan Maud with her drunken preacher associate Arise Fell and her spells with the fairies as she struggles with the Fairy Queen Rosmore and her powerful raven for the soul of her mother and the life of the handsome Prince Tycho.
Sally Gardner is totally steeped in the period and brings it vividly to life. All her characters seem to have a life of their own and continued living for me long after I finished the book.
'I,Coriander' partially recalled Celia Rees 'Witchchild'for me and also 'The Wise Woman' by Philippa Gregory (set in Tudor England) both novels are concerned with 'witchcraft'using simples and herbs. However 'I, Coriander' uses a gentler form of magic although the fairies themselves are malevolent and vengeful.
Sally Gardner draws some delightful full-blooded characters especially Coriander herself, Hester, Gabriel and Master Thankless. She is clever too at delineating some revolting villains especially the mean-spirited, violent tempered Maud and the fanatical, serve-serving Puritan preacher Arise Fell. It is a strong story well-told and kept me so absorbed I read it at a sitting being unwilling to put it down until evil was vanquished but to learn how you must read the book yourself.I strongly recommend this thoroughly absorbing read.
The heroine Coriander, only child of a wealthy silk merchant and his fairy wife Eleanor, inherits from her dead mother her 'cunning' skills. She can diagnose and heal sickness using her mother's simples and herbs.
It is a delightful, beautifully constructed novel. It reads easily as it tells of the travails of the child Coriander stepping between life as the stepchild of a violent ranting Puritan Maud with her drunken preacher associate Arise Fell and her spells with the fairies as she struggles with the Fairy Queen Rosmore and her powerful raven for the soul of her mother and the life of the handsome Prince Tycho.
Sally Gardner is totally steeped in the period and brings it vividly to life. All her characters seem to have a life of their own and continued living for me long after I finished the book.
'I,Coriander' partially recalled Celia Rees 'Witchchild'for me and also 'The Wise Woman' by Philippa Gregory (set in Tudor England) both novels are concerned with 'witchcraft'using simples and herbs. However 'I, Coriander' uses a gentler form of magic although the fairies themselves are malevolent and vengeful.
Sally Gardner draws some delightful full-blooded characters especially Coriander herself, Hester, Gabriel and Master Thankless. She is clever too at delineating some revolting villains especially the mean-spirited, violent tempered Maud and the fanatical, serve-serving Puritan preacher Arise Fell. It is a strong story well-told and kept me so absorbed I read it at a sitting being unwilling to put it down until evil was vanquished but to learn how you must read the book yourself.I strongly recommend this thoroughly absorbing read.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliant!
I remember reading this book roughly two years ago. I couldn't put it down. It's an amazing page turner. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Bookaholic
Enchanting
This was a really enchanting read. I see it a lot in the childrens/young adult section of my local book shop so I thought that I'd give it a go. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Stepping Out of the Page
One happy daughter!
I bought this book for my 11 year old daughter as it is her all time favourite novel. She has borrowed it from the library countless times and really wanted her own copy. Read more
Published 14 months ago by J. D. Jackson
The book i couldn't put down!
This book i picked up having not read for some time.Although the book was brillant i did find it hard to get into so do not worry if you have the same problem, because as soon as... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Katie
FAB BOOK!!
I read this book whilst on holiday and zipped through it in just a couple of days. Sally's writing style is enticing and leaves you wanting more. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Tonto
The Most Powerful Book Ever
Coriander Hobie is living in London near Thames.Her mother is a fairy but not one of those little tiny ones- she looks like a normal human but a very beautiful one. Read more
Published 21 months ago
Enchanting
This wonderful book completely captivated my nine-year-old daughter and me. It's a highly imaginative story - set against the backdrop of the Interregnum, it has an other world... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Tracey
magic and silver slippers...
Loved this novel from its first words. Immediatley taken back to C17th London just after kiing charles I has been beheaded and the puritans are out in force accusing all and sundry... Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2010 by lushbug
superb
What a fabulous read ... starts slowly but draws you in, gently at first but by the end the grip on your attention is unbreakable. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2009 by nogginthenog
Utterly Amazing
I,Coriander had been sitting on my shelf for about a year before I decided to read it, as the front cover did not capture me. Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2009
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
