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Long Lankin
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Product Description
Book Description
A chilling, beautiful debut novel inspired by a haunting folk song about murder, witchcraft and revenge.
Product Description
A chilling, beautiful debut novel inspired by a haunting folk song about murder, witchcraft and revenge.
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss . . .
When Cora and her little sister Mimi are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome, and are desperate to go back to London. But Auntie Ida's life was devastated the last time two young girls were at Guerdon Hall, and now her nieces' arrival has reawoken an evil that has lain waiting for years.
A haunting voice in an empty room ... A strange, scarred man lurking in the graveyard ... A mysterious warning, scrawled on the walls of the abandoned church . . . Along with Roger and Peter, two young village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it is too late for Mimi.
Intensely atmospheric and truly compelling, this is a stunning debut.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book was fantastic and had me gripped from start to finish. I couldn't put it down. It was extremely well written, the characterisations and descriptions being excellent. I was found myself completely immersed in the 1950s environment and way of life. I felt genuinely sympathetic and terrified for the children, angry at Aunt Ida, laughing out loud at Dennis's antics, then had a longing to visit Mr Thorston's vegetable garden and cottage for myself! The ending certainly did not disappoint. This book was unusual, spooky and unlike any supernatural/horror novel that I have ever read (and I do read a lot of them!). I very rarely re-read any novel, but I'm certain I'll pick this up and read it again in the future. I originally read this before allowing my 12 year old son to read it, but I think he should wait a couple years before reading it, only because it's quite scary.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This amazing debut novel opens with the ballad of Long Lankin - a tale of murder, witchcraft and supernatural menace that immediately sets the tone of the story to come. Cora and her little sister Mimi aren't exactly thrilled when they're sent to live with their great-Auntie Ida at the creepy old Guerdon Hall, but with their mother falling apart and their father unable to cope they have little choice in the matter. Things get even worse when they arrive on her doorstep and are met with a barrage of threats, warnings, rules and the bitter knowledge that she wants them gone as soon as humanly possible.
But what Cora doesn't know is that there is a dark evil lurking in Bryers Guerdon - an evil that has been haunting the village for hundreds of years and has ripped her family apart down the generations. Why are the children forbidden from visiting the old church, and who is the man in black in the graveyard? Why do all the doors and windows have to be kept permanently locked, and what are the long scratches marking more than one local door? Together with her new friends Roger and Pete, Cora must uncover the mystery of Bryers Guerdon before it's too late for her little sister - maybe even for them all...
Although this is a young adult book, for me it bordered on Stephen King-esque in the way it preyed on my mind and used psychological thrills to build tension. In some ways it reminded me of the film 'Signs'. You know, the one with Mel Gibson and the alien threat and the crop circles? You weren't sure what was happening, but you knew it was evil, you knew it was out there - and you knew that sooner or later it was coming for you. Barraclough excels at building unbearable fear in the reader using tantalising clues, a slow reveal of the truth, and terrifying glimpses of the menace on the marshes, skilfully bringing the whole story to a macabre and gritty climax in the inevitable final encounter between Lankin and the last of the long-suffering Guerdons.
I can't recommend this highly enough. It is an outstanding first novel that had me absolutely gripped, weaving a complex tale that spanned centuries yet never felt dull or over-written. It captures post-war rural England beautifully, and has a refreshing thread of humour through it that owes much to Barraclough's wonderful eye for the little things children say and do that always make adults smile! The Long Lankin ballad is a haunting theme that preys on our deepest fears, and I raced to the end of the book, heart pounding in my chest, winding up absolutely exhausted, weeping, as I finished the final chapter. Read it!
But what Cora doesn't know is that there is a dark evil lurking in Bryers Guerdon - an evil that has been haunting the village for hundreds of years and has ripped her family apart down the generations. Why are the children forbidden from visiting the old church, and who is the man in black in the graveyard? Why do all the doors and windows have to be kept permanently locked, and what are the long scratches marking more than one local door? Together with her new friends Roger and Pete, Cora must uncover the mystery of Bryers Guerdon before it's too late for her little sister - maybe even for them all...
Although this is a young adult book, for me it bordered on Stephen King-esque in the way it preyed on my mind and used psychological thrills to build tension. In some ways it reminded me of the film 'Signs'. You know, the one with Mel Gibson and the alien threat and the crop circles? You weren't sure what was happening, but you knew it was evil, you knew it was out there - and you knew that sooner or later it was coming for you. Barraclough excels at building unbearable fear in the reader using tantalising clues, a slow reveal of the truth, and terrifying glimpses of the menace on the marshes, skilfully bringing the whole story to a macabre and gritty climax in the inevitable final encounter between Lankin and the last of the long-suffering Guerdons.
I can't recommend this highly enough. It is an outstanding first novel that had me absolutely gripped, weaving a complex tale that spanned centuries yet never felt dull or over-written. It captures post-war rural England beautifully, and has a refreshing thread of humour through it that owes much to Barraclough's wonderful eye for the little things children say and do that always make adults smile! The Long Lankin ballad is a haunting theme that preys on our deepest fears, and I raced to the end of the book, heart pounding in my chest, winding up absolutely exhausted, weeping, as I finished the final chapter. Read it!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Long Lankin was a uniquely creepy read and one of the most original YA novels I have ever read. It is a stunning debut novel.
Long Lankin is a story about two sisters who are sent to their Great Aunt's to live. At first it seems like a story which is quite sad and a bit of a comment on the social situation the children have found themselves to be in, in the 1950s but as the story develops it becomes so much more. It is told in first person and the person narrating chops and changes through the story between the the main characters. I found it a little confusing at first but soon grasped all the differing characters in my head enough to keep up. It wouldn't be one of my reviews if I didn't say how much I loved the glimpse into the time period of the 1950s and how much everyday life contrasts with ours today.
I loved the voice of the main character Cora. I loved how she interacted with her younger sister and how she dealt with the new life she had been thrown into and loved following her as she began to unravel the mystery surrounding Long Lankin.
As the story progresses you start to get the idea that all is not well in the household and especially when Cora's great Aunt starts to behave and react to situations in peculiar ways. There are some really weird scenes where you are not sure if the main characters are seeing things or if they are actually there.
I was warned this book was creepy but really didn't think it would be that creepy from the first half. I was really enjoying it but not creeped out. However in the last 100 pages or so everything kicked off and it changed the whole tone of the book. It was definitely the creepiest YA I think I've ever read and totally unputdownable. I ended up laying in bed reading late into the night because I needed to know what happened (this is not advisable practice if you have a vivid imagination and want to be able to sleep afterwards). The scenes with Long Lankin himself in were really creepy and those final few scenes were incredibly fast paced and I ended the book in a semi stunned state about what had happened!
All in all an awesome debut novel from an author I am sure we will start to hear loads about in the future. An awesome host of characters and genuinely creepy read!
Long Lankin is a story about two sisters who are sent to their Great Aunt's to live. At first it seems like a story which is quite sad and a bit of a comment on the social situation the children have found themselves to be in, in the 1950s but as the story develops it becomes so much more. It is told in first person and the person narrating chops and changes through the story between the the main characters. I found it a little confusing at first but soon grasped all the differing characters in my head enough to keep up. It wouldn't be one of my reviews if I didn't say how much I loved the glimpse into the time period of the 1950s and how much everyday life contrasts with ours today.
I loved the voice of the main character Cora. I loved how she interacted with her younger sister and how she dealt with the new life she had been thrown into and loved following her as she began to unravel the mystery surrounding Long Lankin.
As the story progresses you start to get the idea that all is not well in the household and especially when Cora's great Aunt starts to behave and react to situations in peculiar ways. There are some really weird scenes where you are not sure if the main characters are seeing things or if they are actually there.
I was warned this book was creepy but really didn't think it would be that creepy from the first half. I was really enjoying it but not creeped out. However in the last 100 pages or so everything kicked off and it changed the whole tone of the book. It was definitely the creepiest YA I think I've ever read and totally unputdownable. I ended up laying in bed reading late into the night because I needed to know what happened (this is not advisable practice if you have a vivid imagination and want to be able to sleep afterwards). The scenes with Long Lankin himself in were really creepy and those final few scenes were incredibly fast paced and I ended the book in a semi stunned state about what had happened!
All in all an awesome debut novel from an author I am sure we will start to hear loads about in the future. An awesome host of characters and genuinely creepy read!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
lasting impression
I purchased this book almost as soon as it came out (unintentionally) and read it in just about 2 days even though it is a pretty thick book. Read more
Published 14 days ago by 1124star
Haunting
Creepy, atmospheric and rich in detail, Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough is the perfect book to read if you want to be scared. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Kulsuma at sunshine and stardust
Eerie and thrilling
This book came out of nowhere and took me completely by surprise. Rich, eerie and thrilling, the story overtakes your senses... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Caroline
nostalgic, evocative, and filled with creeping dread
This was beautifully written, and highly evocative of a time not that long ago, but which seems distant and alien. Read more
Published 3 months ago by E. L. Woodcock
Great Idea!
This was not one of my favourite reads last year, as I am not particularly a fan of of ghost stories, (I always feel like shouting 'It's behind you! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jan
What a Chilling Epic...
Long Lankin was hands down my favourite book of 2011, and I say that having read a fair few that year! Read more
Published 4 months ago by ShinraAlpha
A haunting, awesome experience
I absolutely loved Long Lankin. Right from the word go you're sucked in to a well woven tale, told beautifully from t he perspective of the main characters Cora and Roger. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Brett Irvine
Fantasic - A must-read!
If you haven't read this book yet, you must!!!
This is the story of a post WW2 village named Bryers Guerdon, in which strange things are happening. Read more
This is the story of a post WW2 village named Bryers Guerdon, in which strange things are happening. Read more
Published 5 months ago by SJL
Ok
Although many of the reviews were good and the blub also highly commendable the book it's was not of any great status and did not have a capturing storyline. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Beth
Beware of Long Lankin...
When Cora and her sister Mimi are sent from their home in London to stay with their aunt in an isolated country village they aren't exactly welcomed with open arms. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Sarah Gibson
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