The Ivy Tree
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Review
'The Ivy Tree has the ideal thriller blend of plot, suspense, character drawing and good writing' (Daily Express )
'Mary Stewart harvests a rewarding field. Her credible heroines get caught up in credible adventures; her place is deceptively gentle; her atmosphere perfect' (Evening Standard )
'She set the bench mark for pace, suspense and romance - with a great dollop of escapism as the icing' (Elizabeth Buchan )
'A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven. I'd rather read her than most other authors.' (Harriet Evans )
'Mary Stewart harvests a rewarding field. Her credible heroines get caught up in credible adventures; her place is deceptively gentle; her atmosphere perfect' (Evening Standard )
'She set the bench mark for pace, suspense and romance - with a great dollop of escapism as the icing' (Elizabeth Buchan )
'A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven. I'd rather read her than most other authors.' (Harriet Evans )
Review
'The Ivy Tree has the ideal thriller blend of plot, suspense, character drawing and good writing' -- Daily Express 'Mary Stewart harvests a rewarding field. Her credible heroines get caught up in credible adventures; her place is deceptively gentle; her atmosphere perfect' -- Evening Standard 'She set the bench mark for pace, suspense and romance - with a great dollop of escapism as the icing' -- Elizabeth Buchan 'A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven. I'd rather read her than most other authors.' -- Harriet Evans
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Excellent service. I have wanted to re-read some of Mary Stewarts novels that I read and loved years. I was delighted to be able to find them again and shall use this supplier with confidence. Do try Lady Stewart novels they never disappoint and are always beautifully written. The are usually love stories but much, much more She writes usually with a mystic thread woven into the plot which makes for exciting reading.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The Ivy Tree", first published in 1961, was written as a contemporary novel, but is now something of a period piece. I was immediately struck by how much the protagonist smokes! More subtly, the attitudes to the "place" of men and women, and the power [im]balances between them, make it impossible to forget that this is a novel of an earlier time.
There are plot elements that I can't refer to without revealing major spoilers, so I won't. But I found this a gripping story, with well-drawn characters and an intriguing plot. Towards the end, the tension is ramped up to the point that I almost became breathless at times.
The setting (near Hadrian's Wall) is attractively described, and Stewart manages to slip in some geology and Roman history without ever remotely overdoing it. She also appears to know a lot about horses; I enjoyed the horsey bits very much.
Whether or not the "mystery" remains mysterious (I unravelled it early on, but that did not spoil the pleasure of reading), this is a thoroughly good yarn.
There are plot elements that I can't refer to without revealing major spoilers, so I won't. But I found this a gripping story, with well-drawn characters and an intriguing plot. Towards the end, the tension is ramped up to the point that I almost became breathless at times.
The setting (near Hadrian's Wall) is attractively described, and Stewart manages to slip in some geology and Roman history without ever remotely overdoing it. She also appears to know a lot about horses; I enjoyed the horsey bits very much.
Whether or not the "mystery" remains mysterious (I unravelled it early on, but that did not spoil the pleasure of reading), this is a thoroughly good yarn.
Format:Kindle Edition
To my mind, this is one of Mary Stewart's best works, although inevitably it reflects the views and attitudes of the time in which it was written, as well as some very deep-seated provincial prejudice that might surprise the modern reader. The novel opens on a sunny, warm day in spring with our heroine contemplating the beautiful panorama of fields and farms from somewhere along Hadrian's Wall (not far from Newcastle, in the north of England). However, the peace of this idyllic scene is very quickly shattered by the arrival of a voluble and compelling young man with a secret obsession. The story moves along at first at a leisurely pace, as connections are made and the blocks of a complex deception are carefully stacked into place. There is a clear reference to Brat Farrar and that is recommendation enough for me ... I have already bought a copy and will be reading it next.
Lady Stewart deftly incorporates archaeological and geological elements (on which subjects she is particularly well versed), and the descriptions of the Northumberland countryside are lyrically exquisite, but is it really always that warm and sunny in June? Apparently not, as the story, gradually building in pace and intensity, mirrors the development of a weather front which eventually explodes into a devastating summer thunderstorm and, suddenly, everything happens at once. From this point onwards, the book becomes a page-turner and I'm finding that even now, on my fourth reading, I can barely put it down.
Apart from the gripping plot, we are introduced to a group of very complex characters, by no means entirely likeable, in fact the whole reason why so many "extreme" events take place is directly related to the strong personalities involved and the way that they keep clashing at frequent intervals. Stewart is a master at turning the tables on any given situation and, even though we may have our suspicions, we are never quite sure of how things really sit until all the cards have been played and the score tallied. And, as in real life, the happy ending often entails a lot of compromise and a willingness to take responsibility for our mistakes. Superior fiction and intelligent entertainment.
Lady Stewart deftly incorporates archaeological and geological elements (on which subjects she is particularly well versed), and the descriptions of the Northumberland countryside are lyrically exquisite, but is it really always that warm and sunny in June? Apparently not, as the story, gradually building in pace and intensity, mirrors the development of a weather front which eventually explodes into a devastating summer thunderstorm and, suddenly, everything happens at once. From this point onwards, the book becomes a page-turner and I'm finding that even now, on my fourth reading, I can barely put it down.
Apart from the gripping plot, we are introduced to a group of very complex characters, by no means entirely likeable, in fact the whole reason why so many "extreme" events take place is directly related to the strong personalities involved and the way that they keep clashing at frequent intervals. Stewart is a master at turning the tables on any given situation and, even though we may have our suspicions, we are never quite sure of how things really sit until all the cards have been played and the score tallied. And, as in real life, the happy ending often entails a lot of compromise and a willingness to take responsibility for our mistakes. Superior fiction and intelligent entertainment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Gripping Read
The novel owes much to the excellent Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey in that it is concerned with impersonation. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ann M
disappointed
I have recently been reading Mary Stewart books, having read some a few years ago. Came across this one and I was really disappointed in it. Read more
Published 18 months ago by lucy4
old fashioned romance
very good sense of place (beautiful Northumbria).
I didn't get the twist for ages ie cleverly written. Read more
I didn't get the twist for ages ie cleverly written. Read more
Published 23 months ago by CBWHITTLE
How difficult is impersonation?
How difficult is impersonation?
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey, The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart, and The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier, are three stories about imposters. Read more
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey, The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart, and The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier, are three stories about imposters. Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2010 by Arrowsmith
Just grabs you
This was the first book of Mary Stewart I came across many years ago and I was immediately hooked when I started to read it. Read more
Published on 28 Sep 2006 by B. Haslinger
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