Who Would Like This Book:
If you love your historical fiction with a heavy dose of atmosphere, romance, and a supernatural twist, Green Darkness delivers. Seton is a meticulous researcher, so Tudor England bursts to life with lush details, religious intrigue, and palpable tension. Fans of forbidden love stories or reincarnation tropes will find this tale intriguing, and anyone who's into Gothic, moody reads or classic historical epics will enjoy sinking into its pages. It's a treat for anyone who likes their history with a bit of mystical suspense and larger-than-life emotions.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Readers who aren't into 'paranormal romance' - especially reincarnation - or who prefer concise plots may want to steer clear; the story's mystical elements felt forced or unnecessary to some, and the pacing is uneven. The book dips into melodrama and old-fashioned moralizing, which hasn't aged well, and some characters come across as unsympathetic or flat. If you're looking for fast-moving action, modern sensibilities, or spotless representation, this one could be frustrating.
About:
'Green Darkness' by Anya Seton is a historical fiction novel that weaves together two time periods - Tudor England and 1968. The story follows the journey of Celia, a young American woman who experiences a mental and emotional breakdown after visiting an old manor where she had been murdered in a previous lifetime. To bring her back to the present, she is taken back 400 years to relive a tragic life in Tudor England. The novel delves into themes of reincarnation, love, betrayal, and the consequences of past actions, offering a blend of historical accuracy and supernatural elements. The writing style is described as immersive, with vivid descriptions that transport readers to the different time periods and make them feel part of the story's setting.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of mental illness, suicide, historical violence, and moral conflicts related to religion.
Has Romance?
Yes, there is a strong romance element in the story, particularly focused on the doomed love between Celia and Brother Stephen.
From The Publisher:
"The theme of this book is reincarnation, an attempt to show the interplay-the law of cause and effect, good and evil, among certain individual souls in two periods of English history." Green Darkness is the story of a great love, a love in which mysticism, suspense, and mystery form a web of good and evil forces that stretches from Tudor England to the England of the twentieth century.The marriage of the Englishman Richard Marsdon and his young American wife, Celia, slowly turns tragic as Richard withdraws into himself and Celia suffers a debilitating emotional breakdown. A wise mystic realizes that Celia can escape her past only by reliving it. She journeys back four hundred years to her former life as the servant girl Celia de Bohun during the reign of Edward VI-and to her doomed love affair with the chaplain Stephen Marsdon. Although Celia and Stephen can't escape the horrifying consequences of their love, fate (and time) offer them another chance for redemption.
Ratings (3)
Loved It (2) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (15):
Read It (3) | |
Want To Read (12) |
What can you read after
Green Darkness?
About the Author:
ANYA SETON (1904-1990) was the author of many best-selling historical novels, including Katherine, Avalon, Dragonwyck, Devil Water, and Foxfire. She lived in Greenwich, Connecticut.
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