Phil Rickman - Merrily Watkins series

[CMOTDibbler]

Has anyone else read these? Discovered them a few weeks ago and really, really enjoying them.

[ItsAllKickingOffPru]

Yes, they get steadily better. He used rather too many italics at first but the central premise of Merrily and her role in the Church is understated and pretty believable.

Night After Night, his latest, is a pale imitation though. Would rather he had stuck with Merrily for that plotline and it was an unsatisfying read.

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

I love Phil Rickman, especially his Merrily series.

[HappyHippyChick]

I've read quite a few of them, love them

[ChillieJeanie]

Big fan of Phil Rickman - I absolutely tear through his books having stumbled upon him by accident. The two John Dee books are interesting, although possibly not to the same standard as some of the others, and the two with Joe Powys are seriously creepy and brilliant. I haven't read Night After Night yet, but I like the characters in that mini sequence so even if it isn't quite as good as usual I shall look forward to seeing what they're up to.

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

They start filming a 3 part series based on the books in April!

[CMOTDibbler]

It'll be interesting to see how that turns out Lumpy.

I live just outside the area he normally writes about, but in one I've read, my town makes a very small appearance as the mentioned site of a drug dealer being murdered 'you wouldn't expect that in x' which is totally true! His love of the area, and of small farmers really shines through

[ChillieJeanie]

I always worry about TV and film adaptations of books I love. I hope they get it right!

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

The area is a big character in the books.

There is a short Merrily novello which I've just downloaded onto my kindle.

[HumphreyCobbler]

There are a lot set around here, it is great picking up all the local references. I have been very creeped out by these books. I must catch up with the latest ones.

[PointlessResolutions]

I really love the Merrily Watkins series. I also like his older straight horror stuff, particularly Crybbe, December and The Man in the Moss. He writes books for older children as well, as Thom Madley - DD1 has read them and liked them.

I don't get on with the two he wrote as Will Kingdom as much.

[ChillieJeanie]

I've jt read about the TV adaptation on Rickman's website. It's for ITV Encore and I don't have Sky. Boo! I hope it doesn't take too long to appear on a channel I can access. It says it may appear in autumn 2015.

In better news, Rickman has started work on a new Merrily Watkins novel.

[clangermum]

Just started getting these using amazon prime credits for kindle, really enjoying them

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

They are deliciously creepy aren't they, some more so than others. I'm really fond of teh characters as well, especially Frannie Bliss.

[HollyBdenum]

I love them, and might possibly have a small crush on Lol.

[SolidGoldBrass]

I have just been having a bit of a Merrily Watkins binge and rereading them all. They really are fab: it's quite hard to remember that Merrily and Jane and Gomer and co don't actually exist. And I do like the way that, on the whole, the supernatural bits are left just vague enough that you don't have to believe in ghosts: there's never much more than suggestion/coincidence/unease.

[CMOTDibbler]

Thats what I like SGB, its not all about the ghost/ unearthly evil, but much more of the evil of people.

I do love the old lady in the nursing home conjuring up a ghost for entertainment though!

[SolidGoldBrass]

Actually, he's another one who brings in characters from previous books because most of his work is set in a specific area. Gomer first appeared in Crybbe, and quite a lot of the characters from Decembre (the first of his books I ever read) pop up again in the Merrily Watkins books, which is rather nice, and increases the feeling that these are all real people.

[mollie123]

know this is a zombie thread but noticed the 3 part drama of 'Midwinter of the spirit' begins on tv on 23rd September
a bit disappointed with the casting but I have pre-conceived ideas of the characters from reading the books

[iamEarthymama]

I love the books!
I sat in the George and Pilgrim in Glastonbury reading the Bones of Avalon and I was very happy indeed.

Re the casting for Midwinter, my DW pointed out that they go for a reflection of the audience they want to attract so the changes reflect society.
I really don't care, there are some good actors in the cast.
I just hope it captures the 'other' that Phil Rickman conjures up so well.

[iamEarthymama]

Oh and it's on ITV not Encore.
can't wait

[mollie123]

but it is set in Herefordshire, Welsh borders and as I live in the area I would hope to see 'local' accents and types - if a drama is set in Wales, Scotland. Liverpool it would reflect the setting - not the audience but I suspect it will not jar with most of the viewers as it did with me - I just hope Gomer Parry is not miscast if he appears

[Cherrypi]

Ooh it looks good. Love Anna Maxwell Martin.

[mollie123]

may watch the first 10 minutes and if the characters are not real in the sense they are not believable knowing the location I will give it a miss and stick to the books

[TittyBiskwits]

I really hope this is good. I love the Merrily series and Midwinter is by far my favourite, although PR's over use of the word 'spiritual' gets on my tits sometimes.

I like Anna Maxwell Martin so I think that's a great bit of casting even though she's not how I imagined her.

[CMOTDibbler]

Gomer isn't in this

It was all filmed in the right area - Weobley is used quite a lot. And Phil Rickman is really pleased with how its turned out, so thats a good sign