Is 'The dark is rising' a standalone story?

[squashyhat]

I've seen this recommended a lot as a Christmas read, but it looks to be part of a series. Will it make sense on its own?

It makes total sense on its own and is a great read in December - you can do a read a long day by day with others on sm

Susan Cooper?

You can read it as a standalone book but the series is good too. They’re kids/young adult books but they are really very good.

Yes, absolutely recommend. And then you will want to read the other books!

Yes, it’s a standalone book, the others in the series are excellent too. My favourite is ‘Over Sea, Under Stone’. Enjoy!

Thanks all. I have reserved it at the library today!

Fantastic book. Also available as audio on BBC Sounds.

A lovely novel. You can absolutely read it by itself. My only reservation with the book, and the series as a whole, is the long shadow of James George Frazer/Margaret Murray pseudo-humanities that was inexplicably popular with fiction writers in the 60s/70s.

@SophieStrange I’m on the last book of the series now (Silver on the Tree) and really enjoying it. I’m not familiar with the authors you mentioned, can you explain a bit more about their influences? Generally my tastes skew a bit more towards the folk horror side of folklore but I’m enjoying this foray into mythology!

We read TDIR every Christmas, starting on 20th December, a lovely family tradition!

Oh this is intriguing. Could you elaborate a bit more please?