The Boggart

Rating:
Summary: Old Meets New
Review: "The Boggart" is a nice little tale about a very ancient and mischievous spirit. This boggart lives in an old castle on an island in a lake in Scotland. He likes to play tricks, and he has been playing them on the inhabitants of this castle for hundreds of years. When the old man who has been the last resident of the castle dies, ownership passes to his nearest relatives, the Volniks. The Volnik family lives in Canada and includes Emily, her computer-whiz brother, Jessop, and her parents. After traveling to Scotland and spending some time in the castle, they put it up for sale and return home, bringing a few antiques with them. What they don't know is that they've also brought the boggart along. Finding himself in an unfamiliar place and surrounded by all the trappings of modern life, the boggart embarks on a series of pranks. Boggarts aren't malicious, and the intent of his mischief is innocent enough, but the consequences range from comical to dangerous. For Emily and her family, the problem is to figure out what is going on and how to deal with it.

I read this book with my nine-year-old daughter, Alix. She liked it, as evidenced by the fact that she was always curious to see what was going to happen next. It's a light, amusing tale, with plenty of humor and an intriquing touch of the supernatural. I'm sure most kids would enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: The Boggart
Review: emeli and jessup had came back from castle keep they brought a desk with them. later in the book emeli relize that there is a boggart living in there house. the boggart play trick them and he thins to somewhere else and jessup and emeli got in trouble. when the boggart turn into a spider was because he did not wanted them to see him. the boggart also got trap in the train when emeli close the drawerthe boggart couldn't got out.

Rating:
Summary: Old Magic Creates New Mayhem!
Review: It's not realyl Emily and Jessups fault that they brought a powerful Boggart, a Scottish spirit that uses trickery, into Canada. When they find out that there family is the heir of a Scottish Castle they are only too happy to go visit. After hearing that they can't keep the Galic Paradise they take a few books, some furniture... and a Boggart home with them. The Boggart is scared at first but soon becomes amazed with the tecnology of the west. But his tricks are not as Welcome here as they where back in Scottland.

If you like tales of Old Magic, and new technology you'll llove this book. I'll be sure to read another work of Susan Cooper!

Rating:
Summary: The Boggart
Review: Long before Harry Potter would have had us believe that boggarts were spirits that took the form of your darkest fears, Susan Cooper had the right idea. The author of the magnificent and accomplished, "The Dark Is Rising" series (not to be mistaken with the "His Dark Materials" series), Cooper set her sights a little younger with this loving free-flowing tale of the ultimate mischevious creature. Though relying on a couple ideas and motifs that will date this book far more than her better known series ever will, the story is a complete and wonderful accomplishment for an already accomplished artist.

The Boggart is an Old Thing, from the days of dark deep magic. It cannot die and lives only to play pranks and tricks on foolish humans. For countless centuries this particular Boggart has lived in the Castle Keep on an old abandoned island off the coast of Scotland. It loves the land and the man who lives in the castle, but when the old owner dies the Boggart is forced to meet the castle's new owners. That would be Volnik clan, with children Emily and Jessup in tow. The family is Canadian and it is only through a miscalculation on the Boggart's part that they find themselves shipping the wayward spirit back to Toronto where they live. After figuring out that their house is now home to the pranks of a Scottish spirit, the kids set about finding a way to send the Boggart back to his castle and his land.

Cooper's "Dark Is Rising" series always suffered a little from too many descriptions and distractions. Such is not the case here. In "The Boggart" we get to know an array of different characters exceedingly well. The children are interesting and lively without ever disintegrating into brattiness. The parents are delightfully eccentric while remaining loving and concerned. Sixteen year-old Barry (who hangs out with ten year-olds) is a bit odd, so while you feel for him you don't necessarily blame Emily and Jessup's suspicious mom. As for the Boggart itself, it encompasses everything that is wild and untamed. The Boggart is the "other", and that otherness is felt in its sublime British nature. I should note that though Cooper is English by birth, she captures perfectly the feeling Americans and Canadians have on visiting the British Isles. One would almost think she was from our side of the ocean, the way she accurately describes a Yank's reactions to the natural beauty and wonder of the Scottish land.

The only flaw in the book as I see it is the use of computers. Bearing in mind that this story was published in 1993, one has to expect some problems with the plot. Therefore, hearing that a boy's new computer has a black and white screen, or the very description of its computer programs themselves, it's hard not to see that this book is rather out-of-date. Then again, given a little time this book may merely appear to be a piece of historical fiction. No harm there. The book does pull a kind of "Independence Day" scheme where two computers, one in Canada and one in Scotland, apparently are the same make and model and can switch files and games without the book ever saying as much. But these are tiny concerns, honestly.

If you're looking for a tale that incorporates the ancient mystery of the Celts, dark abandoned castles, and a michevious sprite, this is an ideal story. It is a fantasy for those kids that have grown tired of dragons for a little while. And its myriad of different settings (a castle, a home, a theater, an antique shop) are a blast to visit. This is perhaps Susan Cooper's most lovable book. It is certainly worth a look-see.

Rating:
Summary: Whither wander you, spirit?
Review: Long before Harry Potter would have had us believe that boggarts were spirits that took the form of your darkest fears, Susan Cooper had the right idea. The author of the magnificent and accomplished, "The Dark Is Rising" series (not to be mistaken with the "His Dark Materials" series), Cooper set her sights a little younger with this loving free-flowing tale of the ultimate mischevious creature. Though relying on a couple ideas and motifs that will date this book far more than her better known series ever will, the story is a complete and wonderful accomplishment for an already accomplished artist.

The Boggart is an Old Thing, from the days of dark deep magic. It cannot die and lives only to play pranks and tricks on foolish humans. For countless centuries this particular Boggart has lived in the Castle Keep on an old abandoned island off the coast of Scotland. It loves the land and the man who lives in the castle, but when the old owner dies the Boggart is forced to meet the castle's new owners. That would be Volnik clan, with children Emily and Jessup in tow. The family is Canadian and it is only through a miscalculation on the Boggart's part that they find themselves shipping the wayward spirit back to Toronto where they live. After figuring out that their house is now home to the pranks of a Scottish spirit, the kids set about finding a way to send the Boggart back to his castle and his land.

Cooper's "Dark Is Rising" series always suffered a little from too many descriptions and distractions. Such is not the case here. In "The Boggart" we get to know an array of different characters exceedingly well. The children are interesting and lively without ever disintegrating into brattiness. The parents are delightfully eccentric while remaining loving and concerned. Sixteen year-old Barry (who hangs out with ten year-olds) is a bit odd, so while you feel for him you don't necessarily blame Emily and Jessup's suspicious mom. As for the Boggart itself, it encompasses everything that is wild and untamed. The Boggart is the "other", and that otherness is felt in its sublime British nature. I should note that though Cooper is English by birth, she captures perfectly the feeling Americans and Canadians have on visiting the British Isles. One would almost think she was from our side of the ocean, the way she accurately describes a Yank's reactions to the natural beauty and wonder of the Scottish land.

The only flaw in the book as I see it is the use of computers. Bearing in mind that this story was published in 1993, one has to expect some problems with the plot. Therefore, hearing that a boy's new computer has a black and white screen, or the very description of its computer programs themselves, it's hard not to see that this book is rather out-of-date. Then again, given a little time this book may merely appear to be a piece of historical fiction. No harm there. The book does pull a kind of "Independence Day" scheme where two computers, one in Canada and one in Scotland, apparently are the same make and model and can switch files and games without the book ever saying as much. But these are tiny concerns, honestly.

If you're looking for a tale that incorporates the ancient mystery of the Celts, dark abandoned castles, and a michevious sprite, this is an ideal story. It is a fantasy for those kids that have grown tired of dragons for a little while. And its myriad of different settings (a castle, a home, a theater, an antique shop) are a blast to visit. This is perhaps Susan Cooper's most lovable book. It is certainly worth a look-see.

Rating:
Summary: Solid fantasy
Review: Susan Cooper is best known for The Dark is Rising Sequence, a mix of modern fantasy, folklore and Arthurian legend. In "The Boggart" she goes into related but different territory, loosing an ancient Scottish spirit on a modern family. Often cute and very interestingly written.

The boggart has lived in a decayed Scottish castle for centuries, making harmless mischief and shapeshifting into different forms. But when the elderly caretaker dies, the castle is inherited by the Volnik family, modern Canadians who don't know about the boggart. They arrive in Scotland to check out their rather decrepit property; the boggart decides to take a nap inside a rolltop desk... right before the desk is shipped back to Toronto.

When the desk arrives, the boggart makes the most of his situation by wreaking havoc with the electricity, furniture, non-Scottish foods like pizza, and eventually with traffic. His tricks, though not malicious, can quickly spin out of control and become dangerous. But eventually he wants to go home, communicating with Emily and Jess through the computer. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to get a boggart back to Scotland -- especially when the adults believe the boggart is nonexistant, and an obnoxious parapsychologist is sniffing around.

Until relatively recently, few people knew about the mythical boggart (similar to the bogle). Cooper saves this book from being a typical story of a mythical creature wreaking havoc in the real world by using a little-known Celtic spirit; the result is that the boggart is charming and likable, almost childlike in its mischief, delight over electricity, and quickly-forgotten emotions. The best parts of the book are the ones from the boggart's point of view, such as its memory of a Scottish chieftain who died long ago.

"The Boggart" is a slightly less sparkling book than the "Dark is Rising" books, mostly because her prose is plainer and less detailed here. It only really blossoms when we head to Scotland, the sort of ancient atmospheric surroundings that Cooper seems most comfortable writing.

The boggart, the star, is likably mischievous; Cooper manages to make it inhuman at the same time. It never thinks or acts like a human. Emily and Jessup are likable characters, with distinct personalities. Supporting characters like the parents or the actors are well-fleshed out, never acting like idiots if they don't know about the boggart.

A unique mix of folklore and modern technology. This book could have been so very mediocre, but instead it's a funny, intriguing fantasy. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: It is a very wierd book to read,but it's good.
Review: The book I'm reading is really wierd.It is about an invisible spirit.He likes to be sly and tricky.He lives in a big castle named Castle Keep.The man who owned the castle died and left the castle to his great-nephew.The Vonik family-including Emily and her nine-year-old computer genis brother Jessup-visit Castle Keep.There're planning to take the boggart with them to Canada.It' kind of spooky in a way,but once you get to reading it you'll probaly like it. If your that kind of person who likes to read these kind of books.The boggart is able to change into anything .So far it has turned into a fly and landed on an apple and landed on Fergus' nose.Fergus is a dog that belongs to the boggart.The two kids,Emily and Jessup know all about the boggart.The castle is always dark and the boggart is always lonely.Can you believe he lives there all by hinself and is invisible?How would you feel if you were him?Well believe me if you are into spooky and wierd books be sure to check out this book:The Boggart By:Susan Cooper