The Anya Seton Appreciation Thread

Cafe Society
1

When I was a preteen, or somewhere thereabout, I came across a copy of Dragonwyck by Anya Seton. I read it, fell madly in love with the tall/dark/handsome guy until I found out he was also the wicked guy. The book fascinated me so much that when I came across a copy of it at the used book store last year, I greedily snatched it up and read it several times in a row before stowing it in one of my overflowing book cases.

Then this weekend I was helping my sister move. After two days of hard physical labor, we both decided to stop at Half Price Books and buy some trashy books to read in the bathtub while we were soaking away our aches. I found Green Darkness, also by Anya Seton, and took it home. Well, it’s not a trashy novel, although it’s hardly high literature either, but wow! What a story! I ended up staying up until 1 a.m. today reading it–which could be part of the reason I’ve been nodding at work all day. The book is so vividly written that I feel like I know the characters, and like I watched everything unfold in the most compelling movie imaginable.

I looked her up on the online catalog for our local library, and they have 7 more by her that I haven’t read. I think I’ll stop by the library on the way home. I’ve got gobs of homework to do this week, but hey! I figure, a chapter of Roman history, a chapter of Smouldering Fires. Books 2 and 3 of Chaucer’s “House of Fame,” and then Katherine. Sound doable? Nah, not to me either, but somehow I’m going to find the time to read these books!

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I liked KATHERINE when I read it as a teenager. (It’s about John of Gaunt’s mistress, Kat Swinford, from whose illegitimate son the kings of England descended- more interesting than it sounds- Katherine’s sister was married to Geoffrey Chaucer, incidentally, so there’s a link.)

GREEN DARKNESS I remember really liking when I read it 20 years ago, though I don’t remember much other than it was a reincarnation-romance-thriller.

3

Katherine’s wonderful. I loved Anya Seton when I was a teenager. The Winthrop Woman was great too. I must check out what the library has of hers.

4

Katherine’s a favorite here too. What a heartbreaking story.

Green Darkness - eh. I loved it as a young 20-year-old but tried to read it again a year or so ago and couldn’t. I kept seeing this 70’s movie in my head, the interaction between the couples at the start of the book, the cocktails, clothes, etc.

I wanted so badly to fall under the spell again. :frowning:

I hate to sound like an Amazon shill, but if you like Anya Seton, you might also like Kathleen Winsor.