Yeah, I liked Kid Will better than Wise Will. Though really I’m kind of a fan of Bran, and of course Jane most.
The first book, Over sea, under stone, was written as a basic family adventure story years before she came up with the rest of the books. The other four were written much later, and as a group, taking off from the first one. (You’ll notice that the first one doesn’t really have much magic in it at all).
I do read The dark is rising every Christmas! Also, The children of Green Knowe.
This is the point of the exercise. As much as I adored this series when I was young, it is difficult to avoid Cooper’s rather extreme Calvinism as an adult. Delphica pointed out Cooper’s gift of atmospheric storytelling perfectly, but for me, even this does not quite redeem the intrusiveness of her religious beliefs.
Two years ago I tried to reread The Dark Is Rising when I was in north Wales. Even there I couldn’t hold my nose.