The Whispering Mountain

Joan Aiken's lesser-known works are among her best. Fresh off of "Cockatrice Boys," I picked up "Whispering Mountain" with a vague sense of unease. Too often fantasies with Celtic backdrops have become stale and repetitive, but Aiken's wry humor and delightful use of characterizations make this a rare treasure.In the little Welsh town of Pennygaff, Owen has come to live with his crotchety, chilly grandfather after his mother's death. He is chased and bullied by the other, larger boys; his only friend is the odd but kind girl Arabis and her dreamy poet father, Tom Dando. In fact, Owen trusts Arabis enough to tell her a secret: His grandfather has unearthed what may be the legendary golden Harp of Teirtu. The ruthless, gold-obsessed Lord Malyn soon asks the grandfather to hand over the harp, but the old man refuses.When Owen plans to run away from his grandfather, he end up abducted by a pair of none-too-swift criminals hired by Lord Malyn. Unexpectedly rescued by Arabis, Owen finds himself being blamed for the theft of the harp. He ends up in a bewildering adventure full of subterranean dwarves, oddly-speaking foreigners, sneaky and none-too-swift criminals, and the missing Prince of Wales.Owen is sympathetic by being a "Charlie Brown" hero. As the book opens, we see him being pursued by a bunch of bullies; he is also near-sighted, meek, and fears being a burden on his grandfather. Arabis is reminiscent of a Lloyd Alexander heroine, with her sharp mind and slightly out-of-the-ordinary ways. She is a fascinating character, who doesn't so much as blink at the idea of healing enormous numbers of underground dwarves. (And she has her bird ride around on her head, an extra quirk that makes her even more intriguing) Tom Dando is a sweet and poignant character, who often lapses out of the real world as he writes poetry; Lord Malyn is relentlessly evil, while the Seljuk of Rum is a quirky, instantly sympathetic character.The writing is snappy and well-paced, and the dialogue is interspersed with delightful bits of Welsh language. There's a slightly archaic feel to it, as if it takes place in a time far removed from our own, though it's not actually too far back in time. Aiken displays a stunning sense of atmosphere, whether it's the pleasantly dull town, sinister castle, or strange underground caverns.On a quality basis, this book lags behind its content. My copy had a couple of lines missing from a crucial conversation, and the paper was of poor quality. This is a problem with several of the Starscape reprints, but the previous books I purchased didn't have sections of the text missing. Another problem is that while the book has a translation index at the end for the various Welsh words, it only includes a handful of them! It does get points for actually having a cover that accurately depicts Arabis and Owen.A delightful and utterly original fantasy, a must-read for anyone who enjoys a dark and misty read. Dewi Sant!

I am astonished that this book is not more popular, and is no longer in print. It has always been my favourite among Joan Aiken's novels, and is one of my most treasured children's books. The dramatic Welsh setting, and the theme of the fabled Golden Harp of Teirtu give the book a special enchantment, and it is enlivened by such delightful and eccentric characters as the Seljuk of Rum, in search of his lost race of gold-working dwarves, and the dreamy poet Tom Dando, not to mention the sinister, gold-obsessed Marquess of Malyn. The intrepid Owen and wilful Arabis are an unusual and sympathetic pair of heroes. Then there are the comic cockney villains Bilk and Prigman. The tale is set in Aiken's alternative Britain, where the wicked Hanoverians plot to oust the rightful Stuarts, familiar from the Dido Twite novels. I warmly recommend The Whispering Mountain to readers and publishers alike.

Set in Wales this book very different from the others that Joan Aiken has written, not using any of the usual main characters or locations, but still maintaining the humour and wild plots that make her writing so wonderful. A mad lord searching for a fabled golden harp, a lost tribe who live deep inside the mountains, thieves, attempted murder, legends and an intricate story line all feature in this brilliant book.Fans won't be disappointed.