Tamsin

Wow, this book by Peter S. Beagle was a find. How odd that his other book, “The Last Unicorn” is so lauded when this is a far better piece of work. The characterisation is just exactly right, the shift in mood works perfectly, and the story races along.

Jenny’s an American. Jenny’s mum marries an Englishman, so they move to an old house in Dorset. An old haunted house; a place which has awoken all the old things, like boggarts, the Wild Hunt, redcaps, Oakmen, all sorts of ancient British folklorish creatures. Most of all a ghost called Tamsin, who is waiting – for what? Well, this is a coming of age story, of course; Jenny has to learn to give things up in order for things to work out. She loves Tamsin – it’s a brilliantly written relationship – but like all ghost stories, it’s about learning to give up the one you love for their own good.

Beagle’s done a great job with a range of characters; the Americans sound American (it’s in first person, Jenny’s voice), the Brits sound British and the old ghosts from long ago sound old-fashioned but comprehensible. He’s a great storyteller; there’s enough detail without being tedious, and there’s a fabulous twist which you feel you should’ve seen coming but you never did. A few red herrings, too.

Parts of it do feel as though he’s devoured Briggs’ “Dictionary of Fairies” and he’s trying to regurgitate it for your benefit; although, oddly enough, his retelling of history – the Monmouth rebellion - doesn’t feel the least bit educational at all. He cleverly mixes modernity with the past without skipping a beat. A great read.