The Owl Service facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Alan Garner |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult fantasy novel, horror, supernatural fiction |
| Publisher | William Collins, Sons |
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Publication date
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1967 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 156 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0001846035 |
| OCLC | 156462103 |
| LC Class | PZ7.G18417 Ow |
The Owl Service is a low fantasy novel written by Alan Garner. It was published in 1967. The story takes place in modern Wales. It is a new version of an old Welsh myth about a woman named Blodeuwedd. Alan Garner himself called it an "expression of the myth."
This book won the annual Carnegie Medal. This award is given to the best children's book by a British author each year. In 2007, for the award's 70th birthday, The Owl Service was chosen as one of the top ten winning books of all time. Garner also won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. This is another important award for children's books. Only six books have won both of these awards.
The myth of Blodeuwedd comes from the Mabinogion. This is a collection of old Welsh stories. Blodeuwedd is a woman made from flowers by a king and a magician. She was made for a man who could not marry a human woman. Blodeuwedd later betrays her husband, Lleu. She helps another man, Gronw, kill Lleu. As punishment, Blodeuwedd is turned into an owl. In Garner's book, three teenagers accidentally bring this old story back to life. They find a set of dinner plates with an owl pattern. These plates give the novel its name.
The first American edition of the book was published in 1968.
Contents
Story Summary
The story follows Roger and Alison, who are stepbrother and sister. Alison's father passed away. Her mother, Margaret, then married Clive. Clive is a businessman and a former RAF officer. Clive's previous wife caused him much pain. To help the new family get along, they spend the summer in a quiet valley in Wales. The house they stay in belonged to Alison's father. He inherited it from his cousin, Bertram. Bertram died mysteriously in the house when Alison was born.
A handyman named Huw Halfbacon, also known as Huw the Flitch, works at the house. He is the last of the old staff. The former cook, Nancy, now lives in Aberystwyth. She is offered a lot of money to come back and cook. Nancy brings her son, Gwyn, with her. Gwyn has never been to the valley before. However, he seems to know everything about it from his mother's stories. Huw also knows a lot about the place, but he is very secretive. Nancy has told Gwyn nothing about Huw.
Alison hears strange scratching sounds in the attic above her bedroom. She asks Gwyn to check it out. Gwyn finds many dinner plates with a flower pattern. When he picks one up, something strange happens. He almost falls through the ceiling. At the same time, Roger is by a large flat stone near the river. He hears a scream. He also thinks he sees something flying towards him. This stone is called the Stone of Gronw. It has a neat hole through it. Legend says Lleu killed Gronw by throwing a spear right through the stone Gronw was using as a shield.
Alison starts acting strangely. She traces the pattern from a plate onto paper. Then she folds the paper to make an owl. Nancy finds out Gwyn was in the attic. She demands Alison give her the plate. Alison says she has no right to it. She eventually shows a blank white plate. She claims the pattern disappeared. Alison becomes obsessed with the plates. She traces them one by one, making owls. Each time, the plates become blank. The paper owls also disappear, but no one cares much at first.
In the house's billiard room, part of a wall is covered with pebble-dash. This covering starts to crack and fall off. It reveals painted eyes, then a full picture of a woman made of flowers. Tensions grow among the people in the house. Gwyn is smart and wants to study more. But Clive, who is from a wealthy family, looks down on him. Roger, who was friendly at first, starts to dislike Gwyn. He makes fun of Gwyn's attempts to improve his speech. Alison seems friendly to Gwyn. They go on long walks together. She has visions where she sees herself next to him, even when he is far away. Alison's mother, Margaret, is never seen. But everyone tries to keep her happy.
The holiday turns into a disaster. Yet, everyone stays, even though Clive could pay off the staff and leave. Nancy often threatens to quit. But she is always convinced to stay with money. She constantly warns Gwyn to stay away from Roger and Alison. She says he might be taken out of school and forced to work. Nancy slowly shows her anger towards Margaret and Alison. She once thought she would marry Bertram. She believed she should have been the lady of the house.
The boys' interest in Alison is not openly discussed. But it is hinted at. In the TV show, Gwyn's feelings for her are much clearer. Alison, even if she likes Gwyn, wants to keep her comfortable life. She tells Gwyn she would rather keep her tennis club membership than upset her mother.
Huw, the mysterious handyman, seems to control everything. He makes strange statements. There are also odd comments from villagers. Sounds of motorcycles and birds are heard in the distance. Mysterious noises come from locked buildings.
Gwyn follows Alison on one of her strange midnight walks. She is finishing tracing the plates in the woods. Gwyn is bothered by columns of flame. He tries to tell himself it is just marsh gas. He finds Alison after she has made the last owl. He walks her back to the house. Huw is waiting. He greets them by saying, "She's come."
By now, the link between the old legend and what is happening is clear. Gwyn tries to think logically. He tries to run away. He walks up the valley sides as the weather gets worse. But a group of sheepdogs chases him back. He takes Roger's hiking gear and tries the other side of the valley. But Huw is waiting for him there. Huw tells him about the power in the valley. He explains how people from their family must re-enact the legend each time. He says Blodeuwedd always appears as owls, not flowers, because of the hatred. Huw is Gwyn's real father. So Gwyn is the next person in line. Huw caused Bertram's death. He damaged Bertram's old motorcycle. He did not know Bertram would ride it on the dangerous hill road. Huw's ancestors made the dinner plates and the wall painting. They tried to trap the magic in their creations. But Alison has let it out again.
Huw tells Gwyn to go to a crack in an old tree. Gwyn finds different things there, including a spearhead. All the men in Huw's family go to this tree. They leave something and take something. Gwyn takes a carved stone. He leaves a cheap owl-decorated trinket. He tells Huw to give the stone to Alison. Gwyn plans to go back to the house and leave with his mother. She has finally decided to quit for good.
In a locked room, Roger finds a stuffed owl. Bertram had shot it to try and get rid of the Blodeuwedd ghost. Roger also finds all the paper owls that have made patterns in the dust. He also finds the damaged motorcycle. Nancy rushes in and wrecks the room. She destroys the owl. Then she tries to hit the feathers flying in the air.
Alison is given the stone by Huw. She collapses and is brought to the kitchen. She twists and turns, as if controlled by a force. Claw marks appear on her skin. Huw begs Gwyn to comfort her. But Gwyn feels completely betrayed by Alison and cannot say anything. A storm rages outside. Branches smash through the windows. The sounds of owls and eagles fill the air. Feathers swirl in the room. They form owl patterns on the walls and ceiling.
Roger is desperate. He begs Gwyn for help, but it does not work. "It is always owls, over and over and over," says Huw. Then Roger shouts that it is not true. He yells that she is flowers. He keeps yelling this at Alison. Suddenly, everything becomes peaceful. The room is filled with petals, not feathers.
Writing the Book
Alan Garner spent four years researching and writing The Owl Service. He learned the Welsh language. He did this so he would not use it in the dialogue. He did not want to use a fake Welsh accent. He felt that would not truly show what it means to be Welsh.
Main Ideas
John Rowe Townsend noted that the book explores old legends that are still alive. This idea also appears in Garner's earlier books. Townsend said that in The Owl Service, Garner showed a new understanding of the feelings in a situation.
Susan Cooper, another writer who uses Welsh stories, called the novel "true fantasy." She said it was "subtle and overwhelming." Penelope Farmer wrote that few realistic books for teens say as much about being a teenager as The Owl Service.
The book also explores discrimination and prejudice. There is a feeling that the English look down on the Welsh. And the Welsh resent English money. There is also a class difference. This is seen between a working-class boy and richer children. It is also between a land-owning family and a businessman's family. There is a difference between Welsh people from cities and Welsh-speaking country folk. Gwyn speaks Welsh with local people for school exams. But his mother does not want him "speaking like a labourer." Gwyn's Welsh accent in English also makes him seem less important to the English characters. Garner creates conflict by bringing different viewpoints together. It is not because anyone is truly mean.
How the Story Began
Garner was inspired to write the story when he saw a plate with an owl pattern. More than forty years later, the design was found to be by Christopher Dresser. He created it between 1862 and 1904. It is a flower design. But some of the "flowers" look like "owls" when turned upside down.
In 1979, Peter Plummer described a search for other dinner sets with the same owl/flower pattern. This search happened in 1969. He said: "I only know now that there are precious few of these sets in circulation... (we) only managed to turn up three other copies." One of these sets was linked to bad family events. Another family realized what they were eating from while watching the TV show.
In 2012, Garner mentioned he had only ever seen five plates with this design.
Interesting Facts
Gwyn talks about exams "next year." These would have been 'O' or 'A' level GCE exams. Students usually take them at age 16 or 18. Alison and Roger are probably around the same age as Gwyn.
In chapter eight, Gwyn tells Roger, "You're as daft as a clockwork orange." This was written after the book A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess came out in 1962. However, Garner probably did not mean to refer to that novel. It is more likely he was using a common saying. There is some debate about whether the phrase started with Burgess's book or not. Garner's use suggests it might have been a common phrase already.
TV and Radio Versions
The Owl Service was made into a Granada Television TV show in 1969. It was called The Owl Service. It was also made into a radio play for BBC Radio 4 in 2000.
