Green Darkness

By: Anya Seton

Narrated by: Heather Wilds

Length: 23 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Green Darkness is the story of a great love, a love in which mysticism, suspense, and mystery form a web of good and evil forces that stretches from Tudor England to the England of the 20th century. The marriage of the Englishman Richard Marsdon and his young American wife, Celia, slowly turns tragic as Richard withdraws into himself and Celia suffers a debilitating emotional breakdown.

A wise mystic realizes that Celia can escape her past only by reliving it. She journeys back 400 years to her former life as the servant girl Celia de Bohun during the reign of Edward VI - and to her doomed love affair with the chaplain Stephen Marsdon. Although Celia and Stephen can't escape the horrifying consequences of their love, fate (and time) offer them another chance for redemption.

©1972 Anya Seton Chase (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Anya Seton has a knack of vividly painting the glory, cruelty, passion, and prejudice of long-ago days." ( Hartford Courant)

Reread it every couple of years

I owned a paperback copy of this book since I was in high school (a long, long time ago). I loved it so much that I would reread it every couple of years until it literally fell apart. The story of a priest falling in love is poignant and heartbreaking. Their deaths are tragic, 200 years later their love culminates in the lives of 2 young people who do not understand how the past can influence the present and future.

One of my favorites!

Would you consider the audio edition of Green Darkness to be better than the print version?

I've re-read this book many, many times but this was the first time I listened to it on Audible and I loved the reader/performer's accents and pronounciation. In many ways I prefer the audio version because it's so easy to get lost in the story when you don't have to wonder how to pronounce places and things.

What does Heather Wilds bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Heather Wilds did a wonderful job - she brought an old favorite back to life for me.

My absolute favorite book

This book hastens you in right from the beginning. It is historical romance but of a superior quality. It has all the ingredients of the occult, but so perfectly done. It's about a forbidden love affair and the ultimate horror caused by it. It explores reincarnation, astrology, witchcraft and jealousy, that severe emotion. I read this book 3 times since it came out in 1973. I loved the original book cover, a monk and a young woman in the green darkness of the woods. But the woods do not protect them. Kathleen Collins

Narrator ruined this for me

I love Anya Seton's books and I think this one was good and well written. The narrator completely ruined the experience for me and made it hard to listen to. I believe if this were to be re-recorded with a better narrator ( possibly Corrie James who read The Wintrop Woman) it would be a great success. I did not finish listening to the book and moved on.

Love Anya Seton!

Have read this multiple times thru the years. A mix of historical fiction and reincarnation. I always enjoy it

Absolutely LOVE this book!

I read this book when it first came out in the seventies and wanted to see if it withstood the test of time, I’m thrilled to day it did! I’ve read other books by this author but this continues to be my favorite. It’s one of the few books I’ve re-read and it just keeps my interest, it’s just that good.
The strong love felt by Celia and Steven in the fifteenth hundreds left such mark in their souls that they’re forced to repeat it in this lifetime, would they have a different result?

A wonderful discovery

What did you love best about Green Darkness?

I came upon this novel entirely by chance and did not realize that it was a best-seller in 1972 until I decided to research the author. I love historical fiction and quality or original offers in that genre have not been many over the past couple of years - "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" being notable exceptions. This novel is perhaps more of a "historical romance". The story takes place during Tudor times but does not involve the better known Tudor nobles. It is absorbing and entertaining. The characters are full of human flaws and this makes them believable.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Green Darkness?

The encounters between the protagonists, being few and sparse in detail were precious. This novel has a "reincarnation" subplot that is quite unnecessary and it takes place in the 1960's. The central plot which takes place in Tudor England in places that still exist today is the bulk of the story and enough on itself.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Heather Wilds?

It took me a while to get use to this narrator's rhythm; having done so, I would listen to another narration by her.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I found the story very engaging; once it hooked me I just wanted to keep on listening.

Any additional comments?

This was a treat. It had a bit of history, romance, murder, madness, metaphisics...all expertly but simply mixed to snare the reader. It is remarkable that it did not seem at all dated.

Meh, it's okay.

The story was entertaining, but never really more than surface deep. The characters always fell flat and seem to have little substance. Predictable but not unenjoyable. The narrator sounds like a British version of "Snapped" narrator. Meh.

In a past life, I loved just as much…

I found this book in our library decades ago in my small catholic school. The story and concepts made a significant impact upon my life. My own Stephan was introduced into my life a year later and now, can’t in and out if my life throughout decades and now I have convinced him to read this book as well. I enjoyed the story yet again and cannot wait to hear his thoughts as it resonates upon his soul.

Timeless

This book was referred to me by my boss years ago and said it was a good read. Picked up a paperback copy for myself. She was right. I’ve read it several times and I am delighted that I have it on audiobook. For me this story never gets old.