Groosham Grange
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| Groosham Grange | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Anthony Horowitz |
| Language | English |
| Series | Groosham Grange |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy, action, horror |
| Publisher | Walker Books |
| Publication date | 1988 |
| Pages | 196 |
Groosham Grange is a 1988 children's fantasy book by best-selling British author Anthony Horowitz. It received the French Prix Européen du Roman Pour Enfants ("European Award for Children's Fiction") in 1993. Horowitz intended Groosham Grange as the basis for a series, but so far he has written only two books, the second being The Unholy Grail (1999), retitled in 2003 as Return to Groosham Grange. The books deal with serious emotional issues, but they are also light-hearted, imaginative, and often funny at times. They are appropriate for young readers, and advanced readers. The story explores the legend of "the seventh son of a seventh son", and what it has to do with witchcraft.
The famous Harry Potter series has many similarities with this novel, including moving portraits and an unsuspicious teacher stealing a magically protected item in the school, among other similarities.
Contents |
[edit] Story
The central character David Eliot is a 12-year-old seventh son of a seventh son, cruelly mistreated by his parents. His father chooses a series of repressive boarding schools for him, where David does not perform well.
After being expelled from his "last-chance" school, they receive at home the unexpected call from an unknown school, Groosham Grange, of which nobody has heard of before. This school, located on Skrull Island, an island off Norfolk, earnestly invites David to enter it. His father jumps at the chance to pack him off, especially since it appears that the place is suitably severe. He must take a train from Liverpool Street to King's Lynn.
On the train he meets two other new students, Jill Green and Jeffrey Joseph. A vicar sits with them and plays hymns on his guitar, but when they mention that they are going to Groosham Grange he suffers a heart attack. A hunchback called Gregor escorts them to the school. Along with Jill (seventh daughter of a seventh daughter) and Jeffrey, David anticipates more mistreatment, and makes a pact with them that they will escape at any cost. After they arrive, they start to learn strange things, are baffled by inexplicable disappearances, very peculiar teachers (including a werewolf and a ghost), assorted frights—and an absence of punishments.
They are determined to solve the mystery of the school, but then Jeffrey begins acting suspiciously, seeming to side with the other students rather than with David and Jill. David manages to get a message to the outside world via a note in a bottle, but the school inspector sent to investigate is dealt with permanently courtesy of Mrs. Windergast's black magic. Jill helps David run away, but she gets caught.
It is then that he learns that he has been recruited to a school for wizards and witches because he is a wizard himself, and that the staff hopes to help him unleash his full potential as the other students do. This must all be kept secret from normal, non-magical people.
David must decide if he will remain at Groosham Grange or not. His dilemma lies in his wish to avoid evil, but the Headmaster tempts him with the promises that he can learn "how to make gold out of lead, how to destroy your enemies just by snapping your fingers... [and] to see into the future and use it for yourself."
[edit] Characters
[edit] School staff
- Mr. Fitch: Mr. Fitch was once a white magician alongside Mr. Teagle, but a disaster occurred when one of their spells went wrong. The effect was that their bodies were combined together. They proceeded to become the headmasters of Groosham Grange.
- Mr. Teagle: Mr. Teagle was once an evil magician alongside Mr. Fitch, but a disaster occurred when one of their spells went wrong. The effect was that their bodies were combined together. They proceeded to become the headmasters of Groosham Grange.
- Mr. Kilgraw: John Kilgraw is a vampire who became Professor of Latin and Hypnosis at Groosham Grange. He is also Deputy Headmaster.
- Mrs. Windergast: A witch who became Professor of General Witchcraft as well as school nurse at Groosham Grange sometime after her husband's death.
- Mr. Creer: The ghost of Edward Ronald Creer who drowned near the school and became Professor of Religious Education and Modelling.
- Miss Pedicure: An ancient woman who has lived in every corner of the world. She became Professor of English and History at Groosham Grange, which was unfortunate at the time as English hadn't been invented and nothing had happened yet.
- Monsieur Leloup: A werewolf who sought refuge at Groosham Grange and became Professor of French.
- Mr. Helliwell: A black magician who once lived on Mars. Mr. Helliwell journeyed to Groosham Grange where he became Professor of Voodoo. He tried to destroy the school by stealing the Unholy Grail, but was killed before his plan came to fruition.
- Gregor: A hunchback who was born deformed and became caretaker of Groosham Grange after being over-qualified for a freak show.
- Captain Bloodbath: The no-handed ferryman of Groosham Grange.
[edit] School students
- William Rufus: William is a fellow student of David and Jeffery's, he shares a dorm with them and has lessons with them. When David first meets William, he asks him what his name is, William replies 'William', David finds this strange because sewed onto his pajamas is the name 'James Stephens'. David later finds out why, when you turn into a witch or wizard, you must change your name so that nobody recognizes you. William was named after one of the greatest wizards of all time, William Rufus.
- Bessie Dunlop: Bessie is a fellow student at Groosham Grange you never really get to know her but she shares a dorm with Jill and 10 other girls.
- Roger Bacon: Roger is mentioned on various occasions.
- Marion Grant: Marion shares a dorm with Jill and Bessie as well.
- Linda Chapman: Linda is a very clever student with all the answers so gets first place in the most important test and answers the question right, too often. In one lesson the teacher zaps her away because she answered two questions in a row.
- Vincent King: Vincent is new in the second book and has fair hair and piercing blue eyes he has no family or relatives and it is he who wins the unholy grail. Vincent and David don't get on at all.
They compete for the unholy grail as it was a draw between them but Vincent wins, foul play?
[edit] Adaptations
A dramatic adaptation of Groosham Grange in three half-hour episodes was broadcast on the BBC in 1992 and re-broadcast on BBC Radio 7 May 5 to May 7, 2010 starring Clive Merrison as Mr. Eliot. Sheila Hancock as Mrs. Windergast, Daniel Eisen as David, Lucy Speed as Jill, James Holland as Jeffrey, Jack Klaff as Mr. Kilgraw, Polly James as Mrs. Eliot and Peter Gunn as Gregor. It was dramatized by Stephen Sheridan.
BBC Audio has also released recordings of both books with Nickolas Grace as the reader.
