A Discovery of Witches
 Cover of A Discovery of Witches | |
| Author | Deborah Harkness |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Tal Goretsky (Design) Charlie Waite, Riser, Getty Images (Photography) |
| Language | English |
| Series | All Souls Trilogy |
| Genre | Contemporary fantasy, romance, vampire, witchcraft, alchemy |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
Publication date | February 8, 2011 |
| Publication place | USA |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) |
| ISBN | [[Special:BookSources/ISBN+987-0-670-02241-0+%28Hardcover%29%0A+++++++++++++++++ISBN+987-0-14-311986-5+%28Paperback%29 |ISBN 987-0-670-02241-0 (Hardcover) ISBN 987-0-14-311986-5 (Paperback)]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Followed by | Shadow of Night |
A Discovery of Witches is a 2011 historical-fantasy novel and the debut novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness. It follows the story of Diana Bishop, an alchemical history professor at Oxford University who, after accidentally calling an elusive, long-thought-lost manuscript, is forced to embrace the magic in her blood she has sought to keep out of her life and engage in a forbidden romance with charming vampire Matthew Clairmont.
The book received mostly positive feedback from literary critics. It was praised for its intelligence and the mixture of history with fantasy, although some critics felt the plot was trite and the pacing was slow. Comparison were made between other popular fantasy series, namely Twilight and Harry Potter. The novel began as a "thought experiment" for Harkness, who had previously only published works of historical non-fiction. She drew upon her academic background as a historian and her studies of alchemy, magic and the occult.
A Discovery of Witches was first published in hardcover on February 8, 2011 by Penguin Books, becoming a New York Times Best Seller upon its release. It has since been released in paperback and also as an ebook. The novel has been translated into more than 36 languages around the world. A Discovery of Witches is the first installment in the All Souls trilogy, followed by Shadow of Night (2012) and a yet-to-be-released final novel. Warner Bros. have purchased the rights to create a film adaptation.
Background
According to Harkness, the novel began as "a thought experiment" after she noticed the plethora of novels surrounding vampires and magic at an airport bookshop.[1] As a historian, she noted that people today were interested in reading about the same sorts of subjects as they would have in the past: the supernatural. "In some ways I think their popularity right now is about our feeling that we still want there to be magic and enchantment in the world," theorises Harkness. "Magic provides a way of still having room for possibilities, an unlimited sense of what the world offers. Magic is always there when science is found wanting."[1] Harkness has studied magic and the occult since 1983, which provided much of the inspiration for the novel.[2]
The writing of the novel took place in the early mornings "in the blissful quiet before [she] switched on [her] email", while she also continued teaching at The University of Southern California during the day, and blogging about wine in the evenings.[1] Aside from Anne Rice novels that she "read and loved" in her twenties, Harkness claims she has not read other vampire fiction such as The Historian or the Twilight series.[1]
Synopsis
While studying in Oxford University's Bodleian Library, American scholar Diana Bishop uncovers a bewitched alchemical manuscript, the long-lost and sought-after Ashmole 782. Diana has long tried to keep magic out of her life; she is descended from a long line of witches, but she is determined to remain untouched by her family's legacy. She banishes the manuscripts to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer. Witches are not the only otherworldly creatures to live alongside humans. Creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires also inhabit this world. The discovery of Ashmole 782 draws the attentions of witches, daemons, and vampires alike. It is believed that the manuscript contains important clues about the past and the future, and creatures want to know how Diana Bishop has been able to get her hands on the elusive volume. Perhaps most drawn to Diana is the 1500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont, a geneticist with a passion for Darwin. Finding an ally in the vampire, Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the manuscript's secrets. As their relationship develops, the witch and the vampire engage in a forbidden romance, drawing the attention of the Congregation, a nine-member governing clique overseeing all supernatural beings. As Diana and Matthew make enemies, they fall further in love, threatening to unravel the very fragile peace that has long existed between creatures and humans.
Publication history
A Discovery of Witches first achieved attention from publishers at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair. It was then published by Viking Press for a North American release in February 2011. The novel was commercially successful, debuting at number two on the New York Times Best Seller list,[3] and number eight on the USA Today Best-Selling Book list.[4] Two months after publication, A Discovery of Witches was already in its seventh printing.[2]
Critical reception
The novel was generally praised and deemed a strong literary debut. Rating the novel a B+, Entertainment Weekly's Karen Valby was positive in her review, labeling it an "extraordinarily fun debut" and remarking that "Harkness writes with thrilling gusto about the magical world. Whether she's describing a yoga class for witches, daemons, and vampires or Diana's benignly haunted house, it's a treat to suspend disbelief." Though she thought the novel dragged for a bit, "the pages turned faster, almost as if on their own" as the action picked up and "by the most satisfying end, Harkness had made me a believer."[5] Parade gave the novel a glowing endorsement, writing, "Harkness’ sure hand when it comes to star-crossed love and chilling action sequences in striking locales makes for an enchanting debut."[6] O, The Oprah Magazine listed "A Discovery of Witches" as one of its 15 Books to Watch for in February 2011, deeming it "romantic, erudite, and suspenseful" and noting "Harkness attends to every scholarly and emotional detail with whimsy, sensuality, and humor."[7] In a starred review, Library Journal judged that "A Discovery of Witches" to be an "enchanting novel... an essential purchase" and that Harkness "is an author to watch". On the novel, the review elaborated: "readers will find themselves invested in Diana’s success at unlocking the secrets of the manuscript. Although not a nail-biting cliff-hanger, the finale skillfully provides a sense of completion while leaving doors open for the possibility of wonderful sequel adventures. This reviewer, for one, hopes they come soon!"[8]
Critics praised Harkness' attention to detail and history, rare in paranormal romance novels. The San Antonio Express-News described it as a "rare historical novel that manages to be as intelligent as it is romantic [and] it is supernatural fiction that those of us who usually prefer to stay grounded in reality can get caught up in."[9] Nisi Shawl of The Seattle Times noted that "though the quality of "Discovery's" prose remains no more than clear and serviceable, its erudite references to the leather-bound boards of incunabulae and secret ingredients in medieval inks make it a welcome relief."[10] Margot Adler of NPR called A Discovery of Witches "a tour de force, an artful and unusually skilled blending of hard science, history and the supernatural."[11] A 'Best Book of the Month' for February 2011, Amazon.com described the novel as "a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense... This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism."[12]
In a more mixed review for The Guardian, Jenny Turner panned the quality of the writing but admitted the ideas were interesting: "This is a very silly novel. Characters and relationships are stereotyped. The historical background is a total pudding. The prose is terrible. And yet, the ideas have just enough suction, somehow, to present an undemanding reader with some nice frissons."[13] Elizabeth Hand, writing for The Washington Post, criticized the subject matter and wrote that "this novel’s pacing is so torpid that readers may feel that aged, too."[14] Comparisons have been made between "A Discovery of Witches" and other popular fantasy series - namely Twilight, in the dynamics of Diana and Matthew's relationship, and Harry Potter in the co-existence of magical and non-magical creatures.[15] It has been referred to as "Harry Potter for grown-ups."[16][17] The novel was also compared to the work of Diana Gabaldon. Harkness said that she is a huge fan of Gabaldon and sees the comparisons as flattering.[1]
Film adaptation
Warner Bros. purchased the film rights to A Discovery of Witches in the summer of 2011.[18] The film is still in the early stages of development, with few details released beyond the signing-on of playwright David Auburn to pen the screenplay and producers Denise Di Novi and Allison Greenspan.[19]
References
- ^ a b c d e Pellegrino, Nicky (11 April 2011). "Deborah Harkness: Once bitten." The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- ^ a b Timberg, Scott (10 April 2011). "Deborah Harkness' 'A Discovery of Witches' started with airport bookstores". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ "Best Sellers". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Feb 27, 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- ^ Memmott, Carol (19 July 2012). "Deborah Harkness' 'Shadow of Night' shines at No. 4 on book list". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ Valby, Karen (26 January 2011). "A Discovery of Witches Review". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ "A Discovery of Witches, Mr. Sunshine". Parade. Advance Publications. 6 February 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ McGee, Celia (26 January 2011). "15 Books to Watch for in February 2011". O, The Oprah Magazine. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ Renfro, Crystal (15 December 2010). "Fiction". Library Journal. Media Source. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ Bennett, Steve (17 February 2011). "A Potent Spell Cast". San Antonio Express-News. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- ^ Shawl, Nisi (17 February 2011). "'A Discovery of Witches': at Oxford University, unrest among the supernatural set". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ Adler, Margot (10 July 2012). "'Witches' Sequel Casts A Complex Spell". NPR. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ "A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy)". Amazon.com. 8 February 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ Turner, Jenny (Feb 12, 2011). "A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness". Culture. The Guardian. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ Hand, Elizabeth (3 March 2011). "Books: 'A Discovery of Witches' by Deborah Harkness, reviewed by Elizabeth Hand". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ Hand, Elizabeth (March 3, 2011). "Books: 'A Discovery of Witches' by Deborah Harkness". Book World. The Washington Post. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- ^ Lee, Stephan (29 June 2012). "Deborah Harkness: The Dual Lives of a Fantasy Writer". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Memmott, Carol (10 July 2012). "Harkness shines again with 'Shadow of Night'". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Brown, Phil (July 21, 2011). "Warner Brothers Acquires A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES". Collider.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- ^ Eisenberg, Eric (Jan 10, 2012). "Deborah Harkness' A Discovery Of Witches To Be Adapted By David Auburn". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 17 November 2012.