Items related to The Door In The Tree

Corlett, William The Door In The Tree ISBN 13: 9780099482222

The Door In The Tree - Softcover

 
9780099482222: The Door In The Tree
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
It is spring and William, Mary and Alice Constant have returned to Golden House for the Easter holidays, anxious to see if the magic will work again. When they are drawn to the Magician's hideout, through a door in a tree, they learn that the secret to magic is believing; and through believing they can enter the magic and continue their great task.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:
" 'A remarkable magical fantasy' - The Sunday Times 'One of the best-written and most exciting series of novels for young readers' - Good Housekeeping"
From the Publisher:
A Memoir by William Corlett
This book is part of "The Magician’s House" quartet of books, as televised in the BAFTA and EMMY nominated BBC1 TV-series, starring Ian Richardson, Neil Pearson and Sian Phillips.

The author, William Corlett, remembers the inspiration for the stories, which began to unfold when he moved to a house in the heart of the Hertfordshire countryside... soon to be joined by a black Labrador puppy named Charlie...

"...Charlie and I started going for solitary walks twice a day in the forest and, little by little, "The Magician’s House" began to unfold in my imagination. The first of the quartet, "The Steps up the Chimney" was published in 1990. "The Door in the Tree" and "The Tunnel Behind the Waterfall" followed in 1991, and the final book, "The Bridge in the Clouds" came out in 1992. A full-length novel every six months? I’m not sure now how I did it. I was undoubtedly sustained by those long walks in all weathers, discovering secret paths and unexpected places with Charlie bounding ahead chasing rabbits, then tearing back to check on my progress, and sometimes (her particular bliss) swimming in a favourite pond.

"One early dawn we met two young badgers on a narrow path and the theme of "The Door in the Tree" was born; on another occasion we came face to face with a fox and Cinnabar arrived in the story. A dreary cleft through dying conifers became "The Dark and Dreadful Path" where, in the books, the creatures of the Golden Valley go to die. On a cold winter night I watched Charlie seeing the sparks flying up from the log fire in the sitting room hearth, and the idea of secret steps up the chimney came to me. At the top there would be a room. But whom would I find there? An earlier inhabitant of the house, perhaps? An Elizabethan alchemist, maybe, in his hidden study, beavering away at the magic of science?

"Years before my interest in the history of the Tudors and particularly Queen Elizabeth I had been stirred by reading about her connection with Doctor Dee, the alchemist. Alchemy, the search for man’s pure internal gold, the elixir of life, the ability to travel through time – what a character for a magical story. And so Stephen Tyler, the Magician of the title, materialised out of the glowing logs and what began as a series of random thoughts grew and exploded into full-grown books. The owls that swoop and screech round the house at night gave birth to Jasper, the Magician’s owl, and Charlie with her dark brown eyes that tell you precisely what she’s thinking took on a stirring role as Spot, the black and white sheepdog with the ability to talk – if one knows how to listen.

"Rarely have I started work in a more fruitful position – all my research was living and breathing around me. Meanwhile, my imagination was throwing up many paradoxes. One example; above the fireplace in our sitting room is a convex mirror. I moved the mirror to the Magician’s study and transformed it into a concave bowl in which he dreams his spells. Later, after the books were finished, I was reading yet another biography on Queen Elizabeth I and discovered that Dr Dee used a glass bowl for meditation purposes... There are times when imagination becomes uncanny!

"I was in the middle of book three of the quartet, "The Tunnel Behind the Waterfall," when my father died after a brief illness. Then, quite suddenly, my mother – utterly lost without him – followed him two months later. Somehow I managed to get the book in on time, sitting at my desk in my study under the eaves with Charlie lying at the top of the stairs – willing me to stop writing and come for another walk. But the final book was still waiting to be written and that one was hardest. Yet in some ways, it is for me the most successful, shaped and tautened as it was by the shock of the deaths.

"Now, all these years later, the books are taking a new life as a television series and I have been lucky to do the adaptation. Last year for Series One we amalgamated books one and two of the quartet. The new series is based on book three – "The Tunnel Behind the Waterfall" – the one I was writing when my parents died. And in that odd way that life has of repeating itself, it was during the final stages of post production on this series, while the finishing touches were being applied, that the only real begetter of the original idea, Charlie, died on night in her sleep having come to the end of her joyful life the forest. So, for me, this is Charlie’s series." – William Corlett, 2000

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherRed Fox
  • Publication date2005
  • ISBN 10 0099482223
  • ISBN 13 9780099482222
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages229
  • Rating

Buy Used

Condition: Very Good
The book has been read, but is... Learn more about this copy

Shipping: £ 4.80
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.

Destination, rates & speeds

Add to Basket

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781849417952: The Door In The Tree

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  1849417954 ISBN 13:  9781849417952
Publisher: Red Fox, 2012
Softcover

  • 9781442414143: The Door in the Tree: 2 (Magician's House Quartet)

    Simon ..., 2010
    Softcover

  • 9780370315324: Door in the Tree

    Bodley..., 1991
    Hardcover

  • 9780743410021: The Door in the Tree (The Magician's House Quartet, 2)

    Pocket..., 2000
    Softcover

  • 9780099407676: Door In The Tree Tv Tie-In

    Red Fox, 1999
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Corlett, William
Published by Red Fox (2005)
ISBN 10: 0099482223 ISBN 13: 9780099482222
Used Paperback Quantity: 2
Seller:
WorldofBooks
(Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001175374

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 1.68
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 4.80
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Corlett, William
Published by Red Fox (2005)
ISBN 10: 0099482223 ISBN 13: 9780099482222
Used Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
MusicMagpie
(Stockport, United Kingdom)

Book Description Condition: Very Good. 1709648375. 3/5/2024 2:19:35 PM. Seller Inventory # U9780099482222

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.28
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 5.49
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Corlett, William
Published by Red Fox (2005)
ISBN 10: 0099482223 ISBN 13: 9780099482222
Used Paperback Quantity: 2
Seller:
Brit Books
(Milton Keynes, United Kingdom)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: Used; Good. ***Simply Brit*** Welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there is something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality. Seller Inventory # 1312298

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
£ 3.29
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 11.97
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds