Mary Stewart Criticism
Mary Stewart, an English novelist born in 1916, is celebrated for elevating the romantic suspense genre and for her innovative interpretations of Arthurian legends. Known for her meticulous character development and vibrant setting descriptions, Stewart's works often feature locales like Delphi, Corfu, and various sites in Great Britain. Her debut novel, Madam, Will You Talk? (1955), marked the beginning of her career as a best-selling author.
Stewart's suspenseful stories typically revolve around a young woman caught in thrilling situations, relying on her wits and the support of a male counterpart to solve mysteries or avert danger. This formulaic yet comforting predictability has endeared her books to readers. Her Arthurian series, starting with The Crystal Cave (1970), presents a fresh take on the legends by focusing on Merlin rather than King Arthur and adhering to historical settings and facts.
Critics consistently praise Stewart for her evocative portrayal of settings and her attention to historical accuracy. Her Arthurian novels, in particular, are lauded for their innovative perspectives and character depth. Stewart's portrayal of Merlin, as noted by Harold J. Herman, challenges traditional stereotypes, offering a more nuanced depiction of female characters, while Jeanie Watson highlights Merlin's symbolism as a conduit of divine wisdom. Stewart's enduring appeal lies in her ability to blend romance, mystery, and historical detail into compelling narratives.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Stewart, Mary (Vol. 117)
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Review of My Brother Michael
(summary)
In the following review, the critic praises My Brother Michael as an improbable but well-written and fully absorbing mystery. My Brother Michael is a fast moving suspense novel set against the background of Delphi, which affords the reader even more hair-raising nightmarish adventures than in earlier novels. Mary Stewart has hit upon a successful basic pattern:—a young Englishwoman, escaping herself in travel, becomes involved in a succession of tense experiences, skirting death, and playing with dangerous characters who stop at nothing. This time the sense of inevitable disaster colors every incident:—her first rather hair-brained acceptance of the challenge of delivering a car, ordered by an unknown woman for an unknown man in Delphi, where she wants to go; her facile meeting with the Simon to whom the car was assigned—only he knew nothing about it—and his involving her in his own mission, to run down the truth of his brother Michael's violent death some fourteen years earlier, when he was in the Greek underground. Just how the mystery is solved—what the explanation of a curious letter received after Michael's death—and how Cemilla finds herself a pawn in a dangerous game build up to an incredible but absorbing climax of passion and death. The Delphi setting is unique, and the story takes on the echoes of the classic tragedies centuries ago. Mary Stewart writes vividly, she conveys an extraordinary sense of place, she tells a first rate story.
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Lucy in Corfu
(summary)
In the following review, Byerly offers a favorable appraisal of This Rough Magic, noting in particular Stewart's wide range of subject matter synthesized into a single plot.
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Review of The Gabriel Hounds
(summary)
In the following review, Grady offers a favorable assessment of Stewart's complex and colorful plot and writing in The Gabriel Hounds.
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Wizard Briton
(summary)
In the following review, Blackburn presents a brief outline of the plot of The Crystal Cave and praises the book as a "colorful romance."
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Spells that Bind
(summary)
In the following review, Cadogan questions several inconsistencies in the plot of A Walk in Wolf Wood but praises the novel overall for its subtlety and cleverness.
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The Women in Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy
(summary)
In the following essay, Herman argues that Stewart's portrayal of women in her Merlin trilogy is the most sympathetic and groundbreaking in Arthurian legend because of her rejection of feminine stereotypes.
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Mary Stewart's Merlin: Word of Power
(summary)
In the following essay, Watson examines the ways in which Merlin symbolizes the "word of power" in that he is a visionary who is privy to the knowledge and wisdom of the gods.
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Review of The Stormy Petrel
(summary)
In the following review, the critic praises Stewart's ability to evocatively portray the setting of her novel The Stormy Petrel.
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The Metamorphosis of Merlin: An Examination of the Protagonist of The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hill
(summary)
In the following essay, Dean argues that a successful literary representation of the character Merlin requires that modern readers be able and willing to suspend their skepticism and accept Merlin as half human and half divine.
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Mithraic Aspects of Merlin in Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave
(summary)
In the following essay, Jurich explains Stewart's use of the ancient figure Mithras, from the Zoroastrian religion, in the creation of her Merlin.
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Review of Rose Cottage
(summary)
In the following review, the critic assesses Rose Cottage as familiar Stewart material—"mild doings in enchanting surroundings."
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Review of My Brother Michael
(summary)
- Stewart, Mary (Vol. 7)