Photo de l'auteur

Barbee Oliver Carleton (1917–2015)

Auteur de Mystery of the Witches' Bridge

6+ oeuvres 318 utilisateurs 8 critiques

A propos de l'auteur

Œuvres de Barbee Oliver Carleton

Mystery of the Witches' Bridge (1967) 142 exemplaires
The Secret of Saturday Cove (1961) 106 exemplaires
Benny and the Bear (1960) 52 exemplaires
More Bedtime Stories to Read Aloud (1961) 12 exemplaires
Chester Jones (1963) 5 exemplaires

Oeuvres associées

Arrow Book of Ghost Stories (1960) — Contributeur — 112 exemplaires

Étiqueté

Partage des connaissances

Date de naissance
1917-08-17
Date de décès
2015-07-18
Sexe
female
Nationalité
USA

Membres

Critiques

A poor young farmer with a dreamy soul, Cobbie Bean hadn't the gift of getting, as his wealthy cousin Captain Bean did, nor the gift of doing, as his famous cousin Deacon Bean did. Castigated by these relations for his laziness and lack of ambition, Cobbie was warned that he might just be bewitched. After all, hadn't a cat in witch's hat and cloak come to his christening, giving him (of all things!) the gift of happiness? It wasn't long after this warning that Cobbie met the very cat in question, and through the machinations of this magical feline, became a wealthy gentleman who spread happiness throughout the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Envy is a powerful force however, and when Cobbie breaks his word about never revealing the magical source of his newfound wealth, he soon finds himself accused of witchcraft. Would his remarkable feline be able to save him, and if so, what price would she have to pay...?

Originally published in the pages of Jack and Jill magazine in 1956, The Wonderful Cat of Cobbie Bean was published on its own by the Philadelphia-based John C. Winston Company in 1957, with the accompanying artwork of artist Jacob Landau. It was subsequently included in the Arrow Book of Ghost Stories anthology, edited by Nora Kramer and published in 1960. I was excited to read this story, after finding it on a list of witchy picture books—a particular pet project of mine—especially as I greatly enjoyed author Barbee Oliver Carleton's atmospheric children's mystery, The Witches Bridge (also known as Mystery of the Witches' Bridge). I was in no way disappointed. Although an original story, this had the flavor of a folktale, with the two cousins, the magical cat, the unexpected transformation of the hero, and the last-minute rescue. The story is engrossing, and I suspect it would have been a favorite, if I had read it as a child. The accompanying artwork from Landau, done in black and white with alternating green and orange washes, was likewise fascinating, and very expressive. I appreciated the hatching in these pictures, and their fluid sense of movement, throughout. Although the artwork is significant enough that I wouldn't call it a mistake to label this a picture-book, it is very text heavy, and even has chapters. If anything, it's more of a profusely illustrated short story, in picture-book format. Recommended to young fantasy and fairy-tale fans who enjoy magical, witchy fare.
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Signalé
AbigailAdams26 | Jul 23, 2023 |
USA, Massachusetts, York, ca 1960
Indeholder "1. Dan kommer til øen", "2. Mysteriet", "3. Forbandelsen", "4. Nederlag på nederlag", "5. Pip dukker op", "6. Onkel Julian", "7. Spillemanden", "8. En svømmetur fra broen", "9. Ulykkesfuglen", "10. Ruinen under dæmningen", "11. Katastrofen", "12. Billy Ben", "13. Ned ad floden", "14. Lamie", "15. En Bishop på Prides Point", "16. Gemt og glemt", "17. Caliban gør en opdagelse", "18. En sidste advarsel", "19. Når De Trende Magter Mødes", "20. Tidevandet trækker sig tilbage".

Dan Pride på tretten år kommer til sin farbror Julians ø, kaldet Pride's Point. Dan har indtil nu boet i London, men er blevet forældreløs. For mange generationer siden blev Samuel Pride dømt og henrettet som troldmand. Og broen over til øen heder stadig heksebroen eller "The Witches' Bridge". Julian Pride er gammel og bor alene med en husbestyrerinde mrs Corey. Dan bliver installeret i et lille værelse, men han er vant til ikke at have mere plads på kostskolen, så det går fint. Om aftenen ser han et lys på den anden side af heksebroen og det blinker DAN PRIDE i morsekode. Men det holder op og han ser ikke mere til det.
Han udfritter mrs Corey, der fortæller at familien Corey altid har arbejdet for familien Pride, der også altid har ligget i strid med familien Bishop.
Efter at Samuel Pride og hans kone Elizabeth var blevet ført bort og henrettet holdt beboerne i området op med at bruge Heksebroen og en nyere blev bygget i nærheden og en vej blev anlagt. Medhjælperen Billy Ben Corey fortæller lidt mere og sætter Dan i arbejde med at klippe kanter på græsplænen og den slags. Han viser ham også omgivelserne, hvoraf meget er marskland med dybe grøfter og bundløse hestehuller. Det er en fin påmindelse om at Dan ikke er god til at svømme, men det må han hellere få gjort noget ved. Dan er god til at spille på violin og det har hans forfædre også været. Billy Ben giver Dan fri og foreslår ham at udforske omgivelserne lidt mere. Dan finder et gammelt kapel, hvor Daniel Pride i sin tid blev fundet død. Han går videre og møder den jævnaldrende Pip og de kommer straks godt ud af det med hinanden. Det var Pip, der morsede dagen før. De svømmer i floden og aftaler at mødes dagen efter. Men da de skilles igen og Dan går hjemad, opdager han spor efter et eller andet med kæmpestore poter. Det er onklens store hund Caliban, viser det sig. Onklen er heller ikke helt dum, så han beder Dan om at stille spørgsmål til ham i stedet for at lytte til alle mulige andre. Dan spørger og onklen fortæller om en gammel strid mellem familien Bishop og familien Pride. Stridens æble er en dokumentmappe, der er forsvundet. Hvis den blev fundet, ville den vise om den ene eller anden familie er fuld af løgn. Dan kommer med Billy Ben ind til byen, hvor han møder Pip, der tilsyneladende ikke vil kendes ved ham. Senere opdager han at Pip har en tvillingesøster Gilly og at det var hende. De får opklaret misforståelsen ude ved broen og tager en dukkert sammen. Og aftaler at Dan henter en lille jolle fra Pride's Point, som de kan sætte i sødygtig stand og sejle rundt med. Pip og Gilly foreslår at de skal kigge på en eneboer, Lamie, der bor i nærheden. De får båden hentet og Dan døber den Ulykkesfuglen. Den kommer til at leve op til sit navn, for de laver et bål, som er lige ved at stikke af fra dem. Dan alarmerer mrs Corey, som alarmerer brandvæsenet, men inden de kommer, har Dan, Pip og Gilly slukket ilden. Da onkel Julian dukker op, skynder Pip og Gilly sig at forsvinde. Julian har fundet en kniv, som Gilly har tabt og det er ikke godt for navnet Philip Bishop er indgraveret i skæftet. Julian bliver skuffet og bitter. Dan bliver ked at det og også skuffet over at Pip og Gilly ikke har røbet at de er ud af Bishop-familien. En ensom tur med båden giver et nyt perspektiv, for dels bliver han gode venner med Caliban og dels møder han eneboeren og opdager at han ikke er spor farlig. Lamie har i sin tid arbejdet for Dans bedstefar Daniel Pride og beundrede ham. Hans forvalter Elder Corey var Lamie ikke begejsret for. Men Daniel så kun loyalitet i Elder. Da Dan er kommet tilbage med båden, får han en ny side af Billy Ben at se og det går op for ham at Billy Ben snarere er en lumsk fjende end en ven. Senere fortæller han mrs Corey at han ikke vidste hvad Pip og Gilly hed til efternavn. Hun bringer det videre til Julian og han får igen tillid til Dan og betror ham flere enkeltheder om historien med dokumentmappen. Og om at han og Ann Bishop havde planer om at skulle giftes, men de planer blev i den grad spoleret, da Julians far døde og en dokumentmappe med penge til at købe Bishop's skibsværft forsvandt. Dan taler igen med Lamie og denne kan fortælle at Daniel Pride aldrig kom ud til Bishop-familien den aften han blev slået ihjel. Så Bishop-familien er altså uden skyld, men hvor blev pengene af? Dan og Pip og Gilly stikker hovederne sammen igen og gætter på et muligt sted, men det overhører Billy Ben. Han fortæller Julian at han har set Dan og Pip sammen, selv om Julian havde forbudt det. Dan bliver låst inde på sit værelse, men lidt efter kommer Billy og låser døren op igen. Det er en fælde, for Billy har tændt ild ved Bishops lagerbygning og efterladt Dans regnfrakke som spor. Og når døren ikke er låst, har Dan ikke noget alibi! Dan går alligevel ud for Gilly kommer og kan fortælle at Billy Ben har gang i noget ved broen. Pip og hans mor har læst et morsesignal, Dan sendte oppe fra værelset, så de er kørt til York for at holde øje med Billy. Det er nat og tåget og marsken er lumsk. Gilly får lokket Billy væk fra broen og Dan finder noget der ligner en tunnel, men så dukker brandvæsenet op og begynder at lede efter ham. Dan forsøger at gemme sig i marsken. Da eftersøgningen kommer for tæt på, vender han om og går tilbage til broen, hvor han finder tunnelen og kommer ind i Heksekammeret. Billy har ventet på ham der og forsøger at komme til at slå ham ned, men Caliban sætter tænderne i Billy, der må flygte. Dan finder et skjult rum, med et gammelt pengeskab og en stol. Han begiver sig ud af rummet igen efter et stykke tid og dukker lige op i en diskussion mellem politimanden Johnny Lash og Billy Ben. Billy kommer med en ret lang troværdig historie om hvordan Dan har sat ild på, men han bliver afbrudt af Pip og hans mor, der forklarer at det er Dan, der har ret og at de har fulgt efter Billy og set ham ved lagerbygningen og at han lagde en regnfrakke der. Billy stikker af.
Om natten får Dan og Julian Pride talt grundigt ud. Og om morgenen er Billy stadig ikke fundet. Lagerbygningen var ikke noget værd og Ann Bishop plejer ikke at gide bøvl, så Billy slipper formentlig uden at blive meldt.
Næste dag får Julian hentet den gamle nøgle der passer til pengeskabet. Den har ligget i en bankboks inde i byen. Og så mødes han med Dan, Pip og Gilly i det hemmelige rum. De finder mappen og dermed bevis på at Elder Corey den nat forsøgte at røve pengene fra Daniel Pride.
Alt ender i fryd og gammen og fælles forståelse.

Ret spændende bog om Dan Pride, der stille og roligt lærer at stole på sine egne erfaringer i stedet for at lytte til gammel overtro og andres opfattelser af gamle konflikter.
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Signalé
bnielsen | 3 autres critiques | Jul 27, 2021 |
Wow! I’d have loved this when I was 8,9, or 10 (it was published when I was 7 or 8) but I’m virtually certain this is the first time I’ve read it. I found it thanks to GR friend Kathryn. Either my school and public library didn’t have it back then or I skipped it because of the boy character(s) and that would have been a shame because the two boys and a girl have equally good roles, and they’re all wonderful. It’s a good “boy” AND a “girl” book.

The story is charming and fun, suspenseful, heartwarming, full of adventure and family and friendship. It’s well written and it’s a riveting and well-crafted story. The characters are well developed too, and I had strong feelings about most of them. The mystery is very good, and I was actually surprised by the end, pleasantly surprised. The chapter titles are useful and a tad bit red herring like at times, but I enjoyed that. The illustrations are top notch a lovely to view, and they really enhance the story. The whole book is so evocative and there is some interesting historical information in it as well. There was room open for a sequel and I wish there had been one.

I’d have torn through this book, then and now, if I could have taken the time. It could easily be read in one day.

I admit all the lobstering talk was a bit much for me and I’d recommend it to vegan/vegetarian (and kosher keeping?) children only along with some explanations. But why it almost got only 4 stars from me is I had a hard time understanding the decisions and motivations of a few characters a few times. I think I might be the one wanting here though, so I’ll ask the only other person I know who’s read it to tell me her take.

It wasn’t until I read the author bio at the end of the book that I realized the author was a woman and not a man. it hardly matters but I found that interesting.

There is only one copy of this book in the entire LINK+ system my library uses (many public, university, and private libraries in California and Nevada) and this copy belongs to San Jose State University. Given what a gem it is it really should be more available, and I fervently hope this copy stays in circulation. I feel lucky that I was able to borrow it.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
Lisa2013 | 1 autre critique | Sep 5, 2014 |
Orphaned and alone, young Dan Pride returns to his ancestral home near York, Massachusetts, hoping to build a new sense of family with his Uncle Julian, and to find a place where he belongs. But as Dan quickly discovers, Pride's Point, surrounded by the great salt marshes outside of town, is not a happy place. Haunted by the curse of Samuel Pride - a Puritan ancestor falsely accused of witchcraft, and executed by pressing - it is still locked in the bitter injustices of the past. Dan's grandfather - another Daniel Pride - had tried to lay those ghosts, and had died mysteriously in the marsh, leaving his son embittered and alone. Could Dan, a newcomer and a boy, solve the mystery of the witches' bridge, and free the Prides from the burden of mistrust and old feuds...?

The Witches' Bridge, subsequently published in paperback as Mystery of the Witches' Bridge, is an immensely satisfying children's novel, on a variety of levels. As a story of suspense, it keeps the reader's attention, and although I guessed a few of the developments ahead of time, I was still absorbed. The characters and conflicts feel real, and have true emotional power. I sympathized with Dan's anger, Pip and Gilly's natural reticence, and Uncle Julian's bitterness. Carleton does an excellent job of conveying Dan's sense of loneliness and displacement, as in this scene:

"The boy frowned at his plate. Which of his troubles should he share with his uncle? There might not soon be another chance. Yes, Uncle, he could say, I am troubled because I have heard and seen a black devil dog that does not exist. And because I have no other family but you, and you don't want me. I'm troubled because people think that we Prides are -- queer. And because there is something dreadful here at Pride's Point that I don't understand - something that is destroying you and may hurt me, too. And I'm troubled because -- I am afraid of you.
He could not, of course say these things."


The ways in which words fail us, our inability - especially as young people - to fully express our feelings, or even to decide which feelings to express, is something the author seems to understand. That understanding, which Carleton brings to bear in her story - here, and in the scenes involving Dan and the maimed dog Caliban - creates a truly powerful narrative.

Suspenseful and poignant, The Witches' Bridge is also a thoughtful exploration of the ways in which we relate to the past - how it influences us, and how we negotiate with it. This feeling - that the past itself is a kind of presence, a haunting - characterizes many of the great time-slip adventure stories, from Ruth M. Arthur's many excellent novels, to Mary Waldorf's Thousand Camps. As the gentle hermit Lamie says: "They have not gone, you know, those good people. You see them in the ditches dug in the marsh, and in the cellar holes below...They are still here, our first people."

All in all, this was a fabulous book, enjoyable and moving, and I thank my friend Jammies for recommending it. I can certainly understand why it was one of her childhood favorites! One word to the wise: if you are reading this for the first time, try to locate the hardcover edition: the cover illustrations are done by Edward Gorey!
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Signalé
AbigailAdams26 | 3 autres critiques | Jul 17, 2013 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
6
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1
Membres
318
Popularité
#74,348
Évaluation
4.1
Critiques
8
ISBN
9
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