Oldie But Goodie - Marianne Dreams

Marianne Dreams
by Catherine Storr

I read this book a few years ago (2002? 2003?), but it's been around longer than that. In fact, it was first published in 1958. I learned about it through a newspaper article on the author's death. Marianne Dreams was supposedly a classic, and yet I'd never heard of it!

I read it shortly after reading Neil Gaiman's wonderful Coraline. There was a certain similarity between the two books. Both feature young girls who end up in imaginary worlds that seem sort of like the real world, but really aren't. And while Coraline kept me entertained, Marianne Dreams had me shivering; maybe I just scare easily, but one of the scenes near the end was pretty creepy.

For whatever reason, this book is hard to find in North America. The library didn't have it, and none of the bookstores carried it. I had to order my copy from the UK (Amazon.co.uk keeps it in stock). It's definitely a book I would recommend, either to readers who liked Coraline, or to anyone who enjoys stories with a fantasy twist.