The Owl Service

By Alan Garner,

Book cover of The Owl Service

Book description

A 50th Anniversary Edition featuring a new introduction by Philip Pullman, THE OWL SERVICE is an all-time classic, combining mystery, adventure, history and a complex set of human relationships.

It all begins with the scratching in the ceiling. From the moment Alison discovers the dinner service in the attic, with…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked The Owl Service as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

The haunting themes and mood of The Owl Service lodged themselves in my imagination when I first read it as a teenager and there they stay, decades later. I’ve returned to its mysterious and beguiling world several times since then, and on each occasion, the book has immediately woven its old spell around me. It is rich in Welsh magic as the past is played out against the backdrop of the present, and a hidden collection of plates decorated with what might be a pattern of owls becomes something far more potent and sinister. This is one of the books…

From Jane's list on to take you into another world.

Want books like The Owl Service?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 96 books like The Owl Service.

Browse books like The Owl Service

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in spacetime, Wales, and owls?

Spacetime 65 books
Wales 57 books
Owls 31 books