Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Over Sea, Under Stone

  • Book 1 of The Dark Is Rising Sequence
  • By: Susan Cooper
  • Narrated by: Alex Jennings
  • Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (436 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Over Sea, Under Stone

By: Susan Cooper
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

On holiday in Cornwall, the three children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that - the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their lives in peril.

This is the first volume of Susan Cooper's brilliant and absorbing fantasy sequence know as The Dark Is Rising.

©1965 Susan Cooper (P)2001 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Boggart and the Monster cover art
The Boggart cover art
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen cover art
Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection cover art
Runelight cover art
The Accidental Alchemist cover art
The Stones of Green Knowe cover art
The Eagle of the Ninth cover art
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts in Battersea & The Story of Is cover art
Oh Maya Gods cover art
The Owl Service cover art
Thursday’s Child cover art
The Shipping News cover art
Keeper of the Lost Cities cover art
The Silver Sword cover art
Claudius the God cover art

Critic reviews

"Jennings' ability is outstanding as he slips in and out of the numerous voices with the rapid dialogue as it approaches the climax....This is an outstanding reading of a classic tale that all young listeners and adults will thoroughly enjoy." ( School Library Journal)

What listeners say about Over Sea, Under Stone

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    330
  • 4 Stars
    83
  • 3 Stars
    18
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    303
  • 4 Stars
    80
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    291
  • 4 Stars
    75
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

WONDERFUL ADVENTURE STORY SET IN CORNWALL

It's exciting, suspenseful and scary, with lots of local atmosphere; also dated and sexist, unfortunately.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping story and excellent narration

I came to this after hearing Susan Cooper on Radio 4's Today programme talking to Robert MacFarlane, a fan of her books. As a fan of Mr MacFarlane I thought I would listen to this and was not disappointed. It is gripping and atmospheric: Alex Jennings' narration is superb.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

Alex Jennings is superb! I have read this book many times and it was really a joy to listen to it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book even for an adult

I really enjoyed this and I’m in my 50s. Reminded me of all the numerous mystery stories I grew up reading. Highly recommended and a great production and the narration was excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The only thing wrong

with this audible book is the very beginning and the end. 'Audible Kids' is horrible.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic Children’s Fantasy

Over Sea, Under Stone is sometimes overshadowed by the later books in the series but it’s really a cracking story in its own right, a classic children’s story from the 1960s, a golden age for children’s fantasy rooted in the myths and landscapes of Britain.

The tale is impeccably read by Alex Jennings, who brings it to life perfectly. Thoroughly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brought back lovely childhood memories

Wonderful narration. Beautifully paced. Loved reading it as a child and had a wonderful time listens an adult

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great in-car listening

If you could sum up The Dark Is Rising Sequence, Book One in three words, what would they be?

Exciting, absorbing, adventurous.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jane - pretty positive girl character for the age of the book, adventurous, imaginative and brave.

Which character – as performed by Alex Jennings – was your favourite?

Mrs Palk

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, definitely

Any additional comments?

We listened to this on a couple of long car journeys as a family (mum & dad, 12 year old and 9 year old girls) and found it really good for making the hours pass by - in fact at one point we arrived at our destination (grandparents' house) and none of us wanted to get out of the car and stop listening! We've downloaded books 3,4 and 5 of the series now and are looking forward to continuing book 4 later in the summer - we have a pact that we can't listen unless we're all together! Alex Jennings reads it in a really accessible and absorbing way and his range of voices is such that you can always tell who is speaking. Just a shame book 2 isn't available on Audible - we've read it at home but it would be nice to have the full set of recordings.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Happy childhood memories

Was made to read this as a child but fell in love with the characters very quickly, thanks for rekindling that feeling all these years later

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Simply perfect

This must be one of the best young person's books of all time. The setting in a Cornish village with that hint of small town weirdness; the characters who are good and evil and we don't quite know initially who's who; the sense if a treasure hunt and fab conclusion. I loved the book back in 1984 and I bought this as pure nostalgia: that sense of summers of times past in a simpler world when I read it. It lived up to expectations. The narration by fine actor Alex Jennings is just perfect: it's a fine narrator who actually manages not to "be there": they just articulate the book in your own head.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful