Review: "The Sixth Seal" by Mary Wesley

"Everything is out of context: green and pink snow falls in July, there are earthquakes in Africa, pestilences in America, floods in China. Then follows a mysterious catastrophe in which everyone is killed except for those who happen to be underground when it occurs. Among the few survivors in Devon are Muriel, her youngest son Paul, and a schoolfriend of his, Henry. They discover that all that is left of those who are dead is hair and false teeth - ghoulish remains that symbolize the frightening and dramatic story so skilfully developed by Mary Wesley.

A small group of survivors gathers at Muriel's house and tries to make sense of its own long-term chances. Inveitably, the personalities involved prove incomptaible, and gradually they split up - mostly with good will, sometimes with acrimony. Henry, grown suddenly mature and cunning beyond his years, sets off to London to find out what is left there, but also, Muriel suspects uneasily, with some ulterior and sinister reason she cannot explain. She and Paul pursue him, and all three manage to escape from the nightmare capital to the relative sanity of their uncertain life in the West Country.

Mary Wesley's brilliant dialogue and characterization make this horrifyingly topical story one that is unforgettable in its power and originality." (blurb from my edition of the novel - 1984)

Rating: 3/5

Well, that was quite a strange book that left me scratching my head and asking myself many questions - which unfortunately are left unanswered. This novel was written for teenagers and in spite of an intriguing concept and plot, remains a bit short and vague for an older audience. 

The blurb pretty much sums up the whole novel (actually, I'd say it's more of a synopsis than a blurb). I  enjoyed the "survival" parts, especially at the beginning, as the main characters try to organise themselves and more, sometimes quite colourful characters, make their appearance. Some of those characters are well written. Others I found less convincing: that was the case of the two young boys who, with Muriel, are meant to be the heros. Paul wasn't very interesting and Henry nowhere near as cunning and sinister as the blurb makes out: other characters will say he is, but this isn't really confirmed by his actions. 

I was disappointed by the fact that there was no real explanation for the apocalypse. There is, towards the end of the book, a sort of twist that didn't really convince me either. In a way, this novel would have deserved another hundred pages to develop the questions raised at end. But it is on the whole an enjoyable and very readable book that will certainly appeal to the teenage public it was intended for. 

On a more personal note, the main reason why I read it was because it is set in the house you see on the black and white postcard. The author, Mary Wesley, lived for a time in that house and, changing its name and exact location, she made it into the home of the main characters of The Sixth Seal. It is a house I know well, for I spent many, many childhood holidays in the cottage belonging to it... and I also used it as a setting for my own novel! 

So it was nice to read about this house which I've always loved but where I have not been for several years now.