Marianne Dreams
Encyclopedia
Marianne Dreams is a children's
fantasy
novel
by Catherine Storr
.
Marianne Dreams was first published by Faber and Faber
in 1958, and was first printed in paperback by Puffin Books
in 1964. It was illustrated
with drawings by Marjorie-Ann Watts.
Catherine Storr's later novel Marianne and Mark
was a sequel to Marianne Dreams.
It is thought that the house that Marianne dreams of is based on a house in the village of Avebury, Wiltshire. This house looks as if has been drawn by a child, with small, very high up windows.All around the house are the menacing prehistoric standing stones of Avebury Stone Circle.
children's TV series Escape Into Night
(which was quite faithful to the novel), and the movie Paperhouse
(which was less so). The author adapted it herself as an opera libretto in 1999: the first performance of the opera Marianne Dreams took place in 2004 with music by the British composer Andrew Lowe Watson
. Will Tuckett will direct a new adaptation by Moira Buffini
at the Almeida Theatre in December 2007.
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Catherine Storr
Catherine Storr
Catherine Storr was an English children's writer, best known for her novel Marianne Dreams and for a series of books about a wolf ineptly pursuing a young girl, beginning with Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf.-Life:She was born in Kensington, London, one of three children of a barrister, Arthur...
.
Plot introduction
Marianne is a young girl who is bedridden with a long-term illness. She draws a picture to fill her time, and finds that she spends her dreams within the picture she has drawn. As time goes by, she becomes sicker, and starts to spend more and more time trapped within her fantasy world, and her attempts to make things better by adding to and crossing out things in the drawing make things progressively worse. Her only companion in her dreamworld is a boy called Mark, who is also a long-term invalid in the real world.Marianne Dreams was first published by Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
in 1958, and was first printed in paperback by Puffin Books
Puffin Books
Puffin Books is the children's imprint of British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s it has been the largest publisher of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world.-Early history:...
in 1964. It was illustrated
Illustrated fiction
Illustrated fiction is a hybrid narrative medium in which images and text work together to tell a story. It can take various forms, including fiction written for adults or children, magazine fiction, comic strips, and picture books....
with drawings by Marjorie-Ann Watts.
Catherine Storr's later novel Marianne and Mark
Marianne and Mark
Marianne and Mark by Catherine Storr is a sequel to Marianne Dreams . It and continues the story of the eponymous characters...
was a sequel to Marianne Dreams.
It is thought that the house that Marianne dreams of is based on a house in the village of Avebury, Wiltshire. This house looks as if has been drawn by a child, with small, very high up windows.All around the house are the menacing prehistoric standing stones of Avebury Stone Circle.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
Marianne Dreams has been the basis of several film, TV and radio adaptations, including the 1972 British ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
children's TV series Escape Into Night
Escape Into Night
Escape Into Night is a six part British television serial for children made by ATV for ITV that aired from April 19, 1972 until May 24, 1972...
(which was quite faithful to the novel), and the movie Paperhouse
Paperhouse (film)
Paperhouse is a 1988 British dark fantasy film directed by Bernard Rose. It was based on the novel Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. The film also stars Ben Cross as the heroine's father. Other actors of note in the film include Jane Bertish, Samantha Cahill, Glenne Headly and Gemma Jones....
(which was less so). The author adapted it herself as an opera libretto in 1999: the first performance of the opera Marianne Dreams took place in 2004 with music by the British composer Andrew Lowe Watson
Andrew Lowe Watson
Andrew Lowe Watson is an English composer for musical theatre and concert music. Along with author Catherine Storr, he wrote the opera Marianne Dreams , based on the children's fantasy novel...
. Will Tuckett will direct a new adaptation by Moira Buffini
Moira Buffini
Moira Buffini is an English dramatist, director and actor.-Career:Buffini was born in Cheshire to Irish parents, and trained as an actor at the Welsh College of Music and Drama. For Jordan, co-written with Anna Reynolds in 1992, she won a Time Out Award for her performance and Writers' Guild Award...
at the Almeida Theatre in December 2007.