What I think is worth saying is that the use of dialect will prove very difficult for many. I mention all this because it’s possible that the words Garner uses are genuine enough for him and besides half of the book is set in the Eighteenth Century, when dialect was used a lot more than it is now. But then again no county in Britain seems entirely homogeneous and Cheshire is as diverse as any. The Cheshire plain seems to be its own place, Chester and the Wirral again are different, and the south-eastern part of the county has more in common with Shropshire. I do not know which particular part of Cheshire Alan Garner hails from, but the eastern part of Cheshire has more in common with Derbyshire and Staffordshire. My Dad didn’t think the dialect was that authentic, but it is very hard to say. Some claim Garner’s use of dialect is authentic, I found parts just a bit too put on. Half of the story is written in Cheshire dialect, most of which I found quite easy to understand, although there were times when I winced a bit. A tale that is as sparse in its narrative and characterisation as the landscape in and around Thursbitch. It is a tale with its roots deep in humanity and folklore.

Thursbitch is an adult fantasy story, but it is not a fairy tale, there are no elves, no powers of darkness. Perhaps some belief in the old religion of Britain still lingers in the hills. Perhaps there were, or perhaps in our rumour-mongering there were echoes of truth. It is quite close to an old chapel called Jenkins Chapel, which as teenagers we used to whisper about saying there were Black Masses held there. I mention all this because Thursbitch is the name of a place in the moors above Macclesfield.

When I lived in London I missed hills and the sense of peace and freedom that can be found there. I took this as a compliment, and besides it seems to be true. Many years ago I took a girlfriend on a drive through the hills around Macclesfield, and I remember her telling me that it was no wonder my head was full of fairies and elves. The last time was after I’d recently moved back up home (Bollington, just north of Macc, to be precise) and I wanted to immerse myself in the day-dreams of my childhood. I seem to remember reading ‘The Weirdstone of Brisingamen’ at school, and it is a book I’ve re-read a number of times. So, I feel I’m as qualified as any to judge Alan Garner and his works. My father was born at Sutton, just south of Macclesfield, and my Nana (my Dad’s mum) lived for many years in Rainow.

Thursbitch by Alan Garner