
Green Darkness
4.08
1,163 ratings·625 reviews
In Tudor England, Celia de Bohun's forbidden love for a Catholic priest ignites a tragic chain of events. Centuries later, at Medfield Place, another Celia—unhappy in her marriage—finds herself haunted by the past. To save herself, she must unravel the manor's dark secrets buried deep within its his...
- Pages
- 580
- Format
- Kindle Edition
- Published
- 1972-01-01
- Publisher
- Hodder \u0026 Stoughton
- ISBN
- 9781444709155
About the author

Anya Seton
2024 books · 0 followers
Anya Seton (January 23, 1904 (although the year is often misstated to be 1906 or 1916) - November 8, 1990) was the pen name of the American author of historical romances, Ann Seton.Ann Seton was born in New York, and died in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. She was the daughter of English-born naturalist and pioneer of the...
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Community Reviews
625 reviews4.1
1,163 ratings
5
45%
4
30%
3
15%
2
7%
1
3%
Gary·6 years ago
I absolutely believe in reincarnation and the transmigration of souls, and I adore a well-crafted historical novel, so I was thrilled to stumble upon "Green Darkness" by Anya Seton. The story opens in England, 1968, where Celia Marsdon is plagued by inexplicable angst, and her husband, Richard, is turning increasingly abusive. Celia's mother has a friend, a Hindu doctor named Akananda, who possesses a profound understanding of karma and past lives. He guides Celia toward release from the burdens...
mark monday·11 years ago
1960s Great Britain flung back into mid-16th century England. Reincarnation. Undying love. Characters reborn but lugging around the same damn baggage. You know the drill.
For the most part, *Green Darkness* is an enjoyable novel about two lovers reborn countless times, destined for tragic ends until they finally sort out their issues. I adored the opening chapters: cosmopolitan aristocrats lounging by the pool, touring historical sites with eye rolls, making loaded comments at dinner parties…...
Tracy·11 years ago
My mom passed me this book when I was a teenager, and wow! Just wow! It's told across two different timelines, so it's a blend of modern and historical fiction.The story kicks off with a wedding in the present day. But then, things get wild! The couple uncovers a past life connection stretching back to 16th-century England. Talk about a different world! Their past romance was seriously tangled, a love that was never "meant to be." The whole reincarnation and past lives angle is totally gripping....
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Karen·12 years ago
Imagine flipping the genders in this story – suddenly you've got a lonely male student nursing a crush on a female teacher. She doesn't encourage it, tries to let him down gently. The student carries a torch for her for years, despite them barely seeing each other (except for that bizarre, almost-sexual encounter during a home invasion, what was that about?) and her being married, then widowed. Then, they meet again, he makes sexual advances, and she says a very clear "No" in several different w...
Richard Derus·13 years ago
Rating: 3 stars out of five, but only because I still love the memoryThe Publisher Says: This unforgettable story of undying love combines mysticism, suspense, mystery, and romance into a web of good and evil that stretches from 16th-century England to the present day. Richard Marsdon marries a young American woman named Celia, brings her to live at his English estate, and all seems to be going well. But now Richard has become withdrawn, and Celia is constantly haunted by a vague dread. When she...
M·15 years ago
I might be the only guy who's ever actually finished this book. Seriously, if you're having trouble falling asleep, Anya Seton's *Green Darkness* is your cure. I'm shocked some sleep aid company hasn't named a pill after it. It's a long, drawn-out romance, written in prose as exciting as watching paint dry, about a modern couple dealing with past-life drama in the most frustrating ways imaginable. The premise sounded cool, and I trudged through it one summer back in middle school. Years later, I...
Joanne·16 years ago
I devoured Green Darkness when it first came out, probably as a young teenager. It sparked my lifelong obsession with dual timeline stories, and the forbidden romance between Celia and the monk really resonated with me. Adding it to Goodreads, my rose-tinted memories gave it a solid 4 stars.Reading it for the first time today, I'd probably knock it down to 3. The political and religious turmoil during the reigns of Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth made so much more sense to me now, and I appreciated ...
Barbara·17 years ago
I read "Green Darkness" when it first came out, and oh my god, I absolutely LOVED it. It was intricate, brooding, and intensely romantic, and my 14-year-old self just couldn't get enough.
Someone mentioned it feels "dated" now. It didn't back then, but that's actually why I've never tried to reread "Green Darkness". I want to hold onto that memory of how magical Anya Seton's "Green Darkness" was to my younger, more innocent self. It's a classic historical romance novel!
Someone mentioned it feels "dated" now. It didn't back then, but that's actually why I've never tried to reread "Green Darkness". I want to hold onto that memory of how magical Anya Seton's "Green Darkness" was to my younger, more innocent self. It's a classic historical romance novel!
Birgit Bottner·17 years ago
That's absolutely my favorite book by Anya Seton. In "Green Darkness," she masterfully combines the present and the past, weaving a tale of a medieval crime that continues to ripple through modern times. Seton explains complex political and social issues with remarkable clarity, making them easy to grasp. "Green Darkness" is one of those books I find myself constantly re-reading. For fans of historical fiction and suspenseful book reviews, "Green Darkness" is a must-read!
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Lisa·17 years ago
I was so hyped to read *Green Darkness* by Anya Seton. Maybe that's why I ended up so let down. The premise – reincarnation and karma, things I'm totally into – was the only thing that stopped me from giving it one star. Honestly, I was expecting a gripping historical romance, and it just didn't deliver.
The characters felt flat. I never really connected with them or understood what they were going through. Plus, some details were ridiculously overdone. Okay, Julian's from Italy – we get it! It...




