What I have been reading

[scripsi]

I felt inspired to start re-reading Diana Wynne Jones. She is one of my favourite authors and I feel that even her weakest books are still a good read. Despite recurring themes like; multiple universes, a protagonist with no, or weak magic really being very powerful, abusive parental figures and clever cats, she never gets boring, and the books always take unexpected and interesting twists.

I actually started a chronological re-read a couple of years ago and read Wilkin’s Toot and The Ogre Downstairs (I jumped Changeover which I have never been able to get into.) But then I came to Dogsbody and the re-read halted. It’s not that it isn't a good book, but the abuse Kathleen suffers paired with cruelty to animals paired with the death of a beloved pet makes it a too tough read for me. I know Sirius doesn’t really die, but he does for Kathleen, and the book ends with them separated.

So I decided to re-read the Wynne Jones-books I only felt like I wanted to read. I started with Charmed Life which was the first Chrestomanci-novel written, even if it’s the third one in the series internal chronology. It’s also one of her books I have re-read the least. It’s definitely not one of her best. I like Cat, and I find his passivity and distrust believable as he has been used and influenced by his older sister his whole life. But I really dislike the way Janet gets to decide that she and all her counterpart are better off in the new worlds they have been forcefully moved to. We are talking seven other girls here who forever will wonder why they suddenly have replaced another girl in a completely different universe. Is it really too much to ask to organize a meeting and letting everyone in on it and to be allowed to decide their own fate?

“The Stealer of Souls” and “Carol Oneir’s Hundredth Dream” are both Chrestomanci short stories and set after each other. The first features Cat and Tonino, the protagonist in The Magicians of Caprona and an evil enchanter who steals the souls of nine-lived enchanters. The second is about a daughter to a school friend to Chrestomanci. She can dream dreams that can be bottled and sold to be dreamt by others. It’s a very lucrative business, so when Carol suddenly becomes unable to dream, her parents seek Chersomanci’s help. I enjoy them both, even if they are short.

Howl’s Moving Castle Wynne Jones’ books didn’t get translated to Swedish until I was in my early teens. I had read Dogbody and The Lives of Christopher Chant and liked them, but it was with this book I fell in love with her writing. Here she plays with a number of fairy tales stock ingredients like “the evil step-mother” and “the lucky third child”, and puts them on their head. Sophie is the eldest daughter and already resigned to be a failure, but it all grow rather worse when she is bewitched into the shape of an old woman. She installs herself as cleaning lady to the evil wizard Howl, known to eat the soul of the maidens he has seduced. It turns out he isn’t really evil, but he is certainly a handful.

It’s such a fun and clever book, and I also enjoy that Sophie falls in love with Howl despite his faults and knowing he won’t change. And Howls fall in love with Sophie despite looking like an old woman. Granted he knows she is enchanted, and he has a suspicion on who she really is, but he doesn’t know. And, really, enchanted or not, Sophie really is 90 years old with aches and twinges for the majority of the book. How many fantasy books have a protagonist who is an old crone?

Comments

[hebethen]

...huh. You know, I never even knew about the existence of Changeover before now. In the course of my querying, it's seemed like most people find it very Early Work, but I'm glad to have learned about it.

Have you seen this recent comparison article about HMC and its adaptation?

[scripsi]

I don’t seem to be alone withstruggling with it.

Thank you for the link, it was a very interesting read!

[senmut]

It's been so long since I tackled her stuff.

[scripsi]

I can recommend a re-tackling. :)

[ambyr]

I stumbled over a copy of Changeover at a used bookstore years ago to great excitement, bought it, and . . . never made it past about page 10 despite repeated attempts.

(All was not lost, though--it's sufficiently out of print that I sold it for a very large sum and used the proceeds for more readable books!)

[scripsi]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who find it difficult!

[thisbluespirit]

Reading the ones you want to sounds like a good plan! I love DWJ, too, and some of her books do seem to hit hard - usually different ones for different people. Enjoy the rest!

[scripsi]

Yes, I can imagine some things, like the abusive parent which return in several books, can be very triggering. I merely find it a bit uncomfortable, but I can't relate in a personal sense.

[shapinglight]

I also love Diana Wynne Jones. Hard to pick a favourite, but I'd agree that Howl's Moving Castle is brilliant. I love the sequels too.

[scripsi]

I like them too! Well, I like everything I have read by her, though some I like a lot more. 😊

[bunn]

I agree with you on Dogsbody. Great writing, but not one I re-read.

I like Charmed Life better than you though, but then it was one of the first that I read, I loved things like the garden of the seasons, and Cat's slow worried realisations about things!

But Howl's Moving Castle is brilliant. Maybe I'll re-read it, now you've reminded me!

[scripsi]

The garden of the seasons is pretty great!

It's funny, but I have read HMC so many times, and there was still details in it I've never noticed before!

[isabellerecs]

Ah! I love DWJ, her stuff is so great. That being said, I've never read Dogbody 'cause after reading the synopsis I just didn't feel like I could (really glad I didn't now). I read all of the Chrestomanci stories wildly out of order as I started with "The Stealer of Souls" which made little sense until I read the books but also left me better disposed to like Cat.

But Howl's Moving Castle is one of my most favorite books full stop. I agree it was fun to have a crone heroine, even if she wasn't really. ;D Have you read either of the two sequels? They were good, obviously not as good as the original but it was fun seeing bits from later in Howl and Sophie's lives.

Ack, I really need to dust off my copy and have another go at HMC. :)

[scripsi]

I also read The Chrestomanci books out of order! Some of them hadn't been written when I first read through her books, and then it also took me some time to realise it was a series...

I've read the sequels to HMC and like them, but HMC really must be one of her best. :)

[isabellerecs]

Reading books out of order I found was a hazard of getting them from my local library when they didn't always have them available. :)

HMC is in a class above. At any given time if I'm put on the spot to pick a favorite book OF ALL TIME, I will answer either Pride and Prejudice, The Hobbit, or Howl's Moving Castle depending on my mood at the time. :D

I'm curious if you've read Witch's Business (aka Wilkins' Tooth) or Hexwood?

[scripsi]

Mine would probably be HMC, Persuasion or Gaudy Night, depending on day. :)

I'm curious if you've read Witch's Business (aka Wilkins' Tooth) or Hexwood?
Yes. The only Wynne Jones I haven't read is Changeover

[isabellerecs]

Oh, Persuasion. One of my own little quirks is that if you ask me about a favorite book of all I might say Pride and Prejudice, but if I'm asked which is my favorite Jane Austen I will almost always say Persuasion. Which makes zero sense, I'll grant you but there it is. ;)

I had to look up Gaudy Night as it didn't ring a bell, but I've always thought that I would like to try Sayers as I've already read quite a lot of Christie. Quick question, do the Wimsey books need to be read in order or are they fine any old way?

[scripsi]

I like Ann better than Lizzie, but I love Pride and Prejudice too. And I also think Persuasion is much better written, but then, of course, they do represent the beinning and the end of an authorship.

Quick question, do the Wimsey books need to be read in order or are they fine any old way?

Yes and no. They are written in order and time progress; Lord Peter is 33 in the first novel and 45 in the last, but if you don't mind reading back and forth, then you can read most of them out of order. There are references to old cases but in a non-spoilery way. But I think Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night and Busman's Honeymoon are best read in order. They have a love story as a second plot which I think would make better sense read in order. Gaudy Night also contains a spoiler for Unnatural Death.

I read the Harriet Vane-books first, for the sole reason it was the ones my parent owned, and the read rest wildly out of order. Whose Body, the very first one, is the weakest, and Five Red Herringss rather muddled, and I know people who started with those and then never read further. My personal favourites, apart from Gaudy Night are Nine Tailors and Murder Must Advertise.

[isabellerecs]

Thank you so much! That really helps. I like so many who use the library as their primary source of print books have read many a series out of order, but I really don't like to though it is sometimes unavoidable. I like knowing which books I can let it go over and which ones I really need to keep in order. So again, Thank You!!

[scripsi]

I hope you will enjoy them!

[adastrad]

HMC will forever be one of my favorites. It's just so charming and different. One of my favorite details is how she incorporated John Donne's "Go and catch a falling star" poem. I was very surprised when we were assigned to analyze that in high school having only seen in HMC before!

I haven't read any of the Chrestomanci books in ages - and never any of the short stories. I remember really enjoying The Magicians of Caprona, so I'm excited to find out Tonino is in another piece, even if it's short!

[scripsi]

It's such a weird poem, and it fits so neatly. I hadn't read Donne when I first read HMC so I thought it was a made-up poet. :)

The Magicians of Caprona is my favourite Chrestomanci-novel. I love the idea of spells that have to be sung, and Tonino and Paolo are such lovely characters.

[chocolatepot]

I love HMC! It's one of my favorites, not just of Jones's work but in general. But yes, Dogsbody is very hard to read.

[scripsi]

It's one of my all time favorites as well. :)