You know how it is. You're in Galaxy Bookshop (or any other fantasy-sci-fi treasurebox of your choice) and you can maybe, possibly, probably stretch your budget to one book. One book. Suddenly everything looks desirable, but nothing looks quite desirable enough to be The One. You slouch impecuniously towards the Diana Wynne Jones shelf in the YA section, knowing that her books are at least the kind that you will consistently reread and are thus usually worth purchasing.
Lo! And behold! Sitting neatly next to a handful of Chrestomanci books is something you've never come across before (excellent) and that you know your local library doesn't have (even better!): a book of short stories. Nice and thick, too. Decision made.
Lo! And behold! Sitting neatly next to a handful of Chrestomanci books is something you've never come across before (excellent) and that you know your local library doesn't have (even better!): a book of short stories. Nice and thick, too. Decision made.
I read this collection slowly, especially because I was only a fraction of the way into the book when Diana Wynne Jones's death was announced. I felt as though every word of hers that I hadn't yet read had just become infinitely more precious.
If you've read any DWJ at all you probably have a fair idea of the kind of stories that are in this collection: fifteen shorts and one novella, all stuffed full of children and cats and families and England and annoyances and, as the title suggests, one sort of unexpected magic or another.
I enjoyed the novella, 'Everard's Ride', the most, because I think DWJ's characters are best when you have a bit of time to get to know them. It's a fairly standard normal-kids-get-mixed-up-in-affairs-of-magical-kingdom story, but with a frightening bite to the politics of it all, wonderfully drawn dynamics between siblings, friends, and acquaintances, and a hefty dose of class awkwardness thrown in.
There's probably not much point in faithfully listing every single story in the book, but I'll mention some favourites. 'Auntie Bea's Day Out' is another classic DWJonesian story of a family of a children under the eye of an unpleasant relative, and the strange things that start happening to them on a trip to the seaside. 'The Girl Who Loved The Sun' stands out as being much less deadpan and Kids Own Adventure; it's written as a fairytale, a lyrical myth, and brings some welcome variety of tone to the collection. 'Nad and Dan adn Quaffy' (no, that wasn't a typo) is a tongue-in-cheek, hilarious story about an author whose writing technique is to pretend that her word processor is the controls of a spaceship -- and who is one day surprised to find that the computer is talking back.
There are three stand-out shorts, in my opinion, and I think I liked them the most because they were most successful in conveying a real sense of niggling danger. 'The Master' is the disturbing tale of a newly qualified vet called out to a murder scene and faced with crypticism and wolves. 'Enna Hittims' is about a girl stuck at home with the mumps whose drawings come to life and try to take over her house. And 'Dragon Reserve, Home Eight' is a real masterpiece of worldbuilding, giving a strong sibling relationship and some dragons and a whole lot of fear and moral ambiguity, all in a very short space.
Telling any existing fan of Diana Wynne Jones to read this book would be the most pointless form of preaching to the choir, but if you've never read her, I think it would be an excellent introduction to her distinctive narrative style.
If you've read any DWJ at all you probably have a fair idea of the kind of stories that are in this collection: fifteen shorts and one novella, all stuffed full of children and cats and families and England and annoyances and, as the title suggests, one sort of unexpected magic or another.
I enjoyed the novella, 'Everard's Ride', the most, because I think DWJ's characters are best when you have a bit of time to get to know them. It's a fairly standard normal-kids-get-mixed-up-in-affairs-of-magical-kingdom story, but with a frightening bite to the politics of it all, wonderfully drawn dynamics between siblings, friends, and acquaintances, and a hefty dose of class awkwardness thrown in.
There's probably not much point in faithfully listing every single story in the book, but I'll mention some favourites. 'Auntie Bea's Day Out' is another classic DWJonesian story of a family of a children under the eye of an unpleasant relative, and the strange things that start happening to them on a trip to the seaside. 'The Girl Who Loved The Sun' stands out as being much less deadpan and Kids Own Adventure; it's written as a fairytale, a lyrical myth, and brings some welcome variety of tone to the collection. 'Nad and Dan adn Quaffy' (no, that wasn't a typo) is a tongue-in-cheek, hilarious story about an author whose writing technique is to pretend that her word processor is the controls of a spaceship -- and who is one day surprised to find that the computer is talking back.
There are three stand-out shorts, in my opinion, and I think I liked them the most because they were most successful in conveying a real sense of niggling danger. 'The Master' is the disturbing tale of a newly qualified vet called out to a murder scene and faced with crypticism and wolves. 'Enna Hittims' is about a girl stuck at home with the mumps whose drawings come to life and try to take over her house. And 'Dragon Reserve, Home Eight' is a real masterpiece of worldbuilding, giving a strong sibling relationship and some dragons and a whole lot of fear and moral ambiguity, all in a very short space.
Telling any existing fan of Diana Wynne Jones to read this book would be the most pointless form of preaching to the choir, but if you've never read her, I think it would be an excellent introduction to her distinctive narrative style.
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