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188th out of 318 books
—
10 voters
Wild Robert
Heather's parents are the caretakers of the stately home Castlemaine, and Heather would love living there -- if it weren't for the tourists. Every summer they invade Castlemaine, and one day they even trample into all of her secret quiet spots. The only one left is a peculiar little mound that the villagers say is the grave of Wild Robert, a legendary magician who lived 35
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Published
(first published 1989)
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Not one of Diana Wynne Jones's major works, but interesting nevertheless, and I was thrilled to find it on the shelves of Birmingham Central Library while the children were rolling around on giant cushions.
Heather lives in a stately home which her parents manage for the National Trust. When she idly wishes for Wild Robert to wake up and deal with Mr McManus, the unpleasant gardener, and the tourists who bother her, he does. He plays magical tricks on everyone, but everything's fine by the end of...more
Heather lives in a stately home which her parents manage for the National Trust. When she idly wishes for Wild Robert to wake up and deal with Mr McManus, the unpleasant gardener, and the tourists who bother her, he does. He plays magical tricks on everyone, but everything's fine by the end of...more
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This book, like all DWJ books, is incredibly charming and as always very striking in its characters and setting. I actually wish it had been quite a bit longer so we could have gotten more information and a more firm resolution. I need closureeee poor Robert bbz. Heather was also adorable and I would love a sequel in the future where Robert decides she is old enough to marry and becomes obsessed with winning her hand in the most obnoxious, ridiculously flamboyant ways possible while being absolu...more
An extremely short book about a girl who lives in a castle which is being cared for by her parents. Tourists visit the castle in droves and it is hard for the girl to find a spare moment of quiet. She inadvertently wakes up the ghost of a warlock buried on the castle grounds who turns the tourists to sheep and does other nasty things to the people the young girl was complaining about only moments before. Of course the girls is appalled by this and works to find a solution to the mischief the war...more
May 12, 2010
Eden
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
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Heather lives with her parents at Castlemaine and her parents are also the caretakers and tourguides of Castlemaine.
Heather would love to live at Castlemaine if it wasn't for every Summer many tourists come. To get away from all tourists and noise, Heather heads off to one of her secret spots in the castle only to find more tourists there.
Heather goes off upset and to the only other secret spot she knows. The mound near the woods, and she has been told that is the grave of Wild Robert, who was...more
Heather would love to live at Castlemaine if it wasn't for every Summer many tourists come. To get away from all tourists and noise, Heather heads off to one of her secret spots in the castle only to find more tourists there.
Heather goes off upset and to the only other secret spot she knows. The mound near the woods, and she has been told that is the grave of Wild Robert, who was...more
Fun, but it feels like the prologue to a greater story - lots of set up that goes no where, and no real resolution. It works as a novella as long as you don't expect any more then that. The whole thing is pretty much a romp through the tropes of this particular story. It's short - easy enough to read in a few hours, even for a slow reader like me. If your a fan of the author I can't see a reason not to recommend it, but as a stand alone there isn't much to mention about it.
This is half of a fairly promising novel. And I really mean half -- not, "oh, this has potential but it needs a good rewrite," but "Here is the first half of my finished book. I left the second half on the train and can't be bothered to redo it." Almost more disappointing than a bad book, because I wanted to know how the story turned out.
I have had Ms. Jones on my list to read for quite some time as she comes highly recommended from friends on an email group. This one was cute, predictable, will be perfect for The Kid. I will get more of her books out to screen and enjoy.
For what it is it's fine! But what it is, I suspect, is the first chapter of a much longer story that Jones just never got round to. Pity. A young reader could read this as a complete story and enjoy it very much.
I picked this up from the free book pile. It caught my eye since it was written by the same author as Howl's Moving Castle. Cute but with a bittersweet ending and written for a much much younger audience than HMC.
Wild Robert is a good book for the very young. The ending was not satisfying. It reads like Jones didn't want to bother with tying up the loose ends. Everything was left floating in the wind.
Beguiling, but insignificant. Even if I were 8 years old I wouldn't love it. And the ending is abrupt - do you suppose there were thoughts of a series or sequel?
Is this an unfinished novel? It read like a first chapter, but there was no warning anywhere on or in the book that there wouldn't be a satisfying ending.
Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favorite authors, but the ending of this book left the reader hanging. I finished it with a "is that it?"
Short, and with an unfinished feeling. I know this is a children's book, but still... usually Diana Wynne Jones is funnier, and cleverer.
I read this several years ago, and, while any Diana Wynne Jones is worth reading, this was a slighter effort.
Cute idea but this book felt seriously incomplete. It should have been longer with a better ending.
A well-crafted and well-paced short story. Memorable characters with depth and development.
One day I'd like to read the rest of the novel that should have followed on from this.
Wonderful, short story, for young children, but not too simple. A quick, but enjoyable read.
I liked it, despite the two stars -- but it isn't finished! Not nearly! Where's the rest?
Definitely for younger readers. Sweet, but felt like half a book.
The ending was unsatisfying. It ended in the middle of nowhere IMO.
Really a 3.5. It was alright, but a bit fast, and feels unfinished.
A brief tale of time travel at an historic castle.
Not my favorite of DWJ's books.
Don't bother.
short.
I suspect I would have loved this book had it existed when I was in the target audience for it. I would have probably liked it had it been published in the US shortly after its 1989 publication in the UK. As an adult reading this book, it feels as though either the story is incomplete or tied too neatly in a bow. Not my favorite DWJ book by a long shot.
Oh what a wonderful short little story full of fun, silliness and magic. It feels though as if there should be more but I do not think there is a sequel to Wild Robert. In a way it could feel incomplete, but to me it feels like the story is still living, it has never ended and never will.
Sometimes the simple stories are the best ones.
Sometimes the simple stories are the best ones.
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Diana Wynne Jones was the author of more than thirty critically acclaimed fantasy stories, including the Chrestomanci series and the novels Howl's Moving Castle and Dark Lord of Derkholm.
For Diana Wynne Jones's official autobiography, please see http://www.leemac.freeserve.co.uk/aut...
More about Diana Wynne Jones...
For Diana Wynne Jones's official autobiography, please see http://www.leemac.freeserve.co.uk/aut...
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