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Stopping for a Spell
There have never been visitors like the ones in these three spellbinding stories. In "Chair Person" it is Auntie Christa who turns up with an old conjurer' s kit. Something from it gets spilled on an armchair, and the result is Chair Person. Chair Person is not very good at being a person, but he certainly makes his presence felt.
When "The Four Grannies" come to take care...more
When "The Four Grannies" come to take care...more
Paperback
Published
by HarperCollins Publishers
(first published May 27th 1993)
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Apr 03, 2012
Eve
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Stopping for a Spell, by Diana Wynne Jones, is a collection of three short stories. The first story is about two children who have to deal with their living room chair coming alive and turning into a person; Chair Person. This Chair Person wreaks havoc in their lives, and they have to find a way to turn him back into a chair. The second story is called Four Grannies. This is also about two children, only these children have to deal with a series of grannies who babysit them. Each granny is eccen...more
Stopping For A Spell by Diana Wynne Jones was one of my later Dewey 24 Hour Readathon books, I read it around 2 a.m. so please be forgiving of my fuzzy detail recall, as I don’t have a copy of Stopping For A Spell sitting in front of me as I write this review.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
Should truthfully only be at 2 stars "it was ok", but I'm generously giving the third star for loyalty to the author. One of the things I love about DWJ books is that when there's a truly awful person, they get what's coming to them in the end. That happens in these stories, as well, but the characters are not awful in the usual DWJ way. They're cringeingly awful. They're difficult to read, they're so awful. They're not fun awful, they're horrifying in the way they use and take advantage of peop...more
This book contains three short stories. The first is about a chair who turns into a person and is very annoying. The second is about four grannies who are quite very different from one another, and the third is about a house guest who just won't leave.
I've read a short story collection of Diana Wynne Jones' before and loved it; her short stories are wonderful and very unique. The ones in this book are also unique and a lot of crazy things happen in them. I enjoyed all of the stories, but I think...more
I've read a short story collection of Diana Wynne Jones' before and loved it; her short stories are wonderful and very unique. The ones in this book are also unique and a lot of crazy things happen in them. I enjoyed all of the stories, but I think...more
This is a collection of three short young adult novels(I'd say novellas, really). I find Jones to be an uneven author. At times her writing is spectacular and her humor dead on. Other times (like this collection) I'm not sure how the work got published. There were moments that I enjoyed, particularly in "The Four Grannies" but overall was not impressed with the collection, and could have done without the other two tales completely.
[2005 review.] The age level of this book is younger than most of the others I've read by her. This was three short stories which were really similar in a lot of regards -- annoying magical creatures hassle kids, mostly. Kind of samey.
Well, the book was o.k. I don't regret reading it. I might even recommend it to someone. I was bored though, I just wanted the book to be over. The stories weren't that good, and the characters weren't that enduring to me.
Let me start by saying that Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favorite authors, as that is one of the main reasons I bought this book. Beyond that, I did not particularly care for this book. The first of the three short stories was what ruined it for me. Chair person thoroughly disgusted me throughout the remainder of the book. He was really the only thing I can remember even now.
There's no question that there are great stories, but they're not as much my thing as most of her other work is.
It's hard to rate Diana Wynne Jones low, because even at her worst she's still far and away one of the best writers out there. I wouldn't say these stories are bad, but they are certainly uncomfortable, with the repeated motifs of ineffectual parents, horrible infiltrators, and just plain malice. I realized this time that each story was written in a different decade, and yet all are thematically very similar--probably an intentional choice, but still interesting how the theme of overbearing, rud...more
Good stories. I like Jones' style.
We (my kids, 6&8 & I) have been enjoying Diana Wynne Jones books lately. These storied did not disappoint. This book holds 3 short stories, perfect for bedtime, or as we did reading outside on a blanket in the sunshine. Funny, simple, entertaining, and filled with fun imaginative fantastical whims.
Fun read.
Jun 30, 2008
Roxanne
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
short-stories
This book could have been subtitled "How to use magic to get rid of annoying people". Three short stories, about very stubborn obnoxious annoying people invading the homes of plucky children, who then must find a way get rid of the annoyances. Nowhere near her best work. Recommended for kids, but not worth it for adult fans.
A book of short stories from one of my favorite authors. Made me laugh out loud.
A fair little book about magical furniture, mysterious house guests, and lots of grannies. Not really one I'd read again, but nice for one time.
A goofy collection of three stories. Fun, but very lightweight and not quite up to Jones's usually standards.
Diana Wynn Jones writes good novels. Her short stories never quite seem to make it, though.
OH GOD THESE WERE SO GOOD.
May 24, 2013
Jenna
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Barbara
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Josh Dygert
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Angel Reader
marked it as to-read
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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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