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14th out of 36 books
—
240 voters
Archer's Goon
The trouble started when Howard Sykes came home from school and found the "goon" sitting in the kitchen. He said he'd been sent by Archer. But who was Archer? It had to do with the 2,000 words that Howard's author father had failed to deliver. It soon became clear not only that Archer wanted those words, but that his wizard siblings, Hathaway, Dillian, Shine, Torquil, Ersk...more
Hardcover, 324 pages
Published
March 1st 2003
by Greenwillow Books
(first published 1984)
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Writing can take over the world.
When even random daydreams are important signifiers you know you are in the grip of a superbly plotted extravaganzer. There is so much to admire here, and a huge cast of characters, each of whom is important, is distinctive and memorable, despite only appearing briefly in person. The story rolls along at speed without ever feeling forced.
As usual with DWJ lots of acutely observed moments, the epic hypocrisy of taking the taxpayers moral high ground when you aren't...more
When even random daydreams are important signifiers you know you are in the grip of a superbly plotted extravaganzer. There is so much to admire here, and a huge cast of characters, each of whom is important, is distinctive and memorable, despite only appearing briefly in person. The story rolls along at speed without ever feeling forced.
As usual with DWJ lots of acutely observed moments, the epic hypocrisy of taking the taxpayers moral high ground when you aren't...more
Archer's Goon is a mysterious large man who shows up one day in Howard Sykes's kitchen, refusing to leave until Howard's father Quentin delivers the two thousand words he owes. When Quentin won't deliver, the Sykes family finds out that their town is run by seven competing siblings who are wizards - and one of them needs those words.
Jones's plots are always mysterious, and I think Archer's Goon is up there with her most bizarre. But she does a wonderful job keeping the mystery intriguing right...more
Jones's plots are always mysterious, and I think Archer's Goon is up there with her most bizarre. But she does a wonderful job keeping the mystery intriguing right...more
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Seven siblings, megalomaniac wizards, have control of the town- each in charge of different divisions. But the problem is that they never get a long. They quarrel, spy, and conspire against each other. One of them has somehow been able to keep all seven of them trapped in that town, unable to leave- which puts a wrench in more than one plot to rule the world. And it appears that part of the plot has something to do with Howard's family (Howard is our main protagonist), particularly his father's...more
Took me a while to warm up to Archer's Goon, but in the end I enjoyed and admired it. Howard, his parents and his little sister, Awful (best name ever) live in some sort of magical city ruled by 7 wizards, all siblings, who farm over certain domains. Think greek gods, only quirkier.
One day, a goon arrives at their kitchen table and demands 2000 words. Howard's dad, for some reason unknown, writes 2000 words of anything, so long as they are original, sends them to a wizard and gets out of paying...more
One day, a goon arrives at their kitchen table and demands 2000 words. Howard's dad, for some reason unknown, writes 2000 words of anything, so long as they are original, sends them to a wizard and gets out of paying...more
One day Howard and his sister Awful (you soon discover just how "awful" Anthea is and the reason for her nickname becomes evident)come home from school to find a huge goon in their kitchen. He says he was sent by Archer because Howard's dad hasn't turned in his quarterly payment of 2000 words. Just who Archer is and how 2000 words can be payment for anything turn are the beginning of a quest that take Howard and Awful on an adventure that truly is indescribable. It is a mystery that constantly s...more
I had been wanting to read Archer's Goon for quite some time, following my discovery of Jones' Chrestomanci series and generally feeling that she was my type of writer, something that hadn't been dispelled by the enjoyment of a couple of her other novels like Eight Days of Luke and Howl's Moving Castle (which, I believe, is soon to be a motion picture). But Archer's Goon had been originally published in 1984 and no one had seen fit to bring it back into print. I searched in vain at used book sto...more
Another re-read of one of my favourite DWJ books. As usual, I find it hard to explain why I love her books. The plot, the pacing, the lovely details (Hathaway unobtrusively switching the biscuits and wine to make them more palatable; Torquil calling Howard "limpet boy"; Awful primly refusing all of Dillian's food; Quentin telling the kids that his writing keeps them in bread and peanut butter; Howard running away with his boot going splart-splart-splart and begging Hathaway to send a bus - somet...more
YA Fantasy. Howard Sykes comes home from school and finds his kitchen full of Goon, an enormous man with a tiny head. The Goon says that Howard's dad owes Archer his quarterly payment of 2000 words and the Goon's there to collect.
Consider this a more cheerful version of Jones' Eight Days of Luke with a hint of Gaiman's Endless thrown into the mix. Seven powerful wizards control Howard's town, and he and his family visit each of them, trying to free themselves from their meddling, eavesdropping w...more
Consider this a more cheerful version of Jones' Eight Days of Luke with a hint of Gaiman's Endless thrown into the mix. Seven powerful wizards control Howard's town, and he and his family visit each of them, trying to free themselves from their meddling, eavesdropping w...more
Definitely in my top 5 from DWJ. Not a number one, but not far from that.
Slow to pick up at first, but becomes steadily more and more fascinating as the story proceeds.
The numerous big plot twists are mind-blowing even for Diana's writing, yet still, it all makes sense and comes down very logically. This book is a prime example of how Diana had a tendency of dropping hints for observant readers to pick up. You can tell what's going to happen next if you just know where to look, yet it's never b...more
Slow to pick up at first, but becomes steadily more and more fascinating as the story proceeds.
The numerous big plot twists are mind-blowing even for Diana's writing, yet still, it all makes sense and comes down very logically. This book is a prime example of how Diana had a tendency of dropping hints for observant readers to pick up. You can tell what's going to happen next if you just know where to look, yet it's never b...more
It's always hard to describe the plot of a Diana Wynne Jones novel, let alone to convey what makes her books so irresistible. I've never encountered any other writer with quite her combination of wit and audacity.
Howard comes home from school one day to find that a very large man has taken up residence in his family's kitchen. "The Goon," as he immediately becomes known, will not leave until Howard's writer father provides the two thousand words he allegedly owes to one Archer, the Goon's employ...more
Howard comes home from school one day to find that a very large man has taken up residence in his family's kitchen. "The Goon," as he immediately becomes known, will not leave until Howard's writer father provides the two thousand words he allegedly owes to one Archer, the Goon's employ...more
I like Diana Wynne Jones' writing and this novel is no exception. One day, Howard and his sister Awful, arrive home to find that they have an unexpected and unwelcome visitor, who calls himself Archer's Goon. Archer is one of seven wizards controlling the town where Howard and his family live. It appears that Quentin, Howard's father, has an arrangement to write 2,000 words each month for Archer but somehow, this month's quota has gone missing, so Archer has sent his enforcer, the Goon, to sort...more
The first book in which I was introduced to Diana Wynne Jones' seemingly haphazard, confusing, crazy but riveting storylines. It's like an amusement park ride! I actually had to re-read the story around three time to fully understand it, and it was an enjoyment every time!
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I really wanted to like this book, and have every reason to love it - it has clever and fun kids, sharp parents, and creative antagonists/plot. Some part of me just couldn't get into it - i think it was mostly the movement as the family gets introduced was a bit flat (and took up 1/2 the book). The beginning and the end were phenomenal - and parallel Gaiman's style of writing (though the author wrote it before Gaiman was huge - so an unfair comparison. I suspect this style may just be a movement...more
Diana Wynne Jones does it every time. Sometimes I pick up one of her books and the first chapter has me completely underwhelmed or even bored. Two chapters later, I'm hooked, and then I end up staying up reading way too late and messing my sleeping schedule because I lose all sense of time. Her plots are interesting, a little crazy, and always masterfully woven. In the beginning, not much makes a lot of sense, and thing seem mundane. Deeper into the story, things make even less sense, and become...more
Nov 07, 2011
Minna
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of DWJ
Recommended to Minna by:
A friend
Shelves:
borrowed,
urban-fantasy
I always enjoy Diana Wynne Jones's books and got to borrow this one from a friend. She wanted me to read it so she could have someone to talk to about it. No one else she knew had read it. It took me almost a year to pick it up.
This seems to be one of her first books, and it really shows how much she has developed as a writer. The book, while not bad, sometimes loses it's drive and I can't really put my finger on why. Sometimes I just don't want to get things resolved or see how they could be....more
This seems to be one of her first books, and it really shows how much she has developed as a writer. The book, while not bad, sometimes loses it's drive and I can't really put my finger on why. Sometimes I just don't want to get things resolved or see how they could be....more
I've been gradually collecting as many of Diana Wynne Jones' books as I can track down without going broke, so I was excited to receive this as a swap (from Australia, no less). The story starts off quite simply; brother and sister arrive home from school to find a thug waiting for their dad in the kitchen. The goon says their father owes his boss, Archer, 2000 words, and he won't leave without them. There is, of course, the resulting mayhem in getting rid of the goon, and a mystery as to what t...more
This was the first of Dianna Wynne Jones' books that I ever read, and I went on from there to read and reread them all, or at least all of the ones on the library shelf.
Archer's Goon is without a doubt one of the most genuinely oddball books you will ever read. Wickedly witty, is how one "real" reviewer described it. And I'll stick with that, since an actual description of the plot couldn't give you ANY idea of how good it is. It's funny, it's suspenseful, it's full of characters likeable and ha...more
Archer's Goon is without a doubt one of the most genuinely oddball books you will ever read. Wickedly witty, is how one "real" reviewer described it. And I'll stick with that, since an actual description of the plot couldn't give you ANY idea of how good it is. It's funny, it's suspenseful, it's full of characters likeable and ha...more
Aug 13, 2007
Jam
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who sometimes have to deal with their family.
One of my all-time favourite Diana Wynne Jones books. She's at her best dealing with families, and this deals with two. There's the core family, the Sykes-- Quentin (author and professor), Catriona (music teacher), Howard and Awful (Anthea is her real name, but she's *earnt* the name Awful). They live in more or less domestic harmony, of the sort that involves balancing out each minor crisis with tea, affection and the distraction of another crisis.
Then there's the other family, seven siblings...more
Then there's the other family, seven siblings...more
This is the second Diana Wynne Jones book which I have read, and I would love to read more. I think she became popular while I was in my twenties, so I've missed out on her books, and my children haven't picked up on them either because they were caught up in the hype about Harry Potter. If this hadn't been a bookring, I would have kept it longer to share with them.
'The Archer's Goon' is a wonderful and amusing fantasy adventure in the same vein as Terry Pratchett, with magic and humour and enga...more
'The Archer's Goon' is a wonderful and amusing fantasy adventure in the same vein as Terry Pratchett, with magic and humour and enga...more
I re-read this book at the urging of my 16-year-old daughter, who has read it at least 5 times and was irked that I couldn't remember anything about it (well, I last read it in 1990 or so, after all). Although this isn't my favorite of Jones' books (and don't ask me which is - that's way too hard to answer!), she never disappoints. Twisty, snarky, and surprising, this is one fast-moving fantasy for kids and teens. It's probably time to re-read more Jones...
Truly epic. I love this story and especially the chaos as Howard's life is turned upside down in this coming of age story. Although this novel is at heart fantasy, it crosses genres into sci-fi and mystery. The ending is a surprise if one is not paying close attention to certain meetings in the book. I definitely wish I could find more novels like this! It's marked for teens, but I am an adult and have enjoyed re-reading it through the years.
A fascinating book that follows thirteen year old Howard and his family as they try to understand why his father has been writing two thousand words a month for a stranger. Everything starts when Goon, a frighteningly large man plants himself in their kitchen saying that the last words weren't original. Howard and his sister Awful learn about how everything is not as it seems in their town as their investigation continues. Along the way they discover a group of siblings who's communication probl...more
If you are looking for a straight-forward fantasy adventure, look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a story that twists, turns and makes your mind explode with laughter (no, not really) read on! Enjoy Howard's search as he and Awful (great name for a little sister) seek to know what is going on.
I read this aloud to my son and wife in the evenings and they thought it was the most twisted book I have read them.
I read this aloud to my son and wife in the evenings and they thought it was the most twisted book I have read them.
I read this book many years ago, but OH MAN I FORGOT HOW IT ENDED.
Oh Diana. You and your amazing books.
Seriously just as amazing the second time through, it's a book about a family of seven that "farm" industries.
Does anyone know if that family is based off of some kind of mythology? It feels like they should be. I don't know.
I love the book. I've also forgotten how to write reviews.
Oh Diana. You and your amazing books.
Seriously just as amazing the second time through, it's a book about a family of seven that "farm" industries.
Does anyone know if that family is based off of some kind of mythology? It feels like they should be. I don't know.
I love the book. I've also forgotten how to write reviews.
Eclectic, crazy, confusing, but oh, so fun. It all wraps up and makes sense (more or less) at the end. I thoroughly engjoyed the characters, in particular Goon and Awful. The twist came as a complete surprise, and I have to say, surprised me thoroughlty.
One benefit, I guess, to being home sick and staying curled up on the couch all day is that you get to read and finish a book in a day.
One benefit, I guess, to being home sick and staying curled up on the couch all day is that you get to read and finish a book in a day.
Enjoyed this quite a lot. The 'twist' was clear to me sooner than they usually are with her books, but didn't spoil the reading experience. For all I know she planned it that way so that the reader would feel smarter than the characters. I appreciate that a lot of things went unexplained (who/what Archer's family really is, etc.), so I can fill that in around the edges with my own ideas.
The one where a seven-foot Goon shows up and demands that Howard's author father keep a years-old bargain to provide "two thousand a year" -- words, that is -- with crazy consequences for Howard and his younger sister Awful.
I loved the characters in this book -- Howard, so distracted by all this chaos that he can't even concentrate on designing spaceships during orchestra practice, and the pompous but lovable father, and the mother who can't stand noise but has the strength of will to order Goon...more
I loved the characters in this book -- Howard, so distracted by all this chaos that he can't even concentrate on designing spaceships during orchestra practice, and the pompous but lovable father, and the mother who can't stand noise but has the strength of will to order Goon...more
I was probably just juding the book by its cover, but was hesitent to read it, even after reading the cover flap's description of the story... Happily, my love of DWJ & need of something to read overrode my hesitations & I rather enjoyed the book. I ended up liking many of the characters, from multiple 'sides' and liked the city's, shall we say, layout. It's a bit different from many of the other books I've read by DWJ in some components, but her witing style and use of folklore and know...more
I first discovered this book by accident in my junior high library. I don't remember if I discovered this author first or if my little brother did (or if by a strange twist of fate we simultaneously discovered her), but we spent the next several months jockeying to check out all her books from the library.
I don't even know how to describe the plot.
1 - Set in present-day England.
2 - Teenage boy is main character (his family are also characters, including a little sister called Awful).
3 - Dad is...more
I don't even know how to describe the plot.
1 - Set in present-day England.
2 - Teenage boy is main character (his family are also characters, including a little sister called Awful).
3 - Dad is...more
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| Diana Wynne Jones...: Fifi's fate | 7 | 16 | May 03, 2013 01:49am |
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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“This book will prove the following ten facts:
1. A Goon is a being who melts into the foreground and sticks there.
2. Pigs have wings, making them hard to catch.
3. All power corrupts, but we need electricity.
4. When an irresistible force meets an immovable object, the result is a family fight.
5. Music does not always sooth the troubled beast.
6. An Englishman's home is his castle.
7. The female of the species is more deadly than the male.
8. One black eye deserves another.
9. Space is the final frontier, and so is the sewage farm.
10. It pays to increase your word power.”
—
89 people liked it
1. A Goon is a being who melts into the foreground and sticks there.
2. Pigs have wings, making them hard to catch.
3. All power corrupts, but we need electricity.
4. When an irresistible force meets an immovable object, the result is a family fight.
5. Music does not always sooth the troubled beast.
6. An Englishman's home is his castle.
7. The female of the species is more deadly than the male.
8. One black eye deserves another.
9. Space is the final frontier, and so is the sewage farm.
10. It pays to increase your word power.”
“Learn to drive?"
"Never," said Quentin. "My mission in life is to be a passenger.”
—
55 people liked it
More quotes…
"Never," said Quentin. "My mission in life is to be a passenger.”
