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Enchanted Glass

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 2,277 ratings · 361 reviews

Something is rotten in the village of Melstone

Aidan Cain has had the worst week of his life. Creepy, sinister beings want him dead. What's a boy to do? With danger nipping at his heels, Aidan flees to Melstone, a village teeming with magic of its own. There he is taken in by Andrew Hope, the new master of Melstone House, who has some supernatural troubles too. Someone is s...more

Hardcover, 332 pages

Published April 6th 2010 by HarperCollins Children's Books

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Jan 28, 2011 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-and-ya-fiction, fantasy-and-science-fiction, authors-ij

I love DWJ and would rather have a new book from her than almost any other children's author I can think of, and I had a lot of fun reading this one: neat magic, excellent characters, very funny. That said, though, I did think it was rather derivative of a couple of her other recent books (The Pinhoe Egg and House of Many Ways came to mind a lot), so I wouldn't put it with her top-rank books.

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Oct 25, 2011 El Templo de las Mil Puertas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: reseñas, 22-eltemplo

"Al morir Jocelyn Brandon deja al cuidado de Melstone House y de su Área de Responsabilidad a su nieto Andrew Brandon Hope. El profesor, que lo único que quiere es tranquilidad para poner los papeles de su abuelo en orden y quizás escribir un libro, se ve pronto sobresaltado por los acontecimientos mágicos que suceden en la comarca. Y es que Andrew, que pensaba que la magia eran imaginaciones de sus veranos de niño con su abuelo, descubrirá que él también la posee y que debe utilizarla para prot...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Hilary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, juvenile

An elderly magician dies and passes on his heritage (posthumously) to his heir without ever having had the chance to explain what it entails; a young runaway with his own unknown heritage winds up on the magician's doorstep shortly thereafter. Both have to unravel and accept their backgrounds and their destinies, both of which are far more � or, possibly, far less � complex than they might have imagined. Throw in a cast of villagers, some of them as talented as the magician himself (if not more...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Olga Godim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-scifi

This was an enchanting story, full of magic. I don’t usually read children’s books, and I never read Diana Wynne Jones before although I watched and liked the Manga version of her novel, Howl's Moving Castle. This book – I fell in love with. I enjoyed it tremendously and I’m definitely going to read more of this writer. Much more.
This particular tale is a quiet one. There are two protagonists: Andrew, an adult, and Aidan, a child. Andrew’s grandfather, the magician, died, and left Andrew a legac...more This was an enchanting story, full of magic. I don’t usually read children’s books, and I never read Diana Wynne Jones before although I watched and liked the Manga version of her novel, Howl's Moving Castle. This book – I fell in love with. I enjoyed it tremendously and I’m definitely going to read more of this writer. Much more.
This particular tale is a quiet one. There are two protagonists: Andrew, an adult, and Aidan, a child. Andrew’s grandfather, the magician, died, and left Andrew a legacy: his house and his land – his field-of-care. Andrew had spent lots of time with his grandfather as a boy, but by now – he’s a teacher at a university – he has all but forgotten about his grandfather’s magic. He has to relearn it fast if he is to save Aidan and the land from the wicked Mr. Brown.
Aidan, a magically gifted boy, naive and curious as only a child could be, comes to live with Andrew after his grandmother died. There is symmetry there, although while Andrew is settling into his new life as a resident magician, Aidan is running away from the fairy folks who for some reason are hunting him.
Andrew takes Aidan in, and the little details of their everyday existence fill the book. It should have been boring but surprisingly it’s not. The magical talent of the writer makes every tiny twinkle in their lives absorbing and slightly mysterious.
Magical and mundane intertwine in this tale, as the author weaves her tapestry of all the separate threads, all the lives revolving around Aidan, and they all sparkle – every filament gilded with fantasy. One thread consists of the antics of Andrew’s strong-minded housekeeper. Another is enriched by his gardener's quirks and oversized vegetables. And then there are Aidan’s friends: the were-dog Rolf and the vegetable-gobbling giant Groil.
The story progresses without haste, but despite the inherent humor, subtle and infused with double-meaning, the tension mounts inexorably, as Mr. Brown sends his minions, one after another, to capture Aidan. Andrew must master his magic in a hurry to thwart the encroaching Mr. Brown and extricate Aidan from his deepening troubles.
The culmination strikes during the annual village Fete, and of course the shameless Mr. Brown cheats at every competition. What else would you expect from a villain?
Besides the two protagonists, the writer’s imagination populated this novel with a slew of secondary characters, all of them colorful and necessary, all of them adding one more facet to the magic of the tale.
The novel is deceptively simple on the surface, but its underlying complexity is adorned by a palette as polychromatic as the enchanted glass of the title. Utterly delightful.
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Sep 06, 2012 Cecelia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I should know by now not to mind the terrible covers on Diana Wynne Jones books. That said, if there’s one thing I know about my bookish self, it’s that I’m incredibly snobby about cover art. So, even though I trust her storytelling implicitly (and explicitly, for that matter), I was put off by this ugly cover and didn't read Enchanted Glass right away. I now wish I had, because in this middle grade fantasy Diana has created a marvelous story, characters and place, and I can see that I’ll be ret...more I should know by now not to mind the terrible covers on Diana Wynne Jones books. That said, if there’s one thing I know about my bookish self, it’s that I’m incredibly snobby about cover art. So, even though I trust her storytelling implicitly (and explicitly, for that matter), I was put off by this ugly cover and didn't read Enchanted Glass right away. I now wish I had, because in this middle grade fantasy Diana has created a marvelous story, characters and place, and I can see that I’ll be returning to visit its magic again and again.

Have you read Diana Wynne Jones? She’s famous (and rightfully so) for writing fantastical stories about worlds tilted just enough off the reality axis to make strange happenings normal, and to make off-kilter responses to those happenings absolutely necessary. Did that make sense? Let me try again. DWJ is a genius, and she’ll show you magic in a way that is completely new, and sideways, and just-as-it-should-be, all at the same time. Stumbling into one of her worlds only becomes, as Alice said of Wonderland, ‘curioser and curiouser.’

Is it quite clear that I loved this book? I’ll tell you why, then. Enchanted Glass is a double story: it follows thirty year-old professor Andrew Hope and a quite young (12? 13?) Aidan Cain. Andrew has been given a task, but isn’t quite sure what it entails. Aidan is being chased by dangerous not-humans. They each have magic, and they are each drawn to Melstone House… But what are they to do about Aidan’s predicament, and what is Andrew’s inheritance that he can’t find or remember? Unraveling these mysteries will take all of the courage, concentration and luck that both Andrew and Aidan can muster. It is a challenge that will change Melstone, and their lives, forever.

What that summary doesn’t convey is the charm and wit and rightness of Jones’ writing. While there’s always a ‘something large and potentially world threatening’ going on in the background, the characters live very much in the moment, and their actions feel real and justified. Those characters are also authentic: if they’re smart, they’re often blind to a particular problem. If they seem simple, there is something hiding beneath the surface. And even the side characters are never, ever extraneous to the story. That is why a story about a small, magical village feels important and true and beautiful, and why I love Diana Wynne Jones’ writing.

If I must find something to pick over, it’s that there aren’t any female main characters in this story. But there is generational diversity (old, young, in-between!) and species diversity, and most importantly, the end result is a magical tale masterfully told.

Recommended for: all ages, fans of fantasy, fans of Diana Wynne Jones, and anyone who liked J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magical, kids, young-adult

I don't need to be convinced to buy or pick up a Diana Wynne Jones book. She has been, and will always be, one of my favourite authors, full stop.

However, this one is definitely a kids book - almost DWJ-lite: all the tropes in a neat little bite size package. I read it in a couple of days and ticked off all her usuals as I was doing so.

Tall, unassuming yet powerful youngish man - tick.
Young boy with magic talent that he is unaware of/unable to use yet - tick.
Antagonistic but necessary household...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Scott Callaway rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I believe Diana Wynne Jones' writing is awesome and I do like this book. The sense of magic in it was delicious and some characters were a joy to read! But I felt slightly disappointed in the end.

First off, as I said, the sense of magic was really great and interesting to read about. I don't feel like there had to be an exact explanation as to why these people could use magic, because why can't Magic just be? There is a phrase or two though that does sort of hint as to why there is magic though....more

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Jun 29, 2012 Erin rated it 1 of 5 stars

Diana Wynne Jones' work always seems to come from a different era of storytelling. Like Susan Cooper, Joan Aiken, and Madeline L'Engle, Jones was of the old guard of children's book writers. In a career that lasted over four decades, she wrote some of the best and most imaginative children's books around, so it is unfortunate that her last novel (she passed away in 2011) would be such a disappointment.

Enchanted Glass is like a mid-afternoon ramble through the countryside. There seems to be no r...more Diana Wynne Jones' work always seems to come from a different era of storytelling. Like Susan Cooper, Joan Aiken, and Madeline L'Engle, Jones was of the old guard of children's book writers. In a career that lasted over four decades, she wrote some of the best and most imaginative children's books around, so it is unfortunate that her last novel (she passed away in 2011) would be such a disappointment.

Enchanted Glass is like a mid-afternoon ramble through the countryside. There seems to be no real direction in mind, and although the scenery is enjoyable, it's ultimately meandering and, at times, a bit dull. The book is set in the village of Melstone, where all the inhabitants have the surname Stock, and everyone has a knack for something. The village and the land around it comprise a "field-of-care" looked after by a heredity wizard.

When old Mr. Brandon dies, he leaves his house and his field-of-care to his grandson, Andrew, who is a bit of an idiot. He's an academic with his head in the clouds, and he seems to have willfully forgotten everything his grandfather taught him about magic. He takes in a runaway boy called Aiden, who may or may not be the son of the faerie king Oberon. There are magical doppelgangers, a boy weredog, divination by horserace results, and two panes of magic glass that do...something magical?

Jones has always unfolded her stories in a kind of casual way. She doesn't spend much time on exposition, and in Enchanted Glass, I had a hard time following the rules of Andrew and Aiden's world. While there were gems buried in the cluttered narrative--I particularly like the winsome secretary, Stache--this is not a particularly enjoyable read. I spent too much time trying to figure out what was going on.

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Jun 28, 2012 Harold Ogle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, faeries, magic, ya

The more I read of Diana Wynne Jones, the more I think that Neil Gaiman has been cribbing from her all these years. This impression is assisted by the quote from Gaiman on the cover of this edition, of course.

For those who haven't read much Gaiman, this means that it is a contemporary story in which faeries and magic are real, if not terribly common. The supernatural world is just a blink away in such stories. This one follows two characters: Andrew Brandon Hope, a middle-aged university academi...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy

•When Professor Andrew Hope’s grandfather dies he leaves Andrew a large manor house in his will. What Andrew doesn’t know is that the estate itself is magical. Andrew has inherited not just the house, but a “field of care” that is now his responsibility to protect. Too bad his grandfather died before giving him any directions!
To complicate the situation, a young boy named Aiden shows up on Andrew’s doorstep, frightened out of his wits and running from shadowy figures he calls Stalkers. Aiden kno...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Jana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Enchanted Glass

When Andrew’s grandfather, the magician Jocelyn, dies he leaves Andrew his house and field-of-care along with his housekeeper Mrs. Stock and his groundskeeper Mr. Stock (not related). Along comes Aidan, a teenager from London on the run from Stalkers after his grandmother’s death, seeking refuge with the wizard his grandmother had been communicating for decades, only to find Andrew in place of the magician he was looking for. Andrew takes Aidan in only to discover that his inherit...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Diana Wynne Jones may be the best author you've never heard of. She writes children's and young adult fantasy, and I've been reading her for almost as long as I can remember. Neil Gaiman calls her, "The best children's writer of the last forty years." The best part? She's written so many books that if you read her and like her, there are enough books to keep you happy for a long, long time. Not all of her books are amazing (though many of them are), but they're all of them at least good. Most of...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, magic, mages-wizards, faeries, young-adult-fiction, juvenile-fiction, tween, quirky, quick-read, favorites, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Andrew Hope is a university professor when the ghost of his recently-deceased grandfather, Jocelyn, appears to him as he’s driving home late one night. He discovers that he has inherited his grandfather’s house, but more importantly his “field of care” – a magical boundary that encloses a parcel of land surrounding Melstone House. Although Andrew spent many summers with his grandfather, he has forgotten much of what he learned about Melstone and about magic. As he tries to get his and Jocelyn’s...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Elisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cuando Jocelyn Brandon murió (a una edad muy avanzada, como es lo normal en el caso de los magos), legó su casa y su Área de Responsabilidad a su nieto Andrew Brandon Hope. Pero el pobre Andrew lleva demasiado tiempo alejado de Melstone House, de su abuelo y de la magia, tanto que se ha olvidado de como se hace un hechizo.

Tendrá que recordarlo todo muy aprisa, siempre luchando con la señora Stock para que no deshaga los cambios que hace en la casa, y con el señor Stock para que se encargue de s...more

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May 08, 2011 Alex Fayle rated it 4 of 5 stars

There exists a small group of authors that leave me in awe every time I finish one of their books. Jasper Fforde is one, as is Charles de Lint. Patricia C. Wrede writes books that I would happily read over and over for the rest of my life. Another author on this select list is Diana Wynne Jones. Although I haven’t read all of her books, whenever I do read one I finish up almost wanting to cry in appreciation of her storytelling skills.

Her latest awe-inspiring story is Enchanted Glass. It’s more...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Joanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, children-ya

I think I might be in love... I gulped this book down marveling all the while how can a story so magical be so casual, so matter of fact about it? The mythical characters strolling nonchalantly into the story, the ancient magic radiating from everything in sight brought with them only the surprised remembrance, as if like Andrew I had simply forgotten about it all and now that I have remembered again nothing could be more natural.

It's one of those books that make me bemoan the fact that I did no...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Deborah Ross rated it 5 of 5 stars

Any new book by Jones is a delicious treat, a reason to put down whatever else I'm doing and curl up with a cup of tea. This one, however, came with special poignancy because I received it just after I learned of her death. So I opened the pages with a kind of sadness, not wanting to admit that in many ways, this was farewell. (If there is another book to be published posthumously, I don't know of it.)

And found magic. Within a few paragraphs, her clear prose and unaffectedly direct storytelling...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Rhiannon Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

One thing I've always liked about Diana Wynne Jones' books for children is that she makes no artificial barrier between adults and children; they're all people. So rather than have the grownups dismiss or disbelieve the children's real concerns for no apparent reason other than that they're grownups, in her books parental and other adult figures listen, understand, and get stuck in to the magic. In Enchanted Glass, Diana Wynne Jones takes this a stage further: even though the book is obviously a...more One thing I've always liked about Diana Wynne Jones' books for children is that she makes no artificial barrier between adults and children; they're all people. So rather than have the grownups dismiss or disbelieve the children's real concerns for no apparent reason other than that they're grownups, in her books parental and other adult figures listen, understand, and get stuck in to the magic. In Enchanted Glass, Diana Wynne Jones takes this a stage further: even though the book is obviously aimed at children and young teenagers, the main protagonist is an adult in his thirties — and a real adult at that, not just an older person with a childish personality. I found the switching of viewpoints between him and the twelve-year-old secondary protagonist a good way of showing that there is no real difference between people of different ages, just different personalities.

In this book, Diana Wynne Jones takes a lot of themes she's touched upon in previous stories, reworking them and improving them in new ways. Melstone House has a very similar atmosphere to Chrstomanci Castle, with Andrew Hope as a more believeable and rather more interesting Chrestomanci reminiscent of a more sympathetic Rupert Venables from Deep Secret. There's a lot about names, their power and variation (think Eight Days of Luke); some clannish villagers, some wise, some annoying (like The Pinhoe Egg); and references to greater powers (Black Maria or, better, Power of Three). And I've always loved the way she depicts the working of magic: natural, powerful, and almost instinctive to the practitioner, not at all mechanical the way Harry Potter magic can be.

There's a well-constructed plot, with a nice little — not so much a twist as a flourish— at the end, but this takes second place to the enjoyable character interactions and atmosphere. This was a nice gentle change for me from plot-driven books where bad thing after bad thing happens and only begins to start coming right near the end. I particularly liked her handling of Andrew and his half-forgotten memories of his grandfather, subtly hinting — but never explicitly saying — that his grandfather had made sure the memories would resurface as they were needed.

I have a suspicion that in writing this book towards the end of her life, Diana Wynne Jones is deliberately looking back over her career and picking out some of her favourite ideas and giving them a work over. And I think she succeeds: it was certainly good enough for me to read it twice in quick succession, just because it was such an enjoyable world to be in, with such nice people to get to know.
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Mar 23, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dwj, fantasy

Like many DWJ titles, half the fun of 'Enchanted Glass' for adult readers comes not just in being pulled along by the storytelling but in attempting to read between the lines. A feature of this fantasy is the links with Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' -- key fairy characters, namely Oberon, Titania and Puck, reappear here, and there is a temptation to go searching for other covert appearances: are Andrew and Stache, for example, equivalent to Theseus and Hippolyta?

There are also vario...more

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Dec 29, 2010 nicole added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, cybils, couldnt-finish

This book is absolutely enchanting. There is something in the slow, methodical pacing of the first chapter that shakes the reader a little bit, just enough to disorient them, and prepare them for the world surrounding Melstone House. Every description in the book is sort of like viewing the world through stain-glassed window, which is nice, like putting on a pair of really dark sunglasses on a sunny day, in order to better see your surroundings.

But it's also slow. And methodical. You have to sus...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Jasmine Giacomo rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I admit it, the cover art pulled me in on this one. While there's something familiar in the slightly-mischievous Harry Potteresque look the protagonist, Aidan Cain, is wearing, it was actually the visible colors pouring through the stained-glass window in the angled ceiling and wrapping around Aidan and the dog that made me grab this book. I can only assume it goes back to my love of all things half-scientific, half-magical: it reminds me of the Northern Lights, which I still have yet to see wit...more

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Nov 08, 2010 BookKids rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, midgrade

Set in modern Britain, bookish college professor Andrew inherits his grandfather’s home. However, the house is located in an “eccentric” area filled with magic, odd characters, and mayhem. Andrew is just settling in when teenaged Aidan shows up on his door, soggy, grief-stricken, and being chased by creatures he calls Stalkers. A complex, well-crafted story develops from there.

I have always enjoyed Jones’s characters — from the crazy people in Dark Lord of Derkholm to the calmer Chant family in...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Paula rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Somehow, when I was younger, I missed out on Diana Wynne Jones completely, only discovering her in the last ten years or so thanks to friends who are librarians. She has written some of my absolute favourite YA books ('Howl's Moving Castle' and the Chrestomanci series), which also work perfectly for adults in the main because of how well they're written.

My experience of reading her books tends to be that even her not-quite-so-good books are as good as the best of many other authors; this is one...more

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May 26, 2010 Miranda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've followed DWJ's books for a loooong time - I can't say with authority that I've read all of them, but I've certainly read most, at one time or another. My husband grabbed this for me when he saw it at the library. It's engaging and well-constructed, with likeable characters, as usual... but there are a couple of things about it that really kind of bother me. First, within the first two chapters, we have three dead mothers and a dead grandmother in the backgrounds of the various main characte...more

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May 11, 2010 Madeline Smoot rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade

Enchanted Glass itself is a delight. Set in modern Britain, bookish college professor Andrew inherits his grandfather’s home. However, the house is located in an “eccentric” area filled with magic, odd characters, and mayhem. Andrew is just settling in when teenaged Aidan shows up on his door, soggy, grief-stricken, and being chased by creatures he calls Stalkers. A complex, well-crafted story develops from there.

I have always enjoyed Jones’s characters — from the crazy people in Dark Lord of De...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Eva Mitnick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, fantasy

As I read Enchanted Glass, I was struck by the phrase "field-of-care." Although it's never clearly defined to the reader, it can be understood by the context to be the magical territory over which a caretaker or custodian has responsibility, in order to ensure that magical doings are all on the up-and-up, supernatural forces remain in balance, and nasty creatures don't take over. This is a profoundly comforting thought - other folks, wise and experienced, are taking care of magical goings-on so...more As I read Enchanted Glass, I was struck by the phrase "field-of-care." Although it's never clearly defined to the reader, it can be understood by the context to be the magical territory over which a caretaker or custodian has responsibility, in order to ensure that magical doings are all on the up-and-up, supernatural forces remain in balance, and nasty creatures don't take over. This is a profoundly comforting thought - other folks, wise and experienced, are taking care of magical goings-on so that we don't have to.

When Andrew Hope inherits Melstone House from his grandfather Jocelyn Brandon, he also inherits the field-of-care all around the house and the town of Melton. Although Andrew grew up well aware of magic, and though his grandfather had taught him a lot about the mysteries of Melstone House when Andrew was a boy, Andrew doesn't realize he has a field-of-care to worry about. Unfortunately, this field-of-care is being threatened by a powerful and nefarious character named Mr. Brown, one of "those who do not use iron" and worse, he seems to be gunning for young Aidan, who has showed up on Andrew's doorstep after the death of his grandmother.

As Aidan's granny was also in charge of her own field-of-care, Aidan is also no stranger to magic and can both work a bit of his own and see magical ability in others. And there's a lot to see, as the land around Melstone House is awash with were-animals, giants, and any number of other folks who don't use iron. Even the ordinary people possess rather extraordinary talents. Aidan settles happily into life at Melstone House - or would, if King Oberon weren't trying to kill him.

Despite a plot that sounds rich with menace and thrills, this is more a pleasant and even relaxing stroll through a land imbued with magic, peopled by the kind of eccentric villagers that fans of British fiction relish - the stubborn and crotchety gardener, the opinionated and crotchety housekeeper, and so on. The matter-of-fact way the villagers accept the odd magic creeping about the corners of their very ordinary lives reminds me of Joan Aiken's Armitage stories.

The only really frustrating part of this book is how little is explained or delved into. I wanted to know much more about the powerful panes of colored glass, the magical "shed," the strange phenomenon of "counterparts," and so on. The book ends with a revelation that is rather an anticlimax, and then one assumes that everyone lives happily ever after (there is even a romance), but of course I hope there will be another book about Melstone House and Melton village.(less)

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Apr 18, 2010 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book has a lot of the great writing - characters especially - for which I love DWJ. Not one of my favorites of hers, but they can't all be Howl's Moving Castle. (Or Chrestomanci. Can we have more Chrestomanci now pretty pretty pleeeease?)

An interesting first: I'm pretty sure no other DWJ book has ever mentioned the Internet, though quite a few have included computers.

I like the idea of the glass itself, and the fact that the fairies are the classic Oberon-and-Titania set. I like the way Aid...more

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Mar 25, 2010 Kat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-and-ya-fantasy, fiction-sf-and-fantasy

Whenever a book by Diana Wynne Jones book comes out, it's jumped to the head of my reading-queue, which was (and still is) long following Christmas and my birthday. As a result, I don't think I'm a very objective reader any more as I fight between expecting another example of the best of her vast output ("Fire Hemlock", "The Homeward Bounders", "Howl's Moving Castle"... actually, I'm just going to stop there before I list half her bibliography) and wanting to excuse a lesser book (because even a...more

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Feb 28, 2010 Jeremy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful. I was so excited to have a brand-new DWJ book to read, that wa unrelated to what had come before. New characters, new people to meet. Her standard themes were there, where she gathers a group of disparate people into one place, antagonistic toward each other they may be, with the right characteristics to step up to the plate to defeat the bad guys when the other members fail. Diana Wynne Jones knows and illustrates the value of the group and the individual's unique...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, audio, fairy-tale, fantasy, humor, library, urban-fantasy, ya

Diana Wynne Jones is who I turn to every time I'm in a reading slump. Her books are delightful, well-paced, and always a wonder. There are repetitive elements, but she addresses each of them in a new and fresh way.

In Enchanted Glass, Andrew Hope, who everyone calls "the Professor," inherits his grandfather's house, and a load of responsibility he doesn't entirely understand. Then along comes orphaned Aidan Cain, and a lot of helpers who want to see that he treats his inheritance properly. They d...more Diana Wynne Jones is who I turn to every time I'm in a reading slump. Her books are delightful, well-paced, and always a wonder. There are repetitive elements, but she addresses each of them in a new and fresh way.

In Enchanted Glass, Andrew Hope, who everyone calls "the Professor," inherits his grandfather's house, and a load of responsibility he doesn't entirely understand. Then along comes orphaned Aidan Cain, and a lot of helpers who want to see that he treats his inheritance properly. They don't know a lot more than Andrew does, though.

The audio version was confusing in places, because I kept mixing up Andrew and Aidan's names, and the narrative swaps between their perspectives without warning. They're not interchangeable, which made the perspectives easier to follow, but I would often feel lost for a paragraph or so until I'd realized I was picturing the wrong person.

I thought I understood the story world's view toward magic, but I'm not sure. At first, it seemed commonplace and acceptable, but there are some aspects of magic Andrew quails at and is unwilling to accept. I suppose that makes it all the more realistic, because it's not like those who take technology for granted believe everything people say about it. But it did give me pause, in places.

The story is appropriate for many ages. There's a romance plot, but it's very tame; the characters don't even kiss within the narrative. There's some magical and comic violence, but nothing too dire. The consequences for losing a fight are banishment from an immediate area to keep that individual from causing more trouble. Even the potentially scary elements are toned down.

And yet, this was quite enjoyable to read as an adult. Andrew isn't dumbed-down for a young audience, and his most endearing trait, initially, is that he speaks to Aidan like he's an adult. It's a relatively straightforward narrative, but one that integrates elements of classic fairy tales. Oberon, Titania, and Mab feature as characters, though the book never uses "fairy" or "fae" to describe them.

If you've forgotten why you like to read, and you're looking for that sense of wonder you had from books when you were younger, you could do a lot worse than to pick up this book. Diana Wynne Jones is one of those authors who translates well for an adult audience, so you can enjoy this without feeling self-conscious that you're reading a "kids' book." Lots of adult readers love DWJ, and I'm one of them.(less)

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About Diana Wynne Jones

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...

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Books by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Moving Castle, #1)

The Lives of Christopher Chant (Chrestomanci, #4)

Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, #2)

House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle, #3)

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“I seem to have excalibured this knife.” — 34 people liked it

“But I do think that when people say 'a learning curve,' they make a mistake. Learning to me always seems to go in a straight, ignorant line and then, every so often, takes a jump straight upward.” — 22 people liked it

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