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Charmed Life

(Chrestomanci #1)

Diana Wynne Jones

3.95 · Rating details · 31,192 ratings · 1,284 reviews

A bewitching comic fantasy by a
master of the supernatural

Cat doesn't mind living in the shadow of his sister, Gwendolen, the most promising young witch ever seen on Coven Street. But trouble starts brewing the moment the two orphans are summoned to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjure

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Hardcover, 224 pages

Published September 23rd 1989 by Random House Childrens Books (first published 1977)

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· 31,192 ratings · 1,284 reviews

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Aug 02, 2015 Mark Lawrence rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I've just finished reading this to my daughter Celyn (11, too disabled to read for herself).

It's a fun story of Cat and his witchy sister Gwendolin living in a world that's almost ours but where witches and wizards exist and are well-known.

Like an enormous wedge of literature it's one of those adventures that would be over really quite quickly and with very little fun if the man (or woman) at the top just sat down and told everyone what was going on. Dumbledore could probably have reduced the H ...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Joel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, audiobooks, a-wizard-did-it, 52-in-2011, ya, here-there-be-dragons, cats

Sibling rivalry can feel like life or death when you are a kid. I mean, probably. I have an older brother* but I think the roughest thing that ever went down between us was maybe at ages 4 and 6 when he kept all the toys at one end of the bathtub. We've never had a physical fight. I don't see one in the offing, since we're both pushing/well past 30, agree on everything (well, not politics, but the important stuff like the Star Wars prequels suck and Mario games are the best, plus he lets me borr ...more

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Jul 25, 2011 mark monday rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: inbetweenworld, fantasy-60s-70s-80s

this is a winning intro to what looks to be an enjoyable children's fantasy series. the young Chant siblings exist in a world with magic, one of many such worlds - or, rather, dimensions. after a tragic accident that leaves them orphans, older sister and talented witch Gwendolen takes to learning magic the old-fashioned way, through some sort of hedge wizard, while so-passive-it-hurts younger brother Cat blithely assumes he is magic-free. soon they are taken to the castle of Chrestomanci, an enc this is a winning intro to what looks to be an enjoyable children's fantasy series. the young Chant siblings exist in a world with magic, one of many such worlds - or, rather, dimensions. after a tragic accident that leaves them orphans, older sister and talented witch Gwendolen takes to learning magic the old-fashioned way, through some sort of hedge wizard, while so-passive-it-hurts younger brother Cat blithely assumes he is magic-free. soon they are taken to the castle of Chrestomanci, an enchanter and super-cop in charge of minding magic used and magic-users in general, so that they do not run rampant and control all the poor wittle ordinary folk. and so the "adventure" begins.

i say "adventure" because this is barely an adventure novel. the tone is rather unique to me: it is all determinedly minor note. Gwendolen is definitely a mega-bitch but she doesn't exist on a grand scale (for the most part) - her bitchiness is that of a self-absorbed little princess. Chrestomanci is rather sinister, rather intriguing - but is far from a larger-than-life character. he is...quaint. the castle is rather more of a sprawling estate and the magic practiced there is not exactly mind-blowing. there is even a dragon - but a very small, baby dragon. and Cat, our hero, is a sweet kid and is also perfectly ordinary in his thought process - the only thing really unusual about his personality is his docility. i wonder how kids reading this feel about how ordinary everything is, how this tale is pretty much the opposite of epic. personally, i thought it was striking, in a good way.

the ordinariness is in some ways a cover. Chrestomanci's duties actually rather boggle the mind. Cat learns some surprisingly grown-up lessons about the various adults around him - at one point realizing the shallowness and greed at the heart of his former caretaker, a person who loves him and whom he loves in return...that was a very adult revelation. the betrayal at the center of the novel is genuinely awful, almost breathtaking when realizing its long gestation and the sheer evil behind it. and Cat's destiny is truly an awesome one - yet neither he nor the other characters treat it as such in the final revelation. everything in the novel, no matter how potentially grand-scale or deeply personal, is treated with the same surprising lack of affect. overall, an unusual and intriguing experience. and a very quick read too, much helped by Jones' clear and straightforward writing style. ...more

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Oct 15, 2019 Spencer Orey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mg-fantasy

A solid classic. The beginning of every Diana Wynn Jones book I’ve read so far has always been so great, grounded in daily magical life, and this one shines most at the start. She makes getting to know the little routines of the characters in their towns into a riveting read.

I see the Harry Potter paralells but they’re very different stories and worlds. Overall I didn’t love this like I wanted to, but I’ll go back for the next book. This one set up an interesting world, and the characters are al ...more

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Nov 05, 2019 Jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy, own, read-aloud

My kids got super into this, trying to figure out why Gwendolen was so horrible and why Cat put up with it. Reading it aloud made me realize how deceptively simple it is, which sometimes made it seem like there was a lot of padding for such a small book, but it all came into play later. Which was hard to remember since reading it aloud took us a while.

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Feb 09, 2017 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Laura by: Fiona

Shelves: ya, 2017, friend-rec, audio-avail-ill, friend-love, on-laptop, first-of-a-series, fantasy, interlibloan, ill-request

What a perfect book for my mood. Thank you, Fiona! And a terrific introduction to a new (for me) series. Diana Wynne Jones was a talented writer, and I so enjoyed wandering through the pages of this book. Don't let the YA throw you off. If you like Harry Potter, I think you would like this also. Not saying they're very similar, really, but the magical worlds created are so interesting and fun. I just love her writing and the audio performance was also well done. Will definitely be continuing wit ...more

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Mar 04, 2020 Katie Lumsden rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this - a great fun read. I look forward to carrying on with the series.

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Feb 26, 2010 Sheila Beaumont rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kids-middle-grade, rereads, school-stories, audiobooks, fantasy, paranormal-supernatural, young-adult

I love this book! I've already reread it several times, and it seems to get better every time I revisit it. The same goes for the rest of the Chrestomanci series, and indeed for all the books by the late, great Diana Wynne Jones I've read. This book, published in 1977, was the beginning of the craze for kids' books about witches and wizards and schools of magic, and the Chrestomanci series obviously was a major influence on J.K. Rowling, who DWJ said had likely read them when she was young and, ...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Arie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, fantasy-unusual, children

It may seem odd that I can give 4 stars to a book that I the label under "favourites", but my reasoning is this: The book is not perfect, nor is it quite close. However, since the first time I read it over a decade ago, and in the many times since, it has never failed to pull me into its world and allow me a brief escape from the mundanity of everyday life. Books like this may not be technically the best I have ever read, but nonetheless remain among my all-time favourites ...more

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Jan 13, 2018 Jayanth - A Capricious Reader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I guess I'll read the complete series, this book was good.

While reading this, I realized that J. K. Rowling might have had some inspiration from this series for Harry Potter, not in terms of story or characters, but the fantasy and magical elements. The name 'You know who', the moving paintings, chess pieces that are animated and so on.

Cat Chant and Gwendolen Chant are orphan siblings. Gwendolen is a witch and she is a very ambitious one at that. Cat is quite a mellow and reserved kid and stays ...more

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Jan 28, 2019 Rachel (Kalanadi) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade

Gwendolen was just as horrid as I remembered, but oddly I somehwat disliked Cat this time around - though nothing's exactly his fault, he is so terribly attached to his sister... who is horrid to him! I agree completely with Janet that it's infuriating Chrestomanci and the Family said nothing about what was going on to Cat. But most of all, I want one of those dressing gowns! ...more

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Oct 13, 2020 J.Aleksandr Wootton rated it really liked it · review of another edition

On the evolution chart of middle-grade fantasy stories, Jones' Chrestomanci appears somewhere between E. Nesbitt and Harry Potter - closer to the latter than the former, both chronologically and artistically. In fact, one sees in Charmed Life many of the original ingredients Rowling snapped up for Potter, in much the same way that C.S. Lewis repurposed details from MacDonald's Phantastes for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The Chrestomanci series is set in a "many worlds" multiverse, in wh ...more

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Jul 03, 2008 Anastasia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Stories of learning magic have become commonplace these days: I've even heard Diana Wynne Jones dismissed unfairly as a ripoff of JK Rowling when Diana Wynne Jones came first. There's nothing commonplace about Charmed Life: this is a fantastic story about a boy, Cat, who lives with a very ambitious witch sister after their parents drown. He goes to live with an impressively powerful man, Chrestomanci, and becomes involved in a strange political war between those who want to use magic without reg ...more

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Nov 27, 2020 Suzannah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, rating-pg

I was really excited to pick this up at an op shop the other week! It starts off as a very bright, sunny, deceptively simple little children's book that then takes some shocking swerves at the end and turns into a story I definitely didn't see coming. I thought it was about Gwendolen, an outrageously selfish yet surprisingly powerful little girl locked into a battle of wills with her new enchanter guardian. And then SUDDENLY there was TERRIBLE BACKSTABBERY. I may even have gasped aloud. ...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Alison rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: confident-readers-chapter-books

Eric and Gwendolen Chant have been left orphans by a steamboat accident. Cat, as Eric is known, seems an ordinary, very nice little boy, but his sister Gwendolen is a powerful young witch.

Cat and Gwendolen are taken to live at Chrestomanci Castle with Chrestomanci, a man who controls all magic use, and his family. There, Gwendolen's arrogance and selfish nature becomes evident, and makes life extremely uncomfortable for Cat, until one morning he awakes to find that she has disappeared, and in he ...more

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Jan 01, 2020 Roslyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A couple of things struck me on this re-reading. It hit me anew just how unflinching Jones is about Gwendolen - (view spoiler). She is unflinching about a lot of things that I think might be avoided in children's books today. At the same time, there is some compassion exten ...more

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Aug 10, 2017 Totoro rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: have-the-audiobook

the story was about a boy named Cat and his wicked witch sister Gwendolen. well , they're orphans now and after going to a couple of other people they find their way to the castle of mr.Chrestomanci.
there , Gwendolen wants to show this warlock that she has magical talents but he keeps ignoring her which makes her all the more evil.

well, first about the characters, the sister is a monster, nothing special about her, i hated her. Cat , i don't know how to feel about him, but i didn't like his mee ...more

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Apr 09, 2019 Floor Flawless rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2019

Listened to the audioboek.

I heard some great things about this series, so I wanted to give it a shot.
So I listened to it whilst doing some household chores. I liked it, but it had less impact on me than I thought it would have. The story was okay, but I won't continue the series I think. ...more

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Jan 22, 2014 Brick Orrock rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Well, I read book one of the Chrestomanci Chronicles: Charmed Life, written by Diana Wynne Jones. I was excited for this book as I’m excited to read the other books that she has on this list (Howl’s Moving Castle), and after reading this one I can say that I still am.
This book is written well and I found myself getting lost in the writing and the story. With that being said I didn’t really like it. I didn’t like the characters. They are whiny and cruel, mostly all of them. Except, the main char Well, I read book one of the Chrestomanci Chronicles: Charmed Life, written by Diana Wynne Jones. I was excited for this book as I’m excited to read the other books that she has on this list (Howl’s Moving Castle), and after reading this one I can say that I still am.
This book is written well and I found myself getting lost in the writing and the story. With that being said I didn’t really like it. I didn’t like the characters. They are whiny and cruel, mostly all of them. Except, the main character whom doesn’t stand up for himself or say anything out of turn.
Another thing that bothered me, and this is one of those plot devices that always bug me, is that a large majority of the plot, I’d say 95% of the plot and tension, is due to characters not telling each other things. This is rarely done well. I always feel as though there is no reason to keep the secrets that are being kept. In this book, for instance, Cat, the main character, is kept in the dark the whole book and he in turn keeps his handlers in the dark about what he is doing, and the whole time I’m thinking “why don’t they just tell each other?!” And my curiosity is never quite satiated until the end when everyone explains their motives. It was wrapped up nicely and I did get the answers I wanted, but it was too little too late. I just prefer a different type of tension in my narrative.
Also, other complaints have to do with the hokey magic system, but some people like fanciful magic with no rules or real consistency, just not me.
One other problem, and I know you want to read another problem, is the cover, the blurb on the cover, and the synopsis on the back of the book. They are all terrible. Number one, the cover is terrible. It makes me think it is a book about a cat, which it is not. The main characters name is Cat, but he is not a cat. If I had to pick a book based on its cover, I would never have chosen this book.
Now for the blurb…”Mad about Harry? Try Diana.” What does it mean? At first I wasn’t sure what it could mean because the original novel was written in 1977, but this is a reprint from 2001. So then that made me think that it was talking about Harry Potter, and maybe there hadn’t been a Harry Potter in a couple of years? Or were people upset with how the last Harry Potter book ended? It’s a fantasy having to do with wizards so it makes sense. I guess. But, why would the blurb reference a fictional character and then say to replace that fictional character with a very real author? So that makes me think that Harry is an author…but I know zero authors named Harry. No real footing there. Then I thought of Princess Diana and Prince Harry, because the author is British, but that doesn’t make since. What do they have to do with a fantasy novel? So, not the best blurb…it’s confusing and doesn’t really sell me the book.
So, just to cover what I’ve said, terrible cover art and confusing blurb. So far, I wouldn’t go anywhere near this book.
OK…maybe it is about Harry Potter http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/...
Now for the synopsis on the back of the book. It gives away the plot of the story, “schemes that could destroy all the worlds of Chrestomanci.” You don’t even know that there is a scheme for anything until about ¾ of the way through the book. And you don’t know about the alternate worlds until at least halfway through it. Also, Christopher is never mentioned in the first book. So, this is just another case of me waiting through the book for it to get started and when I look up the book is already done and it finally fulfilled what the synopsis read. I imagine a good synopsis covers the feel or theme of the book, but pretty much just tells the reader the hook of the story. But, maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
Well, it’s make or break time. I think that this was a good book. I enjoyed the writing and despite everything I disliked about it, the story went along smoothly. The author allows the reader to get comfortable within the narrative. But, when it comes down to it, I just didn’t like it much. I hate to say that, since this is a readable book and those don’t come around too often on this list, but I really didn’t not like it; though, perhaps there is a place for it on this list.
My blog: http://brickvsthelist.wordpress.com
...more

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Jun 28, 2017 ~ Giulia ~ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone who thinks their sister is horrible

Shelves: fantasy, magic, sff-club-read, z2017-sff-club

Once again, Diana Wynne Jones did not disappoint.
Gwendolen has to be one of the most cruel, ruthless, self-serving, self-important villains I've ever encountered!
The world is magical, the writing is good and the main character, ~~Scaredy~~ Cat, endearing. Too bad that everything could have been solved, young girls would not have been uprooted from their lives and family, and lives could not have been lost from the very beginning, if only the characters had communicated with each other. sigh ...more

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Jan 23, 2014 Tina added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-favorites, my-rec-shelf

I've loved everything from DWJ that I've read. From Howl's Moving Castle to Castle in the Air to House of Many Ways to Charmed Life to The Lives of Christopher Chant, Diana Wynne Jones showed such wonderful imagination. I never quite know where her plots will head or how her quirky characters will fare, and I love every minute I spend in her worlds. ...more

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Aug 14, 2018 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kids-1001, children-s-books, coming-of-age, adventure

After the parents of Gwendolen and Cat are killed in an accident, the siblings go to live with the world's most powerful enchanter, Chrestomanci, in the hopes that Gwendolen, the only one of the two with magical abilities (or so it is thought) can be tutored by the enchanter. Gwendolen becomes angry after Chrestomanci fails to make much of her magical abilities and disappears, only to be replaced by a decidedly nonmagical duplicate, Janet.

The story is great fun, with a big alternative world wher ...more

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Jun 26, 2019 aleks rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: light-mood-lifter, i-own-a-copy, family-centered, 3-stars, huge-plot-twist, fantasy

Nowhere near as good as the other Diana books I've read, hence the 3 stars, but I still love her so much and I've heard that the rest of the series is better?

Anyway, mostly I didn't enjoy it that much because, for Diana, it wasn't that creative. (Note, I stress, for Diana). Still, it had golden moments and the last few pages are so wholesome. Also, bless everyone in this book besides Gwendolen the evil sister. ...more

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Jun 23, 2016 Elana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book began with five stars for nostalgia (I read it ages ago, when I was just starting out on my fantasy-reading journeys).

I docked 1.5 stars for the ending, which -- while it was foreshadowed well in little sprinkles throughout the book -- felt sudden and left quite a deus-ex-machina taste in my mouth.

I docked another .5 stars for Chrestomanci himself; I remember such a larger-than-life character, but it seemed, upon my re-reading of the book, that we hardly got to know him at all. Nor do ...more

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Sep 14, 2007 CLM rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, re-read, childrensbooks, series, magic

What a pleasure to reread this fantasy, first in a series, for the #1977Club! As I observe, usually a story about plucky orphans shows how tragedy or circumstances unite them agains the world, but here big sister Gwendolen is out for herself while her brother Cat struggles to find his place in a new home.

Here is a link to my review:
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20... ...more

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Aug 27, 2017 sassafrass rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, fantasy, favorites, witches, children-s-lit

nothing heals the soul quite like DWJ

--

I am intensely jealous of DWJ's ability to weave such subtle hints throughout her impeccably crafted plots, of her wit, of her brilliant talent for creating unique and interesting magic, and of course her unforgettable characters. I GOTTA GO READ ALL THE OTHERS NOW!!!! ...more

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Apr 15, 2020 Charlotte rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, series-books, fantasy, ya-fiction

Charmed Life is the first book of the series and I am hooked. The story of Cat and his magical sister, Gwendolyn, was thoroughly enchanting. After the death of their parents, they are both taken in by the enigmatic Chrestomanci and are educated with his own children. Gwendolyn is quite powerful and feels she is not being taught to use her abilities well enough and hatches one mischievous plan after another with Cat dragged along each time. It had plenty of twists, turns, and revelations along th ...more

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Sep 10, 2020 Mirnatius rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fatphobic

TW/CW:
fatphobia, physical discipline.

Really fun! Cat really needs hugs though omg.

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Feb 10, 2012 Melissa McShane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, young-adult, fantasy, alternate-history

Jones's ninth novel is probably one of her best known, and is the first of several books set in the world of the nine-lived enchanter Chrestomanci. Eric (Cat) Chant's sister Gwendolen is a witch, and a promising one, while Cat is just ordinary. Gwendolen's abilities bring her to the attention of Chrestomanci, and the two go to live at Chrestomanci Castle so that Gwendolen can study magic. Cat loves his sister despite her nasty personality and occasional cruelty toward him, but even he has troubl Jones's ninth novel is probably one of her best known, and is the first of several books set in the world of the nine-lived enchanter Chrestomanci. Eric (Cat) Chant's sister Gwendolen is a witch, and a promising one, while Cat is just ordinary. Gwendolen's abilities bring her to the attention of Chrestomanci, and the two go to live at Chrestomanci Castle so that Gwendolen can study magic. Cat loves his sister despite her nasty personality and occasional cruelty toward him, but even he has trouble making excuses for her when she sets out to make trouble for everyone in the castle, in a ploy to force Chrestomanci to teach her more advanced and dangerous magic. Of course, it turns out that Cat does have magic of his own, and getting out from under Gwendolen's control is just the beginning of discovering what that is.

This is not my favorite book by Diana Wynne Jones, though I do like it a lot. The main conceit of the Chrestomanci novels is that many worlds exist and that they differ based on crucial historical events that turned out differently in each world--for example, in Chrestomanci's world Guy Fawkes really did blow up Parliament. While this isn't exactly a new idea, DWJ puts an interesting spin on it by having worlds that share a common history be linked in a great circle; our world is adjacent to Chrestomanci's and has developed along the same lines.

In addition to history being mostly the same, every person on all the variant Earths has an analogue in every other world, with Chrestomanci being the exception; his extraordinary power results from all his analogues having died in infancy or never been born. (This is much less creepy in the book than it sounds here.) The fact that Eric's nickname is Cat should be a clue to the secret of his magic, and the fact that Gwendolen gave the name to him is a clue to the kind of person she is.

What makes Charmed Life less of a favorite with me is that I have this feeling, while reading it, of DWJ working all this out with less certainty than she shows with her other experiments. Each succeeding Chrestomanci book (The Magicians of Caprona, Witch Week) is increasingly well-developed, and by the time we get to The Lives of Christopher Chant, which is actually based on travel between analogue worlds, the principles of the Chrestomanci universe are rock-solid. And while the book overall is not my favorite, some of the best moments in DWJ's novels happen here--Gwendolen's increasingly clever and unsettling pranks, for one, and I absolutely love the stained-glass windows in the church becoming animated during the sermon and starting a fight. The kids zooming around on floating tea-trays. Gwendolen's final trick that reveals a lot about how the connected worlds work. I especially recommend this book as a first DWJ novel for middle grade readers (ages 8-12). ...more

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Aug 04, 2007 Temaris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, magic, alternate-history, chrestomanci, absolute_favourites

This is the first of the Diana Wynne Jones books that I ever read, probably shortly after it was published in the late seventies. It's one of the few books that I still go back to, and find things to admire and enjoy to this day. It's not the book that's been longest in my collection, but it's the book that I've loved consistently over the last thirty r so years.

The book is from the pov of Cat, a small boy who has literally no idea of what is going on around him. The clues are all there, but he' ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Please add book cover	2	15	Oct 03, 2019 11:08PM
Gwendolyn	2	20	Apr 21, 2018 11:38AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Young Adult Fantasy Series, focus on magic, ovals on covers. [s]	7	79	Dec 31, 2017 12:11PM
Chrestomanci!	17	130	Feb 06, 2016 08:21AM
A different universe, with the twelve worlds each a planet, or just a dimension?	4	21	Feb 03, 2016 11:56PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. MG or YA Fiction - Boy and older sister away at magic(?) school, sister evil, writes secrets (spells?) behind the glass of the mirror [s]	5	27	Jul 04, 2015 01:20PM
SciFi and Fantasy...: "Charmed Life" First Impressions no spoilers	20	84	Aug 15, 2011 06:07PM

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About Diana Wynne Jones

Diana Wynne Jones

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Diana was born in London, the daughter of Marjorie (née Jackson) and Richard Aneurin Jones, both of whom were teachers. When war was announced, shortly after her fifth birthday, she was evacuated to Wales, and thereafter moved several times, including periods in Coniston Water, in York, and back in London. In 1943 her family finally settled in Thaxted, Essex, where her parents worked running an ed Diana was born in London, the daughter of Marjorie (née Jackson) and Richard Aneurin Jones, both of whom were teachers. When war was announced, shortly after her fifth birthday, she was evacuated to Wales, and thereafter moved several times, including periods in Coniston Water, in York, and back in London. In 1943 her family finally settled in Thaxted, Essex, where her parents worked running an educational conference centre. There, Jones and her two younger sisters Isobel (later Professor Isobel Armstrong, the literary critic) and Ursula (later an actress and a children's writer) spent a childhood left chiefly to their own devices. After attending the Friends School Saffron Walden, she studied English at St Anne's College in Oxford, where she attended lectures by both C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien before graduating in 1956. In the same year she married John Burrow, a scholar of medieval literature, with whom she had three sons, Richard, Michael and Colin. After a brief period in London, in 1957 the couple returned to Oxford, where they stayed until moving to Bristol in 1976.

According to her autobiography, Jones decided she was an atheist when she was a child.

Jones started writing during the mid-1960s "mostly to keep my sanity", when the youngest of her three children was about two years old and the family lived in a house owned by an Oxford college. Beside the children, she felt harried by the crises of adults in the household: a sick husband, a mother-in-law, a sister, and a friend with daughter. Her first book was a novel for adults published by Macmillan in 1970, entitled Changeover. It originated as the British Empire was divesting colonies; she recalled in 2004 that it had "seemed like every month, we would hear that yet another small island or tiny country had been granted independence."Changeover is set in a fictional African colony during transition, and begins as a memo about the problem of how to "mark changeover" ceremonially is misunderstood to be about the threat of a terrorist named Mark Changeover. It is a farce with a large cast of characters, featuring government, police, and army bureaucracies; sex, politics, and news. In 1965, when Rhodesia declared independence unilaterally (one of the last colonies and not tiny), "I felt as if the book were coming true as I wrote it."

Jones' books range from amusing slapstick situations to sharp social observation (Changeover is both), to witty parody of literary forms. Foremost amongst the latter are The Tough Guide To Fantasyland, and its fictional companion-pieces Dark Lord of Derkholm (1998) and Year of the Griffin (2000), which provide a merciless (though not unaffectionate) critique of formulaic sword-and-sorcery epics.

The Harry Potter books are frequently compared to the works of Diana Wynne Jones. Many of her earlier children's books were out of print in recent years, but have now been re-issued for the young audience whose interest in fantasy and reading was spurred by Harry Potter.

Jones' works are also compared to those of Robin McKinley and Neil Gaiman. She was friends with both McKinley and Gaiman, and Jones and Gaiman are fans of each other's work; she dedicated her 1993 novel Hexwood to him after something he said in conversation inspired a key part of the plot. Gaiman had already dedicated his 1991 four-part comic book mini-series The Books of Magic to "four witches", of whom Jones was one.

For Charmed Life, the first Chrestomanci novel, Jones won the 1978 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a once-in-a-lifetime award by The Guardian newspaper that is judged by a panel of children's writers. Three times she was a commended runner-up[a] for the Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book: for Dogsbody (1975), Charmed Life (1977), and the fourth Chrestomanci book The Lives of Christopher Chant (1988). She won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, children's section, in 1996 for The Crown of Dalemark. ...more