Status
Available
Local notes
PB Jon
Collection
Series
Genres
Publication
Greenwillow Books (2007), 608 pages
Description
Adventures of the Chrestomanci, an enchanter with nine lives, whose job is to control the practice of magic in the infinite parallel universes of the Twelve Related Worlds.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000
1977 (Charmed Life)
1988 (The Lives Of Christopher Chant)
Physical description
608 p.; 4.25 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member ofstoneandice
Breezed through Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant quite readily, as they were clever and entertaining. Even so, I felt little sense of completion when all was resolved. Can't quite put my finger on why... But perhaps it was because there was no real sense of danger to keep me on the
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edge of my seat. Even when there was a death, it didn't amount to much, so when all was said and done it was just another playful adventure until the next time. However, I was very charmed by the charac...more Breezed through Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant quite readily, as they were clever and entertaining. Even so, I felt little sense of completion when all was resolved. Can't quite put my finger on why... But perhaps it was because there was no real sense of danger to keep me on the edge of my seat. Even when there was a death, it didn't amount to much, so when all was said and done it was just another playful adventure until the next time. However, I was very charmed by the characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member DRFP
I encountered DWJ's writing through "Howl's Moving Castle" and "The House of Many Rooms". Both were excellent YA stories which were exceedingly well written for what they were. I had heard a lot about her Chrestomanci novels and so decided to give them a read too.
Unfortunately these two books are
Not totally worthless but they have put me off reading the other Chrestomanci novels for a while.
Unfortunately these two books are
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much weaker and rather bad actually. The plots are much more simple, a lot of the characters are unappealing, and the two novels even have a similar sort of structure.Not totally worthless but they have put me off reading the other Chrestomanci novels for a while.
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LibraryThing member findantonia
Read as a child, reread, reread, reread. Charmed Life remains one of my favourite Wynne Jones books. I do not rate the entire series, or the spinoff published fanfic, but don't let that put you off reading - I own the six WJ collection books after all.
LibraryThing member Crowyhead
I totally loved this! Jones skillfully creates a believable magical world. She also manages to write completely believable child protagonists. Cat and Christopher, though they are often ignorant as to the intricacies of the world around them, never come off as stupid, just as kids, and they're not
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overly precocious, either. The books are an excellent mix of humor and adventure, and I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member AngelaB86
I really enjoyed these stories. There was one plot point in Charmed Life where I kept saying "Oh. My. God. This is so stupid, just tell someone!" but I got passed it. I liked the Lives of Christopher Chant more than Charmed Life, due to the differences in personalities between the two main
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characters: Cat (Charmed Life) is quite the doormat, while Christopher knows his own mind. Show Less
LibraryThing member lweddle
Well, coming off of a hard-core Harry Potter high is a difficult thing to do. I would have gone on reading Book 6 over and over again if I hadn't come accross this book with, "Mad about Harry? Try Diana." on it's cover. It may not be as mind-blowingly addicting as Harry Potter, but it is still a
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pretty good read. As far as I can tell, there are four parts to The Chronicles of Chrestomanci... Volume One has two. The first story "Charmed Life" did not do much for me. I was seriously considering tossing it and starting my third read of HP and the Goblet of Fire. I held on, however, and went on to the second story "The Lives of Christopher Chant" which is many times better than the first. This is a prequel to the first story and is much more exciting. Lots of magic, travel to alternate universes, all the things that make for a fun read. So, indeed, if you like Harry Potter, check out The Chrestomanci... at least the second story anyway. Show Less
LibraryThing member KatieWallace
Diana Wynne Jones is my favorite children's author. I can read all four of the Chrestomanci Chronicles straight through and then start directly over again
LibraryThing member 3rivers
At what age does your destiny call? Do you resist the future if it looks too planned for you? Our hero, as this story begins, has never been to school. Unlike the orphan, Harry Potter, young Christopher has two parents who are good with magic. However, they hire non-magical governesses to look
Christopher's father decides to have his young son's magical powers tested to see what they are. During the demonstration, nothing much happens until the examiner tells Christopher to empty his pockets. The next spell blows the roof off the house, making it necessary to learn and do repair spells for the walls, the dishes, the chimney, and the other thousand things broken when the roof came back down. What was in his pocket that kept his magical powers weak? Something we think to be common in boys' pockets. I'll keep it a secret so the reader can be surprised.
Christopher is such a lovable young man that he makes friends wherever he goes (especially when traveling in his sleep). The loyalty of those friends becomes an element crucial to his survival in the conflict. A powerful enchanter casts a spell on those who are in control of the lawful use of magic, taking all their ability to do magic. The only law-abiding enchanter the spell missed is young Christopher, who finds himself in charge of operations in a battle between good and evil. Destiny seems a heavy load for someone who is in his first year of boarding school, all he really wants to be is a professional athlete (cricket player). Which dreams he follows determine everyone's fate in this story of destiny calling at an early age.
Reviewed by Julie
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after him. Consequently, he does not know anything about magic or his parents. He disappears into his Anywheres dream world at night and has adventures, muddy ones which leave his clothes covered in actual dirt. The governess can never figure out why his pajamas are torn and grubby when he gets out of bed in the morning. Finally his parents hire the Last Governess, who understands magic. She listens to his stories and connects him with his uncle, Ralph. Christopher adores Uncle Ralph, an adult who pays attention to him for a while and gives him pocket change to spend. Uncle Ralph asks Christopher to do some experiments in the young boy's dream world. His first assignment is to bring back a live animal, a temple cat with a mean attitude that costs his kidnapper one of his nine lives. Christopher is young and innocent and very glad to have escaped that dream. Uncle Ralph thinks of more experiments to assign his helpful nephew, which are also as risky as stealing the temple cat. The youngster's parents know nothing about the nighttime assignments.Christopher's father decides to have his young son's magical powers tested to see what they are. During the demonstration, nothing much happens until the examiner tells Christopher to empty his pockets. The next spell blows the roof off the house, making it necessary to learn and do repair spells for the walls, the dishes, the chimney, and the other thousand things broken when the roof came back down. What was in his pocket that kept his magical powers weak? Something we think to be common in boys' pockets. I'll keep it a secret so the reader can be surprised.
Christopher is such a lovable young man that he makes friends wherever he goes (especially when traveling in his sleep). The loyalty of those friends becomes an element crucial to his survival in the conflict. A powerful enchanter casts a spell on those who are in control of the lawful use of magic, taking all their ability to do magic. The only law-abiding enchanter the spell missed is young Christopher, who finds himself in charge of operations in a battle between good and evil. Destiny seems a heavy load for someone who is in his first year of boarding school, all he really wants to be is a professional athlete (cricket player). Which dreams he follows determine everyone's fate in this story of destiny calling at an early age.
Reviewed by Julie
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LibraryThing member Beary_Bookwormish
I really had a hard time reading this book. In fact I've started and stopped reading this book 4 times before finally getting through it. Once I committed to reading it and got past the slow beginning I was okay. I actually I'm finding it rather hard not to run out and get Vol 2. Postively a great
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read, can't wait to read more by her. Show Less
LibraryThing member humouress
This contains two books - Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant - which are set on a parallel world where magic is part of everyday life, but the boys in each story can't seem to do any magic in spite of being members of the Chant family, who are usually strong in magic.
Both stories are a
Both stories are a
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lot of fun and the narrative spins effortlessly on. In 'Charmed Life', Cat tries to hide a secret, and the consequences get wilder and wilder just as they seem about to be resolved. In 'The Lives of Christopher Chant', the story explores alternate realities and how they can be exploited. Christopher's adventures in the other realities have consequences in his own life. Show Less
LibraryThing member alwright1
I found these books both clever and entertaining. I thought Diana Wynne Jones did a great job of writing children honestly. The villains are satisfyingly evil, and the cats are satisfyingly feline. These were a special treat after a long, dark read.
LibraryThing member Fledgist
This is an enjoyable fantasy bildunsroman. Actually, two of them. The first about a brother and sister whose parents have died, the second about a youth, their uncle, a generation earlier. Both are set in a very different England in a nexus of connected worlds. Here be dragons. Also cricket, cats,
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goddesses, smugglers, and multiple lives. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kplatypus
Honestly, this was pretty mediocre. I read Howl's Moving Castle a while back, after a number of my friends gave it rave reviews, and found it to be a decent if unexceptional read, so when I saw this on the Library Book Sale shelf, I figured why not? At least I only wasted 25 cents and a couple of
The story line is that Cat and Gwendolen Chant are orphans being raised by an old witch named Mrs. Sharp. Gwendolen is also a witch, and is considered one of the most promising young witches around. Shortly into the book, she and Cat are taken to live in Chrestomanci Castle, just as Gwendolen hoped and planned, However, the situation there ends up being quite different from what she expected. Part of the trouble is that she is an insufferable wretch who expects everyone to do as she says, which doesn't really give the reader anyone to identify with. Cat is okay, but he's really just a doormat through the bulk of the book. Gwendolen's mounting frustration leads to all kinds of madcap goings on, until the final showdown at the end of the book. The finale had more than a touch of Deus Ex Machina, and I found myself rolling my eyes with frequency.
Basically, the plot is pretty standard, the characters fairly two-dimensional, and the writing standard. It wasn't as bad as, say, A Wrinkle in Time, but I found Charmed Life dull and will not be seeking out the rest of the series.
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hours of my life.The story line is that Cat and Gwendolen Chant are orphans being raised by an old witch named Mrs. Sharp. Gwendolen is also a witch, and is considered one of the most promising young witches around. Shortly into the book, she and Cat are taken to live in Chrestomanci Castle, just as Gwendolen hoped and planned, However, the situation there ends up being quite different from what she expected. Part of the trouble is that she is an insufferable wretch who expects everyone to do as she says, which doesn't really give the reader anyone to identify with. Cat is okay, but he's really just a doormat through the bulk of the book. Gwendolen's mounting frustration leads to all kinds of madcap goings on, until the final showdown at the end of the book. The finale had more than a touch of Deus Ex Machina, and I found myself rolling my eyes with frequency.
Basically, the plot is pretty standard, the characters fairly two-dimensional, and the writing standard. It wasn't as bad as, say, A Wrinkle in Time, but I found Charmed Life dull and will not be seeking out the rest of the series.
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LibraryThing member mephistia
It's a cute, quick and fun little fantasy read. Diana Wynne Jones is one of those authors who manages to convey a quirky sense of humor without it becoming all the book is worth indulging in for. She develops plot and character well, and reading her stuff is perfect for a light, indulging snack of
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the written word. It's never too serious or too childish -- she manages to strike a note of glee that allows readers of all ages to enjoy her works. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChrisRiesbeck
Charmed Life: A OK start to the Chrestomanci series. The set up is parallel timelines, formed in the usual way when events diverge, but with most universes having magic, and little, if any, reference to our timeline. Chrestomanci is a position not a name. It is held by an enchanter -- always male
Eric (Cat) Chant is the hapless main character of Charmed Life, who indeed seems to have escaped death, despite having no powers, while his sister Gwendolyn is a strong witch. The truth of the matter is somewhat other but most of the book is following the journey of Gwendolyn and Cat from becoming orphans to arriving at a school for magic. Cat is so put upon through much of the book that he's the least interesting character. The main reason to read is to watch the world building and Jones' trademark spins on fantasy tropes.
Recommended though not my favorite Jones.
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apparently -- with multiple lives and greater than average magical powers. His primary duties is to lead a group of magicians in stopping bad sorts from importing weapons and such from other timelines. But the stories are told from the perspective of others peripheral, at least initially, to this endeavor. Eric (Cat) Chant is the hapless main character of Charmed Life, who indeed seems to have escaped death, despite having no powers, while his sister Gwendolyn is a strong witch. The truth of the matter is somewhat other but most of the book is following the journey of Gwendolyn and Cat from becoming orphans to arriving at a school for magic. Cat is so put upon through much of the book that he's the least interesting character. The main reason to read is to watch the world building and Jones' trademark spins on fantasy tropes.
Recommended though not my favorite Jones.
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Pages
608