Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Greenwillow Books (2011), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 304 pages
Description
After his grandfather dies, Andrew Hope inherits a house and surrounding land in an English village, but things become very complicated when young orphan Aidan shows up and suddenly a host of variously magical townsfolk and interlopers start intruding on their lives.
User reviews
LibraryThing member flissp
Andrew Hope inherits Melstone House - a place he's always loved - from his grandfather, giving him the opportunity to pack in his job at the nearby University and write a book. But with the House come responsibilites and Andrew finds himself immersed in local politics of many descriptions. Then the
You can always rely on Diana Wynne Jones for simple but humourous and imaginative stories that just make you feel good. You care about the characters, even the awkward ones and, even after reading many, many DWJs books, I still find I usually can't predict how the plot will resolve. This was indeed the case for her new book and I now feel vindicated in my dislike of cauliflower cheese!
Show More
12 year old runaway, Aidan Cain turns up on his doorstep, looking for Andrew's grandfather, chased by mysterious Stalkers.You can always rely on Diana Wynne Jones for simple but humourous and imaginative stories that just make you feel good. You care about the characters, even the awkward ones and, even after reading many, many DWJs books, I still find I usually can't predict how the plot will resolve. This was indeed the case for her new book and I now feel vindicated in my dislike of cauliflower cheese!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
When the magician Jocelyn Brandon dies, he leaves his house and field-of-care to his grandson, Andrew Hope, who is an academic in his thirties Despite spending much of his childhood at Melstone, Andrew has forgotten a lot of what having a field-of-care entails, and is unaware of the extent of his
As Andrew and Aidan explore the boundaries of the Melstone field-of-care and meet more of the unusual characters who live within it, and evade Aidan's perusers, they realise that something is not right... and that the stain-glass window in the kitchen door is more than just a window.
Enchanted Glass is a delightful, entertaining story, which bears many of Jones' trademarks - a wonderful sense of place (including beautiful old buildings), quirky characters, a unique take on magic and a mystery surrounding the magic, magic creeping up on seeming-reality, an interesting appearance by modern version of some mythical figures, and a dog.
I love that the two characters are of different ages and generations yet are able to find common ground, and that the story is both of theirs equally. There is something very likeable and convincing about both of them. (I love how Jones has captured the quirks glasses wearers can have, and given it a certain significance). Aidan is a very believable portrayal of a boy still grieving, and I love how the (sensible) adults treat his grief sensitively and with respect.
However, personally there was something less than satisfying about Enchanted Glass, and I think it was that it came so close to being brilliant about ultimately wasn't. There is an understated romance, which for me was a bit too understated to be convincing (although I approval of understated romance in general and there were things about it I thought Jones handled well). Also, something fell flat (for me) regarding both the final denouncement (maybe it was just a tiny bit too predictable?) and the 'final twist/revelation', which instead of being revealed where it may have changed the shape of the story, is added at the end.
Still, I wonder if my disappointment is merely because I was hoping for something else, rather than an indication that there was something wrong with what there was. It is a solid story - entertaining and enjoyable. Just not the DJW I'd take to a desert island.
And because it is notable... the cover is fantastic. Not only is the enchanted glass crucial to the story, but the image captures it exactly how it is describes - and manages to do so and still be an attractive and appealing cover! That's not something I'm in the habit of saying about DWJ covers! Kudos to whoever was behind that one.
Show More
own magical abilities. Andrew is confronted with domestic issues caused by the strong-willed housekeeper and gardener he has inherited, and difficulties in writing his novel (about history)... and then 12-year-old Aidan Cain arrives at Melstone House looking for Jocelyn Brandon. Aidan is perused by the mysterious Stalkers and following the advice of his recently deceased grandmother, that if in trouble, he should go to Jocelyn Hope.As Andrew and Aidan explore the boundaries of the Melstone field-of-care and meet more of the unusual characters who live within it, and evade Aidan's perusers, they realise that something is not right... and that the stain-glass window in the kitchen door is more than just a window.
Enchanted Glass is a delightful, entertaining story, which bears many of Jones' trademarks - a wonderful sense of place (including beautiful old buildings), quirky characters, a unique take on magic and a mystery surrounding the magic, magic creeping up on seeming-reality, an interesting appearance by modern version of some mythical figures, and a dog.
I love that the two characters are of different ages and generations yet are able to find common ground, and that the story is both of theirs equally. There is something very likeable and convincing about both of them. (I love how Jones has captured the quirks glasses wearers can have, and given it a certain significance). Aidan is a very believable portrayal of a boy still grieving, and I love how the (sensible) adults treat his grief sensitively and with respect.
However, personally there was something less than satisfying about Enchanted Glass, and I think it was that it came so close to being brilliant about ultimately wasn't. There is an understated romance, which for me was a bit too understated to be convincing (although I approval of understated romance in general and there were things about it I thought Jones handled well). Also, something fell flat (for me) regarding both the final denouncement (maybe it was just a tiny bit too predictable?) and the 'final twist/revelation', which instead of being revealed where it may have changed the shape of the story, is added at the end.
Still, I wonder if my disappointment is merely because I was hoping for something else, rather than an indication that there was something wrong with what there was. It is a solid story - entertaining and enjoyable. Just not the DJW I'd take to a desert island.
And because it is notable... the cover is fantastic. Not only is the enchanted glass crucial to the story, but the image captures it exactly how it is describes - and manages to do so and still be an attractive and appealing cover! That's not something I'm in the habit of saying about DWJ covers! Kudos to whoever was behind that one.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Great story - like most of Diana's, it presented an entirely new way of seeing things that could be real and unnoticed. Oberon etc were very interesting, the idea of the counterparts was fascinating (though not explicitly tied in to the knacks), both Andrew and Aidan were neat - the only problem
Show More
with it is that it doesn't have a sequel, and won't (waaah! Diana gone! Selfish, but real). It ends rather abruptly and just after a couple new ideas have been presented...Still excellent, and no real loose ends, but I wish there could be more. Show Less
LibraryThing member chinquapin
Enchanted Glass is a whimsical, witty children's fantasy filled with quirky characters. The plot is bizarre, yet engaging. Andrew, a typical absent-minded professor inherits his grandfather's old home and estate. It turns out that his grandfather was a magician and that he was in charge of a
A great part of the appeal to the book for me were all the strange and quirky characters...a gardener who gets revenge by bringing Andrew baskets of enormous, oversized vegetables; a housekeeper who expresses her disapproval by endlessly rearranging furniture and making cauliflower cheese which both Andrew and Aidan detest; and a secretary who makes predictions based on the names of the horses who won races the day before at the track; a dog who is not really a dog at all. I enjoyed the story and I regret that Diana Wynne Jones has passed away and now cannot continue their adventures in a sequel.
Show More
field-of-care that is now going awry. But Andrew doesn't recall any of the stuff that his grandfather had tried to teach him about magic and the field-of-care when he was a boy because he dismissed it as nonsense. Then, when things start getting terribly weird, young Aidan shows up, whose own magical Grandmother, with a field-of-care in London, has recently passed away. He is running away from some evil creatures called The Stalkers. Somehow, with a lot of humorous twists and turns, Andrew and Aidan figure out how to get control of the field-of-care that is now in Andrew's hands. A great part of the appeal to the book for me were all the strange and quirky characters...a gardener who gets revenge by bringing Andrew baskets of enormous, oversized vegetables; a housekeeper who expresses her disapproval by endlessly rearranging furniture and making cauliflower cheese which both Andrew and Aidan detest; and a secretary who makes predictions based on the names of the horses who won races the day before at the track; a dog who is not really a dog at all. I enjoyed the story and I regret that Diana Wynne Jones has passed away and now cannot continue their adventures in a sequel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ayling
Good old Diana Wynne Jones. I love how with all of her books you feel like you're in the same world, different universe. She has created a 'Diana Wynne Jones' world all of her own.What always amazes me is that she never seems to bother with explaining anything, like the world, the magic it just is
Show More
what is and she doesn't need to explain. You just get it. She always credits her readers with some intelligence which I love too. I can't help but say "I love" when speaking of Diana Wynne Jones.Although, the story itself felt a bit - recycled and put together, her older works are much better but I can't take credit away from her. It might not be as good, but still just as brilliant. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
With a somewhat slow start this sucked me in after a few pages.
Andre Hope's grandfather was a magician and when he dies he leaves his house and field-of-care to his grandson. Andrew has forgotten most of what he knew, dismissing it as flights of fancy but this is important stuff and Andrew's life
I liked this story, I loved the way taking off the glasses changed perspective (possibly because I sometimes think of it like that). and how true sight was different from sight through your glasses. I also liked how Andrew had to grow to fill his place in the magical world. I have a sneaking suspicion that Mrs Stock won't stay as housekeeper for very long after the story ends!
Andre Hope's grandfather was a magician and when he dies he leaves his house and field-of-care to his grandson. Andrew has forgotten most of what he knew, dismissing it as flights of fancy but this is important stuff and Andrew's life
Show More
is about to change. When Aidan Gain joins them, having run away from his foster home, things start to move and Andrew is going to have to acknowledge the magic to save everyone he cares for.I liked this story, I loved the way taking off the glasses changed perspective (possibly because I sometimes think of it like that). and how true sight was different from sight through your glasses. I also liked how Andrew had to grow to fill his place in the magical world. I have a sneaking suspicion that Mrs Stock won't stay as housekeeper for very long after the story ends!
Show Less
LibraryThing member phoebesmum
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
It's a sad fact that Diana Wynne Jones didn't/hasn't/doesn't write more; there's really no-one else quite like her. This isn't one of her top-of-the-tree efforts (it would take a lot to topple 'Howl's Moving Castle' or 'Fire and Hemlock' from their secure places in my affections), but it's still a damn sight better than most of the dross that's churned out in the name of YA fantasy.
It's interesting that this is the second book in rapid succession in which the location is almost a character in itself – not so much so as in 'The House of Many Doors', but enough to be worth a mention.
Also worth a mention in passing is the fact that the cover art perfectly reflects what's described in the book. This is such a rare phenomenon that it really is that noteworthy.
New DWJs are a rare phenomenon too. Now for the long, long wait until the next one ...
Show More
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 so), a giant who happens to live in the garden, a village fete, the denizens of Elfland, a dog who sometimes isn't, and far too much cauliflower cheese, and … you have a Diana Wynne Jones novel.It's a sad fact that Diana Wynne Jones didn't/hasn't/doesn't write more; there's really no-one else quite like her. This isn't one of her top-of-the-tree efforts (it would take a lot to topple 'Howl's Moving Castle' or 'Fire and Hemlock' from their secure places in my affections), but it's still a damn sight better than most of the dross that's churned out in the name of YA fantasy.
It's interesting that this is the second book in rapid succession in which the location is almost a character in itself – not so much so as in 'The House of Many Doors', but enough to be worth a mention.
Also worth a mention in passing is the fact that the cover art perfectly reflects what's described in the book. This is such a rare phenomenon that it really is that noteworthy.
New DWJs are a rare phenomenon too. Now for the long, long wait until the next one ...
Show Less
LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
On the death of his grandfather, Andrew leaves his professorship to run the family home...and the accompanying magical estate. As he grows used to his new responsibilities, he remembers more and more of what his grandfather taught him about magic, and he starts noticing encroachment on his magical
This is a lovely book, and I absolutely love the way the village, Melstone House, and magic are described. Andrew has a way of thinking about reality as a mere option that I really enjoy. The whole story is a wonderful mix of woodsy magic and old timey village life, with thoughtful and determined main characters I liked as people. I would have adored this book completely, save for two quibbles:1, I didn't buy the romance between Andrew and Stashe. It seems like they've only known each other for a few weeks before he asks her to marry him, and they never went on dates or really seemed to interact beforehand. The whole thing seemed to come out of nowhere. 2, I didn't like the final twist that Aidan wasn't Oberon's son at all, but Andrew's grandfather's. I quite liked the idea of a half-human boy playing football with the local lads, and I heartily dislike the idea that Aidan's parents are instead an old man and his teenaged distant relation. She was just a teenager in trouble with drugs and drinking when she was sent to stay with him for safety, and for all Oberon claims "The girl Melanie almost certainly threw herself at your grandfather, just as she threw herself at me," the whole situation seems deeply gross and troubling. Whereas it seems like I'm supposed to think it's cozy because it means Aidan and Andrew are more closely related. Ugh.
Show More
lands. Andrew tries to beat back the fairies' slow invasion with the (sometimes inadvertent) help of his fellow villagers.This is a lovely book, and I absolutely love the way the village, Melstone House, and magic are described. Andrew has a way of thinking about reality as a mere option that I really enjoy. The whole story is a wonderful mix of woodsy magic and old timey village life, with thoughtful and determined main characters I liked as people. I would have adored this book completely, save for two quibbles:
Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
Andrew was working at a university when his grandfather Jocelyn Green died, leaving him a legacy that turns out to be more than he can remember. For example, he can remember that the panes of glass on the back door should not be broken or that he leaves his gardener's inedible vegetables outside
Diana Wynne Jones is one of the authors on my "automatic order" list - when a new book comes out, I immediately put it on hold at the library sight unseen and knowing as little about the story as possible. This story does not disappoint. The story is a fast read with twists and turns carrying the reader along with it. The characters sometimes run to eccentric but are so much fun to spend time with. Like Howl's Moving Castle, each individual's approach to magic is a little different, and magic is accepted alongside science as part of reality. Highly recommended.
Show More
overnight, but he doesn't remember their importance or who eats them, respectively. Then there's the field-of-care, the tract of land under the protection of his grandfather, and now Andrew himself. Aidan Cain, a boy with no little magical ability himself, runs from mysterious visitors into Andrew's protection. Will Andrew be able to remember what his grandfather told him and come into his inheritance? Why is Aidan in danger? And what is the importance of the panes of glass on his kitchen door?Diana Wynne Jones is one of the authors on my "automatic order" list - when a new book comes out, I immediately put it on hold at the library sight unseen and knowing as little about the story as possible. This story does not disappoint. The story is a fast read with twists and turns carrying the reader along with it. The characters sometimes run to eccentric but are so much fun to spend time with. Like Howl's Moving Castle, each individual's approach to magic is a little different, and magic is accepted alongside science as part of reality. Highly recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tardis
Andrew Hope inherits two things from his grandfather: Melstone House and an ill-explained duty to look after the "field of care" surrounding the house and village. Andrew also inherits his grandfather's housekeeper, Mrs. Stock, and gardener, Mr. Stock (no relation to each other). This contentious
This was a very enjoyable book - not as complicated as some of DWJ's stories, but very satisfying, and like the others will be well worth re-reading. Also the cover, depicting the stained glass window from Andrew's kitchen door, is beautiful.
Show More
pair inflict punishments on Andrew when he offends them - Mrs. Stock by cooking nasty meals, and Mr. Stock by delivering inedibly large veg. Add one mysterious runaway boy, Aiden, Mr. Stock's lovely niece, Stache, Mrs. Stock's simple nephew, Shaun, a giant, a dog, an assortment of villagers, the evil Mr. Brown from Melstone Manor, and Mr. Brown's assorted henchmen. And magic, of course - it wouldn't be a Diana Wynne Jones book without magic. Andrew and Aiden have to figure out how to protect the field of care, the mystery of Aiden's parentage and why he is being pursued by a number of very nasty customers, and what to do about the encroaching Mr. Brown. This was a very enjoyable book - not as complicated as some of DWJ's stories, but very satisfying, and like the others will be well worth re-reading. Also the cover, depicting the stained glass window from Andrew's kitchen door, is beautiful.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bunwat
I happened to have this sitting on my shelf with some other library books when I heard Diana Wynne Jones died. I have been a considerable fan of her fiction since I first read Charmed Life back in the late 70's. She seemed to have this great gift for making magic worlds where the magic felt as real
Not all of her fiction was particularly polished. Sometimes it could be a little bit of a homemade cake - still delicious but a little bit wonky on one side and with few crumbs in the frosting. But I kind of liked that about her. She felt to me like a workmanlike storyteller, a craftsperson. Nothing particularly precious about DWJ.
Among the obits and memoriams printed this month there was one that said She was amused by the considerable academic attention her work attracted; reading in one paper that her work was "rooted in fluidity", she remarked: "Obviously hydroponic, probably a lettuce, possibly a cabbage."
There's Diana, wry, funny, never above her company or seduced by others into thinking herself either better or worse than she actually was. Feet firmly on the ground, head firmly in the clouds. So. To Enchanted Glass. Its a lovely cabbage.
In fact some parts of it concern cabbages. And village fetes, and incursions from Elfland, and computers, and werepuppies, and lost heirs and housekeepers who will insist on moving the furniture and messing up the filing system so nobody can find the spell to fix the leak in the roof. Its not the best thing she's ever written, its not the worst. Its right in the center of her wheelhouse, and so an ideal book really, with which to comfort myself in the week in which she left us.
Show More
as a sunset or a tree in bloom, without ever becoming mundane, pedestrian or .. well, unmagical.Not all of her fiction was particularly polished. Sometimes it could be a little bit of a homemade cake - still delicious but a little bit wonky on one side and with few crumbs in the frosting. But I kind of liked that about her. She felt to me like a workmanlike storyteller, a craftsperson. Nothing particularly precious about DWJ.
Among the obits and memoriams printed this month there was one that said She was amused by the considerable academic attention her work attracted; reading in one paper that her work was "rooted in fluidity", she remarked: "Obviously hydroponic, probably a lettuce, possibly a cabbage."
There's Diana, wry, funny, never above her company or seduced by others into thinking herself either better or worse than she actually was. Feet firmly on the ground, head firmly in the clouds. So. To Enchanted Glass. Its a lovely cabbage.
In fact some parts of it concern cabbages. And village fetes, and incursions from Elfland, and computers, and werepuppies, and lost heirs and housekeepers who will insist on moving the furniture and messing up the filing system so nobody can find the spell to fix the leak in the roof. Its not the best thing she's ever written, its not the worst. Its right in the center of her wheelhouse, and so an ideal book really, with which to comfort myself in the week in which she left us.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Leov
Andrew Hope has inherited his grandfather's house, the unusual staff, and responsibility for his 'field of care'. As he is coming to terms with this a young boy, Aiden, turns up on his doorstep asking for his help. Unusual things begin to happen that bring back memories of Andrew's childhood and
A fantastic book from an author that knows how to spin a gripping story. I recommend this to children fro about 9 to young teens
Show More
threaten Aiden and Andrew's inheritance.A fantastic book from an author that knows how to spin a gripping story. I recommend this to children fro about 9 to young teens
Show Less
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
I am so sorry to finish one of my last new Diana Wynne Jones stories. A great deal of my love of literature has roots in early reading of her books.
And this book was in flying form - a quiet story with hazy memory and hazy vision, where kind people softly battle monsters, and domestic rituals have
And this book was in flying form - a quiet story with hazy memory and hazy vision, where kind people softly battle monsters, and domestic rituals have
Show More
unsuspected power. I enjoyed every moment in this village, while Andrew and Aiden come to terms with their inheritances. Show Less
LibraryThing member navelos
An enjoyable read, but I kept waiting for something to happen and not very much ever did. The characters were likable enough but they seemed a little hollow. The whole book felt as though it needed fleshing out. Even the title seems a little half baked, sure the glass is enchanted and it matters to
Show More
the story but really the story is about Andrew coming into his inheritance and figuring out who Aiden is. Show Less
LibraryThing member yarmando
Andrew has inherited his grandfather's "field of care," a responsibility he doesn't understand. Soon he is giving refuge to Aiden, a boy stalked by mysterious beings since his grandmother's death.
Why I picked it up: There doesn't exist a Diana Wynne Jones novel I won't read. I shall miss her a
Why I finished it: Jones frequently drew inspiration from classical myth and folklore, using puns and name corruptions to tease us toward the source. Some of these (Eight Days of Luke) are more successful than others (Hexwood). This one kept me interested.
I'd give it to: Lin, who will like this audio production as much as I did.
Why I picked it up: There doesn't exist a Diana Wynne Jones novel I won't read. I shall miss her a
Show More
great deal.Why I finished it: Jones frequently drew inspiration from classical myth and folklore, using puns and name corruptions to tease us toward the source. Some of these (Eight Days of Luke) are more successful than others (Hexwood). This one kept me interested.
I'd give it to: Lin, who will like this audio production as much as I did.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
This is a lovely book with gentle people putting up with rather bossy and intrusive people yet everyone works together. There's magic and danger, fairies, druids, shapeshifters and the stereotypical absent minded professor. The women are very bossy and competent. I don't know whether or not that is
Show More
typical for DWJ, I'll have to read more of her work. I'm sure had she lived this would have been the start to a fine series. Show Less
LibraryThing member readinggeek451
An absentminded history professor inherits his grandfather's house and magical responsibilities. Soon he, and his young houseguest Aidan, are beset by matters both arcane and domestic. Vintage Jones.
LibraryThing member LeslitGS
As a child, Proffessor Andrew Hope knew that his grandfather could do magic--real magic, and was a very important man. But now that he has inherited the man's house, Andrew realizes that there was a lot more going on around him on those visits than he knew. With a housekeeper who likes things to
This summary was a hard one to write, because the cover of the book does not show Andrew, but rather Aiden, the runaway who lost his grandmother and, to all appearances, his grandmother's magical protection when she died. But don't judge a book by it's cover, right? Right. Then look at it this way: the story is almost evenly divided between time with Aiden and time with Andrew. So who is the story actually about? Since the text is in the children's section, and the style is unadulteratedly for a youthful mind [which does not proclude an adult, thank you very much], it feels as though Aiden should be, in fact, your lead. But this story at least, there may yet be sequels because she left it open enough to pick up the threads again [but not in the obnoxious hack "I AM WRITING A SEQUEL HERE" kind of way], the lead is, in fact, Andrew. He is the one who inherits the house, who has to protect the house, who has to figure out what on earth is going on and, in the end, save the day.
Don't get me wrong. Aiden is there, every step of the way, showing the reader a bit more of the world they are in. He also ends up being part of the problem, however. Not through any virtue of his own control, but rather because he's a kid who doesn't know who he really is. Part of the story right there, yeah. It also doesn't matter who the focus is, because Jones has created a cast of characters who are quirky and entertaining. Mrs. Stock, the housekeeper thinks Andrew is an absent minded professor and Aiden is a stomach on legs who will eat them out of house and home. If they do things she does not appreciate [like moving the piano do a different spot in the room], she punishes them with a dish called "cauliflower cheese." Now, I like cauliflower, and I like cheese, but something about the way she doesn't actually tell you what it entails puts the fear of it in me. It's almost got to be some sort of casserole of gooey doom. Alongside her is Mr. Stock [no relation], who has his revenge in bringing cartons of over-sized and under-flavored vegetables that won't make the cut at the fair. Aiden himself is really just a normal kid who is pleasant, kind, and curious enough to sneak around and find things out on his own while not alienating his new caregiver.
These are really just the every-day characters at the beginning. More appear quickly, but are never overwhelming. The book is no philosophical masterpiece, but rather an example of a simple story, maybe even a fairy story, with people and a tale to enjoy. I know that I used the word in the last review, and it is even in title of the book, but Diana Wynn Jones' writing is simply enchanting. Delicately weaving her web of words over this quaint English countryside, Jones incorporates magic so subtlely that it never feels anything but normal for Andrew to be able to take off his glasses, polish them and then push the furniture about with his mind. It is just as natural that the vegetables left out on the shed should be eaten nightly by an unknown magical creature of some immense height. And it only makes sense that when Aiden, the runaway, should join the family and find a dog, the dog is far more than what it seems.
Okay, let's be realistic here. She got me with Howl's Moving Castle. She held me with The House of Many Ways. And now, having read and adored a third book of hers, I will happily say that Diana Wynn Jones is going to be on my shelves forever.
*This post should really be subtitled: Or a love-letter to the writings of Diana Wynn Jones.
Show More
stay the way they were, a groundskeeper who only has eyes for his vegetables and a runaway who is being pursued by mysterious creatures, more than just his life hinges on figuring out how to handle this new magical chapter in his life.This summary was a hard one to write, because the cover of the book does not show Andrew, but rather Aiden, the runaway who lost his grandmother and, to all appearances, his grandmother's magical protection when she died. But don't judge a book by it's cover, right? Right. Then look at it this way: the story is almost evenly divided between time with Aiden and time with Andrew. So who is the story actually about? Since the text is in the children's section, and the style is unadulteratedly for a youthful mind [which does not proclude an adult, thank you very much], it feels as though Aiden should be, in fact, your lead. But this story at least, there may yet be sequels because she left it open enough to pick up the threads again [but not in the obnoxious hack "I AM WRITING A SEQUEL HERE" kind of way], the lead is, in fact, Andrew. He is the one who inherits the house, who has to protect the house, who has to figure out what on earth is going on and, in the end, save the day.
Don't get me wrong. Aiden is there, every step of the way, showing the reader a bit more of the world they are in. He also ends up being part of the problem, however. Not through any virtue of his own control, but rather because he's a kid who doesn't know who he really is. Part of the story right there, yeah. It also doesn't matter who the focus is, because Jones has created a cast of characters who are quirky and entertaining. Mrs. Stock, the housekeeper thinks Andrew is an absent minded professor and Aiden is a stomach on legs who will eat them out of house and home. If they do things she does not appreciate [like moving the piano do a different spot in the room], she punishes them with a dish called "cauliflower cheese." Now, I like cauliflower, and I like cheese, but something about the way she doesn't actually tell you what it entails puts the fear of it in me. It's almost got to be some sort of casserole of gooey doom. Alongside her is Mr. Stock [no relation], who has his revenge in bringing cartons of over-sized and under-flavored vegetables that won't make the cut at the fair. Aiden himself is really just a normal kid who is pleasant, kind, and curious enough to sneak around and find things out on his own while not alienating his new caregiver.
These are really just the every-day characters at the beginning. More appear quickly, but are never overwhelming. The book is no philosophical masterpiece, but rather an example of a simple story, maybe even a fairy story, with people and a tale to enjoy. I know that I used the word in the last review, and it is even in title of the book, but Diana Wynn Jones' writing is simply enchanting. Delicately weaving her web of words over this quaint English countryside, Jones incorporates magic so subtlely that it never feels anything but normal for Andrew to be able to take off his glasses, polish them and then push the furniture about with his mind. It is just as natural that the vegetables left out on the shed should be eaten nightly by an unknown magical creature of some immense height. And it only makes sense that when Aiden, the runaway, should join the family and find a dog, the dog is far more than what it seems.
Okay, let's be realistic here. She got me with Howl's Moving Castle. She held me with The House of Many Ways. And now, having read and adored a third book of hers, I will happily say that Diana Wynn Jones is going to be on my shelves forever.
*This post should really be subtitled: Or a love-letter to the writings of Diana Wynn Jones.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ed.pendragon
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 A Midsummer Night's Dream -- key fairy characters, namely Oberon, Titania and
Show More
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 various themes, such as Beating the Bounds and the nature of the set of two enchanted windows, that beg to be developed further than is here, which suggests a possible sequel is planned. However, and this is a mild criticism of some of DWJ's books, there is the feeling of a rushed ending and of loose threads that remain untied which rather mar one's enjoyment of a tale well told. Show Less
LibraryThing member AJBraithwaite
A pleasant enough read, but didn't grab me as some of her earlier works did. It felt a bit like 'painting by numbers'. I didn't find that either Aidan or Andrew were portrayed in engaging detail and there were too many other characters who were only sketchily drawn out.
I liked the idea of being
Ultimately, rather unsatisfying. But then I'm not the target age group - my daughter enjoyed it very much.
I liked the idea of being
Show More
punished by one's gardener with overgrown vegetables (although was less convinced by the housekeeper's punishment: cauliflower cheese is a dish I'd be quite happy to eat fairly often!). Perhaps the very best thing about the book was its beautiful cover.Ultimately, rather unsatisfying. But then I'm not the target age group - my daughter enjoyed it very much.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bluesalamanders
Definitely not my favorite of DWJ's books, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. Enchanted Glass has a complex plot with many secondary characters that can be difficult to keep straight, but the main characters were relatable and fun to read about. I will definitely reread this (especially to better
Show More
understand what all happened). Show Less
LibraryThing member raschneid
This book was intriguing because it was set in such a very, very big world. So much of what was going on seemed to extend beyond the pages of the book, including the characters themselves. The feeling of a book uninterested in conforming to readers' expectations was also communicated by the fact
It was also a very enjoyable Magical Contemporary Britain (where magic resides in small villages and on the edges of fields, and ordinary people blink and keep walking). And I ADORED the doubles. To turn literary doubles and parallels into an actual magical phenomenon is nothing short of brilliant.
Show More
that we have an adult protagonist as well as a child.It was also a very enjoyable Magical Contemporary Britain (where magic resides in small villages and on the edges of fields, and ordinary people blink and keep walking). And I ADORED the doubles. To turn literary doubles and parallels into an actual magical phenomenon is nothing short of brilliant.
Show Less
LibraryThing member flemmily
I love how Diana Wynne Jones mixes the mundane and the fantastical, that the world in her books is created equally by cauliflower cheese and magic powers.
Enchanted Glass is kind of a tamer version of Conrad's Fate with a little Eight Days of Luke thrown in. It is kind of a friendly story, the
I enjoyed it a lot.
Enchanted Glass is kind of a tamer version of Conrad's Fate with a little Eight Days of Luke thrown in. It is kind of a friendly story, the
Show More
underlying menace is not as sinister she has written in Fire and Hemlock for example.I enjoyed it a lot.
Show Less
LibraryThing member phh333
Fun book. Has humor, adventure and magic - who could as for anything more!
LibraryThing member lquilter
Enjoyable and very, very English village, with the "field of care", and the English faerie myth background.
Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Young Adult Novel — 2011)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2010-01-07
Physical description
304 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
0061866857 / 9780061866852
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF JonesDW |