The fantasy stories of George MacDonald (1824-1905) served as a source of inspiration to Lewis Carroll, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine l'EnThe fantasy stories of George MacDonald (1824-1905) served as a source of inspiration to Lewis Carroll, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine l'Engle. Lewis said that MacDonald did allegorical/mythopoeic fantasy 'better than any man', and that quote alone was enough to arouse my interest. I'm glad it did, because I would have missed out on something good if I had not discovered MacDonald. While I'm not sure I'd call him the greatest fantasy author ever, he definitely was a master of allegory. He had a wonderfully vivid imagination, a beautifully fluid writing style, a gentle sense of humour, and a keen eye for protagonists with whom readers will sympathise (in this volume, mostly lonely children). He also came up with some wonderful quests and journeys into dreamscapes, so it's easy to see why other fantasy authors would be impressed and inspired by his work.
The four stories collected in this volume are all very different. The title story, 'The Golden Key', is a tremendously symbolic fairy tale about a boy who finds a golden key at the end of the rainbow and, together with a neglected girl, sets out on a journey to the country whence the shadows fall, meeting a fairy, the Old Man of the Sea, the Old Man of the Earth and the Old Man of the Fire on the way there. Like The Hobbit, it feels rather episodic at times, and I'm sure half of the imagery went over my head, but I loved the tone and otherworldliness of the story, as well as the archaic writing style. I only wish MacDonald had taken slightly more time to flesh out his tale; at times it felt like a jumble of ideas not properly worked out or joined together. On the other hand, the author's refusal to explain or go into detail definitely adds to the otherworldly feeling, so I suppose there's something to be said for it. Anyhow, 'The Golden Key' is a beautiful piece of work with a lovely old-fashioned and mythical quality.
The second story, 'The History of Photogen and Nycteris', focuses on an evil science experiment whereby a wicked witch deprives a young girl of light and keeps a young boy from ever experiencing darkness. Needless to say, the boy and the girl meet up eventually and learn to love and complement each other in all the right ways. The story is rather baffling in that you never find out why the witch embarks on her cruel experiment (the only explanation MacDonald provides is that she 'had a wolf in her mind', which is intriguing but ultimately a little unsatisfying), but that's pretty much the only complaint I have about 'Photogen and Nycteris'. In all other regards, it's a beautifully crafted, lyrical and romantic story which will teach you to look at light and dark differently and raise a glass to complementary love. I wish I had read it as a child; I would have loved it.
The third story, 'The Shadows', is an intriguing little tale about a man who meets the enigmatic Shadows and finds out how they affect our lives. A large part of the story consists of Shadows telling other Shadows what they have done to change people's lives. Part of me wanted these stories to be told another way (i.e. to be shown rather than described in dialogue), but I'm not sure how MacDonald should have gone about that; I can't come up with a better way myself. In any case, it's an imaginative tale which will have you look at shadows in a different way and curse the unromantic, Shadow-unfriendly electric light we have these days. After reading the story, I felt like lighting candles all over the house and waiting for the Shadows to show up. I can't think of a better tribute than that.
The final story, 'The Gifts of the Child Christ', is a beautiful, extremely Victorian family drama about yet another neglected child who finds love. It's a bit too mawkish and Christian for my taste (MacDonald was a minister, and it shows here), but it's well told and must have been popular with Victorian readers.
In summary, I really liked the book, and definitely look forward to checking out MacDonald's longer works now!...more
The second Chrestomanci volume features two novels which have only two things in common: they both feature magic, and Chrestomanci shows up in both ofThe second Chrestomanci volume features two novels which have only two things in common: they both feature magic, and Chrestomanci shows up in both of them. However, the great wizard only makes brief appearances in the book, leaving centre stage to child protagonists who save society from an awful lot of harm by a combination of courage, brains, imagination and magic.
The first book in the volume, The Magicians of Caprona, is set in a world reminiscent of Renaissance Italy. It's basically Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet), except with added magic. As Diana Wynne Jones tells the tale, two wizarding families are responsible for the spells that keep the city of Caprona flourishing: the Montanas and the Petrocchis, who have been feuding for generations and seem unlikely ever to patch things up. When the city's spells start weakening, it looks like Caprona may be usurped by other cities. Obviously something is very wrong, but who is causing the mischief? Is it the Montanas, the Petrocchis, or is there a third party involved? Montana and Petrocchi children start investigating the matter, saving Caprona from perdition and unifying their houses in the process. Well, what did you expect?
The second book, Witch Week, is set in a completely different milieu: a boarding school in a modern England which is remarkably like ours, except that magic of any kind is strictly forbidden and witches are burnt at the stake. One day, a teacher finds a note advising him there is a witch in his class. This leads to a genuine witch hunt in which several pupils who might be witches (but aren't sure themselves) are accused of witchcraft by nasty classmates. The accused try to save their hides by hiding, pretending they're completely normal or pointing their fingers at others. And then rumours start spreading that the Inquisition is about to pay a visit to the school, bringing equipment with them which will surely help them find the witch, and suddenly a whole lot of people seem to get very nervous. Could it be that there's more than one witch at the school? And if so, what are they going to do when the Inquisition shows up?
This second volume of Chrestomanci stories (there is a third one, too, but I haven't read that yet) is less impressive than the first one, but still compulsively readable. The first story is charming but predictable -- a three-star affair with some good characterisation and amusing set pieces but little genuine development. Adult readers will spot the plot twists a mile off, and the fact that Chrestomanci's cameo is completely bland doesn't help, either. The second story, however, is very strong -- worth a full five stars for its great and ever so recognisable depiction of an adolescent witch hunt and adolescence in general. Apart from the very real possibility that they'll die at the stake, the protagonists of Witch Week are teenagers like people we've known and may well have been ourselves. They are intelligent but unpopular kids who are bullied by popular cliques and alternate between trying to avoid trouble and plotting subtle revenge on those who have caused them harm. The tone of the story is pleasantly rebellious and anarchic, and it's well crafted, keeping you guessing at the witches' identities and crossing your fingers for the underdogs until the very end. Chrestomanci makes an appearance in this story, as well, and it's considerably more fun than the one in The Magicians of Caprona.
In short, Volume II of the Chronicles of Chrestomanci is a solid addition to the series -- not as original as Volume I, but definitely worth checking out if you like Harry Potter-style fantasy. Just read Volume I first to get a feel for the world in which the stories are set and Chrestomanci's role in it... ...more
Long before J.K. Rowling ever invented Harry Potter, Diana Wynne Jones penned the Chrestomanci series, in which children perform magic (or fail to do Long before J.K. Rowling ever invented Harry Potter, Diana Wynne Jones penned the Chrestomanci series, in which children perform magic (or fail to do so) in worlds which resemble ours but are ever so slightly different. Like Rowling, Jones infused her fantasy novels for children with enough wit and interesting ideas to make them appealing to adult readers; unlike Rowling, she never made it big, although one of her books, Howl's Moving Castle, was adapted into an enjoyable anime movie by Hayao Miyazaki a few years ago. It's a pity Jones is not better known in the world of children's fiction, as her work is as good as Rowling's, if not actually better. While they lack the puns and pseudo-Latin that make the Potter books such a delight, Jones' stories are exciting and well-paced -- more so than some of Rowling's books. They feature great magic, superb world-building and a psychological insight which I think beats Rowling's. Jones understands children well, which makes it easy to identify with her young protagonists, even if they occasionally perform acts of magic to which few of us can aspire.
The first story in this two-book volume, Charmed Life, is set in a world which vaguely resembles today's England but seems a bit more old-fashioned and, well, magical. The protagonists are two orphaned siblings -- Eric Chant, nicknamed Cat, and his sister Gwendolen, a young witch of quite formidable powers. When the story opens, Cat and Gwendolen are taken to live with Chrestomanci, a mysterious man whose castle oozes magic and whose assistants are to teach them witchcraft. As always, Cat proves to be useless at magic. He feels stupid, doesn't feel at home in his new surroundings and generally spends a lot of time moping and feeling sorry for himself. Meanwhile, Gwendolen obviously excels at magic, but doesn't quite get the adulation she was expecting. Feeling ignored and insulted, she starts doing all sorts of terrible things to prove how powerful a witch she is. A battle of wills between Gwen and Chrestomanci ensues. Needless to say, things go horribly wrong, and people not just in this world but in all the parallel worlds of the universe may end up suffering for it, unless Cat and Chrestomanci can do something about it.
Charmed Life is a great minor classic. It was my favourite book when I was twelve, and I can still see why -- it's bold, it's inventive, it has funny touches and it's very well put together (although the beginning is a tad slow). Like all good fantasy, it deals with big issues (who should be in charge of magical powers? What are the consequences of our deeds?), but what really makes the book the gem it is, is the characterisation. Cat is a bit too weak and passive to make for a dashing hero, but his frustration and loneliness are genuine, which makes his betrayal at the end all the harsher. For her part, Gwendolen makes a fabulously spoiled and selfish older sister; her tantrums rank among the highlights of the book, and her magic, while nasty and self-serving, undeniably has flair. As for Chrestomanci, who looks vague but might just be the most powerful enchanter in the world (or indeed in all the worlds), he's a brilliant character whom Jones rightly felt deserved a few more appearances in her oeuvre. Thus she devoted the second book in this volume, The Lives of Christopher Chant, entirely to Chrestomanci. A prequel to Charmed Life, The Lives of Christopher Chant tells the story of Chrestomanci's childhood. Like Charmed Life, it features the usual fantasy staples of larger-than-life characters, travel between worlds and the discovery of unsuspected talents, but there's more to it: living goddesses, animals with magical powers, and heaps of spectacular action. For all its magic and non-stop action, though, what sets this book apart from other fantasy fare is the excellent way it deals with the more mundane aspects of life: divorce, friendship, loyalty, betrayal and thwarted dreams. Adult readers will find the story a bit more predictable than Charmed Life, but it's undeniably gripping and imaginative and features a great cameo by a cat. If you like magic and cats, chances are The Lives of Christopher Chant will be right up your alley....more
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