I read the Chrestomanci books as a kid and have memories of really enjoying them, so rereading this first one as an adult and disliking it so much was kind of a shock. There is quite a bit that is truly charming, such as the organization of the parallel worlds and explanation behind the Chrestomanci, and I think the foundations of the book are solid. However, the good stuff is tarnished by a heavy barrage of rampant fatphobia, physical and emotional child abuse that gets conveniently "excused" at the end, a random instance of racial stereotyping, and many instances of kids forced to bear the brunt of selfish adults.
There is definitely a way to offer a narrative on kids dealing with difficult situations, but the problem in this book is that the adults actions get explained away as just them trying to do what is best for the kids, even though the "best" is just incredibly self-centered actions that don't make sense. And the kids just have to accept it? There is so much emotional trauma on display at the close of the story and Jones tries to paint it over all happily with a picnic scene and promise of more magical adventures, but it ends up reading as quite ominous even though it definitely wasn't intended to.
I'm curious to reread the others and see how they hold up. This one, however, was better in my memory. I'm genuinely sad it wasn't the same as what I thought it was, but I'm crossing my fingers to find a little of what I used to like in the other books. ( )

I can't be too harsh. It is a children's book and not the type of children's book that can entertain adult readers as well. I'm thinking of the Harry Potter series and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was an easy listen, interesting enough to keep my brain mostly engaged while doing chores around the house. But the characters seemed flat and mostly unsympathetic. Most of them seemed frustratingly passive and/or stupid as well. Still, it was a fairly clever and complete alternate world, and kept me just interested enough to want to find out what happened next. I won't be reading the rest of the series. ( )

The late great DWJ is one of my favourite authors so I approached this re-read, after many years, with anticipation. At first, I found it a good page-turning and interesting story. Eric Chant, known as Cat, and his older sister Gwendolen, are orphaned at the very start, and become the wards of the local authority. They are taken in by the elderly lady who lived downstairs in their house, and who it is soon obvious views the two children as meal tickets, doing her best to get additional money for their upkeep. However, she is also genuinely fond of them, and it is through her efforts that Gwendolen, who appears to be a powerful witch, receives training from the next door hedge-wizard. For this is a world in which magic works and is routinely accepted.

Cat, the main viewpoint character, is a good natured, trusting boy, who - the adult reader at least - can see is being manipulated, especially by his sister whom he idolises. It is obvious that Gwendolen's teacher Mr Nostrum and his brother are both rather shady. Then the two children are taken under the guardianship of Chrestomanci, a figure of importance and power, though Cat does not understand his role, and go to live at Chrestomanci Castle with Chrestomanci, his wife Milly, their two children, and various suppport staff. Gwendolen, who was agog to go there and convinced she would be treated as the important personage she imagines herself to be, is soon incandescent with rage at what she views as snubbing, and when she is told she must concentrate on her other studies and put aside learning further magic, sets out to wreck revenge on Chrestomanci and his family in various unpleasant and inconvenient ways. And with her help, the Nostrum brothers hatch a plot that will put Cat and his new guardian in extreme jeopardy.

The problem I had with this story is that so much depends upon the inability of people to talk to each other. It is just about believable that a self-effacing boy such as Cat would be too scared of Chrestomanci to tell him key things that are going on, or would not want to betray his sister, but it is less forgiveable for an adult character to not even try to talk to him because as we learn at the end of the story, he and the other adults thought Cat might be complicit in his sister's misdeeds. It just wasn't a good enough motive not to talk to him, and if they really thought that might be the case, to persuade him otherwise.

Chrestomanci also lost a lot of any sympathy I had for his character when he "boxed" Cat's ears - basically, hit him around the head - because Cat hadn't stopped Gwendolen from carrying out a rather nasty bit of magic. Surely he should at least have taken Cat away from her, sat him down and asked him what on earth was going on and why he hadn't stopped her - or got Milly, who is much more sympathetic and less intimidating, to talk to him? Instead, he acted out of anger and on a false assumption - at which point, it became completely understandable that Cat was terrified of him and didn't want to tell him what was happening. Because of this fundamental failure to communicate, Cat and another character (avoiding spoilers) become embroiled in deeper and deeper trouble, all stemming from Gwendolen's monstrous behaviour.

Gwendolen is an almost psychopathic villain as becomes increasingly clear, and is certainly confirmed in the climax of the story. There is quite an adult sensibility in the fact that the old lady whom Cat loves and who is fond of him, is at the same time a selfish, grasping character, and he does eventually appreciate this, though she at least shows more decency by her attempt to warn him than his sister. But the dependence of the plot on the willful failure by the adults to alert Cat to the danger he is in weaken the story for me. I like some of the set pieces, love the baby dragon, like some of the interaction with other characters, but the basic meat of the story - that everything happens because of a failure to communicate which is principally the fault of the adults - doesn't really work for me, so I can only rate this 3 stars.
( )

Siblings, Cat and Gwendolen Chant are left orphaned when their parents drown. Their village takes care of them, placing them with Mrs Sharp. But Gwendolen has big plans and manipulates a way for them to be invited to live at Chrestomanci Castle - the home of Chrestomanci - a famous enchanter who keeps all the other witches and warlocks in line.

I honestly didn't understand most of this. The plot is all over the place and the motivations the characters have don't really make sense. The world building would be interesting but for the fact none of it's ever explained or discussed - it's just kind of there. Which would be fine except the magic seems to be adhering to some sort of rules that aren't of the generally accepted variety seen in fantasy. Like why the castle seems to have dampening spells? Or what the deal was with the signatures? It was never addressed or explained beyond mentioning that it was so. It's like Jones just came up with a bunch of things that sounded good stuck them in a hat and jumbled them all up and said yep that's it. It was weird and messy.

Cat who is supposedly the hero of this was bland and subservient to everybody. He's rather a nothing character. Gwendolen orders him around and uses him only when convenient for her, otherwise dismissing and ignoring him. Gwendolen is a terrible sister for most of the book but towards the end just drops into evil territory. She was planning all along to kill Cat? Really? I mean sure, she'd treated him badly but she never seemed violent towards him. It felt random. I didn't remotely understand how or why Gwendolen took over Cat's nine lives. What was the purpose? This part of the story just seemed to go nowhere.

As for the other characters, none of them are really distinct. Julia and Roger are interchangeable and Chrestomanci is set up as the bogeyman. The maids were sarcastic and cold and the only character who was slightly likeable was Janet.

My biggest complaint would be the lack of discussion with Cat. Neither Chrestomanci or Millie speak to Cat and Gwendolen when they come to live with them. I mean surely there should be a little discussion about rules, a tour of the house, introductions to the other kids. Who the hell they are and why they're taking the kids in? It annoyed me the adults didn't speak up but it irritated me worse that Cat never bothers to question anything that happens to him. Chrestomanci just waiting to see what happens instead of just talking to him was absolutely ridiculous.

I did like a few of Gwendolen's pranks, the stained glass windows coming to life, the shutters closing twice every half hour. But mostly this book was a miss for me.

3 stars. ( )

This was a fun little book.
I love how magic is implemented in Diana Wynne Jones' worlds. The characters were interesting, the plot was quite good and there were a lot of creative elements I liked (the book of matches, for example).
Gwendolen was a fantastic character and such an entertaining brat. Cat was so sweet and I was hoping he would finally see his own worth all the time. The relationship between these two siblings was very interesting to analyse. I also really liked Chrestomanci. The other characters weren't as fleshed out but they served the story and were interesting enough.
The only criticism I have is that some of the decisions made by the characters were a little dumb and seemed to be just for plot convenience.

That said, how could I give less than 4 stars to a book that has this quote?
"That's right, dear. We must all hunt for the pussy." She turned to the crowd with a witch's piercing scream. "Hunt for pussy, everyone!"

Don't tell me the author didn't know what she was doing. ( )

Fanciful tale of two orphans, the elder a witch, in a Victorianesque world of magic. It went quite well until Gwendolyn left then dragged until the final action. I'm not a fan of villain driven plots as this turned out to be. ( )

I really love this series so I'm rereading it for what's gotta be the 5th time at least. Changing this from 4 to 5 stars because I really do love it and Janet is one of my favorite characters in the series. ( )

(component - see primary entry) ( )

I read Howl's Moving Castle before this, so I noticed a similarity in the plot.
At first I thought Cat is actually a...cat.
I have to find out if they have similar universe to Howl's Moving Castle.
Looking forward to read the sequels. ( )

One of those books that I started out being very meh about, and ended up being really happy with. Very well executed. ( )

Enjoyed this one as a gentle introduction to the world of magic and possibilities. As an adult, I can appreciate how this alternate world is designed and implemented in a way that anyone can accept magic exists and how vast it varies with power and good control. ( )

Fun fact: as a kid, I was convinced that England was this very backwards country where people used horse and carriages and rarely turned on the electricity. I assumed that when Janet talked about blood banks and electricity on 24/7, she must be from America, land of technology. In my defense, I read a lot of British books as a kid that took place in the first half of the 20th century, so my sense of English culture was highly warped.

Anyways, Charmed Life was a great book when I was a child and remains a great book still. Although I do wish less of the plot could have immediately been solved by Cat just talking to an adult. ( )

Sweet and charming. Diana Wynne Jones is so good at what she does, and that is coming up with tales that are always magical and complicated in a most delightful way. I did not love this as much as I loved Howl's Moving Castle, for instance (nothing will ever top that genius piece of a book) but I still felt her unique touch in weavign this tale, and I loved it. I am so excited to continue the series and find out if it gets any better! ( )

I read this book sometime in middle school, and I really enjoyed the world Jones built and the characters in it. Recently I decided to revisit the book to see if it was as good as I remember, and it is very good just not perfect. Charmed life is a about Cat (Eric Chant) and his sister Gwendolen Chant who have been recently orphaned in a boat accident. Cat and Gwen live in a world like ours where magic is real, and non-magic users and witches, warlocks, and wizards live together. They are at first fostered by their home town until they are adopted by Chrestomanci after Gwen writes him a letter. Gwen who was hoping to be taught magic, and expected to be treated like a little princess immediately starts causes trouble when things don't go her way.

At times Cat can be a bit dense just going on with what life throws at him, and Gwendolen seems almost unnecessarily evil at times. As the book progresses Cat's character grows he is just a regular boy who is trying to deal with losing his parents, and transitioning to a new home while navigating the magical mess his sister left him with. While Gwendolen on the other hand in the beginning just seemed spoiled and self absorbed due to being a magical prodigy, but when you find out where her power came from you wonder why she went down the evil path. Her reasons are never really explained other than she thinks very highly of herself is spoiled, mean, spiteful, and has powerful magical abilities.
This is the first book in the Chrestomanci series and it introduces you to the characters and world quite well.
( )

This book was both funnier and darker than I remembered it. I think there is a lesson, which is that if you're a child in bad trouble, telling the powerful adult what's going on might be the wisest course. In "The Pinhoe Egg" which is the next in chronological order, Cat seems to have figured this out. Another lesson is that a habit of subservience is a bad one, and this theme also shows up in "The Pinhoe Egg". ( )

This was a memorial re-read, as Diana Wynne Jones has recently passed away. It's a kids' book, but a very enjoyable one. The first entry in her Chrestomanci series, it does a good job setting up the world and characters.
It's also particularly remarkable as a kids' book about two siblings which has one of them turn out to be just absolutely horrible! As a reader, you think that the character in question is just bratty and spoiled and will learn to mend her ways. But nope. Just plain evil. I love it! ( )

I read this first many years ago. It was my introduction to Diana Wynne Jones. I love Chrestomanci's world where magic works and technology lags behind our world. I love the growth of Cat as a character. The ebook has a series of short notes about the universe that are well worth reading.

If you like the Harry Potter series, the Narnia series, or Lloyd Alexander, I think you'll like this series. ( )

This proto-Harry-Potter novel is a little listless, but overall fun and inventive.

Cat’s older sister, Gwendolen, is an up-and-coming witch, and he follows along when she goes to learn magic from the renowned magician, Chrestomanci. Unfortunately, Gwendolen is an attention-hungry brat. Out of brotherly devotion, Cat has to go along with and cover up for her schemes.

Cat’s a bit of a cipher, but his sister makes him a sympathetic character in three different ways. I liked him because:

He was single-mindedly devoted to a family member
His devotion to his family member was not reciprocated
His sister treated everyone so awfully that, when Cat acted decently toward them, it seemed like an act of heroism by comparison

However, I got a little impatient with the story because I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be about. Cat never really has any motivation of his own, so I thought he was just going to be the camera through which we saw Gwendolen’s story. But halfway through the novel that theory of mine was destroyed, and I wasn’t quite sure what to latch on to next.

Within the last fifty pages, I finally did find out what the real story was, but I wish the real story had been hinted at a little more strongly earlier on. ( )

It's a good read, a story of a boy who lives in the shadow of his sister and whose life changes when they end up in the Castle of Chrestomanci and then he discovers the truth about his sister and her ambitions.

It's an interesting read, something on that borderline between fantasy and reality with characters who work well and things that would have resolved quicker if everyone would have just talked to each other! And characters who point this out too.

Great read, love the story, there are layers here that would reward re-reading. ( )

Read it if you like Harry Potter, Narnia, King Arthur, or any other fantastical stories enjoyed by adults and children alike. ( )

What a lovely read! DWJ never ceases to amaze me with her convoluted plots. It’s a coming of age story for a little boy who thinks he possesses no magical skills, but all I’ll say is beware of older sisters! And just when you think you’ve got the plot figured out, something completely unexpected happens that throws all your suppositions out the window—or out the doorway into one of DWJ’s other worlds. She is definitely the master of the Twisty Plot. This is the first in her Chrestomanci series, and I am so looking forward to reading the other books. ( )

Good heavens, did I enjoy this. One of THE most aggravating baddies I've ever encountered, a plucky young anti-heroine, and Cat. Who wouldn't feel sorry for Cat? This is, more than anything, the story of how Cat decides to reclaim his power - literally - and be in charge of his own life. It's a grand thing for a young person to be able to do, and Diana Wynne Jones writes it beautifully. This is good YA fantasy that I'm happy to have discovered, and I can't wait to read more. ( )

Gwendolen is the worst, nastiest child, and Cat is a bit doormatty for my taste. And the real action arrived all bundled up in the last 50 pages. ( )

Orvoksi jääneet Chantin sisarusten Ericin ja Gwendolenin elämä muuttuu, kun he muuttavat asumaan mahtavan Chrestomancin linnaan tässä vuonna 1977 julkaistussa englantilaisessa lasten- ja nuorten fantasiakirjassa. Ericin sisko Gwendolen on oman arvonsa tunteva nuori tyttö, joka saa yksityisopetusta noituudessa niin kuin muut käyvät viulutunneilla. Eric, lempinimeltään "Kissa" jää mielellään mahtavan siskonsa varjoon, mutta viettää normaalia pojan elämää heitä hoitavan rouva Sharpin luona, kunnes sisarukset pääsevät asumaan Chrestomanci -nimisen miehen, sekä tämän perheen että henkilökunnan luokse. Pääsemättä Chrestomancin linnassa puusta pitkälle, eli kenenkään kiinnittämättä häneen mitään erityistä huomiota, Gwendolen alkaa turhautua kun Chrestomanci ei tunnusta hänen etevyyttään noituudessa. Gwendolen alkaa häiritä linnan normaalia elämää monenlaisten temppujen avulla, joista viimeisimmästä hän kuitenkin saa palautetta selkäsaunan avustuksella. Raivostuneena hän pakenee rinnakkaismaailmaan ja hänen tilalleen tupsahtaa toisesta todellisuudesta Gwendolenin näköinen, mutta kuitenkin erilainen tyttö, Janet. Kissa haluaa salata Gwendolenin viimeisimmän tapauksen ja Janet yrittää esittää Gwendolenia, tosin huonolla menestyksellä. Asioiden mennessä muutenkin pieleen nuoret päättävät paeta Chrestomancin puutarhaan ja sieltä toiseen todellisuuteen, mutta puutarha muuttuukin lopulta paikaksi, jossa käydään kamppailu hyvien ja pahojen noitien kesken. Ja jossa Eric saa tietää, että hänen siskonsa onkin käyttänyt hänen omaa taikuuttaan koko ajan hyväksi, ja on jopa valmis uhraamaan veljensä hengen oman etunsa tähden. Eric tajuaa lopultakin Gwendolenin petollisuuden, mutta nyt hänellä on uusi perhe tukenaan. Murhekin vaihtuu iloksi ongelmien selvittyä (ja hyvien tietysti voitettua) hyvässä seurassa ulkoilmalounaalla. Kirjassa kukkii tilannekomiikka, joka keventää romaanin kohtauksia: "Kissa sai ritarillisen ajatuksen. Hän taikoi sinisen samettituolin Gwendolenin huoneesta nurmikolle Janetin viereen. Janet nauroi kyynelten läpi. "Kiitos." Hän aikoi istuutua. "Kuulun Chrestomancin linnaan", tuoli huusi. "Kuulun Chrestomancin li-" Neiti Bessemer katsoi sitä tiukasti ja se hiljeni." ( )

I can't be too harsh. It is a children's book and not the type of children's book that can entertain adult readers as well. I'm thinking of the Harry Potter series and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was an easy listen, interesting enough to keep my brain mostly engaged while doing chores around the house. But the characters seemed flat and mostly unsympathetic. Most of them seemed frustratingly passive and/or stupid as well. Still, it was a fairly clever and complete alternate world, and kept me just interested enough to want to find out what happened next. I won't be reading the rest of the series. ( )