Customer Reviews

The Homeward Bounders

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The Homeward Bounders is a fantasy novel about a boy lost in the multiverse, doomed to travel from one space/time to another forever.

Jamie Hamilton is a rather willful boy who lives with his parents, an older brother, and a younger sister. One day, as he is exploring the town, he finds a place called The Old Fort. The building is set on a triangular lot and surrounded by a high wall. He climbs over the wall and finds a small park. Strangely, he cannot hear any sounds from the surrounding city.

Although he leaves to return home, he is intrigued with the place and soon returns. This time he tries to enter the building and is caught by two men wearing monkish robes. He is unable to move as they discuss his trepass, consult others within a huge strange place, and then banish him to become a homebounder. Now he is constrained to wander between universes, never able to stay at one place for very long. He meets others in the same situation -- the Flying Dutchman and the Wandering Jew among others -- and exchanges information, but he can't break out of the trap. He learns that he cannot be killed and that he ages very slowly. However, only the hope of finding his way home again keeps him somewhat sane.

This novel is a quest tale, with Jamie continually searching for his home. According to what he was told by THEM, he will be free of the homebounder circuit if he only reaches his home space/time. He travels from world to world, each in a different universe, and many of which are on the verge of war, are having a war, or just completed a war. Some are completely destroyed.

Highly recommended for Jones fans and anyone else who enjoys magical adventures in a realistic ambiance.

When twelve year old Jamie stumbles across the Old Fort of the mysterious Them, he finds himself cast out of the world and the life he has known, becoming a Homeward Bounder. He is told by Them; "You are now a discard. We have no further use for you in play. You are free to walk the Bounds as you please, but it will be against the rules for you to enter play in any world. The rules also state that you are allowed to return Home if you can."

So begins a young man's journey to find his way home and to solve the mystery of "Them". The They are playing their mysterious games throughout the worlds--and only the Homeward Bounders know about Them. Forced to constantly move on from world to world, Jamie teams up with two others who have been cast on the Bounds. Will they have a chance to defeat "Them" and find their way home?

This is is one of Diana Wynne Jones' more serious young adult books, written much earlier in her career. While it contains her trademark imaginative whimsy and strong, likable characters, the overall tone remains fairly serious and at times downright somber. However the author's use of first person POV to tell this story, keeps the tone easy to relate to--as if Jamie is telling his story to the reader. Like so many of her other stories, this one deals with the possibility of multiple worlds, and those that can travel between them. A surprisingly powerful story that will leave readers thinking about the nature of reality--and the power of hope. The ending was surprising, but ultimately satisfaying.

I'd recommend this book for any YA readers, especially those who enjoy the fantasy genre. As it has just been reprinted, this is an excellent chance for fans of the author to check out one of her earlier works that has been hard to find. Just be sure to watch out for "Them"!;)

Jamie, an average boy living in 19th century London, stumbles upon his destiny at only 12 years old. He discovers a mysterious building known only as the Old Fort, and is punished for trespassing in a way he could not have even guessed. Jamie is captured by Them, robed spirits who 'play' the worlds like gameboards, and is whisked away to wander the thousands of worlds by traveling the Boundaries. He is gives only one hope, that if he finds his way home he may stay there and 'reenter play'. Jamie visits worlds of nomadic peoples, war, jungles, and even cannabilism. He eventually makes friends with Helen and Joris, other lost Homeward Boundaries with a bitter hatred of Them. This trio and other friends make a plan to overthrow Them once and for all to put the worlds back to normal... but will it be enough?
The Homeward Bounders was one of Dianna Wynne Jones' more serious novels, with discussions on hope, reality, friendship, and having a place to call home. I loved the creative multi-universe setting and the way the book grabs your attention and doesn't let go. The ending was anything but happily ever after, but satisfying all the same.

I have a very high opinion of Diana Wynne Jones because of her self-evident awesomeness as a writer. Most of the books I have read by her also feature awesome heroines in the role of protagonist and/or narrator. The Homeward Bounders does not. However, in the spirit of promoting well-rounded reading and since Jones is already a perennial CLW favorite, I present my first Chick Lit Wednesday review with a hero instead of a heroine as the main character.

"Have you ever heard of the Flying Dutchman? No? Nor of the Wandering
Jew? Well, it doesn't matter. I'll tell you about them in the right
place; and about Helen and Joris, Adam and Konstam, and Vanessa, the
sister Adam wanted to sell as a slave. They were all Homeward Bounders
like me. And I'll tell you about Them too, who made us that way."

The Homeward Bounders is the rare type of book where the first paragraph shown above tells readers everything they can expect from it. For those who would like further elaboration, though, I offer my own summary.

The first twelve years of Jamie's life were pretty great. Unfortunately it goes downhill after some badly timed exploring when Jamie finds himself in a mysterious garden that seems to have passed notice by his entire city. Inside the garden, in a building hidden from prying eyes, mysterious hooded figures lurk playing a strange game with the entire world as their game board.

Seeing Them at play, Jamie is discarded as a random factor left to wander the Bounds lest he corrupt the games' integrity. His only hope is to find his own world at which time Jamie can "reenter play" and get back to the life and family he left behind.

Unfortunately, getting Home isn't quite as easy as Jamie as thought. Drifting from world to world, it seems impossible to find the right one. (If this premise sounds at all like the 1990s TV show Sliders that's because it is. Written in 1981, I have a strong suspicion that the show's creators were familiar with this title.) Eventually, despite his literal detachment from any world he lands on, Jamie does find some allies. Along with Helen and Joris, children lost like him yet at the same time, nothing like children from Jamie's Home, Jamie sets out to stop Them once and for all so that perhaps, he and the rest of the Homeward Bounders can finally rest.

The premise of The Homeward Bounders was interesting to read. It was impressive when I realized the the opening so neatly outlined the ensuing plot. That said, the book never grabbed my full attention the way other books so often do. While Jamie is extremely likable and clever, his first-person narration always felt like it was at a distance, which in a way is fair since the entire story is set up as a dictation. Toward the halfway point, my interest began to lag in direct proportion to the diminished action.

It's a strange comparison, but this novel reads very similarly to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, like that Old English classics The Homeward Bounders is fundamentally an exercise in story telling. Jamie is telling readers his story, when he meets new allies he shares his story, they in turn explain their own path to becoming Homeward Bounders. While the story is dramatic, it is not action packed. The ending is also not all rosy greetings and victory parades.

On the other hand, Jones presents here a strong, literary fantasy novel with a great boy as the main character. An excellent choice for any students looking for suitable independent reading books in school.

A well-crafted book like this has literary merit long before most YA fiction was considered to be of much merit at all. The mythic background of this book is tremendously evocative to me. A former reviewer mentioned the Christ symbolism of one of the characters - this is simply false - the chained up nameless character is Prometheus, the bringer of fire to humanity.

Reflecting in the mood of the multiverse an odd and endearing British Empire view of the universe, the tropes of the "bounds", the conspiratorial THEM, the mythic depths, and the presence of a cosmic game, combined with the sombre mood of the plot - all of these give this book great merit as one of DWJ's strongest works.

You could say it's a collage of myths - that can be a good or a bad thing depending on whether like myself you have fallen in love with the mythic elements. I have read this book countless times since I was very small and still enjoy it, so this is my cheerful recommendation.

Homeward Bounders is a science fiction/ fantasy type book. We can easily relate to the main character, as he searches to return to Earth. He journeys thrugh many worlds meeting friends and foes alon gthe way. This book has some older legends interegated into it such as the greek Prometheus chained to the rock. The ending is not a typical happily ever after ending but our protagonist chooses a lonley path.

Overall it a great book, just makes you a bit sad at the end.

It is true. I had to resort to paying an outrageous price to get my hands on a copy.As far as I'm concerned, Diana Wynne Jones is worth her weight in many precious substances, and so I was quite happy to do so. I read this at one sitting (ignoring everything around me,including work,phone,and other humans.) Strange behaviour for a responsible adult you may think.Not when it comes to this author.I am spellbound by this womans creativity, imagination, and skill. This was different once again from her other works. She creates worlds within worlds, layers within layers, as always but in this story she does so literally. What wonderful worlds, what great characters, what strange twists and turns.It all begins at The Old Fort, where are found Masters of the Real and Ancient Game. In other words,"THEM".From that point on,it is US or THEM,and it would seem that THEY have the power. The power to transport others far from home,to play with time and space,to control and punish, to decide the destiny of all other worlds and all other beings,and to silence the voice of truth.And THEY cheat. Does this plot sound familiar? Not in the capable hands of Diana Wynne Jones. She can always be counted on to surprise and delight and captivate her readers, no matter what age. Detail is so rich, there is always humour, and you can depend on unpredictability and surprise.I love the characters she creates. They live for me. I want to know them, to adventure with them, to talk with them. Do yourself a favour. If you can, get a copy of this and sit down to enjoy one of the greatest writers of fantasy of all time. If you can't find this one,read another. Her work is too good to miss, no matter what your age.

Jamie is a twelve year old boy in a 19th century British city, until he takes an interest in a building called the Old Fort. He learns that beings within, known as Them, are gaming with the people in the world as pawns. For his trouble, he is thrown out to the Bounds, different worlds, which are also being used as gameboards. He is told that if he can find his way home, he can stay there, yet as he ages incredibly slowly, he cannot find his way. He does meet up with others in the same situation--the Wandering Jew, the Flying Dutchman and his crew, and others, and lastly, two other children, Helen and Joris. Finally, they form a plan to fight back . . .

A great and inventive book. It really isn't like any other book I've ever read. The plot is unique.

It leaves you thinking.

The single puzzle, the identity of the chained one, should not form any difficulty for anyone on the high school level or higher. Apparently Jamie never had mythology in school . . .

Read it. You won't regret it.

I discovered this book a few years ago after my mom took me to a book store, and told me to get some books. It follows a twelve year old boy as he travels through other worlds in hopes of someday making it back home. The characters are great, and the plot is even better. I love how Diana Wynne Jones describes the other worlds/dimensions. It is a thought provoking book. the only problem i have with it is that at some points it's hard to follow, and it starts out a bit slow. Other than that, this book is fantastic and has become one of my favorites.

The Homeward Bounders gives you shivers down your spine! The plot centres around a boy from our world who sees something he shouldn't and is sent off on a tour of the worlds. He's been promised that if he finds "home" he can stay there. His hope is the only thing that keeps him going on his dangerous and lonely journey. But will his hopes ever be fulfilled? This is a book which is really funny in parts, but awfully sad in others. It's a book that makes you think.