Customer Reviews

House of Many Ways

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Charmain Baker lives in the small, shabby realm of High Norland. (Her age is not stated, but I imagined her to be about twelve.) Her father runs a successful pastry shop; her mother has a nouveau-riche obsession with propriety. Both treat Charmain as though she is made of glass. They've indulged her bookishness to the point that, when she is called upon to house-sit for an eccentric uncle-by-marriage, Charmain is as helpless at washing and drying dishes as she is at managing her newly-discovered magical talent.

In the meantime, the elderly King and his almost as elderly daughter, the Princess Hilda (whom we met briefly in Castle in the Air), are frantically attempting to save their country. For hundreds of years High Norland has been leaking prosperity, morale, and any sense of security. Now almost nothing is left.

Charmain, who has grown up oblivious to all this, on a whim writes to the King offering to help in the Royal Library. She figures that hundreds of other Norlandi kids have done the same thing, and doesn't expect to hear back from him.

But she does, and soon finds herself with two jobs--in both of which she is way in over her head.

Charmain learns that some dark and dangerous creatures live right outside of town, in particular the insectile lubbock, which claims to own High Norland and everybody in it. Jones knows how to show the face of pure evil, and she does so fearlessly--although always with a light touch.

The Princess Hilda, meanwhile, has called in an old friend and the best fighter-of-evil she knows, the sorceress Sophie Pendragon. Sophie brings along her son Morgan, now in his terrible twos, her fire demon "Sir Calcifer," and her husband Howl, who wasn't officially invited because he is already somebody else's Royal Wizard, and the rather passive King believes it would be "poaching" to use him. Howl's affronted, and behaves accordingly; just when you thought he could not be any more endearingly obnoxious or outrageous than he already is, Howl surprises you!

Great characters, many twists and turns, and much food for thought: House of Many Ways is another fascinating novel from a uniquely gifted writer.

If books are like the food we must have, then Diana Wynne Jones' House of Many Ways is a bit a like a cream bun and a bit like the meaty pasties from the bake shop of Charmaine Baker's dad. How tasty! How quickly they go down! Perhaps, like Mr. Baker's, they are written with some kind of helpful enchantment because we always seem to come away happy but yearning again soon for another dose of Jones' perfect brand of English magic.

Perhaps one of the reasons that Jones' books are so charming is that one of their important elements is not heroics or dragons or kings of ancient lineage -- although she can use those at will -- but balance, a fine tuned ecological balance between creatures, magical or otherwise, who behave as they ought. Master of the roller coaster plot, Jones uses magic to restore that balance and return her world to harmony in the tidiest way by the end of the book. No wonder we begin now on the countdown for the next.

Charmain's mother doesn't ever let her do anything that's not respectable--not laundry, not cooking and certainly not magic. But when her Great-Uncle William (a famous wizard) gets sick, no one in the family wants to take care of his house, so Charmain is volunteered for the job. She doesn't mind; in fact, it's her chance to leave home and apply for her dream of working in the king's library. Nearly as soon as she arrives, Charmain's Great-Uncle is whisked off to be treated by elves, leaving her alone with dirty dishes, piles of laundry, a small white dog named Waif and a magical house which at first glance only has two rooms, but in fact the right turn could take you anywhere from the bathroom to the stables--and the wrong turn could leave you horribly lost. Charmain thinks she will have plenty of time to do some reading while her Great-Uncle is away, but instead finds herself dealing with an exasperating wizard apprentice named Peter who suddenly shows up at the doorstep, angry kobolds, spells that go wrong, a sinister blue insect-like creature called a lubbock, and the mystery of the kingdom's emptying treasury.

Diana Wynne Jones just seems to keep getting better as time goes on. Her recent additions to the Chrestomanci series were amazing, so when I heard that there was a new addition to the Howl's Moving Castle series I was excited. Like the first sequel, Castle in the Air (1990), Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer aren't the main characters--they show up at nearly the halfway point to help the king figure out why his gold has disappeared and play mainly supporting (but indispensable) roles. As much as I love seeing Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer again, I didn't mind that this was a book about Charmain and not about them. Charmain's story was fun to read and I really liked her as a narrator. I also absolutely loved her Great-Uncle's house. It would be fantastic to live in a place like that! In fact, my only complaint is that I often read Charmain's name as Chairman, which confused me whenever I did it (it made me picture a man in a business suit, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the story). This is a small complaint, though, and Jones acknowledges how confusing Charmain's name is, since many of the other characters end up thinking Charmain's name is "Charming" (as in, Charming Baker instead of Charmain Baker).

Although House of Many Ways can stand alone, to get the full experience you should read the first two books in the series (though I did like this one a lot more than Castle in the Air). Fans of Diana Wynne Jones won't be disappointed by her latest book: it's as funny, charming, and addicting as the rest of her works.

I always look forward to any new Diana Wynne Jones books, but I have to admit they are a hit or miss. Most of her stories are fun to read, but some are so off the wall and unbelievable, they become too awkward to read. "House of Many Ways" fell completely between hit and miss, leaning more closely toward miss. It definitely was not one of Jones' better reads. For one thing, calling this a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle is a stretch. When I saw this book on the shelf, I liked the description enough to want to read it. But I hadn't read Howl's yet, so I bought that one too. Howl's Moving Castle was very cool. It was so enjoyable, I expected the "sequel" to surpass it. It didn't, not by a long shot. Sophie and Howl showed up about 3/4 of the way through the book, but they were both out of character and seemed forced into the storyline.

The scant roles of Howl and Sophie were a minor annoyance for me and not really enough to drop my five stars to four. The reasons for the lower rating had to do with the extremely weak plot (or lack of one), awkwardness of the story flow, and my dislike for the two main characters. Neither Charmain nor Peter were very likeable. She was irritating beyond belief, and he had very few distinguishable features (not very promising for an apprentice). Charmain's dialect was almost freakish (i.e. "Oh bother!" Was this an English teenager or Winnie the Pooh?). I know she was supposed to represent someone who was raised obsessively respectable, but I winced every time the girl had a thought. Peter, too, was hard to swallow. His character wasn't solidly developed. He showed up as a small boy, but Charmain sees that he has whiskers, so we are left to wonder...is he a teenager? A young man? A 12-year-old with a jump start on puberty? The plot itself was sporadic, confusing, and just as underdeveloped as the characters. When you open a book, the first questions you ask yourself (subconsciously) are, "Why am I here? What's the goal of this book?" House of Many Ways had no apparent goal. First you think the plot is about Great-Uncle William's labyrinth of a house (like Howl's house with all the door destinations). Then you think it might have to do with the Lubbock that chases Charmain. Or it could be that the main plot was about Peter or the dog or the kobold. But then you leave the house and all the action occurs in the castle, where Sophie and Howl appear, acting very strangely through a side-plot that the reader is not immediately let in on. The whole thing was entirely too confusing and more cartoonish than Bugs Bunny.

The reason my rating is a 4 and not lower is because of the author. Diana Wynne Jones has a prime imagination. Normally, she can tell a pretty entertaining story. So she's not an amateur. She knows what she's doing. House of Many Ways, however, seemed like a rushed job, like she had a great idea but didn't take the time to sort out the bugs.

If you are a fan, I would recommend adding House of Many Way to your collection. If you are new at Jones' books, I'd suggest starting with the Merlin Conspiracy or one of the Chrestomanci books.

Like many seniors, my attentions have shifted recently from life at college to life after. In my own case, that means thinking about the start of rigorous librarian training which others might know more commonly as graduate school. Since I've consequently been thinking even more about libraries than usual, I decided to focus on two of my favorite things for my latest CLW review here: fantasies and libraries. Specifically, Diana Wynne Jones' newest fantasy novel House of Many Ways due out from Harper Collins in June 2008, which centers on an aspiring librarian of sorts.

Surprisingly few recent fantasy novels feature libraries. After some deep thought, I could only come up with The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and Lirael by Garth Nix. I am going to go out on a limb and say that "House of Many Ways" does a better job as a fantasy novel with a library angle than either of those books.

House of Many Ways is Jones' third novel featuring Howl and Sophie, following Howl's Moving Castle from 1986 (also a movie adaptation made by Hayao Miyazaki in 2004) and Castle in the Air from 1990. Although all of these novels stand alone very nicely, certain nuances of the story will make more sense if you read the novels in sequence. Certain characters' cameo appearances will also be more satisfying with the background afforded by reading all three novels.

This particular story starts in High Norland with Charmain Baker. Born to lovely parents determined to make their daughter respectable, Charmain is ill equipped for almost everything besides eating and reading--a fact that has escaped the notice of her parents and doesn't much bother Charmain.

The only problem with her tame existence is that Charmain is unable to do the one thing she has always, desperately, wanted to do: work in the royal library with the elderly Princess Hilda and her even more elderly father, the king of High Norland.

As part of her plan to gain entry to the library, Charmain agrees to watch the royal wizard's house while he undergoes treatment from elves for a mysterious illness. Upon her arrival at the house, it becomes clear that this house-sitting venture will be more than Charmain had expected what with the angry kobolds and the sudden arrival of the wizard's new apprentice, Peter. It may, however, also be exactly what she needs.

There are a lot of reasons that I like this book and its predecessors in the series. Diana Wynne Jones has a particularly charming writing style that is both cozy and engaging. There is something decidedly old fashioned about the prose, ranging from the chapter titles reminiscent of those found in E. M. Forster's A Room With a View to the swift and casual narration so similar to the voice Jane Austen favored in her novels. At the same time, amazingly, Jones integrates elements of the fantastic like magic and wizards and elves without ever seeming outlandish or contrived.

House of Many Ways is a particularly appealing title, by an already well-liked artist. First and foremost, for obvious reasons, I like that Charmain is a bookish character who wants to work in a library. The other characters that populate this novel, including some from both Howl's Moving Castle and Castle in the Air, are original and appealing though not by any means perfect.

Even Charmain, the novel's heroine, has moments where she is quite mistaken about a variety of things. Happily, never long enough to become problematic for readers. At the same time, it is refreshing that Charmain is utterly useless despite her being so well read. When she arrives at the wizard's house she cannot cook, wash clothes, or do many other things that most people take for granted.

This story is about magic and a fair bit of adventure. But it is also about what every college senior has to think about sooner or later: being an adult. As the novel progresses, Charmain learns about more than books and magic, she learns how to grow up and take care of herself, even when that means admitting she might need some help.

This book is a fine sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, which I had adored for its cleverness in tapping into and expanding the fairy tale genre. I had longed for some continuation of Sophie and Howl's quirky adventures and was pleased to find it here. Although House of Many Ways does not hold the delightful surprises for me that I had found in its prequel, it is an engaging read in itself.

House of Many ways features a new central character, Charmain Baker, who is penned with charming accuracy (pun deliberate, and capitalized upon a great deal in the book). This accurately depicted teenager loves to read --indeed prefers reading all other activities--and thus ironically has select extensive knowledge of unusual topics but also extreme ignorance of more practical activities. The book reveals and capitalizes upon, in a mocking but loving way, the odd selectivity of knowledge young bookworms carry. The ways in which Charmain is shown to alternate between smugness at the usefulness of her book-knowledge and frustration at her life-ignorance strike me as particularly insightful.

If you are familiar with and enjoy reading other works of Diana Wynne Jones, you will find House of Many Ways an absorbing, delightful read. If you enjoyed Howl's Moving Castle, you will find it doubly rewarding.

I have been a HUGE fan of "Howl's Moving Castle" for a very long time, and when I heard that Diana Wynne Jones wrote a "Sequel" to it; I freaked out! Finally I might get my Howl fix that I've been dying for and was so horribly deprived of in "Castle in the Air" a "continuation" I think it was called of "Howl's Moving Castle".
Sadly, I was once again, deprived, disappointed, and ultimately feeling depressed and wanting more at the end of the book! While this book is no way near as good as "Howl's Moving Castle" I must say it was definitely much better than "Castle in the Air"
The main story which was about a girl called Charmain (When it SHOULD have been about Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer; this is a sequel for crying out loud!) was much more interesting and entertaining than the story about Abdullah from "Castle in the Air"
But, like I said, I found myself desperately wanting more of Howl! Everytime the characters from "Howl's Moving Castle" entered the story it was hillarious, enjoyable, and brought be back to the book I loved so much! They delivered in every appearance they made (which was very few) reminding me why I loved it so much. But just as you were getting into their characters you were torn away from them just as quickly and abruptly as in "Castle in the Air"
So, all in all, it was a relatively good book, Charmain, Waif, and Peter's stories were relatively interesting, and the plots were pretty good as well. I would reccommend this book if you are also starving for more Howl & Sophie; you will get your appetite fed SLIGHTLY, but in the end feel completely empty and wanting more!
Nonetheless, It was very nice to see Sophie and Howl again, and I'm falling in love with their mischievous son Morgan! (he's definitely taking after Howl) Calcifer also made a wonderful appearance in the book as well, and Sophie is still headstrong, beautiful, and as irritated with Howl as ever! and I'm going to take all that I can get!
In the end, I just have ONE thing to request of Diana Wynne Jones; Please, PLEASE, I beg! Write a REAL sequel to "Howl's Moving Castle" that is ALL about Howl, Sophie, Calcifer, (and gosh, don't forget!) Michael!, and of course their son Morgan!!

This is the third book in Diana Wynne Jones' Howliverse, after Howl's Moving Castle and Castle in the Air. The Howl characters (Sophie, Howl and Calcifer) feature much more in this book than they did in Castle in the Air,- to me, that was a huge plus. Particularly because I didn't care for the main character, Charmain. She's pretty much a brat through most of the book and not very warm at all. And I kept reading her name as Chairman, not Charmain. The first half of the book is pretty slow- nothing much seems to happen until about 150 pages in (which is when Sophie shows up with her family). But after that, it's a madcap ride.

Howl, as usual, steals the show. This time, he spends most of the book as a lisping and precocious four-year-old who wants everyone to tell him how pretty he is. His lisp is absolutely hilarious because he makes sure to use as many words with the letter s in them as possible, probably just to annoy his much put-upon wife. A stroke (thtroke?) of genius on Diana Wynne Jones' part- it was great.

I didn't find any of the other characters quite as winsome, though. Charmain grows into a bit of a better person at the end, but she's still pretty selfish. And Peter, her great-uncle's apprentice, could have had a much bigger role but was swept to the side. And one quibble many readers have with DWJ is her propensity to spend about three paragraphs at the end of her books sweepingly cleaning up any mess and muddle her characters have gotten into, so that everything ends neatly. I also find this slightly annoying. But it's important to remember, also, that DWJ's target audience is mostly children- and children's books usually end neatly and happily. Just because adults love DWJ as well, and delve into her books, doesn't mean that she should write to cater to that audience. But once in a while, it would be nice to have things end in a slightly more open-ended manner.

However, that's a minor point against what is a really fun and engaging read. Definitely a great one to bring a smile to your face- here's hoping DWJ takes us back to the Howliverse again, hopefully without too long a wait before the next book!

I have loved Diana Wynne Jones for years (gad! over 25 of them). Each book is a unique pearl, well written, engaging, and delightful fun. I heartily recommend all of her work and this one is no exception to that. Delightful.

A few years ago, Hayao Miyazaki made a gorgeous anime movie based on the classic fantasy novel "Howl's Moving Castle," about a wizard and the artificially-aged girl who falls for him.

It must have made Diana Wynne Jones nostalgic for her flamboyantly-dressed, quirky wizard hero and his little family, because he plays a pivotal role in "The House of Many Ways." And the rest of the book is the kind of work Jones has been producing for many years -- a complex, tight little plot full of magical mysteries and bizarre problems, and at least one gutsy adolescent hero.

When the Wizard of High Norland falls ill and has to be hospitalized by elves, his great-great-niece-by-marriage Charmain is roped into taking care of his cottage.

But Charmain has a rather difficult time with the magical cottage and all the odd spells it contains. She also struggles with the cooking, cleaning, vast seas of soapsuds, a timid dog, a tribe of angry kobolds, and the arrival of Uncle William's new apprentice Peter -- who never gets magic quite right. In the middle of all this, she finds that she has a new job working with the King in his library.

But there are no fewer problems in the King's mansion, where Charmain is ordered to find information on something called the Elfgift. And the sorceress Sophie Pendragon -- along with her toddler, fire demon and cutesy, too-smart "nephew" -- have arrived to do some investigating as well. But even with powerful wizards nearby, this conspiracy's key may lie with Charmain -- and the vile magical creature lurking near the House of Many Ways...

It's been almost twenty years since Diana Wynne Jones last visited Howl, Sophie, Calcifer and the magical moving castle -- although they're presented so freshly in this book that you wouldn't know they'd ever been gone. And though Charmain is indisputably the heroine of this piece, she still gets the spotlight stolen by Howl -- or "Twinkle" -- whenever he appears.

And around this, Jones crafts a complex plot full of magical Elfgifts, missing gold, elves and a very suspicious heir to the throne. There are various minor plot threads, puzzles and developments that don't seem very important at the time, only to have Jones suddenly weave them all together. And I'll say this -- she knows how to spin up a brilliant fictional conspiracy.

And it's written in Jones' signature style, with plenty of English villages, castles, and wizards, and plenty of mildly eccentric characters -- not to mention the forays through the various space'n'time-bending doorways. Plus a wacky sense of humor, of course ("How DARE you do that! I'm not used to it!"). Charmain produces most of this, with her disastrous (and bubbly!) attempts at keeping house.

Charmain is a pretty good heroine for the book -- she loves books and dogs, and has been living with a mother who thinks magic and housework aren't nice or respectable. You can guess how long that lasts. And she works well alongside the understandably irritable Peter, a likable kid who has more real-world experience than Charmain has ever had.

And then there's the Howl Brigade -- our favorite wizard spends most of the book disguised as a truly nauseating, golden-curled, lisping child, which understandably drives Sophie crazy. His cleverness, power and vanity are undiminished, but it's a relief when "Twinkle" stops lisping. And the fire demon Calcifer gets to play a pivotal role in the story.

If there's a flaw, it's that the villains aren't terribly menacing, except for the grotesque insectile lubbock -- most of whose menace is biological. But hey, at least they aren't meant to be menacing -- just creepy and subversive.

"The House of Many Ways" could as easily be called "The Story of Many Ways" -- a brilliant, sparkling book full of fantastical humor and mystery. Definitely a must-read.