The Lives of Christopher Chant (Chrestomanci Books) [Mass Market Paperback]

Diana Wynne Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 24, 1990

The childhood of Chrestomanci. Everything in this book happens at least twenty-five years before the story told in Charmed Life! Discovering that he has nine lives and is destined to be the next 'Chrestomanci' is not part of Christopher's plans for the future: he'd much rather play cricket and wander around his secret dream worlds. But he soon finds that destiny is difficult to avoid, and that having more than the usual number of lives is pretty inconvenient -- especially when you lose them as easily as he does! Then an evil smuggler, known only as The Wraith, threatens the ways of the worlds and forces Christopher to take action!

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Young Christopher Chant has very unusual dreams: he gets out of bed, walks to the corner of the nursery and enters a lush, green valley that can lead him to any one of the hundreds of worlds that comprise what he calls the "Almost Anywheres." Christopher doesn't tell anyone about his dreams because he thinks everyone has them. When his father loses all of his money, Christopher and his mother must go live with Uncle Ralph; he is ecstatic to learn that Christopher can bring solid objects back from the worlds he visits, and so uses him to perform some experiments. Then Christopher's father forces him to go live at Chrestomanci Castle, where Christopher is told he must become the next governing magician. Jones has written a mesmerizing account of the boyhood adventure of the famous magician who starred in Charmed Life. Her ability to mesh magic and realism results in an enthralling story about a boy just discovering his powers. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"!Her hallmarks include laugh-aloud humour, plenty of magic and imaginative array of alternate worlds. Yet, at the same time, a great seriousness is present in all of her novels, a sense of urgency that links Jones's most outrageous plots to her readers' hopes and fears!" Publishers Weekly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (March 24, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394822056
• ISBN-13: 978-0394822051
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,823,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diana Wynne Jones spent her childhood in Essex and has been writing fantasy novels for children since 1973. With her unique combination of magic, humour and imagination, she has been enthralling children and adults with her work ever since. She won the Guardian Award in 1977 with Charmed Life, was runner-up for the Children's Book Award in 1981, and was twice runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. She is married with three sons, and lives in Bristol with her husband.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harry Potter can't forget C. Chant. Neither should you., November 26, 1999

By 

W. B. Bach - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lives of Christopher Chant (A Chrestomanci Book) (Mass Market Paperback)

Diana Wynne Jones wrote the archetype that the Harry Potter series seems to be derived from in every aspect. These are funnier, constructed more carefully, and slightly more challenging. Though I haven't read these books in a while, they are the perfect foundation for cultivating a dry British wit in any 10-15 year old.

I would recommend all of DW Jones' books, but this series, Tale of Time City, and Witch week are probably her best.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was a fascinating book., March 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lives of Christopher Chant (A Chrestomanci Book) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Lives of Christopher Chant is the first book I read by Diana Wynne Jones. After a few chapters, I couldn't put it down. It inspired me to read her other books.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still my favourite Jones novel, November 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lives of Christopher Chant (A Chrestomanci Book) (Mass Market Paperback)

This was the first of the Chrestomanci books I read, and it's still my favorite. Everything about it -- from the fantastic worlds that Christopher explores, to the final battle with The Wraith -- I don't know. It just sums up everything I like about Jones' books. ps. why does the cover art of this edition show Christopher as blond and the Chrestomanci as black haired? Was this early art for Charmed Life or did the artist not read the book?