Comments on: March Magics: The Lives of Christopher Chant

By: Cee Arr @ DORA

Cee Arr @ DORA — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 16:07:00 +0000

I don’t know whether this is one I’ve read… it’s been so long since I read these books that they’ve kind of merged together in my head! I might have… I don’t know. I’ve definitely read Witch Week and Charmed Life… even though I can’t remember which one of those includes the match book with the boy and his sister… it’s one of them, I’m sure!

By: Deborah O'Carroll

Deborah O'Carroll — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 18:27:00 +0000

“Christopher, who will one day grow up to be the Chrestomanci of maddening vagueness and extravagant dressing gowns” <– that right there, one of my favorite descriptions ever. XD Excellent.

I read this one second (after Charmed Life) and I remember enjoying it but not as much as some of the others in the series… on my first read. I just reread the whole series and this one I loved phenomenally more than the first time! Funny how DWJ can do that sometimes. But I love all her books I've read, they just get even better the second time. 😀

By: Marisa @ Dreaming Out Loud

Marisa @ Dreaming Out Loud — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 07:43:00 +0000

“The Lives of Christopher Chant does this narrative trick to which Diana Wynne Jones is very prone, where the child protagonist fundamentally misunderstands important things about himself, the world around him, and the choices he’s making. ”

THIS. It’s one of my favourite DWJ things, besides the awful caretakers/parents thing.

By: Kristen M.

Kristen M. — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 01:49:00 +0000

After reading Charmed Life and this back to back yet again, I definitely agree that this is the better entry into the series. Charmed Life is just so dark and angsty. I mean, the things Gwendolen is willing to do to her own brother are HORRID, especially the final plan in the moving garden. This one has peril but isn’t so dark. It’s a much easier story to love, especially with Tacroy and Millie versus Julia and Roger.

By: Kim Aippersbach

Kim Aippersbach — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 00:45:00 +0000

Oh, yes, a good dose of Chrestomanci would go down well right now! You know, I think I might get the whole lot of them (there are 7—I don’t think I knew that) for my Kindle. It would be reassuring to have a selection of DWJ on my phone in case of emergencies.

By: Jeane Nevarez

Jeane Nevarez — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 15:57:00 +0000

I have still only read one book in the series- which is sad because I really enjoyed it! Glad you have reminded me to get back to DWJ, sooner rather than later.

By: =Tamar

=Tamar — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 03:22:00 +0000

In reply to Jeanne. Chrestomanci didn't spank her, Michael did, and by the end of the book, you find out what Chrestomanci already knew about her.

By: Cecelia

Cecelia — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 22:23:00 +0000

I think it’s quite possible that I never read this one (or I read it in such a hurry that nothing “stuck,” so to speak). My first DWJ was THE MERLIN CONSPIRACY, which I found in a bookshop in Sevilla while I was busy being very miserable (getting over my first serious heartbreak while studying abroad, as one does). I do remember reading at least 5 of these Chant books in very quick succession, but it’s clear I must go back to them…

By: Laila@BigReadingLife

Laila@BigReadingLife — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 17:46:00 +0000

You know how you have weird reading gaps in your reading life, and somehow miss the entirety of an author’s work? That’s me and Diana Wynne Jones. I don’t know how I missed them. The only thing I can think is that as a child, I wasn’t really drawn to fantasy at all, and instead read lots of “realistic” juvenile fiction and mysteries. I think when I feel in the mood for middle-grade fiction I’m gonna try her out.

By: Stefanie@SoManyBooks

Stefanie@SoManyBooks — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 17:44:00 +0000

Throgmorton, now that’s a name for what sounds like a very substantial cat!