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Charmed Life (Essential Modern Classics) [Paperback]

Diana Wynne Jones (Author)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: 28 May 2009 | Series: Essential Modern Classics

Glorious new rejacket of a Diana Wynne Jones classic award-winning favourite, featuring Chrestomanci – now a book with extra bits!

Everybody says that Gwendolyn Chant is a gifted witch with astonishing powers, so it suits her enormously when she is taken to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Her brother Eric (better known as Cat) is not so keen, for he has no talent for magic at all.

However, life with the great enchanter is not what either of them expects and sparks begin to fly!

Winner of the Guardian Award.

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Glorious new rejacket of a Diana Wynne Jones classic award-winning favourite, featuring Chrestomanci – now a book with extra bits!

However, life with the great enchanter is not what either of them expects and sparks begin to fly!

Winner of the Guardian Award.

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Product details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks; New Ed edition (28 May 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0007255292
ISBN-13: 978-0007255290
Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 19.4 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 33,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #13 in Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators > J > Jones, Diana Wynne

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Product Description

Amazon Review

Every saga has a beginning. Every journey has a first step...And so it is with the magical "Worlds of Chrestomanci" which English fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones began so many years ago with her own episode one--Charmed Life.

Winner of the Guardian Award for Children's Books, Charmed Life has been a favourite escape to parallel fantastical worlds since 1977, and remains refreshingly captivating and reassuringly addictive in its latest paperback edition with a wonderful new jacket illustration.

The adventure begins in a strange and not-quite contemporary England that is still peppered with paddle steamers, horse-drawn carriages and girls wearing petticoats. Orphans Eric Chant (nicknamed Cat) and his sister Gwendolen, a gifted witch, are whisked away to live in a castle with Chrestromanci, a much-revered man of magic, wealth and mysterious ways. Their new life is full of the surreal and unexpected, and there are several crazy new rules to master--not least by Gwendolen who must learn to channel her astonishing powers for good instead of mischief as she forever seems determined to do!

Chrestomanci is a truly original creation, and Charmed Life introduces this dandy nine-lived enchanter--the king of the regal dressing gown--and his associated colourful characters in a story of pace and substance, twists and turns, treachery and bravado. There's also humour amid the author's very immediate writing, and enough puzzles and mystery to keep an inquisitive mind captivated until the very end.

Charmed Life is followed by three more full-length Chrestromanci novels--The Magicians of Caprona, Witch Week, The Lives of Christopher Chant and by a collection of short stories, Mixed Magics. All are equally inventive. (Ages 10 and over) --John McLay --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

“Truly magical – guaranteed to leave you gasping – even hotter than Potter”
The Bookseller

“Diana Wynne Jones could teach Stephen King and JK Rowling a thing or two … [she] has a skill for inserting just the right amount of detail in her written words, leaving you satiated but not stuffed.” SFX

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Customer Reviews

1 star

4.7 out of 5 stars

38 reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant addictive book!!! 23 July 2003

By Lizzy Daws

Format:Paperback

I first started reading this book because I had read 'Witch Week' and started to get addicted to it. When I got 'Charmed Life' I couldn't put it down it is brilliant!
I've read it so much the pages are going black and falling out!
Great book for Harry Potter, Hobbit and magical-fanasty fans!!
I got sort of stumped when there weren't any more books in the 'Chrestomanci Chronicles'!
But don't stop (I didn't) I read others by Diana there just as good and addictive.

Diana's books keep you reading because of the brilliance of it and make you wish there is more of it when you get to the end.

This book is my fav of the lot I've read (and I've read alot)!!!
So BUY IT NOW!!!

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic 8 May 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Don't judge this book by its ugly new cover. I first read CHARMED LIFE when I was a mere 7 years old, 18 years ago. I have been rereading it every two or three years since, and rediscovering bits to it I hadn't remembered from the last time around. This is a brilliant, witty, unexpected, endearing, interesting, fun, exciting, scary, fascinating, hilarious book, and once you've finished reading it, you'll want to rush off and read everything else ever written by Diana Wynne Jones. Don't just stick to Chrestomanci. Try ARCHER'S GOON. Or THE HOMEWARD BOUNDERS. Or HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. Do yourself a favor - stop wasting time reading my review and hurry up and get yourself a copy of this book.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely fantastic! 19 Dec 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I first picked this book up because it looked interesting and I love magical stories. I had read 'Witch Week' by Diana Wynne Jones which was enjoyable but slightly confusing, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. However once I got into it I could not put it down again. It is well written, interesting and witty and has extremely realistic characters. I would recommend this to children or adults and especially to any Harry Potter fans as all 5 'Chrestomanci' books are absolutely brilliant and are almost as good as Harry Potter. Please buy this book now and get lost in the Pure Magic of it as it is one of the best books you'll ever read!

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› See all 38 customer reviews (newest first) on Amazon.co.uk

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› Go to Amazon.com to see all 69 reviews 4.7 out of 5 stars

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating.

A well constructed and amusing story. Suitable for all ages if you have enough imagination.Thoroughly enjoyable.aand hard to put down.

Published 24 days ago by Harry Matthews

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming story

This kept me reading it. I couldn't put it down nor guess the ending. I'm encouraged to read the next one.

Published 2 months ago by Geoffrey99

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book

I first read this book when I was about 10 and loved it. I still love it now, 35 yrs later, and reread it often. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Katy May

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming!

An entertaining story about magic, spells, portals and whitchcraft! If you like all of that, it is the perfect book for you!

Published 2 months ago by Olga

5.0 out of 5 stars Charmed Life (The Chrestomanci Series, Book 1)

This is lovely charming read, can't wait to read the whole series. A refreshing take on magic that keeps you interested right up until the end.

Published 4 months ago by Julie Jenkins

4.0 out of 5 stars A 'charming' classic of children's literature

I recently re-read this Diana Wynne Jones classic, a childhood favourite of mine. And it still holds much of its old charm. Read more

Published 9 months ago by BookWorm

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant

Greetings, literary traveller, have you come across Diana Wynne Jones from the brilliant Howl's Moving Castle? Read more

Published 21 months ago by E. Dawson

4.0 out of 5 stars A Charmed Life

I have been struggling to find a new series for my 10 year old daughter to read as she is a complete bookworm. Read more

Published on 6 Jan 2011 by Jeski

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read.

I bought this book about 5 years ago (genrally because I had 'Witch Week' and I wanted the whole series, although I hadn't read it. Read more

Published on 13 April 2009 by Blue Shoes

4.0 out of 5 stars Charmed Life - what a great book !!

hey y'all- CHarmed life is a reeeaaallly good book. I like it alot cause it kinda welcomes me into the world of magic myself. Read more

Published on 15 Jan 2008 by Hillary Duffy

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