- School & Library Binding: 608 pages
- Publisher: Turtleback Books (Mar 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0613310705
- ISBN-13: 978-0613310703
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 11.1 x 4.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,750,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk 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
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Cat Chant admired his elder sister Gwen. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Cat Chant admired his elder sister Gwen. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
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.
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!!!
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
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.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci - Charmed life
Charmed life by Diana Wynne Jones is a brilliant book full of magic and mystery. If you have read the Harry Potter books and the Narnia series then you'll love this book too! Read more
Published 5 months ago by Philip Rigg
Brilliant
Greetings, literary traveller, have you come across Diana Wynne Jones from the brilliant Howl's Moving Castle? Read more
Published 9 months ago by E. Dawson
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 16 months ago by Jeski
Just plain brilliant!!
This book is impossible to put down. The first story is about Cat Chant and his evil sister. The second book is about the current Chrestomanci in the first book - Christopher Chant... Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2010
won over after meeting Christopher Chant in book 2
I bought this book for my 10 year old, as she was looking for something after reading all the Harry Potter series. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2009 by T. MCMICHAEL
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
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
a wonderful read
some books just have magic. I loved this one- far more exciting than Harry Potter which just seems repetitive! Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2006 by tiggycat
a goodun
This book is actually two books in one, there's also a second 'volume' with two more books, and several other storys which can be bought individually. Read more
Published on 23 May 2006 by P. J. Rice
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
This book has to be my faviourite of all time! I read it as a child, and although i had a rough idea of what was going to happen, Diana kept me guessing right up to the end! Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2004
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