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A review by ihateprozac
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
5.0
I read a couple of the Chrestomanci books as a child (I think it was probably #3 and #4), and loved them dearly so I figured I'd re-read the series in full when I was older. Theyre just as wonderful and lush as I remember, and Diana Wynne Jones paints a beautiful and intriguing picture of these multiple magic-filled worlds. She's able to create great fictional characters that incite intense feelings in the reader, whether it be total hatred or total empathy.
A great example of this was Cat/Eric's sister Gwendolen. I hated her with a passion, and at times I was literally sitting there and fuming as I read about her despicable activities. At first she just annoyed the hell out of me for being an obnoxious, spoiled brat, but then as the extent of her evil antics was gradually revealed, I found my hatred for her growing to the point where I found myself wanting to stab a fictional character. She wasn't just obnoxious, she was truly fricken repulsive. The way she preyed on her brother was horrific >=| *stabs*
But with that being sad, the way Cat/Eric constantly submitted to his sister was annoying as well. In the end he got her back and he finally grew a bit stronger, but it was painful to see him being such a submissive little child along the way. I just wanted to poke him and yell "MAN UP", and I was behind Janet all the way when she yelled at him to stop defending his manipulative sister.
Overall, another great book from Diana Wynne Jones, and I cant wait to dive into the next one. She creates wonderful characters that I cant help but get attached to - even if I utterly hate them - and her worlds are figuratively and literally magical. They're great childrens books, but they have an element to them that makes them also readable for adults.
A great example of this was Cat/Eric's sister Gwendolen. I hated her with a passion, and at times I was literally sitting there and fuming as I read about her despicable activities. At first she just annoyed the hell out of me for being an obnoxious, spoiled brat, but then as the extent of her evil antics was gradually revealed, I found my hatred for her growing to the point where I found myself wanting to stab a fictional character. She wasn't just obnoxious, she was truly fricken repulsive. The way she preyed on her brother was horrific >=| *stabs*
But with that being sad, the way Cat/Eric constantly submitted to his sister was annoying as well. In the end he got her back and he finally grew a bit stronger, but it was painful to see him being such a submissive little child along the way. I just wanted to poke him and yell "MAN UP", and I was behind Janet all the way when she yelled at him to stop defending his manipulative sister.
Overall, another great book from Diana Wynne Jones, and I cant wait to dive into the next one. She creates wonderful characters that I cant help but get attached to - even if I utterly hate them - and her worlds are figuratively and literally magical. They're great childrens books, but they have an element to them that makes them also readable for adults.