Would anyone like to enthuse/reminisce about Diana Wynne Jones with me?

[SarahAndQuack]

I've just curled up with 'A Tale of Time City' and am remember how much I loved all her books when I was little. I really enjoy how as an adult they still 'work'. I especially like all the little in-jokes that you don't necessarily pick up on as a child.

Anyone else? Do you have a favourite?

I’ve recently re-read Howl’s Moving Castle, House of Many Ways, Enchanted Glass and Fire and Hemlock, which must be my favourites, I’ve read them so many times!

I love the way she can combine humour and the absurd, but at the same time convey utter seriousness, with characters who are whimsical but real - not caricatures of people.

My triumvirate of the best children’s writers ever would be Alan Garner, Susan Cooper and Diana Wynne-Jones. Not that there aren’t other wonderful writers for young people, but those three are special to me.

Fire and Hemlock. I love it and could read it again and again.

Oh I LOVED A Tale of Time City. Haven’t thought about that for years! Thank you for the reminder. Is it still enjoyable to read as an adult?

Fire and Hemlock is my favourite. I think I did an English degree because of that book.

I loved The Ogre Downstairs.

My favourite is Archer's Goon. I prefer the ones for 9ish year olds than the older ones. I need to reread Fire and Hemlock as I really didn't understand the ending as a child.
The Time of the Witch was super creepy, she was so good at atmospheric stuff.

Ooh, yes, dance, I love Howl as a character! And Sophie even more so. Such a great sequence. And yes, Alan Garner and Susan Cooper. I am so envious of people who've not read their stuff. It was a great period for children's lit when they were writing.

musical - well, I enjoyed it! I do read a lot of children's fiction. It's not her most grown-up, but I still found it quite fun. And I liked little touches that feel real to an adult - about the endless ceremonies in Time City; that sort of thing.

broomstick - ha, I know the feeling! I think Hexwood was a bit like that for me. Took me into the awkward corners of Arthurian romance to figure out where she was getting it all from. Of course, her husband was a famous medieval scholar so they must have chatted all the time.

christmas - ooh, yes! I didn't read that until I was an adult but it's really enjoyable. With, now, the bonus that it's so very 'of its time'. The magical bits haven't dated but the ideas of the big brother sneaking out to the disco really have!

Charmed life, howl’s moving castle and the dalemark quartet we’re my childhood favourites. I still have my whole collection and read them regularly 🥰

juni, I've never read The Time of the Witch! I didn't realise there were any I'd missed. Thank you.

(I love Archer's Goon too. It is properly laugh-out-loud funny.)

Witch week. First one I read. Haven't read any Diana WJ for 30 years but absolutely loved her books

Oh I loved her books. I've read Howl's Moving Castle and the Chrestomanci books so many times.

The Magicians of Caprona was probably my favourite. I loved the idea of whole families of wizards. I liked the nods to Romeo and Juliet as well.

@danteinferno - ooh, yes, the Dalemark Quartet is wonderful. I love the richness of the world she imagines. Especially the way in The Spellcoats, that she has a frame story about the coats being discovered preserved in the bog, like Iron Age treasures. It's so clever.

polka - YY, Magicians of Caprona is fantastic! I remember my mum reading it with my little brother when he was Tonino's sort of age and very dyslexic, and I think it is a really clever way to communicate to a child that you could seem to be very slow at something but actually, you're just doing it in your own way.

I’m feeling sooooo nostalgic now. Tomorrow night I’m going to start reading my copies to my 6yr old at bed time

Sarah - It's 'The Time of the Ghost', my mistake.

Yes!! She is an underrated genius. My favourite has to be Fire and Hemlock, but I don’t think she ever wrote a dud book. The Ogre Downstairs and Archer’s Goon can still make me laugh out loud. Witch Week is both hilarious and incredibly astute about bullying and fear of the ‘other’. Homeward Bounders is brilliant on authority and being an outsider.

God, I love Diana Wynne Jones.

Oh, that'll be lovely!

My DD is 21 months and I am already trying to work out how soon I can legitimately pretend I am reading them 'to' her rather than 'at' her.

Love her. Especially Chrestomanci and especially Caprona.
Her adult books are great too..

Lurk

Fire and Hemlock ♥️

Did you all read Fire & Hemlock as adults or kids/teenagers? I think I was too young to appreciate some of the subtleties.

Still love the Chrestomanci books

I loved her too. I read charmed life to DS (11) last summer as he reads very little fiction but does like Harry Potter. He enjoyed having them read to him (and has listened to as audio since) but not enough to keep reading when I left the room.

Can't believe no one has mentioned the Outward Bounders! Re read that to my dds a few years ago, as well as Fire and Hemlock! Loved those books as a kid!

I first read Fire and Hemlock probably as a young teenager. I think I'm still finding new things to enjoy/understand each time I read it.
I also love the Chrestomanci books.

Another Fire and Hemlock lover here. I even pursued a Tamlin (successfully) on a joint school trip purely because of that book.

Loved the Chrestomanci books too, I think "Charmed Life" is my favourite. "Witch Week" was the first I read with help from my dm so a long time ago and I still have the books, just need ds and dd to get old enough to read them.