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Fantasy Stories
Diana Wynne Jones's personal choice of favorite fantasy writing is a treat for all fans - and the perfect introduction for anyone coming to this genre for the first time. This collection contains eighteen stories from some of the best fantasy writers, including: Joan Aiken, Isaac Asimov, L. Frank Baum, Elizabeth Goudge, Tove Janssen, Norton Juster, C. S. Lewis, Jane Yolen.
Contents
7 • The Peasant and the Devil • [KHM (Kinder und Hausmärchen) • 189] • (unknown) • short fiction by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (trans. of Der Bauer und der Teufel 1843) [as by The Brothers Grimm]
9 • Boris Chernevsky's Hands • (1982) • short story by Jane Yolen
20 • The Hobgoblin's Hat (excerpt from Finn Family Moomintroll) • (1950) • short fiction by Tove Jansson
31 • Ully the Piper • [Witch World Universe] • (1970) • short story by Andre Norton
45 • Milo Conducts the Dawn (excerpt from The Phantom Tollbooth) • (1961) • short fiction by Norton Juster
52 • Who Goes Down This Dark Road? • (1979) • short story by Joan Aiken
60 • The House of Harfang (excerpt from The Silver Chair) • (1953) • short fiction by C. S. Lewis
80 • Martha in the Witch's Power (excerpt from Hobberdy Dick) • (1955) • short fiction by Katharine M. Briggs [as by K. M. Briggs]
96 • Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon • (1991) • short story by Isaac Asimov
116 • The Box of Delights (excerpt) • juvenile • [Kay Harker] • (1935) • short fiction by John Masefield
123 • The Amazing Flight of the Gump (excerpt from The Land of Oz) • [Oz] • (1904) • short fiction by L. Frank Baum
137 • On the Great Wall • (1906) • short story by Rudyard Kipling
156 • The Waking of the Kraken (excerpt from Which Witch?) • (1979) • short fiction by Eva Ibbotson
166 • The Caves in the Hills (excerpt from Henrietta's House) • (1968) • short fiction by Elizabeth Goudge
182 • Bigger Than the Baker's Boy • (1902) • short story by E. Nesbit
202 • Jermain and the Sorceress (excerpt from The Seven Towers) • (1984) • short fiction by Patricia C. Wrede
208 • Una and the Red Cross Knight • (unknown) • short story by Andrew Lang
230 • What the Cat Told Me • juvenile • (1994) • novelette by Diana Wynne Jones
Contents
7 • The Peasant and the Devil • [KHM (Kinder und Hausmärchen) • 189] • (unknown) • short fiction by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (trans. of Der Bauer und der Teufel 1843) [as by The Brothers Grimm]
9 • Boris Chernevsky's Hands • (1982) • short story by Jane Yolen
20 • The Hobgoblin's Hat (excerpt from Finn Family Moomintroll) • (1950) • short fiction by Tove Jansson
31 • Ully the Piper • [Witch World Universe] • (1970) • short story by Andre Norton
45 • Milo Conducts the Dawn (excerpt from The Phantom Tollbooth) • (1961) • short fiction by Norton Juster
52 • Who Goes Down This Dark Road? • (1979) • short story by Joan Aiken
60 • The House of Harfang (excerpt from The Silver Chair) • (1953) • short fiction by C. S. Lewis
80 • Martha in the Witch's Power (excerpt from Hobberdy Dick) • (1955) • short fiction by Katharine M. Briggs [as by K. M. Briggs]
96 • Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon • (1991) • short story by Isaac Asimov
116 • The Box of Delights (excerpt) • juvenile • [Kay Harker] • (1935) • short fiction by John Masefield
123 • The Amazing Flight of the Gump (excerpt from The Land of Oz) • [Oz] • (1904) • short fiction by L. Frank Baum
137 • On the Great Wall • (1906) • short story by Rudyard Kipling
156 • The Waking of the Kraken (excerpt from Which Witch?) • (1979) • short fiction by Eva Ibbotson
166 • The Caves in the Hills (excerpt from Henrietta's House) • (1968) • short fiction by Elizabeth Goudge
182 • Bigger Than the Baker's Boy • (1902) • short story by E. Nesbit
202 • Jermain and the Sorceress (excerpt from The Seven Towers) • (1984) • short fiction by Patricia C. Wrede
208 • Una and the Red Cross Knight • (unknown) • short story by Andrew Lang
230 • What the Cat Told Me • juvenile • (1994) • novelette by Diana Wynne Jones
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
18 people are currently reading
1265 people want to read
About the author
Diana Wynne Jones
160 books12.1k followersDiana Wynne Jones was a celebrated British writer best known for her inventive and influential works of fantasy for children and young adults. Her stories often combined magical worlds with science fiction elements, parallel universes, and a sharp sense of humor. Among her most beloved books are Howl's Moving Castle, the Chrestomanci series, The Dalemark Quartet, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and the satirical The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Her work gained renewed attention and readership with the popularity of the Harry Potter series, to which her books have frequently been compared.
Admired by authors such as Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, and J.K. Rowling, Jones was a major influence on the landscape of modern fantasy. She received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, two Mythopoeic Awards, the Karl Edward Wagner Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. In 2004, Howl's Moving Castle was adapted into an acclaimed animated film by Hayao Miyazaki, further expanding her global audience.
Jones studied at Oxford, where she attended lectures by both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. She began writing professionally in the 1960s and remained active until her death in 2011. Her final novel, The Islands of Chaldea, was completed posthumously by her sister Ursula Jones.
Admired by authors such as Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, and J.K. Rowling, Jones was a major influence on the landscape of modern fantasy. She received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, two Mythopoeic Awards, the Karl Edward Wagner Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. In 2004, Howl's Moving Castle was adapted into an acclaimed animated film by Hayao Miyazaki, further expanding her global audience.
Jones studied at Oxford, where she attended lectures by both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. She began writing professionally in the 1960s and remained active until her death in 2011. Her final novel, The Islands of Chaldea, was completed posthumously by her sister Ursula Jones.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 24, 2015
Very few of these selections were standalone short stories. Most were excerpts from books that DID NOT stand on their own very well. Taken out of context, only one of them made me at all interested in the longer story it belonged to.
Ps I've read and loved the Silver Chair but reading "the House of Harfang" chapter would not have inspired me to read it.
"What the Cat Told Me" by DWJ is one of her best but you can find it in other, better collections.
Ps I've read and loved the Silver Chair but reading "the House of Harfang" chapter would not have inspired me to read it.
"What the Cat Told Me" by DWJ is one of her best but you can find it in other, better collections.
November 8, 2010
I bought this because I found it at a really good price and DWJ is one of my favorite authors ever. I was quite disappointed. Not only is it an anthology with only 1 story by DWJ (not a deal breaker, story collections can be a great place to find new authors similar to old favorites), but it's not even short stories or new material, but excerpts of older novels. I am NOT a fan of most book excerpts, and an anthology full of them is NOT a winning idea in my opinion. The excerpts are never as good or as interesting as they could be in context, and it's a real drag if you've already read the books, and just as bad if you haven't: if it's a good book you don't want to spoil it by reading a piece out of the middle, but if it's not you don't want a senseless chunk out of it, but of course you're never sure if the book was that bad or if it just wasn't satisfying or was particularly confusing without the beginning or the end.
These books could have been valid favorites, but hacking them to bits and publishing the pieces as a book is a good way to ruin them. In general, I really think you take the magic out of fiction when you don't let it unfold as the author intended. I didn't even get all the way through it, which is unusual for me.
These books could have been valid favorites, but hacking them to bits and publishing the pieces as a book is a good way to ruin them. In general, I really think you take the magic out of fiction when you don't let it unfold as the author intended. I didn't even get all the way through it, which is unusual for me.
February 2, 2017
This volume is a good introduction to fantasy stories
May 13, 2014
I generally enjoy anthologies because they offer entertaining, self-contained short stories. They let me meet authors I'd otherwise not know. They let me try new genres without committing.
But this doesn't do that. For the most part, these are selections from existing, historic works. And while the historic works are great, that the selections are pulled from the midst of something bigger left me feeling let down. It was less "let me go get the source and read it all" and more "huh. That's disappointing."
But this doesn't do that. For the most part, these are selections from existing, historic works. And while the historic works are great, that the selections are pulled from the midst of something bigger left me feeling let down. It was less "let me go get the source and read it all" and more "huh. That's disappointing."
October 31, 2016
This collection of fantasy stories, selected by the great Diana Wynne Jones herself, offers an outstanding variety of such stories for children and young adults. It is evident that every story is picked with an extraordinary amount of love and thought by Wynne Jones, as there are all spellbinding and noteworthy in their own right.
1) The Peasant and the Devil-The Brother Grimm:
This is a charming story about a peasant who manages to outwit the devil. It is a great introduction to all the rest of the stories as it shows what we may expect of all the rest of the collection: that is, a collection of fantastical stories with an almost classical aura to them.
-4.25/5
2) Boris Chernevsky's Hands-Jane Yolen:
This is definitely one of the stranger stories in this collection, one that deals with a more 'physical' kind of magic (of the human body). I like it, but it only gets better.
-3.75/5
3) The Hobgoblin's Hat-Tove Jansson:
Now this is more like the Wynne Jones standard we all know and love. I will definitely read 'Finn Family Moomintroll' from which this story is taken, as this excerpt is a little confusing for those with no acquaintance with the original book.
-4.25/5
4) Ully the Piper-Andre Norton:
This is more like an individual fairy tale than the rest, which is obviously a singular achievement. It is interesting to note that 'Andre' Norton, the author, is actually a celebrated female American science fiction and fantasy writer, whose real name is Alice Mary Norton.
-4.5/5
5) Milo Conducts the Dawn-Norton Juster:
What a fantastic example of some of the best fantasy ever written from 'The Phantom Tollbooth'.
4.75/5
6) The House of Harfang-C.S. Lewis:
One of the best chapters from 'The Silver Chair', one which absolutely terrified me as a kid with its cannibalistic giants.
-4.75/5
7) Martha in the Witch's Power-K.M.Briggs:
This is the only story which could arguably have been excluded from this collection. Without the context of the entire novel of 'Hobberdy Dick', the story is a little confusing. But I have every intention of reading Briggs' book when I have the chance, as every sentence exudes a strong sense of fantasy.
-3.5/5
8) Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon-Isaac Asimov:
Another charming, fairy tale-esque type story. One of my favourites.
-4.5/5
9) The Box of Delights-John Masefield:
Another extract, which taken out of context is just a charming piece of fantasy writing.
-3.5/5
10) The Amazing Flight of the Gump-L. Frank Baum:
Having never read 'The Wizard of Oz', I was very surprised, amazed even, by this short chapter. Now I know what I have been missing. This is one of the reasons why it is one of my favourite stories n this collection.
-4.75/5
11) On the Great Wall-Rudyard Kipling:
Kipling has a more classical version of fantasy in this excerpt from 'Puck of Pook's Hill', what with the poetry and Romans and all that.
-4/5
12) The Waking of the Kraken-Eva Ibbotson:
This is truly the hidden gem of fantasy writing. I will be sure to check out 'Which Witch?' from where this story is taken from.
-4.75/5
13) The Caves in the Hills-Elizabeth Goudge:
What this collection demonstrated to me more than anything else is the wide range of fantasy writing which I had no idea about. This story, from 'Henrietta's House', is wonderfully Lewis-esque.
-4.5/5
14) Bigger Than the Baker's Boy-E. Nesbit:
E. Nesbit, which has so influenced the writing of other beloved Fantasy authors such as Enid Blyton, has an important moral to be learned by young readers in 'Bigger Than the Baker's Boy'. -4.5/5
15) Jermain and the Sorceress-Patricia C. Wrede:
Wynne Jones admits it is annoying to be given only the start of the story, in this case to a book called 'The Seven Towers'. However, it is easy to share Wynne Jones' fascination with the story's main characters.
-4/5
16) Una and the Red Cross Knight-Andrew Lang:
This story, from 'The Red Book Romance', has so many incidents and events happening throughout, that is seems like an entire Chivalric Romance in itself. Very entertaining.
-4.25/5
17) What the Cat Told Me-Diana Wynne Jones:
Wynne Jones chose the best story for last, and, not surprisingly, it was written by herself. This story does not have the narrative scope or range of some of the other stories, but it does have a unique blend of humor, charm and fantasy which makes a story a classic. This is definitely my favourite story.
-5/5 (F)
'Fantasy Stories' is a superlative collection, especially for younger readers.
1) The Peasant and the Devil-The Brother Grimm:
This is a charming story about a peasant who manages to outwit the devil. It is a great introduction to all the rest of the stories as it shows what we may expect of all the rest of the collection: that is, a collection of fantastical stories with an almost classical aura to them.
-4.25/5
2) Boris Chernevsky's Hands-Jane Yolen:
This is definitely one of the stranger stories in this collection, one that deals with a more 'physical' kind of magic (of the human body). I like it, but it only gets better.
-3.75/5
3) The Hobgoblin's Hat-Tove Jansson:
Now this is more like the Wynne Jones standard we all know and love. I will definitely read 'Finn Family Moomintroll' from which this story is taken, as this excerpt is a little confusing for those with no acquaintance with the original book.
-4.25/5
4) Ully the Piper-Andre Norton:
This is more like an individual fairy tale than the rest, which is obviously a singular achievement. It is interesting to note that 'Andre' Norton, the author, is actually a celebrated female American science fiction and fantasy writer, whose real name is Alice Mary Norton.
-4.5/5
5) Milo Conducts the Dawn-Norton Juster:
What a fantastic example of some of the best fantasy ever written from 'The Phantom Tollbooth'.
4.75/5
6) The House of Harfang-C.S. Lewis:
One of the best chapters from 'The Silver Chair', one which absolutely terrified me as a kid with its cannibalistic giants.
-4.75/5
7) Martha in the Witch's Power-K.M.Briggs:
This is the only story which could arguably have been excluded from this collection. Without the context of the entire novel of 'Hobberdy Dick', the story is a little confusing. But I have every intention of reading Briggs' book when I have the chance, as every sentence exudes a strong sense of fantasy.
-3.5/5
8) Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon-Isaac Asimov:
Another charming, fairy tale-esque type story. One of my favourites.
-4.5/5
9) The Box of Delights-John Masefield:
Another extract, which taken out of context is just a charming piece of fantasy writing.
-3.5/5
10) The Amazing Flight of the Gump-L. Frank Baum:
Having never read 'The Wizard of Oz', I was very surprised, amazed even, by this short chapter. Now I know what I have been missing. This is one of the reasons why it is one of my favourite stories n this collection.
-4.75/5
11) On the Great Wall-Rudyard Kipling:
Kipling has a more classical version of fantasy in this excerpt from 'Puck of Pook's Hill', what with the poetry and Romans and all that.
-4/5
12) The Waking of the Kraken-Eva Ibbotson:
This is truly the hidden gem of fantasy writing. I will be sure to check out 'Which Witch?' from where this story is taken from.
-4.75/5
13) The Caves in the Hills-Elizabeth Goudge:
What this collection demonstrated to me more than anything else is the wide range of fantasy writing which I had no idea about. This story, from 'Henrietta's House', is wonderfully Lewis-esque.
-4.5/5
14) Bigger Than the Baker's Boy-E. Nesbit:
E. Nesbit, which has so influenced the writing of other beloved Fantasy authors such as Enid Blyton, has an important moral to be learned by young readers in 'Bigger Than the Baker's Boy'. -4.5/5
15) Jermain and the Sorceress-Patricia C. Wrede:
Wynne Jones admits it is annoying to be given only the start of the story, in this case to a book called 'The Seven Towers'. However, it is easy to share Wynne Jones' fascination with the story's main characters.
-4/5
16) Una and the Red Cross Knight-Andrew Lang:
This story, from 'The Red Book Romance', has so many incidents and events happening throughout, that is seems like an entire Chivalric Romance in itself. Very entertaining.
-4.25/5
17) What the Cat Told Me-Diana Wynne Jones:
Wynne Jones chose the best story for last, and, not surprisingly, it was written by herself. This story does not have the narrative scope or range of some of the other stories, but it does have a unique blend of humor, charm and fantasy which makes a story a classic. This is definitely my favourite story.
-5/5 (F)
'Fantasy Stories' is a superlative collection, especially for younger readers.
March 11, 2014
A collection of selections from Jones's favorite fantasy stories. Nearly all of these are excerpts from much longer works, and the unfamiliarity works against their charm. The other big problem is that these are almost exclusively old stories, with all the accompanying gender essentialism and thoughtless orientalism (for example, the selection from Langley's The Land of Green Ginger features names like Sulkpot Ben Nagnag, Rubdub Ben Thud, Tintac Ping Foo, Kublai Snoo, and my personal favorite, Chu-Chin-Chow Laundry Man) and a very large helping of twee capitalization. The only story I really enjoyed was Jane Yolen's short story "Boris Chernevsky's Hands," in which a bad juggler tries to get adroit hands from Baba Yaga.
August 11, 2022
RECOMMENDED FOR fantasy nerds
Because I'm annoying:
The Peasant and the Devil
Good ol' brothers Grimm...they never get old.
Boris Chernevsky's Hands
Jane Yolen is cool. Baba Yaga is cool. The story was decent.
The Hobgoblin's Hat
This was adorable. I liked the translator's notes and the fact that there was a top hat.
Ully the Piper
I quite liked this story, which for some strange reason reminded me of Shannon Hale's Princess Academy and also of some of the books by Elizabeth Marie Pope.
Milo Conducts the Dawn
The Phantom Tollbooth rocks. (Even if this particular part scares me a little, what with its...speed...*shudder*)
Who Goes Down this Dark Road?
Is Joan Aiken secretly J.D. Salinger? Because she tells a pretty Salinger-y story. It was good. Surprising. Fancy.
The House of Harfang
C.S. Lewis kind of gets my goat for writing like an old-fashioned poobean. I'm pretty glad I didn't ever finish The Chronicles of Narnia, especially since apparently one of the characters doesn't get to go on to heaven because she acts like too much of a grownup and C.S. Lewis is a sexistly agist little poobean. This story was okay, though, in a cute old-fashioned way. I rather enjoyed the fact that the characters decide to "be gay" and that C.S. Lewis probably had no idea at the time that he was going to get giggled at for accidentally referencing homosexuality (the old fart).
Martha in the Witch's Power
This story is boring, so I'm going to have to reread it. It's from Hobberdy Dick. So I really must reread it.
Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon
I was kind of reminded of A Fate Worse than Dragons in the style of this story, which was off-putting. But it was still decent, if a little insulting.
The Box of Delights
I like Herne quite a bit from what I've read of him in Dogsbody and Firebringer, so it was cool to read about him from the perspective of this book.
The Amazing flight of the Gump
The Land of Oz rocks.
On the Great Wall
This story bored me, as well. Silly Rudyard Kipling.
The Waking of the Kraken
Eva Ibbotson is sillybeans. The story was pretty cute, at least as far as this extract was concerned. She can get a bit preachy, though (*cough* C.S. Lewis *cough*)
The Caves in the Hills
Need to read this one, too.
Bigger than the Baker's Boy
I've totally read Five Children and It. I think... E. Nesbit
Jermain and the Sorceress
Note to self: READ THE SEVEN TOWERS. Patricia C. Wrede is awesome.
Una and the Red Cross Knight
I need to read this 'un, too.
What the Cat Told Me
Oh, Diana Wynne Jones, you never cease to write in that all-exposition-and-then-sudden-revalations-that-make-me-want-to-reread-the-story way. This story was very cute. Congratulations on not including real-worldy stuff in here too much.
Because I'm annoying:
The Peasant and the Devil
Good ol' brothers Grimm...they never get old.
Boris Chernevsky's Hands
Jane Yolen is cool. Baba Yaga is cool. The story was decent.
The Hobgoblin's Hat
This was adorable. I liked the translator's notes and the fact that there was a top hat.
Ully the Piper
I quite liked this story, which for some strange reason reminded me of Shannon Hale's Princess Academy and also of some of the books by Elizabeth Marie Pope.
Milo Conducts the Dawn
The Phantom Tollbooth rocks. (Even if this particular part scares me a little, what with its...speed...*shudder*)
Who Goes Down this Dark Road?
Is Joan Aiken secretly J.D. Salinger? Because she tells a pretty Salinger-y story. It was good. Surprising. Fancy.
The House of Harfang
C.S. Lewis kind of gets my goat for writing like an old-fashioned poobean. I'm pretty glad I didn't ever finish The Chronicles of Narnia, especially since apparently one of the characters doesn't get to go on to heaven because she acts like too much of a grownup and C.S. Lewis is a sexistly agist little poobean. This story was okay, though, in a cute old-fashioned way. I rather enjoyed the fact that the characters decide to "be gay" and that C.S. Lewis probably had no idea at the time that he was going to get giggled at for accidentally referencing homosexuality (the old fart).
Martha in the Witch's Power
This story is boring, so I'm going to have to reread it. It's from Hobberdy Dick. So I really must reread it.
Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon
I was kind of reminded of A Fate Worse than Dragons in the style of this story, which was off-putting. But it was still decent, if a little insulting.
The Box of Delights
I like Herne quite a bit from what I've read of him in Dogsbody and Firebringer, so it was cool to read about him from the perspective of this book.
The Amazing flight of the Gump
The Land of Oz rocks.
On the Great Wall
This story bored me, as well. Silly Rudyard Kipling.
The Waking of the Kraken
Eva Ibbotson is sillybeans. The story was pretty cute, at least as far as this extract was concerned. She can get a bit preachy, though (*cough* C.S. Lewis *cough*)
The Caves in the Hills
Need to read this one, too.
Bigger than the Baker's Boy
I've totally read Five Children and It. I think... E. Nesbit
Jermain and the Sorceress
Note to self: READ THE SEVEN TOWERS. Patricia C. Wrede is awesome.
Una and the Red Cross Knight
I need to read this 'un, too.
What the Cat Told Me
Oh, Diana Wynne Jones, you never cease to write in that all-exposition-and-then-sudden-revalations-that-make-me-want-to-reread-the-story way. This story was very cute. Congratulations on not including real-worldy stuff in here too much.
October 31, 2013
This was a reread for me as I first read this book a number of years ago. Its a collection of fantasy stories that Diana Wynne Jones chose and what I find interesting about it is how many of them are clearly stories of her childhood. Some of the stories in here, I had vaguely heard of but not read such as Puck of Pook's Hill while others are old favorites such as the Flight of the Gump from Ozma of Oz and the excerpt from The Silver Chair.
I recommend this collection for someone who wishes to learn how fantasy has shifted over the decades, because it has in it tales that feel dated while others don't. I would be cautious about giving this book to a young reader as what makes some of the stories dated is the classist and racist views some of the characters take. There's nothing awful but at points some of them are present.
I recommend this collection for someone who wishes to learn how fantasy has shifted over the decades, because it has in it tales that feel dated while others don't. I would be cautious about giving this book to a young reader as what makes some of the stories dated is the classist and racist views some of the characters take. There's nothing awful but at points some of them are present.
August 14, 2017
A lovely collection.
I did prefer the short stories because the excerpts sometimes seemed too out of context (and because I'd already read quite a few of them), but overall they were all great choices!
My favourites were What the Cat Told Me and Who Goes Down This Dark Road?
I did prefer the short stories because the excerpts sometimes seemed too out of context (and because I'd already read quite a few of them), but overall they were all great choices!
My favourites were What the Cat Told Me and Who Goes Down This Dark Road?
September 4, 2009
(5/8/08) This book is like a checklist of things to read in full.
(3/12/09) Great choices of stories to give an impression of classic children's fantasy.
(3/12/09) Great choices of stories to give an impression of classic children's fantasy.
January 27, 2021
Every time I turn up at a new short story I get so confused. It's like the beginning of each story wasn't a beginning but a seamless continuation of a bigger whole, which I obviously wasn't exposed to. And I'm not gonna hide the fact that I did skip some of these stories.
Some of these are great selections, though! Who Goes Down This Dark Road and The House of Harfang are two of my favourites. I don't know what went on in the person who gifted me this book's mind—me not being much of a fantasy reader and all—but I'm just glad this compilation made me feel like I shed some years off my mental age. The power of childlike imagination, folks.
Some of these are great selections, though! Who Goes Down This Dark Road and The House of Harfang are two of my favourites. I don't know what went on in the person who gifted me this book's mind—me not being much of a fantasy reader and all—but I'm just glad this compilation made me feel like I shed some years off my mental age. The power of childlike imagination, folks.
August 30, 2018
This takes me back. I got this when I was probably 10 or thereabouts, and probably feeling sick, it was definitely a mum-purchase. I'd already devoured Narnia by then, and I think I had that particular Moomintroll story already, and the Box of Delights too, but this had great illustrations and while some I'd read once and didn't bother again, some I'd revisit often - I love cats and fantasy so it's probably no surprise my favourite was Diane's own final short story.
To be honest none of the excerpts drove me to hint down the full books, but they were enjoyable on their own.
To be honest none of the excerpts drove me to hint down the full books, but they were enjoyable on their own.
February 8, 2026
An excellent collection! I immediately sought out some - The Land of Green Ginger was hilarious, and I'm trying to track down The Seven Towers but it's rare in NZ.
Many of the chapters work quite well in isolation, and it was kinda nice to just be chucked into various stories.
Many of the chapters work quite well in isolation, and it was kinda nice to just be chucked into various stories.
June 26, 2021
The stories and writing of were fine, but I quit after reading the first six stories. Two reasons this didn’t resonate with me:
1. I like my fantasy to be more sword & sorcery and high adventure. Not talking animals or young kids having magical exploits in PBS-esque cartoons.
2. As I noted from another reviewer, many of these are excerpts from novels and not wholly-formed self-contained stories.
It’s an interesting sampler, just not for me.
1. I like my fantasy to be more sword & sorcery and high adventure. Not talking animals or young kids having magical exploits in PBS-esque cartoons.
2. As I noted from another reviewer, many of these are excerpts from novels and not wholly-formed self-contained stories.
It’s an interesting sampler, just not for me.
December 7, 2020
I read Christopher Chant and enjoyed it. So, I requested this from the library. It is a series of stories and excerpts collected by Jones. It was pretty much a hodgepodge. I enjoyed about half the stories. I liked Norton’s Tale, as well as Langely’s and Wrede’s. I’ve never cared for the Moomintroll tales or Oz.
An okay read.
An okay read.
February 23, 2022
Ugh. Most of the "stories" in this collection were book excerpts and the remaining ones weren't very good. I adore Diana Wynne Jones, but even her story in this was Not My Cup of Tea. So glad I got this from the library. (You would think the Phantom Tollbooth excerpt would mean my wasted time would be refunded, but no such luck.) So disappointing.
May 4, 2022
Not what I was expecting, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. First, I missed the part where it is juvenile--7 to 14 years old. Second, many of these stories are excerpts from full-length books, such as The Phantom Tollbooth and The Silver Chair. But the stories are well selected. Just mostly a little young for me.
December 28, 2023
Well known fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones chose 18 works, some short stories and some excerpts from books. All are from well respected fantasy writers. This collection is well balanced and entertaining, and the excerpts make well versed fantasy readers remember favorites fondly, and give those new to fantasy the urge to read the rest.
June 29, 2025
i regret purchasing this book.
It's so pointless. it is not a collection of short stories but rather a series of disjointed excerpts taken from the middle of some elaborate novels without any rhyme or reason.
almost all of them were really boring, maybe in their original novels as a whole they would make sense, here they were jarring and almost impossible to get through.
It's so pointless. it is not a collection of short stories but rather a series of disjointed excerpts taken from the middle of some elaborate novels without any rhyme or reason.
almost all of them were really boring, maybe in their original novels as a whole they would make sense, here they were jarring and almost impossible to get through.
August 16, 2019
Have to agree with other reviewers that the preference for novel extracts is a real below the waterline error, with Wynne Jones’ own standalone story, one of the few (only?), being by far the standout. Good to know how Game of Thrones has ripped off Kipling, though...
December 18, 2022
A range of new and old works by Diana Wynne Jones with explanations and introductions from her about the stories that followed. Some stories were true, some were autobiographical and others were fiction. Most were fabulous.
June 17, 2020
Most of this book was bits taken from other books not short stories.
March 7, 2023
A very uneven collection, including some old fashioned stories for young children.
March 1, 2017
Nice little sampler of fantasy stories.
Good mix of familiar ones and obscure.
Good mix of familiar ones and obscure.
July 18, 2022
Mostly extracts from full-length novels with a few standalone short stories. I always enjoy reading extracts from childrens books I've missed and there are now a few new books on my TBR list that I hadn't considered before.
June 30, 2020
A series of book excepts...mostly from well-known fantasy books like 5 Children and It(Nesbit) or The Silver Chair (CS Lewis). I knew a lot of the selections. I enjoyed Jones' story at the end and often I wished I was reading a book of her work. Good as a survey of older children's fantasy, but I don't know how many people would seek them out afterward.
Want to read
May 24, 2024I wanna read
September 17, 2010
I bought this at a cute little independent bookstore in Rockport (a coastal city in MA) with Ilana and Acacia. It's kind of a souvenir of my trip to MA. It's a collection of a bunch of fantasy short stories.
I can't really judge this book as a whole, since every short story was written by a different author. I think I liked it overall, but at the same time I didn't really. Some of the stories were interesting and exciting and awesome, but a lot of the stories were really, really boring and long and stupid and uninteresting. It took me forever to get through this book because I couldn't really get into it; so much of it was boring, and most of the time I was just reading it to get to the end, to finish it. And when I finally finished it I felt a wave of relief. There were only a few exceptions to this; most of the stories were boring, and not written well at all.
I wish Diana Wynne Jones had chosen better stories. I loved the story that she wrote herself at the very end; that one captivated me and was very interesting and awesome. She's a good writer. I wish she'd written the whole book. :P Actually, that short story she wrote would've been a good whole book. I loved seeing her opinion of the viewpoint from a cat, it was awesome and realistic. There were a few other stories that I really liked; other than that, the stories were boring and painfully difficult to get through.
All in all, this book had the potential to be great all the way through, but there were too many excruciatingly boring stories, and not enough of the thrilling, awesome stories. You should only read it if you have ample amounts of patience, which I lack. :)
I can't really judge this book as a whole, since every short story was written by a different author. I think I liked it overall, but at the same time I didn't really. Some of the stories were interesting and exciting and awesome, but a lot of the stories were really, really boring and long and stupid and uninteresting. It took me forever to get through this book because I couldn't really get into it; so much of it was boring, and most of the time I was just reading it to get to the end, to finish it. And when I finally finished it I felt a wave of relief. There were only a few exceptions to this; most of the stories were boring, and not written well at all.
I wish Diana Wynne Jones had chosen better stories. I loved the story that she wrote herself at the very end; that one captivated me and was very interesting and awesome. She's a good writer. I wish she'd written the whole book. :P Actually, that short story she wrote would've been a good whole book. I loved seeing her opinion of the viewpoint from a cat, it was awesome and realistic. There were a few other stories that I really liked; other than that, the stories were boring and painfully difficult to get through.
All in all, this book had the potential to be great all the way through, but there were too many excruciatingly boring stories, and not enough of the thrilling, awesome stories. You should only read it if you have ample amounts of patience, which I lack. :)
June 7, 2009
I'm not rating this one very high, I know... It was a bear to get through despite the fact that the stories were shortish. I just didn't enjoy most of it. I'll talk about the ones I actually liked rather than bore you with the ones that didn't hold my interest.
BorisChernevsky's Hands by Jane Yolen was awsome. It was the kind of thing that I would want to write if I were writing fantasy right now (I'm not really writing atm, and I suppose that's my own fault though I want to blame someone else). There were turns of phrase in this that just tickled me in all the right places.
Ully The Piper by Andre Norton was cute and fun and just the kind of thing that underdogs like to read. :)
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis surprised me. I actually enjoyed it. I always thought that I hated Lewis... maybe I was wrong. Maybe I should read tat bloody wardroby book again after all...
The Land of Green Ginger by Noel Langley was a really fun read. I'm thinking I may get the book at some point to read the entire thing.
The Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum kinda caught me by surprise, as I only thought there was one story of Oz for what ever reason. Since there are more adventures maybe I'll get some of this as well.
Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson was a really fun read! I had heard of this book but for whatever reason it hadn't crossed my path yet. Love it.
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit was alright.
What the Cat Told Me by Diana herself, was the best thing in the book probably. LOVED it.
BorisChernevsky's Hands by Jane Yolen was awsome. It was the kind of thing that I would want to write if I were writing fantasy right now (I'm not really writing atm, and I suppose that's my own fault though I want to blame someone else). There were turns of phrase in this that just tickled me in all the right places.
Ully The Piper by Andre Norton was cute and fun and just the kind of thing that underdogs like to read. :)
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis surprised me. I actually enjoyed it. I always thought that I hated Lewis... maybe I was wrong. Maybe I should read tat bloody wardroby book again after all...
The Land of Green Ginger by Noel Langley was a really fun read. I'm thinking I may get the book at some point to read the entire thing.
The Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum kinda caught me by surprise, as I only thought there was one story of Oz for what ever reason. Since there are more adventures maybe I'll get some of this as well.
Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson was a really fun read! I had heard of this book but for whatever reason it hadn't crossed my path yet. Love it.
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit was alright.
What the Cat Told Me by Diana herself, was the best thing in the book probably. LOVED it.
June 1, 2011
I was very excited to find a book by Jones that I'd not read - and then disappointed to discover it was really a collection of stories (or chapters from stories) that she had selected. I enjoyed rediscovering "Who goes down this dark road?" (Aiken), and was glad I'd never found the Lang fairy tale. Mostly, I liked the stories and not the chapters.
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