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Unexpected Magic: Collected Stories
Master storyteller Diana Wynne Jones presents ariveting collection of unpredictable tales, including:
- A cat tells how the kindhearted wizard she owns is suddenly called upon to defeat a horrific Beast.
- When Anne has mumps, her drawings come to life, and she must protect her home from them.
- Four children become involved in the intrigue surrounding an innocent prince, an evil count, and a brave outlaw.
These fifteen stories and one novella will enchant, startle, and surprise!
- A cat tells how the kindhearted wizard she owns is suddenly called upon to defeat a horrific Beast.
- When Anne has mumps, her drawings come to life, and she must protect her home from them.
- Four children become involved in the intrigue surrounding an innocent prince, an evil count, and a brave outlaw.
These fifteen stories and one novella will enchant, startle, and surprise!
520 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
137 people are currently reading
2743 people want to read
About the author
Diana Wynne Jones
147 books12k 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 157 reviews
September 23, 2021
This was a fairly fun anthology. Not the author's best work, but not her worst either.
Highlights:
-Nad and Dan adn Quaffy gets a mention because it's about a writer who . . . well, I can't explain it without giving away the story, but it was quite amusing. Not my favorite in the book, but it was fun.
-The Master is a thoroughly strange story, and rather creepy to boot, but interesting to read and try to puzzle out what's going on. I have certain suspicions about what happened after the story's end . . . I'm not sure whether or not to be glad there's no sequel.
-The Girl Who Loved the Sun is also interesting, and rather reminded me of a folktale. It was a bit sad- bittersweet, more like.
-No One is sci-fi, not fantasy, concerning a robot and a mechanized house (a la Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains"). It was not quite like anything I'd read before, though I suppose that could be because I haven't read much sci-fi.
-Little Dot was splendid. But I might be biased, since it had a great many cats in it and I'm rather fond of cats.
- Everard's Ride is a novella, and probably my favorite selection in the book. Another world within our own, a bit of a mystery, and a fair number of twists (only about half of which I guessed before they happened). And it didn't have a perfectly neat-and-tidy ending, which surprised me a bit- a lot of Mrs. Jones's stories do. (It actually boosted this book's rating by a star, all by itself.)
Lowlights:
-I'm not going to mention any specific stories in here, but I've noticed that quite a few of her short stories (in this and other books) follow a certain formula of "Beastly adult(s) introduced. Beastly adult(s) are steadily more and more beastly. Other adults are unable or unwilling to do anything about it. Child(ren) (likely precocious) must put up with beastly adult(s). Eventually, circumstances or the children themselves conspire with magic to humiliate or otherwise get rid of the beastly adult(s)." It's . . . not my favorite sort of story, let's put it that way.
Overall, though, this is a pretty fun collection. Worth a read if you're a Jones fan.
Highlights:
-Nad and Dan adn Quaffy gets a mention because it's about a writer who . . . well, I can't explain it without giving away the story, but it was quite amusing. Not my favorite in the book, but it was fun.
-The Master is a thoroughly strange story, and rather creepy to boot, but interesting to read and try to puzzle out what's going on. I have certain suspicions about what happened after the story's end . . . I'm not sure whether or not to be glad there's no sequel.
-The Girl Who Loved the Sun is also interesting, and rather reminded me of a folktale. It was a bit sad- bittersweet, more like.
-No One is sci-fi, not fantasy, concerning a robot and a mechanized house (a la Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains"). It was not quite like anything I'd read before, though I suppose that could be because I haven't read much sci-fi.
-Little Dot was splendid. But I might be biased, since it had a great many cats in it and I'm rather fond of cats.
- Everard's Ride is a novella, and probably my favorite selection in the book. Another world within our own, a bit of a mystery, and a fair number of twists (only about half of which I guessed before they happened). And it didn't have a perfectly neat-and-tidy ending, which surprised me a bit- a lot of Mrs. Jones's stories do. (It actually boosted this book's rating by a star, all by itself.)
Lowlights:
-I'm not going to mention any specific stories in here, but I've noticed that quite a few of her short stories (in this and other books) follow a certain formula of "Beastly adult(s) introduced. Beastly adult(s) are steadily more and more beastly. Other adults are unable or unwilling to do anything about it. Child(ren) (likely precocious) must put up with beastly adult(s). Eventually, circumstances or the children themselves conspire with magic to humiliate or otherwise get rid of the beastly adult(s)." It's . . . not my favorite sort of story, let's put it that way.
Overall, though, this is a pretty fun collection. Worth a read if you're a Jones fan.
January 4, 2013
A lovely collection of short stories -- one or two I'd read before, I think, but the rest were new to me since I'm somewhat new to Jones' writing: I never read her work as a child. Some of the stories are fantastical, one or two more sci-fi, and one of them autobiographical (and also collected in Reflections with Jones' other non-fiction). In many ways, they're very typical of Diana Wynne Jones' work -- though I found them somehow more complete and satisfying than some of her other books, despite how short they are.
My favourite story was 'Everard's Ride' by far, though. I fell totally in love with Robert and was so glad about the ending.
My favourite story was 'Everard's Ride' by far, though. I fell totally in love with Robert and was so glad about the ending.
June 23, 2017
This volume brings together fifteen stories (all but three of which I'd read before) and a novella, "Everard's Ride". Spanning genres from science fiction to fantasy and even a touch of horror (in "The Master"), all of the stories show off Jones' wit and wild imagination, qualities which make her one of the best young adult fantasy writers of today (perhaps one of the best fantasy writers of today, period). I was disappointed, though, that so many of the stories had been in previous collections - surely there were more to choose from?
Among the stories, the standouts are: "Enna Hittims", in which a girl who has the mumps draws stories about a fictional hero, who becomes frighteningly real; "Dragon Reserve, Home Eight", set on a world in which dragons are real and telepathy is illegal; "The Girl Who Loved the Sun", the myth-like tale of a girl who longs to become a tree; "Nad and Dan adn Quaffy", a witty story of a typo-prone science fiction writer whose computer suddenly starts talking to her; and "What the Cat Told Me" and "Little Dot", both tales of magic narrated by cats.
Since I already own and had read most of the stories, I was most looking forward to reading "Everard's Ride" and wasn't disappointed. Alex and Cecilia live in Victorian England, the children of a wealthy farmer; there is a mysterious island near their home, said to be the site of a ghostly kingdom called Falleyfell. When an enigmatic stranger comes to the farmhouse one night, Alex and Cecilia begin an adventure which leads them into Falleyfell and the dangerous intrigues of its court. Not as inventive as Jones' best novels, "Everard's Ride" is still fast-paced and thrilling, with glints of humor and vivid characters.
Among the stories, the standouts are: "Enna Hittims", in which a girl who has the mumps draws stories about a fictional hero, who becomes frighteningly real; "Dragon Reserve, Home Eight", set on a world in which dragons are real and telepathy is illegal; "The Girl Who Loved the Sun", the myth-like tale of a girl who longs to become a tree; "Nad and Dan adn Quaffy", a witty story of a typo-prone science fiction writer whose computer suddenly starts talking to her; and "What the Cat Told Me" and "Little Dot", both tales of magic narrated by cats.
Since I already own and had read most of the stories, I was most looking forward to reading "Everard's Ride" and wasn't disappointed. Alex and Cecilia live in Victorian England, the children of a wealthy farmer; there is a mysterious island near their home, said to be the site of a ghostly kingdom called Falleyfell. When an enigmatic stranger comes to the farmhouse one night, Alex and Cecilia begin an adventure which leads them into Falleyfell and the dangerous intrigues of its court. Not as inventive as Jones' best novels, "Everard's Ride" is still fast-paced and thrilling, with glints of humor and vivid characters.
May 6, 2018
Loved this so much. Bear in mind if you're addicted to HEA and HFN, this may not be the book for you. The world is heaven and hell combined - well, Milton says so, and I find it credible - and Diana expects you to be a grown-up and take your lumps, be strong enough to deal with the truth.
If you've got enough backbone for it, this book is exhilarating.
If you've got enough backbone for it, this book is exhilarating.
May 26, 2012
A good collection of Diana Wynne Jones’ short fiction. They’re not all her best work, but there’s some excellent stories here. Recommended for her fans.
The Girl Jones
A most excellent way to get out of babysitting, forever. Hilarious. Not fantasy, though.
Nad and Dan and Quaffy
Eh, I didn’t care for this one. Too self-referential, and kind of annoying. A female writer, at her word processor, makes contact with an alternate universe.
The Plague of Peacocks
A peaceful village is invaded by new neighbors. Their passive aggressive, do-gooder ways get worse and worse… until their just desserts are delivered, in the village’s own special way.
The Master
A vet takes a late-night call, and is led into a mysterious wood to tend to wolves. It’s framed as a dream… but in a far less-annoying way than most “it was a dream” stories.
Enna Hittims
A child is sick with mumps. To amuse herself, she pretends that her bed is a dramatic landscape… but when the tiny adventurers of her imagination come to life, things get out of hand… (Doesn’t most everyone get vaccinated for mumps there days? I’ll look at it as being a period piece…)
The Girl Who Loved the Sun
A story with a mythological feel, about a girl who becomes a tree, believing the sun will love her.
The Fluffy Pink Toadstool
Ha! Hippies might get a bit grumpy about this one, but it’s pretty funny. The mom of a family goes on a DIY craze, and foraging for food goes just a bit wrong.
Auntie Bea's Day Out
An annoying aunt doesn’t pay attention to warning signs at the seashore – and gets far more than she bargained for, on a whirlwind ‘tour’ of all different sorts of ‘islands.’
Carruthers
Due to an aural misunderstanding, a young girl thinks that a walking stick will magically beat her annoying father. The stick talks to her, and moves, but seems unwilling to do any beating. People think she’s pretty weird for bringing a cane everywhere, and talking to it. But in the end, she’s vindicated… in a rather unexpected way.
What the Cat Told Me
An evil wizard uses boys for nefarious purposes, but, with the help of a cat, one may finally escape… told from the point of view of the cat, which one may either find cute, or mildly annoying.
The Green Stone
A funny take-off on the quest story. All the heroes, sidekicks, and what have you are assembled at the inn yard, and a bard is there to report on their deeds. But the quest unexpectedly get aborted… in, of course, an unexpected way.
The Fat Wizard
A small-town story of magic gone wrong… or possibly, unexpectedly right. (“losing weight” doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be “in shape…”)
No One
An amusing sci-fi story about a very poorly programmed household robot.
Dragon Reserve, Home Eight
A familiar-feeling but very enjoyable story… on a colony world, those with psychic powers are kept in swift and brutal check. So it’s not surprising that some families would try to hide their children’s abilities. The end of the story makes too much effort to backpedal from the nastiness the story has brought up, but I still liked it.
Little Dot
Another story from a cat’s point of view. But I liked this one. I’m not sure why Bast would be a Caribbean lady, not an Egyptian woman, but it’s fine. A bunch of cats must drive off their rescuer’s new girlfriend before she takes them to the pound… but she is more nefarious than even they could have guessed.
Everard's Ride
This is not a short story; it’s a whole novel. Not even a novella. It’s around 230 pages long. Why it wasn’t published as its own book, I do not know. It’s an early work by Wynne-Jones, originally written in 1966. It’s a very nice romantic fantasy… If one travels to a small island in the proper way, a medieval-ish ‘pocket’ world is discovered … Although rumors abound of ghosts, it’s very real, and there may be more there for some of the characters than there is ‘here.’
The Girl Jones
A most excellent way to get out of babysitting, forever. Hilarious. Not fantasy, though.
Nad and Dan and Quaffy
Eh, I didn’t care for this one. Too self-referential, and kind of annoying. A female writer, at her word processor, makes contact with an alternate universe.
The Plague of Peacocks
A peaceful village is invaded by new neighbors. Their passive aggressive, do-gooder ways get worse and worse… until their just desserts are delivered, in the village’s own special way.
The Master
A vet takes a late-night call, and is led into a mysterious wood to tend to wolves. It’s framed as a dream… but in a far less-annoying way than most “it was a dream” stories.
Enna Hittims
A child is sick with mumps. To amuse herself, she pretends that her bed is a dramatic landscape… but when the tiny adventurers of her imagination come to life, things get out of hand… (Doesn’t most everyone get vaccinated for mumps there days? I’ll look at it as being a period piece…)
The Girl Who Loved the Sun
A story with a mythological feel, about a girl who becomes a tree, believing the sun will love her.
The Fluffy Pink Toadstool
Ha! Hippies might get a bit grumpy about this one, but it’s pretty funny. The mom of a family goes on a DIY craze, and foraging for food goes just a bit wrong.
Auntie Bea's Day Out
An annoying aunt doesn’t pay attention to warning signs at the seashore – and gets far more than she bargained for, on a whirlwind ‘tour’ of all different sorts of ‘islands.’
Carruthers
Due to an aural misunderstanding, a young girl thinks that a walking stick will magically beat her annoying father. The stick talks to her, and moves, but seems unwilling to do any beating. People think she’s pretty weird for bringing a cane everywhere, and talking to it. But in the end, she’s vindicated… in a rather unexpected way.
What the Cat Told Me
An evil wizard uses boys for nefarious purposes, but, with the help of a cat, one may finally escape… told from the point of view of the cat, which one may either find cute, or mildly annoying.
The Green Stone
A funny take-off on the quest story. All the heroes, sidekicks, and what have you are assembled at the inn yard, and a bard is there to report on their deeds. But the quest unexpectedly get aborted… in, of course, an unexpected way.
The Fat Wizard
A small-town story of magic gone wrong… or possibly, unexpectedly right. (“losing weight” doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be “in shape…”)
No One
An amusing sci-fi story about a very poorly programmed household robot.
Dragon Reserve, Home Eight
A familiar-feeling but very enjoyable story… on a colony world, those with psychic powers are kept in swift and brutal check. So it’s not surprising that some families would try to hide their children’s abilities. The end of the story makes too much effort to backpedal from the nastiness the story has brought up, but I still liked it.
Little Dot
Another story from a cat’s point of view. But I liked this one. I’m not sure why Bast would be a Caribbean lady, not an Egyptian woman, but it’s fine. A bunch of cats must drive off their rescuer’s new girlfriend before she takes them to the pound… but she is more nefarious than even they could have guessed.
Everard's Ride
This is not a short story; it’s a whole novel. Not even a novella. It’s around 230 pages long. Why it wasn’t published as its own book, I do not know. It’s an early work by Wynne-Jones, originally written in 1966. It’s a very nice romantic fantasy… If one travels to a small island in the proper way, a medieval-ish ‘pocket’ world is discovered … Although rumors abound of ghosts, it’s very real, and there may be more there for some of the characters than there is ‘here.’
August 29, 2011
The title is so apt in both senses, in that in DWJ's worlds anything can happen (and usually does) plus that for the reader the stories can (and do) provide the magic that may be missing in their own more prosaic world.
The stories are a little uneven, as they are aimed at different audiences (those who like whimsy, or cats, or were once in a bygone age bemused by word processors). The novella, Everard's Ride, for me was misplaced in this collection: first, its additional length made the paperback physically awkward to handle and, second, its setting and plot convolutions were a mismatch with the unidirectional flow of the other tales; it should really remain separately published as standing on its own merits.
That all said, my favourites were the novella and the autobiographical story which opened the collection.
The stories are a little uneven, as they are aimed at different audiences (those who like whimsy, or cats, or were once in a bygone age bemused by word processors). The novella, Everard's Ride, for me was misplaced in this collection: first, its additional length made the paperback physically awkward to handle and, second, its setting and plot convolutions were a mismatch with the unidirectional flow of the other tales; it should really remain separately published as standing on its own merits.
That all said, my favourites were the novella and the autobiographical story which opened the collection.
June 21, 2009
If you don't want to read this entire book, start at the end with "Everard's Ride" and then work your way backwards through the stories. When you get to stories you don't like, stop, because they only diminish in quality the closer you get to the beginning of the book. I think some of the stories - even ones I didn't really like - could be worked into pretty good full-lenth novels. But here in their short story form, they just don't do much for me. Besides the novella "Everard's Ride," which I really liked, my favorite short stories were "Dragon Reserve, Home Eight," "Little Dot," and maybe as a distant third, "What the Cat Told Me." Based just on the short stories, I would give this a solid two stars, but "Everard's Ride" brings it up to three stars for me.
April 3, 2013
I really don't think it is fair to give a blanket rating to a collection of very different stories, so I'm going to break it down a bit more, keeping in mind that this book is shelved in the Juvenile section of my library, so I will be commenting on age approprietness or not in each story's review.
The Girl Jones feels very much like a biographical story, not sure how much of it is or isn't true, but it's rather funny, and as someone who avidly avoided babysitting as a teen, I can totally relate to this story. Taken in the light of a silly, biographical tale, I didn't really find anything wrong with it that the author doesn't mention as being a mistake herself. Three stars, fine for young adult / teen and up.
Nad and Dan Adn Quaffy this is a short story for adults, other than the nudity and the innuendo, there isn't much else to the story except a clever play on phonical sounds and words. Overall plot could have been interesting if it had wandered a bit farther out of adult fantasy. One star, inappropriet for teens, not much better for adults.
The Plague of Peacocks is a sad cautionary tale and rather anti-religious. As far as language and such go, it is okay for teens, though a good discussion on the real motives of the Platts wouldn't go amiss. Two stars, older teens and up.
The Master is, quite frankly, mostly just creepy. Feels very like a fever dream from the narration and the weird stuff going on and from the poor resolution. Mildly disturbing content, off-stage animal violence against people, slight innuendo, alcohol use; two stars, adult only.
Enna Hittims is another good warning tale in how we treat the people around us, and letting your imagination run rampant. Violence, peril situations and some language, I would say only appropriet for older teens, though I think the pre-teens are more likely to actually "enjoy" the story. Two stars.
The Girl Who Loved the Sun I actually liked, it's a good story about running after the wrong things and the hurt it does to ourselves and others, particularly when you are chasing a lie. Painful situations and a sadder ending, three stars, young adult / teen and up.
The Fluffy Pink Toadstool is a good warning on being consumed by fads and is fairly anti-hippy (or hippy poser if you prefer). The aspect of the story that I didn't like, was how overall the family didn't respect one another, which in the end the mom learned a lesson, but the others didn't. They dealt with it by ignoring her and being rather hurtfull of her feelings. Two stars, young adult / teen and up.
Auntie Bea's Day Out is rather the same overall feel as the last story and Enna Hittums, though rather more clever and humorous. The story does end well for the heroes, but they don't really solve the problem. Three stars, young adult / teen and up.
Carruthers, taking into account this was written in the 70's (women's lib issues) it is a bit easier to see where she is coming from, but the main heroine and her father behave horribly to each other, and because of this cause problems for the other two sisters and her mother. Again, mutual respect would have gone a long way to solve their problems, but hitting is not the way to fix things. Peril situations, family fighting; two stars, older teen and up.
What the Cat told Me is actually a very clever tale of magic and intrigue and thwarting evil told from the perspective of a wandering cat that is perched on the reader's knee. Somewhat dark in tone, though it has a happy ending and slightly sensual (as when "the boy" sees a beautiful girl the cat doesn't understand until she figures "he wants kittens"), may also be some language but I don't remember for sure; three and a half stars (can I do that? Well, it is in my review so I don't see why not and it earned that half!), young adult / teen and up.
The Green Stone is a great play on the epic fantasy story, don't want to ruin the twist, but it is hilarious! Probably my biggest quibble is the fact that it ends in the middle of the action! Some scantilly clad characters, and an off screen zombie attack, but still a solid three stars, appropriet for young adult / teen and up.
The Fat Wizard is classic DWJ battle of the magics, with un-intended consequences. Pretty funny, some women's lib stuff, though generally the fault of the town jerk, slightly strange and perilous situations just barely avoided, three stars, young adult / teen and up.
No One is a rarer DWJ sci-fi, from the point of view of a robot who has to learn how to work with humans who don't explain very well and take a lot for granted, and machines who are doing their best to thwart it from petty jealousies. All while out manneuvoring kidnappers! It's quite fun, though there is some peril and some un-answered questions , overall, solid story; four stars young adult / teen and up.
Dragon Reserve, Home Eight, another DWJ classic in multiple universes, though this one tends to blend magic and science more than is usual. An interesting, ironical tale, that also ends rather in the middle of things, though change for the better is definitely in the air. (This story really reminds me of something else, but I can't place it! Maybe I'm just remembering it from a different collection.) Anyway, quite good, but doesn't feel as whole or as clever as I know DWJ can do, three stars older teen (darker contents) and up.
Little Dot, easily my favortie of the short stories, another "cat story" though this one is simply told from the perspective of the cat as the tale is happening. Strange things are happening on the moors, but fortunately for Henry, he is acquiring cats at a fast pace who just so happen to have the skills he needs to help him solve the riddle of the countryside. Little Dot and the other cats are the real stars here, as "their humans" are generally just along for the ride! Another very fun story, though Henry's sudden and short-livid live-in girlfriend is a definite negative, the rest of the story is quite clean with some violence, though that is generally off screen or only bluntly described . Four stars, older teen and up.
Now for the real piece de resistance, Everard's Ride, which is my favorite story in the book (yes, I know I said Little Dot was my favorite short story, but Everard's Ride is technically a novella, not a short story! :)). As it takes up a good third of the book, it's a bit harder to summerize in a couple sentences. Picture a mix of the good bits of Brigadoon, Downton Abbey and Lorna Doone, generally focused on four teenagers from two different families (one upper class, one farmers) thrown into a termoiled world that appears at certain times along a road into a bay. This other place has many similarities to the world the teens come from, such as language and some customs, but an entirely different monarchy and ruling class who are currently in a bad state as The Prince (main ruler, no King or Queen) has been murdered and his nephew, second to the throne after his son, is accused. Enter Alex, Cecelia, Harry and Susannah who must unravel the mystery, all while figuring out who to trust, what is the deal with Outsiders and how to explain themselves when they get home? A great historical/fantasy world, I wish DWJ would have spent more time here rather than on The Chronicles of Dalemark series (that wasn't nearly as interesting, and it got four books!). Ah-well! Swords and boxing style violence, there is some death though it happens off screen (after all, they are trying to figure out a murder mystery), otherwise clean, no language / sensuality issues. Five stars, young adult /teen and up.
(Did anyone else notice how not one of these stories was really juvenile section of the library material? Just because it is Diana Wynne Jones, do not assume it is a kids book!)
April 30, 2012
It's my preference for short story collections not to give star ratings to each story, but to mark whether I felt positively or negatively toward them when I finished each.
1. The Girl Jones +
2. Nad and Dan adn Quaffy + (fun)
3. The Plague of Peacocks + ☺ (love when people get what's deserved)
4. The Master +
5. Enna Hittims +
6. The Girl Who Loved the Sun +
7. The Fluffy Pink Toadstool + ☺
8. Auntie Bea's Day Out +
9. Carruthers - (main character was a brat from the first moment)
10. What the Cat Told Me +/- (not worked out well)
11. The Green Stone +/-
12. The Fat Wizard +
13. No One +
14. Dragon Reserve, Home Eight +
15. Little Dot + (read this in another anthology a few days ago)
16. Everard's Ride + (the novella in this collection)
As every story in this collection had been previously published elsewhere, I think this particular publication of them is best for those who already know DWJ's work and are fans of her. The type of story changes so much from one to the next, the age of the intended audience is so different from one to the next, and it starts with a story that is probably only really interesting to those of us who are interested in DWJ as a person, that for this to be an introduction to her would probably be somewhat disastrous. I quite enjoyed it, however.
1. The Girl Jones +
2. Nad and Dan adn Quaffy + (fun)
3. The Plague of Peacocks + ☺ (love when people get what's deserved)
4. The Master +
5. Enna Hittims +
6. The Girl Who Loved the Sun +
7. The Fluffy Pink Toadstool + ☺
8. Auntie Bea's Day Out +
9. Carruthers - (main character was a brat from the first moment)
10. What the Cat Told Me +/- (not worked out well)
11. The Green Stone +/-
12. The Fat Wizard +
13. No One +
14. Dragon Reserve, Home Eight +
15. Little Dot + (read this in another anthology a few days ago)
16. Everard's Ride + (the novella in this collection)
As every story in this collection had been previously published elsewhere, I think this particular publication of them is best for those who already know DWJ's work and are fans of her. The type of story changes so much from one to the next, the age of the intended audience is so different from one to the next, and it starts with a story that is probably only really interesting to those of us who are interested in DWJ as a person, that for this to be an introduction to her would probably be somewhat disastrous. I quite enjoyed it, however.
February 17, 2011
This is probably a really good book to start with if you don't know DWJ yet. It's a collection of (magical) short stories and one novella (Everard's Ride), which was also my absolute favourite piece out of the book. It's a very dense story, not quite a fairytale, rather a sort of medieval tale, really gorgeous.
What I love most about DWJ's stories is that magic, in all of her writing, is an everyday thing - it's part of life, usually not mentioned as something special. She makes it seem natural and you begin to feel that everyone has a little magic after all.
What I love most about DWJ's stories is that magic, in all of her writing, is an everyday thing - it's part of life, usually not mentioned as something special. She makes it seem natural and you begin to feel that everyone has a little magic after all.
April 28, 2020
(This book is available for check-out with a free account at archive.org)
A mix of old favorites ("Nad adn Dan and Quaffy", "Dragon Reserve Home Eight", "The Girl Who Loved The Sun," "The Master", and many others), and a few ones I had never read before: "The Girl Jones" -- a fun, clever, ?autobiographical vignette, "No One" -- a scifi romp about "smart" houses that is all too prescient to read in 2020, "Little Dot" -- a delightful cat story I had somehow never encountered before, although I had fond memories of "What the Cat Told Me", "The Fat Wizard" -- a fun story that isn't exactly set in either the Chrestomanci universe or the Howl's Moving Castle universe, but has some elements of both, and, the piece de resistance, "Everard's Ride," a novella that DWJ wrote in 1966, but that wasn't published until 1995 for the first time.
So that's the one I want to talk about the most. Plucky Victorian children wandering in and out of a Wars of the Roses-esque world that seems to exist through the mists of a coastal spit where there should only be the ruins of a castle: in style, this is definitely closer to E. Nesbitt or Edward Eager, or even the sort of stories I used to read in the old bound volumes of St. Nicholas Magazine at my grandparents' house, and I wish I had been able to encounter it at that age, because I would have loved it.
Which isn't to say that I didn't still enjoy it a lot! As an adult, I can appreciate the reminisces of The Black Arrow and the Prisoner of Zenda, as well as the whole genre of hearty adventure literature with slight didactic tint about bravery, valor, and good character that DWJ is engaging with here, but also the way she introduces persistent class issues for her "modern" characters Alex and Cecilia, the teenage children of an upwardly mobile farmer who aren't easy with the haughty neighbors they are supposed to befriend, impoverished but anciently noble de Courcey family. The only thing I didn't quite like was the end of Cecilia's arc: the part of it that was genre-typical for a midcentury (or earlier) story of this type I found unappealing, although I did like the open-endedness and boldness of the result.
A mix of old favorites ("Nad adn Dan and Quaffy", "Dragon Reserve Home Eight", "The Girl Who Loved The Sun," "The Master", and many others), and a few ones I had never read before: "The Girl Jones" -- a fun, clever, ?autobiographical vignette, "No One" -- a scifi romp about "smart" houses that is all too prescient to read in 2020, "Little Dot" -- a delightful cat story I had somehow never encountered before, although I had fond memories of "What the Cat Told Me", "The Fat Wizard" -- a fun story that isn't exactly set in either the Chrestomanci universe or the Howl's Moving Castle universe, but has some elements of both, and, the piece de resistance, "Everard's Ride," a novella that DWJ wrote in 1966, but that wasn't published until 1995 for the first time.
So that's the one I want to talk about the most. Plucky Victorian children wandering in and out of a Wars of the Roses-esque world that seems to exist through the mists of a coastal spit where there should only be the ruins of a castle: in style, this is definitely closer to E. Nesbitt or Edward Eager, or even the sort of stories I used to read in the old bound volumes of St. Nicholas Magazine at my grandparents' house, and I wish I had been able to encounter it at that age, because I would have loved it.
Which isn't to say that I didn't still enjoy it a lot! As an adult, I can appreciate the reminisces of The Black Arrow and the Prisoner of Zenda, as well as the whole genre of hearty adventure literature with slight didactic tint about bravery, valor, and good character that DWJ is engaging with here, but also the way she introduces persistent class issues for her "modern" characters Alex and Cecilia, the teenage children of an upwardly mobile farmer who aren't easy with the haughty neighbors they are supposed to befriend, impoverished but anciently noble de Courcey family. The only thing I didn't quite like was the end of Cecilia's arc: the part of it that was genre-typical for a midcentury (or earlier) story of this type I found unappealing, although I did like the open-endedness and boldness of the result.
June 6, 2018
At when readers pick up this book, they will be intruded and mystified about the magical stories in this book. If you can expect the unexpected, you will like this Unexpected Magic by Diana Wynne Jones. This book contains multiple stories which all have original plots. In each of them something magical seems to happen. I love how the book easily captured my childlike wonder with enchanting scenarios. This is especially true in the story called Enna Hittims where a little girl named Anne Mittins gets the mumps and she created the imaginary character of Enna Hittims so she isn’t bored. However the character comes to life and starts going on quests all around her house. Anne has to choice but to stop Enna from destroying everything, During this story I found myself questioning what was real and what was part of Anne’s imagination. This story actually made me think and was a nice change of pace from the average hero's journey book’s I usually read. If you want something that might make you think and is something different, then this book is perfect for you.
June 26, 2025
I would have rated it only two stars, but the novella at the end was fantastic.
Nearly every story in this collection would have been better without magic imo.
Nearly every story in this collection would have been better without magic imo.
January 26, 2024
A very eclectic collection of short pieces, mostly fantastic stories, with one novella. The stories definitely show Wynne Jones' amazing imagination, but I didn't find most of them very satisfying to read, as I'm not a fan of weird tales in general. The novella feels more like a real story to me, old-fashioned in style with a creative setting and details. If Walter Scott wrote fantasy he could have authored this tale of a lost island and usurped throne.
This isn't something I'd recommend in general, but fans of the author or strange fantasy stories might want to try it. Or just read the novella, Everard's Ride, for some old-fashioned fun.
This isn't something I'd recommend in general, but fans of the author or strange fantasy stories might want to try it. Or just read the novella, Everard's Ride, for some old-fashioned fun.
October 6, 2021
I just loved this book of short stories - great variety, many laugh-out-loud moments, interesting world-building and economically expressive prose.
September 8, 2014
I am always biased towards liking anything by Diana Wynne Jones. I devoured everything by her as a kid and so her writing and stories are always deeply nostalgic for me.
Some of the children's stories in this collection were quite good and interesting (Plague of Peacocks and Little Dot!) but others not so much (The Green Stone?). The novella, Everard's Ride, was decent but I felt it was rather like Narnia (four children in a magical world, anyone?) and showed its age a bit. I'm going to be picky and say I really thought the girls in the story were so typical 1960's silly foot-stamping girls who do dumb things and mostly get in the way. I don't really enjoy that characteristic of a lot of Jones' extraneous female characters anymore, but as a child myself it wouldn't have bothered me one bit.
Some of the children's stories in this collection were quite good and interesting (Plague of Peacocks and Little Dot!) but others not so much (The Green Stone?). The novella, Everard's Ride, was decent but I felt it was rather like Narnia (four children in a magical world, anyone?) and showed its age a bit. I'm going to be picky and say I really thought the girls in the story were so typical 1960's silly foot-stamping girls who do dumb things and mostly get in the way. I don't really enjoy that characteristic of a lot of Jones' extraneous female characters anymore, but as a child myself it wouldn't have bothered me one bit.
September 1, 2011
DWJ's short stories are varied in tone, but the themes are familiar from her longer works. Etta Hittims shows the downside of having a Sophie-like mind, while also echoing Hexwood. My favourite story is The Fat Wizard, which I would have loved to see extended to booklength. Mind you, it has elements of Enchanted Glass, so maybe it WAS. Other stories, including the Plague of Peacocks and The Fluffy Pink Toadstool, remind me of Joan Aiken's stories about Mark and Harriet. That's all good, since I like those stories too.
April 20, 2011
I never read any Diana Wynne Jones until AFTER she died - shame on me - but I don't think I'd heard of her either. She takes credit for inspiring J K Rowling. She has an extraordinary imagination - her stories veer off in all sorts of random, magical, captivating directions. Now I'm starting Neil Gaiman's 'The Graveyard Book' - a present to my 8-year-old from his aunt - which has a DWJ endorsement on the cover.
December 5, 2014
I kept forgetting that all of these stories were by the same author. I have always loved Howl's Moving Castle, and as an adult I was so happy to find that Jones had written more books and stories.
September 13, 2019
Captivated the whole time!!!
July 11, 2020
Alot of short stories. Is great to read before bedtime. Makes you think deep and dream fun stuff.
July 30, 2018
I remember reading this book a lot as a kid, and as evidence of that I remember almost every single story the moment I began to read it. The one exception to that was Everard's Ride, which seems to have completely purged itself from my mind for some reason. Of course, as with any anthology, I loved some of these stories and thought others were pretty awful. But there were more I loved than I loathed, and some of them, having stuck with me since I was a kid, have gotten the chance to renew themselves in my memory and are likely to stick around till I next open up this collection.
Little Dot and What the Cat Told Me are probably my two favorites, as they both represent what I love most about Dianna Wynne Jones: cats and magic. Both are from the point of view of cats, viewpoints that are rendered quite well, and each cat heroically saves her wizard from various difficulties. Of course, as is the nature of cats, they are saving their wizards from problems they helped to create, or at least make worse. But each cat has a fair bit of magic of her own, and things come out to a nice conclusion in the end. I also love Nad and Dan adn Quaffy and Enna Hittims, as they both play around with the magic of storytelling. The former is about an author of space operas who finds her new word processor does a lot more than just record her tales, while the latter sees a sick girl imagine a trio of fantasy heroines, only for them to get out of control and become a threat. I always enjoy reading authors playing around with the idea of storytelling, and these two stories have nice twists to them that have kept them lodged in the back of my mind forever. Plus I really wish the novels from Nad were real, cause I think I'd quite enjoy them.
Most of the other stories were generally fun, but I found a few to be rather disappointing. I read The Master in some other collection not too long ago and now, as then, I found it to be confusing, weird, and generally disappointing. It's a little less bad here as it isn't serving as the sole example of Jones's work and thus is less likely to turn off potential readers. I was a bit disappointed by No-One, which feels like a humorous riff on Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains that never quite landed the jokes properly. And Dragon Reserve, Home Eight had some interesting ideas but is hampered by somewhat unenjoyable characters and the feeling that there's a lot more story here we won't ever get.
Everard's Ride, as I said, seems to have disappeared from my memory, to the extent that I was surprised to find this book contained a novella in addition to the dozen or so short stories. As with a lot of Jones's writing, I found it took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did, I got through it pretty quickly. It's not her greatest, but it's sort of a fun secondary world (or something - the other version of the land that the Victorian characters visit is never explained and doesn't seem to be that much more magical than ours) fantasy. The world our heroes visit is a medieval fantasy one that has knights and princes, and its currently embroiled in a war over succession caused by the murder of the previous ruler. The four kids from our Earth play an important role, but it's nice that a lot of what happens still comes down to the actions of natives. I liked the idea that the realm will end if any Outsiders are killed, though I wish the reason for that had been explained. I also liked how the kids are from the Victorian era and thus brought in things like more modern ideas of government and a gun. In general this was a pretty fun story, which I'd probably rate around a three on its own. It isn't up with her best, but there are some neat ideas here and the action is pretty good. I am left wishing there was a sequel since I think this story could be taken in interesting directions from here.
Really, if there's one downside to rereading this book, it's that I've been reminded of just how much I love Dianna Wynne Jones's writing, and now I really want to reread all of her books I have read and finally read all the ones I haven't. Which would be a fun project, but I'm not sure I'm up to it right now given all the other things I also desperately want to read. While there are a few stories here I thought weren't that good, I still feel this is a great representative sample of Jones's works and well worth reading whether you're a fan or just somebody who's always wanted to give her a try.
Little Dot and What the Cat Told Me are probably my two favorites, as they both represent what I love most about Dianna Wynne Jones: cats and magic. Both are from the point of view of cats, viewpoints that are rendered quite well, and each cat heroically saves her wizard from various difficulties. Of course, as is the nature of cats, they are saving their wizards from problems they helped to create, or at least make worse. But each cat has a fair bit of magic of her own, and things come out to a nice conclusion in the end. I also love Nad and Dan adn Quaffy and Enna Hittims, as they both play around with the magic of storytelling. The former is about an author of space operas who finds her new word processor does a lot more than just record her tales, while the latter sees a sick girl imagine a trio of fantasy heroines, only for them to get out of control and become a threat. I always enjoy reading authors playing around with the idea of storytelling, and these two stories have nice twists to them that have kept them lodged in the back of my mind forever. Plus I really wish the novels from Nad were real, cause I think I'd quite enjoy them.
Most of the other stories were generally fun, but I found a few to be rather disappointing. I read The Master in some other collection not too long ago and now, as then, I found it to be confusing, weird, and generally disappointing. It's a little less bad here as it isn't serving as the sole example of Jones's work and thus is less likely to turn off potential readers. I was a bit disappointed by No-One, which feels like a humorous riff on Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains that never quite landed the jokes properly. And Dragon Reserve, Home Eight had some interesting ideas but is hampered by somewhat unenjoyable characters and the feeling that there's a lot more story here we won't ever get.
Everard's Ride, as I said, seems to have disappeared from my memory, to the extent that I was surprised to find this book contained a novella in addition to the dozen or so short stories. As with a lot of Jones's writing, I found it took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did, I got through it pretty quickly. It's not her greatest, but it's sort of a fun secondary world (or something - the other version of the land that the Victorian characters visit is never explained and doesn't seem to be that much more magical than ours) fantasy. The world our heroes visit is a medieval fantasy one that has knights and princes, and its currently embroiled in a war over succession caused by the murder of the previous ruler. The four kids from our Earth play an important role, but it's nice that a lot of what happens still comes down to the actions of natives. I liked the idea that the realm will end if any Outsiders are killed, though I wish the reason for that had been explained. I also liked how the kids are from the Victorian era and thus brought in things like more modern ideas of government and a gun. In general this was a pretty fun story, which I'd probably rate around a three on its own. It isn't up with her best, but there are some neat ideas here and the action is pretty good. I am left wishing there was a sequel since I think this story could be taken in interesting directions from here.
Really, if there's one downside to rereading this book, it's that I've been reminded of just how much I love Dianna Wynne Jones's writing, and now I really want to reread all of her books I have read and finally read all the ones I haven't. Which would be a fun project, but I'm not sure I'm up to it right now given all the other things I also desperately want to read. While there are a few stories here I thought weren't that good, I still feel this is a great representative sample of Jones's works and well worth reading whether you're a fan or just somebody who's always wanted to give her a try.
July 12, 2017
When Harry Potter came out, I went around telling people to read Diana Wynne Jones instead. That's how much of a fan girl I was. (And am: DWJ books grace my reread lists year after year while I have still never got past the first 100 pages of Goblet of Fire. Turns out I don't give tuppence about sports, even magical ones.)
Sadly, I don't think DWJ is at her best in short stories. The things I like best about her writing are her quirky characters and her ability to write plots that masquerade as normal stories before flipping inside out with such dexterity that you never realized you were being set up. Short stories are probably too short for either of those things.
Unexpected Magic has sat by my bedside for over three months now. I've made a concerted effort the past two weeks to get through a story or two before bed, and I still haven't finished the collection. These are eclectic stories that run from magical realism to full out fantasy settings. I haven't found one yet that I consider really memorable. Some of them are slightly entertaining; there are some spot-on caricatures of insufferable people who think they are paragons of virtue ("The Fluffy Pink Toadstool," "Aunt Bea's Day Out," "Plague of Peacocks"), and I rather enjoyed "What the Cat Told Me" (but I like cats, and think this story owes a bit to Angela Carter's retelling of Puss in Boots). But I think it would be easy for me to finish this collection, come back in two years, and have no recollection at all of anything in it.
Now I feel the need to embark on a massive reread of my favorite Diana Wynne Jones books: Howl's Moving Castle, Hexwood, Charmed Life, Fire and Hemlock...any of those is a vastly more satisfying read.
Sadly, I don't think DWJ is at her best in short stories. The things I like best about her writing are her quirky characters and her ability to write plots that masquerade as normal stories before flipping inside out with such dexterity that you never realized you were being set up. Short stories are probably too short for either of those things.
Unexpected Magic has sat by my bedside for over three months now. I've made a concerted effort the past two weeks to get through a story or two before bed, and I still haven't finished the collection. These are eclectic stories that run from magical realism to full out fantasy settings. I haven't found one yet that I consider really memorable. Some of them are slightly entertaining; there are some spot-on caricatures of insufferable people who think they are paragons of virtue ("The Fluffy Pink Toadstool," "Aunt Bea's Day Out," "Plague of Peacocks"), and I rather enjoyed "What the Cat Told Me" (but I like cats, and think this story owes a bit to Angela Carter's retelling of Puss in Boots). But I think it would be easy for me to finish this collection, come back in two years, and have no recollection at all of anything in it.
Now I feel the need to embark on a massive reread of my favorite Diana Wynne Jones books: Howl's Moving Castle, Hexwood, Charmed Life, Fire and Hemlock...any of those is a vastly more satisfying read.
May 3, 2018
Usually I don't like short stories. I like to lose myself in the vast, meadow-like expanses of a novel and feel disappointed when a short story is over, as if I had stubbed my toe on the ending. But Diana Wynne Jones is so wonderful that even the short ones seem worth while, especially the autobiographical one about herself at age 9 called "the girl Jones" who leads the local children astray, the story about a cat named Dot who owns a wizard (from her point of view, of course), and best of all, a novella about a group of young Victorians who get caught up in a parallel kingdom, a kind of ghost world from the past that coexists in space with their current reality. What I especially enjoyed about it was that everything that happened in the other world had effects in the real world and vice versa: There was no convenient disjunction of time as with Narnia, so the children got into terrible trouble when they went home to the real world after several days of being missing. Unlike the world of Sabriel by Garth Nix or Sarah Rees Brennan's In Other Lands, guns and other mechanical devices worked in the ghost world and scared the hell out of everyone. When the hero gets sick from drinking tainted water in the ghost world, he's still sick for weeks and weeks when he gets home. The travelers to the ghost world try to tell the grownups exactly happened and no one believes them. So DWJ has to work out exactly what would happen if such things did take place instead of having convenient magical devices gloss over them. And then there were such interesting explorations of Victorian class distinctions and dynamics. The whole novella was hugely fun and a ripping adventurous yarn in the best English fantasy style. If only it had been just a little bit longer!
January 16, 2024
As a fan of Diana Wynne Jones, I was surprised to find I didn't really remember this book when I saw it at a used book sale. I thought I remembered it featuring a Chrestomanci story though, so I picked up to see.
Well, firstly, the Chrestomanci stories are in "Mixed Magics." My mistake.
Secondly, the rest of this book is made up of several short stories and one novella called "Everard's Ride." I've never been a huge fan of short stories, except for few exceptions, and these really didn't do anything for me. A few had memorable scenes, such as "The Girl Jones," in which Jones writes about, presumably, a time she had to babysit multiple children in her hometown. There was also "The Master," a dreamlike sequence that almost feels as nonsensically sensible as a real dream. Several stories feature cats. And then there was the neverending story of Robert and the pocket dimension kingdom across the bay in "Everard's Ride," a story which was alright but tended to wander.
Overall, I didn't find much to recommend this book, and may only end up keeping it because it would be hard to find again. For most readers, though, I wouldn't recommend it. There's just not enough here to recommend.
Well, firstly, the Chrestomanci stories are in "Mixed Magics." My mistake.
Secondly, the rest of this book is made up of several short stories and one novella called "Everard's Ride." I've never been a huge fan of short stories, except for few exceptions, and these really didn't do anything for me. A few had memorable scenes, such as "The Girl Jones," in which Jones writes about, presumably, a time she had to babysit multiple children in her hometown. There was also "The Master," a dreamlike sequence that almost feels as nonsensically sensible as a real dream. Several stories feature cats. And then there was the neverending story of Robert and the pocket dimension kingdom across the bay in "Everard's Ride," a story which was alright but tended to wander.
Overall, I didn't find much to recommend this book, and may only end up keeping it because it would be hard to find again. For most readers, though, I wouldn't recommend it. There's just not enough here to recommend.
August 2, 2019
I thought I was the world's biggest Diana Wynne Jones fan, but apparently even I have my limits. I'm not sure the short form shows her off to best advantage, and after a while (a short while) some of the stories seem awfully repetitive. Yes, I enjoy her style and savour that consistent tone, but so many stories feature difficult characters and exasperated protagonists. It's there in her novels too, but I read those spaced apart. This felt like a cake, where the first slice tasted great, but you shortly realise there are still 12 more slices and no one to help you eat them--by the end, that great cake didn't feel so great.
So read it--but buy it (mine was from the library), and let some time pass between stories. Read one a month, say, and after a year and a half you'll have had such a treat. But back-to-back, it's too much of a muchness.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, I'm a bit more ruthless.
So read it--but buy it (mine was from the library), and let some time pass between stories. Read one a month, say, and after a year and a half you'll have had such a treat. But back-to-back, it's too much of a muchness.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, I'm a bit more ruthless.
March 21, 2020
3.5 stars. I wonder if this was ordered chronologically, because otherwise I see no reason to order it this way -- the first three stories were fairly uninteresting, and a less socially distanced reader might lose interest. Things pick up with a weird and creepy tale of wolves ("The Master"), and there are not 1 but 2 fun stories told from the point of view of cats living with wizards ("What the Cat Told Me" and "Little Dot"). I could really do without the fatphobia in several stories, especially in "Auntie Bea's Day Out," which would've been just as funny without it. I'd like to see "Dragon Reserve, Home Eight" expanded into at least a novella. I really liked "Everard's Ride," especially how Jones digs in to the way we do so many petty things we immediately regret but are too proud to put right; I like seeing that included in a tale of fantasy and intrigue, keeping it very human.
January 6, 2021
A lovely collection of fifteen stories and one novella, mostly fantasy with a little sci-fi and horror in the mix, and one autobiographical sketch. Like almost all short story collections, some of these were home runs for me and others were rather pedestrian. The novella that closes out the collection (more of a short book than a novella at 230 pages), "Everard's Ride", was wonderful - a fantasy world intruding on the real world of Victorian England and sweeping up two children in its plots and dramas. There were two stories narrated by cats, both delightful, and a gem of a sci-fi story about a robot called "No One".
May 18, 2021
This collection of stories was so fun! This is by no stretch of the imagination Diana's best work. But there are some absolutely wonderful gems (Everard's Ride in particular) that I absolutely fell in love with. I'll be honest, I didn't read every single story in this collection. But I did read almost all of them and would reccomend this book to any Diana Wynne Jones fan. Maybe its because she's captured my heart with her other works, but I don't actually hate reading some of the not-so-great things she's written. I did get extremely bored reading this at times - but the overall experience wasn't terrible and it gives great insight to Diana in her early days!
July 20, 2023
I really loved a lot of these stories. However, I almost feel like “Everard’s Ride” (which was an incredible story) should have been first, because it was a little disruptive and confusing going from 15 page short stories to an almost 200 page short story. It does make sense why it was last though because it was so good. However, I loved the way these short stories felt like old fairy tales. They were outlandish, quirky, sometimes odd, and fun. Some of my favorites include “Enna Hittims”, “The Girl Who Loved the Sun”, “What the Cat Told Me”, and “Little Dot”. Looking forward to reading even more by Jones.
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