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Believing Is Seeing
Believing is seeing, as the title of this outstanding collection of fantasies proclaims. And reading is seeing more than you've ever imagined when in the masterful hands of acclaimed author Diana Wynne Jones. Here are seven tales -- seven doorways to bizarre, yet strangely familiar worlds -- to transport one and all. In these worlds are a child born to an ordered society but preordained to spread Dissolution...a girl who so loves the sun that she renounces her humanity for eternity...a cat and a boy, held captive by an evil magician until they can find a bigger magic of their own...a woman imprisoned in a strange country dominated by three ravenous wolves...and many other characters and stories just as exceptional. These richly drawn, razor-sharp stories showcase the skills and sheer narrative power of one of the most esteemed fantasy writers of our time.
165 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 1999
40 people are currently reading
803 people want to read
About the author
Diana Wynne Jones
151 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 31 reviews
July 7, 2017
I would like to talk about each of the seven stories in this book. Warning, there are spoilers.
The Sage of Theare:
This was actually pretty interesting. A lot of the timey-wimey stuff went over my head, but I *think* I get the gist of it.
It was so cool! I'm not usually into the whole gods and goddesses scene, but Diana was able to make the story interesting enough for me to want to continue reading (especially with the appearance of Chrestomanci <3)
The Master:
This story was deliciously creepy. I love how it is told in first person, and the descriptions of the wolves, especially Annie, were superb. There's a total zinger at the end, when you find out that the story she is telling was actually a dream, and she's hoping the events of that dream don't play out in real life... Of course there were elements of magic within this story, and I love that.
The Girl Who Loved the Sun:
This is another type of story I wouldn't normally read. It started out a little boring, with her striving to catch the attention and affections of the sun. However, going further on, I really felt as if Diana brought new dimensions to the age-old "this is how the world works" type of story. The way she described the main character turning into a tree at the end, stretching out her nerve endings into the very branches she reaches towards the sky, really made me fell as if I myself were turning into a tree. There was some bitterness at the end, as she never does earn the affections from the sun that she seeks.
Dragon Reserve, Home Eight:
I loved this story! Definitely one of my favourites. I like how they call the dragons "worms." I was really happy when they decided not to persecute the main character for being a heg. And what a surprise when Orm turned out to be her father! I really didn't expect that.
What the Cat Told Me:
This was my other favourite. I loved how it was from the cat's point of view, and how the cat would interrupt its own story from time to time to tell the reader to pet it, or bring it food, etc. Diana really has a lovely element of humour in all of her stories. The magical elements were probably what I liked most about this story. The classic use of pentagrams and magic cats really makes the story. I wish it had been longer!
Enna Hitims:
This story was very interesting! I had just watched Mirror Mask shortly before reading this story, and ended up with Helena being the model for the main character. I was very jealous... I wish my drawings would come to life, although I could do without them trying to kill me! I love how Diana incorporates the idea of "magic" markers....
nad and Dan and Quaffy:
Wow, what a story! This really put into perspective what it's like to be a professional writer, and how difficult it is to not only come up with the story idea, but to actually find time to write it. I love how this was based off of "and" as a typo, although honestly I've never had problems with that! Now the word "believe" on the other hand...
End of spoilers. I promise ;D
Overall this was such an outstanding collection of stories. Diana Wynne Jones never ceases to amaze me in her stories of magic and humour.
The Sage of Theare:
This was actually pretty interesting. A lot of the timey-wimey stuff went over my head, but I *think* I get the gist of it.
It was so cool! I'm not usually into the whole gods and goddesses scene, but Diana was able to make the story interesting enough for me to want to continue reading (especially with the appearance of Chrestomanci <3)
The Master:
This story was deliciously creepy. I love how it is told in first person, and the descriptions of the wolves, especially Annie, were superb. There's a total zinger at the end, when you find out that the story she is telling was actually a dream, and she's hoping the events of that dream don't play out in real life... Of course there were elements of magic within this story, and I love that.
The Girl Who Loved the Sun:
This is another type of story I wouldn't normally read. It started out a little boring, with her striving to catch the attention and affections of the sun. However, going further on, I really felt as if Diana brought new dimensions to the age-old "this is how the world works" type of story. The way she described the main character turning into a tree at the end, stretching out her nerve endings into the very branches she reaches towards the sky, really made me fell as if I myself were turning into a tree. There was some bitterness at the end, as she never does earn the affections from the sun that she seeks.
Dragon Reserve, Home Eight:
I loved this story! Definitely one of my favourites. I like how they call the dragons "worms." I was really happy when they decided not to persecute the main character for being a heg. And what a surprise when Orm turned out to be her father! I really didn't expect that.
What the Cat Told Me:
This was my other favourite. I loved how it was from the cat's point of view, and how the cat would interrupt its own story from time to time to tell the reader to pet it, or bring it food, etc. Diana really has a lovely element of humour in all of her stories. The magical elements were probably what I liked most about this story. The classic use of pentagrams and magic cats really makes the story. I wish it had been longer!
Enna Hitims:
This story was very interesting! I had just watched Mirror Mask shortly before reading this story, and ended up with Helena being the model for the main character. I was very jealous... I wish my drawings would come to life, although I could do without them trying to kill me! I love how Diana incorporates the idea of "magic" markers....
nad and Dan and Quaffy:
Wow, what a story! This really put into perspective what it's like to be a professional writer, and how difficult it is to not only come up with the story idea, but to actually find time to write it. I love how this was based off of "and" as a typo, although honestly I've never had problems with that! Now the word "believe" on the other hand...
End of spoilers. I promise ;D
Overall this was such an outstanding collection of stories. Diana Wynne Jones never ceases to amaze me in her stories of magic and humour.
January 7, 2012
Having just finished re-reading this book for the third time, or thereabouts, I can pretty confidently say that I like it, at the very least!
More than just being an enjoyable read, however, it is a thoughtful read. Every time I have read it I discover at least one or two new layers to think about in at least one or two of the stories. The stories themselves, of course, vary in terms of how much thought they require and inspire.
I almost want to put individual reviews for the stories here, but I really haven't quite the motivation at the moment. Perhaps after my next re-reading!
My favourite story from the collection is 'What the Cat Told Me', definitely, though as a writer 'nad and Dan adn Quaffy' has its own kind of draw to it. . .
The stories are very distinct from each other, and the entire book is a lovely read, which is really no surprise, coming from this author.
More than just being an enjoyable read, however, it is a thoughtful read. Every time I have read it I discover at least one or two new layers to think about in at least one or two of the stories. The stories themselves, of course, vary in terms of how much thought they require and inspire.
I almost want to put individual reviews for the stories here, but I really haven't quite the motivation at the moment. Perhaps after my next re-reading!
My favourite story from the collection is 'What the Cat Told Me', definitely, though as a writer 'nad and Dan adn Quaffy' has its own kind of draw to it. . .
The stories are very distinct from each other, and the entire book is a lovely read, which is really no surprise, coming from this author.
September 5, 2017
what a wonderful collection! I didn't understand the last story one bit but I enjoyed reading it all the same xD they were all well written and funny and kept my attention. the dragon reserve was my fave, I could read a whole series about that. the girl who loved the sun and what the cat said had a fable or fairy-tale feel to me.
all in all good stuff!
all in all good stuff!
January 17, 2024
Started off strong with "The Sage of Theare," which I think will have me pondering religious philosophy and predetermination for a while yet. I also enjoyed "What the Cat Told Me," which she probably could have drawn out into a whole novel and I would have been there for it. "The Girl Who Loved the Sun" was pretty dark and painful but very in line with traditional Greek mythology which I believe was the intention. "Dragon Reserve, Home Eight" was quite fun; filled with original language and concepts so it required a lot of focus to understand but I like that habit of Jones'. "Enna Hittims" also pulled on the dark side but the imaginative roots were cool.
Two of the stories didn't land for me: "The Master;" there's a rich tradition of basing stories on dreams but to do none of the extra work of adaptation or development and leave it dangling in the air at the end was very unsatisfying. And "Nad and Dan Adn Quaffy;" not half as clever as it wanted to be and with an oddly vulgar edge? Overall I enjoyed this collection and Jones is still the queen of my fantasy heart.
Two of the stories didn't land for me: "The Master;" there's a rich tradition of basing stories on dreams but to do none of the extra work of adaptation or development and leave it dangling in the air at the end was very unsatisfying. And "Nad and Dan Adn Quaffy;" not half as clever as it wanted to be and with an oddly vulgar edge? Overall I enjoyed this collection and Jones is still the queen of my fantasy heart.
November 1, 2021
“Believing Is Seeing” is a pleasant short story anthology with an excellent introduction by the author who gives an interesting background to each piece. Every story has an interesting slant and readers will have their own favourites. For me the highlight was “What the Cat Told Me” which is absolutely delightful. I would also recommend “Dragon Reserve, Home Eight” but while I particularly enjoy those two, there is no weak tale in the collection.
However, It is rather short and no less than four introductory chapters from other Diane Wynne Jones novels fill out the rest of the book. They are all great novels but I would have preferred more stories.
However, It is rather short and no less than four introductory chapters from other Diane Wynne Jones novels fill out the rest of the book. They are all great novels but I would have preferred more stories.
June 30, 2025
loved all of them.
the second story reminded me once again that diana wynne jones is really good at writing horror.
it always surprises me because i associate her with howl's moving castle and chrestomanci books.
she is so good at creating this fantasy atmosphere, and her stories have a charm to them that touches your heart.
amazing author.
the second story reminded me once again that diana wynne jones is really good at writing horror.
it always surprises me because i associate her with howl's moving castle and chrestomanci books.
she is so good at creating this fantasy atmosphere, and her stories have a charm to them that touches your heart.
amazing author.
February 4, 2018
This is a great group of short stories.
May 14, 2020
Repeats most of the short stories from her other collections. Only one was new to me.
June 24, 2020
Here are seven tales—seven doorways to bizarre, yet strangely familiar worlds—to transport one and all.
January 3, 2021
Not her best, but the last of her work I hadn't read. I just love her stuff.
February 16, 2021
Quite good, some stories I wish she had continued as the plot pulled me right in.
January 1, 2022
Consistent quality short stories~
December 9, 2022
Some fun short stories!
September 1, 2023
Nice collection of stories by talented fantasy writer Diana Wynne Jones. Most story collections have a few duds but these were all good.
October 26, 2025
I've read this before, and some of the stories are included in a couple different DWJ story collections. No spoilers, just reactions Includes:
The Sage of Theare - Odd bit of prophecy on a very regimented world helps to change the status quo. A bit of mixed results on this one, not my favorite DWJ story. 2.5 stars.
The Master - Confusing, creepy, dreamy. DWJ could write horror well when she wanted. Just did not like the ending. 3.5 stars
Enna Hitims - An odd little story about how a feverish girl, home with the mumps who begins drawing randomly. Those drawings come to life and invade her home while she's forced to figure out how to defend against them. Cute, funny, and thoughtful. 4 stars
The Girl Who Loved the Sun - This girl fell in love with the sun and decided the sun loved the trees most of all, so she learned how to become a tree, the biggest and best and most beautiful tree so that the sun would love her in return. Things don't go exactly as planned. Good moral fable. 4.5 stars.
Dragon Reserve, Home Eight - I think might be loosely connected to the Chrestomanci universe, but not directly. It features magical children joining forces with dragons to fight off an invasion of slavers from another aggressive world. Takes a while to get the plot rolling but interesting ideas. 4.5 stars.
What the Cat Told Me - A cat becomes involved with a young man who's a slave to an evil magician, and how that turns out. Once you get into the unusual perspective, its likable. 4 stars.
nad and Dan adn Quaffy - A popular science fiction's writer's word processor appears to come to life possessed by the altnerate universe versions pf her own series. 3 stars
The final 25% of the book is first chapter excerpts from several DWJ novels, including Howl’s Moving Castle, The Merlin Conspiracy, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and Archer’s Goon.
3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 stars
The Sage of Theare - Odd bit of prophecy on a very regimented world helps to change the status quo. A bit of mixed results on this one, not my favorite DWJ story. 2.5 stars.
The Master - Confusing, creepy, dreamy. DWJ could write horror well when she wanted. Just did not like the ending. 3.5 stars
Enna Hitims - An odd little story about how a feverish girl, home with the mumps who begins drawing randomly. Those drawings come to life and invade her home while she's forced to figure out how to defend against them. Cute, funny, and thoughtful. 4 stars
The Girl Who Loved the Sun - This girl fell in love with the sun and decided the sun loved the trees most of all, so she learned how to become a tree, the biggest and best and most beautiful tree so that the sun would love her in return. Things don't go exactly as planned. Good moral fable. 4.5 stars.
Dragon Reserve, Home Eight - I think might be loosely connected to the Chrestomanci universe, but not directly. It features magical children joining forces with dragons to fight off an invasion of slavers from another aggressive world. Takes a while to get the plot rolling but interesting ideas. 4.5 stars.
What the Cat Told Me - A cat becomes involved with a young man who's a slave to an evil magician, and how that turns out. Once you get into the unusual perspective, its likable. 4 stars.
nad and Dan adn Quaffy - A popular science fiction's writer's word processor appears to come to life possessed by the altnerate universe versions pf her own series. 3 stars
The final 25% of the book is first chapter excerpts from several DWJ novels, including Howl’s Moving Castle, The Merlin Conspiracy, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and Archer’s Goon.
3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 stars
May 19, 2015
Don't get me wrong, I subjectively enjoyed these more than I thought they were good, but like a lot of authors who aren't really known for their short stories, they seemed a bit lazy and were spotty in terms of quality.
One critical comment. Unlike other more skilled authors like Lewis, Tolkien or Bradbury, Jones fails to invest her fantasies with much (or any) moral meaning. To explain what I mean, in The Lord of the Rings, rings, trees, gates, magic, elvishness, and the sea are all invested with deep moral significance. For Jones, any objects or abilities the characters have are morally and symbolically incidental and the bad guys and good guys in the stories could essentially switch abilities and places without much jiggering. This is less of a problem in books with well drawn out characters like in Howl's Moving Castle, but in a book of short stories where characterizations are already somewhat thin, this becomes a far more significant problem. I'll quote O'Connor below and charge Jones with having a tin ear in this respect.* Jones doesn't appear aware of anything much above the literal level.
But even though the book doesn't really rise above the penny dreadful level, I did enjoy it. The upshot of all this, is that while I want to read more Jones, I want to carefully choose the ones that are supposed to be better.
*“Symbols are something [the writer] uses simply as a matter of course. You might say that theses are details that, while having their essential place in the literal level of the story, operate in depth as well as on the surface, increasing the story in every direction … the truer the symbol, the deeper it leads you, the more meaning it opens up” -Flannery O'Connor
One critical comment. Unlike other more skilled authors like Lewis, Tolkien or Bradbury, Jones fails to invest her fantasies with much (or any) moral meaning. To explain what I mean, in The Lord of the Rings, rings, trees, gates, magic, elvishness, and the sea are all invested with deep moral significance. For Jones, any objects or abilities the characters have are morally and symbolically incidental and the bad guys and good guys in the stories could essentially switch abilities and places without much jiggering. This is less of a problem in books with well drawn out characters like in Howl's Moving Castle, but in a book of short stories where characterizations are already somewhat thin, this becomes a far more significant problem. I'll quote O'Connor below and charge Jones with having a tin ear in this respect.* Jones doesn't appear aware of anything much above the literal level.
But even though the book doesn't really rise above the penny dreadful level, I did enjoy it. The upshot of all this, is that while I want to read more Jones, I want to carefully choose the ones that are supposed to be better.
*“Symbols are something [the writer] uses simply as a matter of course. You might say that theses are details that, while having their essential place in the literal level of the story, operate in depth as well as on the surface, increasing the story in every direction … the truer the symbol, the deeper it leads you, the more meaning it opens up” -Flannery O'Connor
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March 19, 2013Classic Diana Wynne Jones, la mia opinione su questa raccolta soffre un poco perché avevo già letto il brillante 'The Sage of Theare' in Mixed Magics: Four Tales of Chrestomanci.
Degli altri racconti il più criptico - e anche inquietante! - è sicuramente 'The Master' (leggendo in seguito l'introduzione: naturalmente è nato insieme a Fire and Hemlock!).
Avventure divertenti: 'Enna Hittims' e 'Dragon Reserve, Home Eight'. 'The Girl Who Loved the Sun' è la spiegazione che l'autrice tenta di dare alle fanciulle che si trasformano in piante e animali nella mitologia, è curioso ma non l'ho gradito come gli altri (in un certo senso funziona di meno perché si chiude in modo più pulito).
'What the Cat Told Me' è un'avventura di gatti e magie e maledizioni che piacerebbe ai fan di Howl's Moving Castle.
'nad and Dan adn Quaffy' infine è quello che ho trovato più interessante e anche quello che mi ha lasciato più interdetta: si parla ancora di scrittori come in 'Enna Hittims' ma qui è una professione e una certa avversione per la tecnologia può sicuramente far avvenire cose... strane. In tutto questo, nel fantasy e nella fantascienza si possono bere le bevante più incredibili... ma forse alle volte la cosa migliore è un caffè. :)
Degli altri racconti il più criptico - e anche inquietante! - è sicuramente 'The Master' (leggendo in seguito l'introduzione: naturalmente è nato insieme a Fire and Hemlock!).
Avventure divertenti: 'Enna Hittims' e 'Dragon Reserve, Home Eight'. 'The Girl Who Loved the Sun' è la spiegazione che l'autrice tenta di dare alle fanciulle che si trasformano in piante e animali nella mitologia, è curioso ma non l'ho gradito come gli altri (in un certo senso funziona di meno perché si chiude in modo più pulito).
'What the Cat Told Me' è un'avventura di gatti e magie e maledizioni che piacerebbe ai fan di Howl's Moving Castle.
'nad and Dan adn Quaffy' infine è quello che ho trovato più interessante e anche quello che mi ha lasciato più interdetta: si parla ancora di scrittori come in 'Enna Hittims' ma qui è una professione e una certa avversione per la tecnologia può sicuramente far avvenire cose... strane. In tutto questo, nel fantasy e nella fantascienza si possono bere le bevante più incredibili... ma forse alle volte la cosa migliore è un caffè. :)
November 28, 2012
I came to Diana Wynne Jones late in life (any later than ten is pushing it!) and have been making it up ever since. Her Chrestomanci books in particular are masterful examples of great fantasy that does unexpected things.
The stories in this collection sometimes feel like they should be part of a more complete world, particularly "Dragon Reserve, Home Eight", in which a young girl is threatened by a government agency afraid of her special abilities. Others are dreamlike or reminded me strongly of the logic of fairy tales ("The Master" and "The Girl Who Loved the Sun"). My favorite was "What the Cat Told Me", which along with "The Sage of Threar" (Chrestomanci!) and "Enna Hittims" are classic examples of Diana Wynne Jones's skill with unexpected magic--magic that throws her young protagonists off balance while forcing them to improvise in powerful ways by drawing on deeply hidden resources of courage and cunning.
The end of the book contains excerpts from her novels, including "Howl's Moving Castle" and others.
The stories in this collection sometimes feel like they should be part of a more complete world, particularly "Dragon Reserve, Home Eight", in which a young girl is threatened by a government agency afraid of her special abilities. Others are dreamlike or reminded me strongly of the logic of fairy tales ("The Master" and "The Girl Who Loved the Sun"). My favorite was "What the Cat Told Me", which along with "The Sage of Threar" (Chrestomanci!) and "Enna Hittims" are classic examples of Diana Wynne Jones's skill with unexpected magic--magic that throws her young protagonists off balance while forcing them to improvise in powerful ways by drawing on deeply hidden resources of courage and cunning.
The end of the book contains excerpts from her novels, including "Howl's Moving Castle" and others.
September 20, 2009
There is many different wonderful stories in this book. Some are strange, some are silly, some are crazy but I absolutely loved them! I loved the first story in the book called The Sage of Theare which was about the son of a God, then there was Dragon Reserve, Home Eight, The Girl Who Loved The Sun and many more.
I've read other books by Diana Wynne Jones, but this was my first time reading a book of short stories by her and I was really happy with the book. The stories were really great and enjoyable.
I've read other books by Diana Wynne Jones, but this was my first time reading a book of short stories by her and I was really happy with the book. The stories were really great and enjoyable.
July 24, 2012
If I could give this book 4.5 stars, I would. It was super good and I loved just about every moment of it. But her writing style is unique, and it took a bit of getting used to-proper English, who would of thought? My favorite story from the book was Enna Hittims, the entire story was a charm. A couple of the stories, on the dark side, didn't seem to have an real plot or purpose. From reading this book though I will say that Diana Wynne Jones is a fantastically brilliant, and hilarious genius.
April 9, 2009
A quick, fun selection of 7 short stories (as you might have guessed from the title of the book). They span a good portion of Jones' career and offer a neat view into how she's evolved as a writer. If you've read her other books, it's a fun game of "spot the cameos" with familiar characters and places showing up periodically.
May 24, 2012
The cover is awesome. I wish I could say I loved all the stories in here, but I didn't. "The Sage of Theare" and "Enna Hittims" were my favorite ones. "The Master" had a wonderfully paranoid atmosphere, but the ending was disappointing. I didn't like "nad and Dan adn Quaffy". I suppose I am a pure fantasist at heart.
August 3, 2008
I have wanted to read something by her since I saw Howl's Moving Castle. And I wasn't disappointed. I look forward to reading her work again someday.
January 6, 2010
Yeah, some were better than others. I should stop reading short stories I don't get into them so much. I'd read the Sage of Theare already and a couple were clearly aimed at younger children. Glad I didn't buy it!
November 6, 2008
Diana Wynn Jones writes good novels. Her short stories never quite seem to make it, though.
June 21, 2009
Short stories. I'm not a big fan of short stories, but these are good. I especially liked the one about the cat. Always enjoy DWJ.
September 19, 2011
I liked the blend of fantasy, science fiction, contemporary, and mythological. Favorite story "The Girl Who Loved the Sun".
June 7, 2014
Has that "quaffy" story in it!
August 16, 2014
Some of the stories I found entertaining, others not so much, I didn't think any of them were particularly fantastic.
June 6, 2011
6/4/11 A comfort re-read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews