In my quest to read all of Diana Wynne Jones’s books in one year, this month I read The Magicians of Caprona, The Time of the Ghost, The Homeward Bounders, and Witch Week!
This month’s reading was a roller coaster, as it included the book I consider the scariest of Diana Wynne Jones’s work, and also the one with the bleakest ending, and also a reread of the very first Diana Wynne Jones book I ever read!
The Magicians of Caprona (1980)
This is a Chrestomanci book set in a fantasy version of Italy where city states are all still separate and sparring with each other politically. Two highly respected magical families, both alike in dignity, in fair Caprona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where magic blood makes magic hands unclean. In this case, the focus is on the two youngest boys of one of the magical families, and the Romeo and Juliet-esque romance (with a happier ending) plays out mostly in the background.
An ancient enemy of Caprona has returned, pitting the two magical families against each other as the borders are threatened by rival city states. Chrestomanci arrives and helps late in the book, but he’s not the main character by any stretch.
One thing I particularly like about The Magicians of Caprona is in its contrast between villainous adults and imperfect but loving ones. Whatever their other problems, we almost immediately learn that in the Casa Montana, the whole big sprawling family love each other and take seriously when one of their children is unhappy. Tonino’s sense of low self worth is a family problem to be solved. In contrast, the evil duchess who preys upon Tonino and his brother is bone-chilling. When I was much younger and read this, I didn’t quite register how fucked up it was that there was an adult in a position of power torturing children, and many other adults knew about it and let it happen.
The Time of the Ghost (1981)
The Time of the Ghost is a horror standalone. We first meet an ephemeral being who assumes she’s a ghost and seems to be haunting four neglected sisters. As their parents deny them affection and support, these sisters are playing at worshiping an old rag doll that seethes with malevolence. The creepy evil she exudes is scary enough, but for me, it’s the casual cruelty of the parenting and a violent boyfriend that tip this over into horror.
The week I was reading The Time of the Ghost, I mentioned that I find it to be the scariest Diana Wynne Jones book and got resounding agreement from a number of her fans.
The Homeward Bounders (1981)
And published in the same year as The Time of The Ghost is The Homeward Bounders, also a standalone. The Homeward Bounders is overwhelmingly considered Diana Wynne Jones’s bleakest book, but frankly, I think that is just due to the ending of the book being bleak for the point-of-view character specifically. It definitely is, but up until that point it is a rollicking good time, and the narrator’s voice is very fun. And the ending is actually quite hopeful for literally everyone else (except the villains). I don’t know; I guess I’m willing to fight on this one. I really like it and generally don’t feel bogged down when I finish it, unlike The Time of the Ghost, which leaves me unsettled every time.
Witch Week (1982)
Witch Week was the very first Diana Wynne Jones book I ever read! As a pal in a similar situation remarked, a lot of it is just hardwired into my brain now. Among other things, Witch Week taught me that something can be dystopian and hilarious at the same time, and that you can be a selfish, not very nice person and still do the right thing when it matters most. Formative.
Witch Week is another of the Chrestomanci books where he shows up near the end and helps solve the problem but isn’t the main character. In this case, we follow a bunch of misfit kids at a publicly supported boarding school for “witch orphans” and other children with embarrassing problems like that.
As they start to manifest magical powers, they get more and more frightened, since witches are burned in their world. They call Chrestomanci, hoping they can escape into a better world and learn that in fact, instead of escaping the problem, he expects them to solve the problem.
Witch Week is a fan favorite because the terrible boarding school and its whole world are very well-drawn. The bleakness of the situation facilitates extremely funny moments, so readers can laugh sympathetically with the characters who have to live it.
And apparently Emilies Reading Through Diana Wynne Jones is the zeitgeist, as I recently learned of the podcast Eight Days of Diana Wynne Jones, featuring authors Emily Tesh and Rebecca Fraimow chatting about all the Diana Wynne Jones books!
If you’d like to read along with me, my schedule is here! Archer’s Goon, The Skiver’s Guide, and Fire and Hemlock are up next!
Custom images for this series are by Marnanel Thurman.
