Cat doesn't mind living in the shadow of his sister, Gwendolen, the most promising young witch ever seen on Coven Street. But trouble starts brewing the moment the two orphans are summoned to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjures up a scheme that could throw whole worlds out of whack.

Listening Length

7 hours and 10 minutes
Author

Diana Wynne Jones
Narrator

Gerard Doyle
Audible release date

September 19, 2005
Language

English
Publisher

Recorded Books
ASIN

B000BHHRI0
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	7 hours and 10 minutes
Author	Diana Wynne Jones
Narrator	Gerard Doyle
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	September 19, 2005
Publisher	Recorded Books
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B000BHHRI0
Best Sellers Rank	#29,018 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #16 in Humorous Fiction & Literature for Teens #126 in Fantasy Romance for Teens #220 in Teen & Young Adult Humorous Fiction

Customer reviews

5 star		73%
4 star		19%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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BooksAreWings

Racism doesn't age well. Otherwise, this book would be charming.

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

I had heard this series was similar to Harry Potter, and recent raves about it.
Yes...it is Potter-like - a world of witches and wizards, an innocent young hero introduced to a new world, etc.
It's for a much younger audience - I'd say at the level of The Chronicles of Narnia or younger - but it IS charming and in fact very Narnia-esque.
However......I'm only halfway through and do not think I can continue as this book (says published in the 21st century but it appears there was an earlier publication?) shows the prejudices of a much earlier time. There are references to "savages" and "Chinese eyes" and mimicking of "African" accents that are just beyond unacceptable, and again, I am only halfway.
I'm an adult who LOVES Potter (JK Rowling is a different issue) and hoped this would truly be similar. It's enjoyable even for an adult to read, but unlike Potter, even without the issues I am highlighting, I don't think adults would wish to read the whole series - it is too childish. More important - I have to say, I cannot allow my kids to read a book that carries biases that feel, honestly, at best 1950s to me.
The imagination is there. I don't know when this book was actually written. But unless this book (and I have to assume, its sequels) are updated with some acknowledgement.....no child should be exposed to this kind of racism and xenophobia in the guise of a charming book about magic. It's really too bad.

23 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Magical ww

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

I first read this when I was about 30, and I have re-read it for 30+ years. I couldn't tell if it was a book for adults, or a warped children's book. It reminded me of E. Nesbit, but with a dark undertone. I have tried to track down everything she wrote, haunting the children's section for years. There shouldn't be an age category. I get a different perspective every time I read her books.

13 people found this helpful

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Mike Reeves-McMillan

Memorable characters, fun world

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

Diana Wynne Jones has a wonderfully whimsical ability to worldbuild (of which J.K. Rowling should be jealous). Books with magic in are slowly tending to become more technological (as our technology becomes more magical, perhaps, or maybe it's just because of games in which magic has to be "balanced"); there are clear rules for what can and can't be done. This author was writing before that trend, or ignored it, and her magic is like the magic of folktales. It works because it ought to work, because having it work that way is cool.

She was also writing before "head-hopping" (switching between third-person viewpoints in the middle of a scene) became so denigrated, and a couple of times it's disorientating. Her style is the simple, declarative style of books for younger readers, but there's nothing wrong with that, though if I'd been her editor I would have said "show, don't tell" a couple of times and suggested more active phrasings for a few sentences. The writing, in other words, isn't flawless, but the story, the characters and especially the world make up for it.

The main viewpoint character is a boy known as Cat, for reasons that, when explained, turn out to be very important. He's afflicted with a sister named Gwendolen, who is as self-centred as a gyroscope and reacts badly to being thwarted, causing a cascade of trouble for poor Cat. By the middle of the book he's in not just one, but four or five bad situations, with no solution in sight, and all of them are Gwendolen's fault.

The secondary characters are delightful. The powerful Chrestomanci, in particular, with his beautiful clothes, is like a less self-centred Howl, but each one of them has some characteristic of appearance or mannerism that makes them distinct and memorable.

This is the first of a series of six books, and I'll be reading the others too, I think.

8 people found this helpful

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Neal Page

Forget Harry, Chrestomanci is pure magic

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

It is a literary crime that Diana Wynne Jones is not a household name. Each of her books is a treasure. I wish HBO would adapt Charmed Life into a mini series; maybe having her name attached to such a project would boost reader's awareness of her wonderful catalogue of work.

14 people found this helpful

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Kathy Coleman

A Joy to Read at Any Age

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2015

Verified Purchase

I can't believe I waited so long to read Diana Wynne Jones. She is amazing, and the Crestomanci series has been a joy to me so far. I started here, with Charmed Life, and I have shot through the sequels with increasing delight.

Eric "Cat" Chant believes himself to be useless in the field of magic, unlike his brilliantly gifted older sister. When the children are orphaned, they are taken in by the mysterious figure of Chrestomanci, and taken to live in his strange castle, where odd dangers seem to lurk around every corner, and Cat finds it increasingly more difficult to understand what's happening, especially when his sister disappears and is replaced by an exact duplicate!

Is the strange, lofty figure of Chrestomanci friend, or foe?

5 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Magical word, magical people.

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

The characters of the book are easy to like and they're well written, and the Chrestomanci world is full of little details that make it easy to imagine living in it. The plot is clever and well designed. Before this book I read the legendary 'Howls Moving Castle' and I also advise you to read it since it's Diana Wynne Jones's most popular book!

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K. Maxwell

A Classic for all ages

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2002

Verified Purchase

Long before Harry Potter there was Cat Chant. This book is enormously appealing and well written for people of all ages, though it is aimed towards children. I first read it when I was around 13, and I've continued to enjoy it since.
It's the the story of a pair of young orphans Cat and Gwen Chant who are sent to live with an old friend of their fathers after their parents death. They discover much about magic and themselves (at least Cat does) in this lively and well written book.
This is not the only book by this author set in this magical universe, but in some ways it's still my favourite after all these years. One more short story featuring Cat can be found in the author's book "mixed magics".

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Slow and bland characters

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2019

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This book was slow and tedious. The main character was bland and pathetic,band the other characters were quite flat as well. If that wasn't bad enough, there shaman and other non-Western cultural features were referred to as savages and one character makes faces in the mirror by strerching her eyes like a Chinese. Ugh.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

Good to reread

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2018

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I first read this book over thirty-five years ago, it enchanted me at that point and I had forgotten about it until recently. I had borrowed it from Doncaster library a few times as I enjoyed it so much. I remembered Cat always and his nine lives and Gwendolen,and that's how I found the book again, or should I say the full seven books again.. but of course 35years ago there were only two books which I had read several times. I'm happy to have read it again...

5 people found this helpful

Utterbliss

Enchanting read - think Harry Potter meets the Dark Materials

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

I bought this book after hearing that it was an inspiration for Cressida Cowell. I've got it for my 9yr old but thought I'd try it first. Very readable and interesting. It showed where JK Rowling (there's a 'You Know Who' reference) and Philip Pullman (there are alternate worlds) may well have got their themes from. Touch of Neil Gaiman too - he wrote the introduction. Suitable for 8-11 years. Can wait to read the next one!

3 people found this helpful

momo

magic!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2013

Verified Purchase

this is a fantastic book i read this years ago way, before harry potter . Diana Wynne Jones is a brilliant writer and i was always looking out for her books so i very sad to hear that she is no longer with us.This book is about a older sister, younger brother who are orphan and taken in by a distant cousin,the sister who is a witch doesn,t like the confinement and causes trouble,the brother who cannot do magic loves the place and try to cover up for his sister mischief until he finds out why she is so powerful.

3 people found this helpful

Can there be any other rating?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2021

Verified Purchase

I belong to Chrestomanci Castle! I belong to Chrestomanci Castle! I belong to Chrestomanci Castle! Read it or regret it

One person found this helpful

Barnaby Williams

An excellent read, suitable for all ages

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

This book really is an excellent read for all ages. I originally purchased the paperback copy a few years ago, but to this day I continue to read it again and again. The literary quality isn't on-par with the likes of Tolstoy or Dickens, but it provides a blissful escape from reality. Each page is engaging, making me constantly say 'oh, leave it at the next chapter'.

Diana Wynne Jones must have written with a magic pen to be able to create such a fantastic novel. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book, no matter how old or young the reader is. The simple vocabulary is easy to read, but there are some more complex themes behind the words which piques the older readers' interest.

After reading the book, I suggest going on to buy the unabridged audio narration. By doing so you can keep the world of Chrestomanci on your phone, iPod or computer, and be able to play it whenever you like.

2 people found this helpful

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