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    House of Many Ways
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    House of Many Ways
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    House of Many Ways
    Ebook271 pages4 hours

    House of Many Ways

    By Diana Wynne Jones

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 4, 2008
    ISBN9780007281978
    Author

    Diana Wynne Jones

    In a career spanning four decades, award-winning author Diana Wynne Jones (1934‒2011) wrote more than forty books of fantasy for young readers. Characterized by magic, multiple universes, witches and wizards—and a charismatic nine-lived enchanter—her books are filled with unlimited imagination, dazzling plots, and an effervescent sense of humor that earned her legendary status in the world of fantasy.

    Read more from Diana Wynne Jones

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    Reviews for House of Many Ways

    4/5

    734 ratings49 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This features more new characters, though Howl and friends appear more heavily than they did in book two. Sophie and sidekick Waif (a dog) make a welcome appearance, though the strange house with its ‘two’ rooms and magical ways of twists and turns to find others is a fabulous character itself. Well worked out, and great fun. I felt the ending seemed a little too fast; still, this is not one to miss out on, though this is better than the second, but not as good as the first.
    • 4/5
      Not top-notch Diana Wynne Jones, but still a pleasant read.
    • 5/5
      While nothing can replace Howls Moving Castle in my heart, this book made it a lot closer than Castle in The Air did. The main character, Charmain, is pretty terrible at most things but I kind of love her for it. She has no clue about even the most basic housework, is grumpy about almost everything, and doesnt really have much interest in anything besides reading and food. The scenes of her and Peter causing one thing after another to go dramatically and magically wrong was probably my favorite part of this book. I also really enjoyed seeing the characters from Howls Moving Castle again.

      Plotwise, eh, it was ok. I didnt always understand how things were supposed to be happening and almost everything could have been solved much easier with a bit more planning and communication, but it was still fine to read about. It all wraps up nicely at the end in typical Diana Wynne Jones fashion, and I think its worth reading if you like the authors writing style and read the previous 2 books in the series.
    • 4/5
      A light adventure we enter when Charmain, a bookish teen is tasked to take care of her wizard-great-uncle-by-marriage's house while he is off being cured by elves. Charmain, out from the repressing reign of her mother finds out there's more to life than books and being respectable and the plot doesn't get bogged down in it's villains who mostly show up after Charmain has got her grip on a new life.
    • 5/5
      House of Many Ways is the third book in the "Howl's Moving Castle" trilogy. Like book two, Castle in the Air, book three has a different protagonist. Unlike book two, Charmaine and Peter are not lovebirds torn apart. They don't even like each other. Charmaine Baker, an ardent bibliophile, is our protagonist. Her father is the best baker in town. Her mother is obsessed with being respectable. Her ideas of respectability for her only child do not include Charmaine knowing the first thing about dusting, cleaning, or washing dishes or clothes, let alone cooking. She's not kind. On the other hand, as she discovers, she's got real magical talent.Peter has some practical knowledge, but he has two major handicaps: no sense of direction and an absolutely unfounded confidence in his ability to work spells. The lack of direction is no help in a wizard's house where the many ways depend upon making left or right turns correctly. Princess Hilda from book two is back. We also get to meet her father, King Adolphus, a very nice man. Too bad the crown prince is such a selfish, nasty person. Another character from book two, the one-eyed Jamal the cook, is now working for the King. His dog is still with him.The best news is that Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer have much bigger roles in this adventure. Morgan is back, an imperious toddler.Throw in a wizard being cured by elves (which is why Charmaine and Peter are unsupervised in his house of many ways), a magical little dog, a monster with a rather ghastly habit, three mysteries for Sophie and Howl to solve, and a dispute with some local kobolds, and you get a very entertaining adventure.Cat lovers are out of luck, but dog lovers have both Jamal's dog and sweet little Waif to enjoy.I liked Jenny Sterlin's narration. She was particularly good at getting across Charmaine and Peter's mutual exasperation.
    • 4/5
      I finished this so much sooner than I wanted to! Diana Wynne Jones' tone is lovely, funny and matter of fact and magical all at once. Charmain is a decent sort of main character -- not too goody-goody, not too narcissistic, not too capable and not too stupid. And I identified with her always having her nose in a book! I approve very much.

      Diana Wynne Jones' books often seem to me just the slightest bit rushed, in some parts. Either I'm used to her style, or this is simply better on the pacing front.

      It's fun to have Calcifer and Howl and Sophie around, and good to see all the other recurring characters, too. I liked this better than Castle in the Air, though I'm not sure why, just a gut feeling. It wasn't too complicated, either: straight-forward, easy to read fun. Which is exactly what I wanted/needed.
    • 5/5
      Brilliantly intricate but never "clever for its own sake." Jones' signature wit and inventiveness.
    • 4/5
      House of Many Ways is the story of a sheltered young girl, Charmain, sent to care for her uncle's house while he is ill. Her uncle is a wizard and his house turns out to be full of surprises and secrets. Charmain is also hired to help the King catalogue his extensive library, where she meets a fire demon, a witch named Sophie, her son Morgan, and a mysterious boy named Twinkle. The castle is abuzz with rumors of theft, a mysterious missing Elfgift, and the despicable Lubbock. Can Charmain help the King and Sophie to unravel the puzzling events plaguing the castle?I enjoyed reading this book, but I didn't think it compared to Howl's Moving Castle. The characters were not as likeable, but the plot was intricate and engaging. I would say this book is probably best suited for readers 9 and up.
    • 2/5
      House of Many Ways, the final book in Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy, struggles to maintain the same caliber of writing and creativity as the rest of the series. House of Many Ways introduces another set of new characters: Charmain, an impractical, often irresponsible, book-obsessed young girl, her Uncle Norland, a royal wizard, and Peter, his self-effacing, hapless, and unskilled apprentice. While Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer play a significant role in the story, their personalities differ enormously from the first two books. A meandering plot, a lack of connection to the new and old characters, and a mostly absent antagonist results in an underwhelming reading experience.

      Where Castle in the Air concentrates on exotic magic (genies, flying carpets, and djinns), House of Many Ways dabbles in folklore, although less effectively. Jones adds in background characters called kobolds, which appear in German folk stories as pesky sprites. The antagonist is also an odd creature called a lubbock that lays eggs in humans, which when hatched, kill the host. As interesting as these characters sound, their presence is not utilized effectively. The lubbock only directly shows up in one chapter, and afterwards is merely referenced throughout the rest of the book. The kobolds are described repeatedly, but they play such minor roles in the plot that the heavy description seems unnecessary.

      Jones writes Charmain and Peter, the two main characters, in such a simplistic manner that it would be laughable if it weren’t so annoying. She beats the reader over the head with how their personalities and the actions they take are the complete opposite of the other. Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer appear rather early on in the plot, but even they cannot save the book from mediocrity. Howl is purposefully not himself for the majority of the book, but this choice is taken to an uncomfortable extreme. Sophie is more exasperated than her usual persevering nature, and she takes little to no action in controlling her husband and child. Calcifer even receives far less time to make witty banter.

      The most disappointing aspect of all comes from the lack of character development. On a surface level, Charmain’s adventure may lead to a satisfying conclusion, but her magical powers, which are strong from the very beginning of the book, never wane or intensify. She always gets what she wants and succeeds without much effort, so she never learns from her vices. Peter’s lack of magical skills never corrects itself and he continues to clean up after Charmain’s messes, even though she has proved again and again that she doesn’t care much for him or anyone else. Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer don’t contribute much at all to the conclusion, despite adding a few complications and a predictable twist or two.

      Diana Wynne Jones’ House of Many Ways suffers in comparison to the first two books in the trilogy. The stakes are never high enough to hold much interest, the new characters are far too static, and the old characters too unfamiliar. If you choose to read it, I would recommend viewing it as a standalone, as it may dull the pain that comes from a disappointing finale.
    • 4/5
      Oops, I had planned to reread Howl's Moving Castle and didn't realize this was a sequel until after I started listening to it. Sophie and Howl are secondary characters in this cute semi-Mary Sue story of a young woman house-sitting for a great-uncle wizard. The house is delightfully weird and so is the story.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful, entertaining read that captivates your attention through small details and then carries you away with the plot. The main character is lovely and relatable and it integrates the more prominent Howl's Moving Castle characters in amusing ways.
    • 4/5
      Here, Diana Wynne Jones returns to the world of 'Howl's Moving Castle'. 'Howl' is, of course, a really hard act to follow, and 'House of Many Ways' is definitely not as delightful as the original novel, but nevertheless it's more in-line with its pleasingly quirky universe than the other sequel, 'Castle in the Air'. The plotting is as neat as ever, and (also as usual) wrapped up too quickly and (in this case) without as much of the central protagonist's involvement as I would have liked. Speaking of which, I'm of two minds over Charmain: on the one hand, I rather like seeing a female protagonist who is brainy but not kind, as all too often it's the other way around. However, she was also frequently apathetic and seldom took the action the plot/common sense was screaming for, and this became increasingly frustrating. As with 'Castle in the Air', Sophie and Howl don't come into the story for a while, but at least here they're a lot more integrated into the plot. Last but not least, there was a lot of fun to be had along the way - I actually quite like the 'domestic-magic-goes-wrong' trope, and the book certainly delivered on that front.
    • 3/5
      Not as well-crafted as the first 2 books in this group. Amusing, delightful events, but the story didn't hang together as well. I had to read it twice (with a long interval) to really grasp the implication of many of the details. A book worth reading if you are a die-hard DWJ fan.
    • 4/5
      I have a sneaking suspicion that all Diana Wynne Jones books are really written for adults. I read several when I was young, and can not remember enjoying them nearly so much.This is not quite a standalone book, since it helps if you recognize the characters from previous books who show up in the second half. But the characters original to this book are really quite excellent. I liked Charmaine, she is really a quite decent sort, and I understand her need to read.Everything happens quite rapidly. In the end the villains are summarily disposed of, with no remorse shown by any character. The domestic catastrophes are DWJ's most typical trophe, but they are funny. The elf gazes at the laundry with "grave astonishment".
    • 4/5
      I liked it but the same thing goes for this as I said for the second book. I would like to have seen more of Sophie and Howl.
    • 5/5
      It truly is an unforgettable book. Magical and beautiful something i would treasure throughout my whole childhood and carry it with me till i was old and feeble telling it to my grandchildren. I have to say in some ways this book is better than the other two, but they somehow feel even more magical than the last book, probably because i read them first though.
    • 4/5
      The third and final book set in the universe of Howl's Moving Castle. Of the three, I think this one is pretty easily my favorite; it has a good initial setup, a fun mystery, and alternating moments of comedy and suspense that keep the reader wanting to know more. Like the other two, it eventually speeds toward en ending reminiscent of a 1930s screwball comedy, with every major character somehow involved, but unlike the others, this one seems fully earned. House of Many Ways also contains one of the funniest examples of the reader knowing something before the protagonist. It is immediately obvious, when he appears, that the blue-eyed, golden-curled child Twinkle is someone familiar in another form, and watching him wreak havoc is terribly, terribly entertaining. DWJ knew how to make a story fun, and there are no indications that - unlike so many authors - she was at any loss for imaginative ideas or intriguing plots even as she approached the end of her long career.
    • 5/5
      no one was perfect and no fell in love. recommended.
    • 2/5
      This was my least favorite of the Howl's Moving Castle trilogy. I can see why kids would like it, as it is has funny magic in it, but it reminded me of a story that you make up on the spot to tell a little kid. It didn't really have any depth and didn't really come together in a satisfying way.
    • 5/5
      Excellent, fun, fascinating, as usual
    • 4/5
      Charmaine loves book and desserts. I related to her and absolutely loved her within the first few paragraphs. Plus in this book, Sophie and Howl pop up, like proper witches and wizards. Howl has a lisp which made me laugh in a very unlady like way.
    • 5/5
      Another not-quite-sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, in that it focuses on new characters but old characters come back as well as the same world. Takes place after Castle in the Air, so anyone knows. You will be disappointed if you figure it to be a direct sequel to Howl's Moving Castle.And this I actually enjoyed more than Castle in the Air! The Aladdin-esque beginning to Castle in the Air put me off some, so the usual wizardly setting here was good to see. I identified strongly with the main heroine, Charmain, though others may find her stubborn, stuck-up, hard-hearted, etc. Morgan found a cute little playmate by the name of Twinkle who was simply adorable and you will know right away why he take the spotlight at times~. Just a lot of love for this book. Reading the three in order, it's a great introduction to this sort of fantasy literature. (I tend to prefer ghosts, demons, vampires, reapers and the like...not so much the wizards, dragons, ogres kind of worlds, but I like the ones by this author at least! I would say start here - from Howl's Moving Castle in the beginning, I mean - if you are the same.)
    • 3/5
      This is more of a tangent to Howl's Moving Castle than Castle in the Air, although it isn't a direct sequel. It takes place after the other two, and there are recurring characters, but the main plot lne follows someone entirely new. Jones has an amazing ability to make sense of plots without spelling everything out, and she creates amazingly realistic characters. I enjoyed Charmain's growing knowlege of her own flaws, and the way she watches herself make mistakes over and over despite her best intentions. That, and her emotional intensity and basic self-centeredness, rang true for a teenaged girl.
    • 4/5
      A nice continuance of the storyline. Nice twists, people who grow better as you go, you find out what happens to some of the other characters.
    • 1/5
      sucked in many ways
    • 2/5
      A cute story, but quite the disappointment as sequels go -- Howl's Moving Castle was so wonderfully complex and twisty, and both this third book and the second in the series are just predictable and downright silly by compare. This one felt particularly childish, wrapping up far too neatly. The characters were trite and monotonous -- even the protagonist showed no depth or development to speak of, spending the entire story irritable and impatient. Also, any book character who's outlandishly book-obsessed always strikes me as gratuitous self-insertion. So yes. I didn't think highly of this conclusion.
    • 4/5
      You can see this review and more like it on my blog - Written Permission

      House of Many Ways was my favorite of the "trilogy". It was immensely engaging, and I find myself wanting to findd more of Diana Wynne Jones to read. It also saddens me that there will be nothing new from this author, ever. I feel like her writing just kept getting better and better.

      Like her previous works, House of Many Ways is chock full of flawed characters. You don't always want to like them, but sometimes you find you can't help it. It is wonderful. This is what I strive for my characters to be like when I write. The ones you just can't help but love. I felt drawn to Charmain, who just wants to curl up with a good book, and doesn't care to learn how to do housework. And the dog, it was just too adorable.

      One note of criticism was that I felt like Charmain didn't really get the same attention and growth as some of the characters in the previous novels. In the grand scheme of the plot, she was rather insubstantial, and could almost be pulled out entirely without affecting anything. Not a good thing for the main character.

      Once again, the small book is fairly densely plotted. Either I am dense too or the complaints I have seen are the minority. I didn't find the plot to be all that predictable. I was on high alert after Castle In The Air, but then I felt like Diana Wynne Jones pulled out all new tricks. It was a delightful surprise.

      Bottom Line: Continues in the vein of the other Howl books with delightful writing and characters you can't help but love.
    • 5/5
      Review from The Cosy Dragon'House of Many Ways; is another sequel to 'Howl's Moving Castle'. Similarly to 'Castle in the Air', Howl and Sophie feature less prominently and the novel is about a new character - Charmain 'Charming' Barker.Charmain has so far lead a sheltered life, going to the most respectable school, keeping her hands clean and reading many books. So when she finds herself ordered to look after her sick Great Uncle William's house, she finds herself a bit lost - even with his unearthly directions. Charmain finds herself going in every dimension, but then things are complicated further by the arrival of Peter and a Lubbock.While elements of this novel are funny, I wouldn't have said it was up to the standards of Jones' usual masterpieces. Charmain is engaging, but you feel like she's too much of a lazy idiot (despite her interjections to the contrary) to be too likeable. This isn't a fault with Jones' characterisation - indeed Jones has said that the characters often write themselves, so she has done the best she could with what she had. The narrative builds similarly to the other two books in this series, but it is certainly not formulaic in any kind.I'd recommend this novel again for teenagers, and older children. At times it can be quite scary for a young child, so I would advise supervised reading.
    • 5/5
      In the last of the Howl's Castle series of books, we start with Charmain, a bookish 14 year old, who gets volunteered by her great-aunt to take care of her distant great-uncle William's house. Well, magical house. Charmain is a respectable young lady (read: sheltered and spoiled) and, as such, she doesn't know how to do much besides reading a lot, and eating a lot of pasties. That includes washing clothes and dishes, and goes as far as making tea.Luckily for her, the house is indeed magical, and does provide for her meals, and she has always her Uncle's recorded instructions, that help her navigate around the house and help solve some mishaps. Did I mention it is a magical house? Well, it is. From the outside it looks small, but turn left instead of right at a doorway, and you'll find yourself in a completely different room, or building. To add to the joy, in comes Peter, great-uncle William's new apprentice that he didn't know about, and who doesn't know his master isn't home. Peter, unlike Charmain, does know how to do things around the house, which should have come as a relief, if he didn't botch every magic attempt. And there were a lot of attempts.And, as one job isn't good enough for bookwork Charmain, she writes to the King to tell him she would like to help him and his daughter organize the Royal Library. I do understand the girl, of course, a library is such a wonderful place to work when you love books.But there is something missing here, isn't it? Of course, it would fit the series if Howl and Co. weren't there. And they are. Sophie is helping the King with his financial and magical problems, and Morgan and Calcifer come along, of course. And Howl, because he couldn't bear to be left behind. So he appears in his most adorable form ever (I'm not telling what it is, though it's easy to see when reading the book). And so, Charmain has some adventures with magic, kobolds and lubbocks, manages not to destroy a house or kill her housemate, while getting herself a puppy.Did I like this book? Hell, yeah! It was a rollercoaster of fun, but that was to be expected. It's Diana Wynne Jones, after all. But I did like it more than Castle in the Air, probably because of Howl. But Charmain was also a reason – incompetent as she was in household tasks, she is a bookworm, so I can find no fault in her (well, I am able to overlook most faults). I loved reading her adventures and misadventures, and if there was a lot of fun on the Castle scenes with the regular cast, her interactions with Peter were really great. Had there been more books to this series, I would have read them. As it is, I will treasure these three forever.Also at Spoilers and Nuts
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this story of Charmain who is roped into minding her great-uncle's house by her aunt. Charmain has been sheltered all her life from magic but now she's immersed in it and her curiousity is going to teach her a thing or two. Before she got roped into this she applied to the King to work in his library, he's going to take her up on this which adds to her workload. Then Howl and Sophie turn up with Calcifer and their child. Someone has to work out where the money from the kingdom is going and they are all going to have to work hard at it. Meanwhile an unexpected guest turns up in the House of Many Ways.It's a bit of a riot and felt to me like there could have been a story in just the house of many ways, fun and interesting. I enjoyed the read.