Charmed Life

By: Diana Wynne Jones

Narrated by: Tom Baker

"One of the wittiest, sharpest children’s fantasies ever written" – Katherine Rundell

Glorious new rejacket of a Diana Wynne Jones classic award-winning favourite, featuring Chrestomanci – now a book with extra bits!

Everybody says that Gwendolyn Chant is a gifted witch with astonishing powers, so it suits her enormously when she is taken to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Her brother Eric (better known as Cat) is not so keen, for he has no talent for magic at all.

However, life with the great enchanter is not what either of them expects and sparks begin to fly!

©1977 Diana Wynne Jones

Critic reviews

"One of the wittiest, sharpest children’s fantasies ever written" – Katherine Rundell

“…Her hallmarks include laugh-aloud humour, plenty of magic and imaginative array of alternate worlds. Yet, at the same time, a great seriousness is present in all of her novels, a sense of urgency that links Jones’s most outrageous plots to her readers’ hopes and fears…”

Publishers Weekly

“Truly magical – guaranteed to leave you gasping – even hotter than Potter”

The Bookseller

“Diana Wynne Jones could teach Stephen King and JK Rowling a thing or two … [she] has a skill for inserting just the right amount of detail in her written words, leaving you satiated but not stuffed.” SFX

Deserves 6 stars for performance. No, 10.

Would you consider the audio edition of Charmed Life to be better than the print version?

No. It is abridged. Hence the loss of one star.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of them. My least favourite was Chrestomanci. He sounded too old. I picture Hugh Jackman as Chrestomanci (in fancy dressing gowns).

Which scene was your favorite?

Ginger bread man was missing!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. But I will listen to it multiple times.

Any additional comments?

Pleeeease get him to do the entire book.How about Howl's moving castle?

Very exciting!

What a twist! This story is unexpected and interesting! Enjoyed by kids and adults, good accompanying music too!