Scan barcode
parot's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it well enough for what it is. You can tell it’s an older book due to some of the comments & descriptions … and because it’s actually quite dark.
nivedd's review against another edition
5.0
clearing out my bookshelf and it will take me 5 years bc i will reread every book that reminds me of middle school summers
nipomuki's review against another edition
5.0
I have had a thing for Eva Ibbotson since I „discovered“ her as a young bookseller in the early 90ies. She made me happy, and I never went wrong when recommending her books to our customers. Her children‘s books are especially charming, without ever being too sugary and sweet. Her colorful characters and magical stories do have their dark sides, but good always wins in the end. And it is Ibbotson‘s own special version of good ;-) I have been disappointed with some of the audiobooks of her titles before, but this one was excellent.
wickedplutoswickedreading's review against another edition
5.0
That was so incredibly cute. And had me laughing outloud a few times.
Funny, full of magic, and a found family--a recipe for a fun read.
Funny, full of magic, and a found family--a recipe for a fun read.
jessrock's review against another edition
5.0
In elementary school, I read so voraciously that I regularly picked out books from the library based just on their cover art or title or alluring book jacket. One such book that I borrowed from my elementary school's library had a plot that stayed with me, but I hadn't been able to remember the title until one day in the paperback section of the children's library of the main Chicago Public Library branch when, quite by chance, I found the book. It was called Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson and I instantly made note of the title.
I purchased it from Amazon as part of a boxed set of three Eva Ibbotson titles, acting on the strength of my memory and the Amazon reviews, and I must say I'm even more pleased than I expected to be. Which Witch? is tremendously fun, along the lines of Roald Dahl in that the whimsical story is so well-written that it appeals to young children even while causing adults to smile at a particularly clever turn of phrase.
Which Witch? tells the story of Arraman the Awful, a powerful dark wizard from the far north of England, who becomes a bit tired of all the smiting and blighting and decides to take a wife in order to produce an heir to take over for him. Thus, he arranges a contest among the witches of his area to see which is the blackest. From the beginning the reader is on the side of Belladonna, a charming witch who wants nothing more than to be the blackest of black witches, but is most unfortunately a very white witch, full of healing and happiness and surrounded by flowers and sweet fuzzy animals. Ibbotson populates her story with fantastically silly characters, from an elderly witch with a habit of turning herself into a coffee table to a three-headed sea lion who talks like he's straight out of Monty Python. ("He cometh not from the north," said the Middle Head. "He cometh not from the west neither," said the Left Head. "Nor from the east doesn't he cometh," said the Right Head. "And our feet are freezing." "Our feet are blinking dropping off," said the Left Head.)
The book manages to be both silly and smart. It's written for a relatively young audience (I'd say mid-elementary school, definitely a lower reading level than most YA books I read) but manages to be witty in ways that surprised and delighted me throughout the book. I do think Roald Dahl is a good comparison, although without the twisted dark side. I'm very much looking forward to the other two books in the set.
I purchased it from Amazon as part of a boxed set of three Eva Ibbotson titles, acting on the strength of my memory and the Amazon reviews, and I must say I'm even more pleased than I expected to be. Which Witch? is tremendously fun, along the lines of Roald Dahl in that the whimsical story is so well-written that it appeals to young children even while causing adults to smile at a particularly clever turn of phrase.
Which Witch? tells the story of Arraman the Awful, a powerful dark wizard from the far north of England, who becomes a bit tired of all the smiting and blighting and decides to take a wife in order to produce an heir to take over for him. Thus, he arranges a contest among the witches of his area to see which is the blackest. From the beginning the reader is on the side of Belladonna, a charming witch who wants nothing more than to be the blackest of black witches, but is most unfortunately a very white witch, full of healing and happiness and surrounded by flowers and sweet fuzzy animals. Ibbotson populates her story with fantastically silly characters, from an elderly witch with a habit of turning herself into a coffee table to a three-headed sea lion who talks like he's straight out of Monty Python. ("He cometh not from the north," said the Middle Head. "He cometh not from the west neither," said the Left Head. "Nor from the east doesn't he cometh," said the Right Head. "And our feet are freezing." "Our feet are blinking dropping off," said the Left Head.)
The book manages to be both silly and smart. It's written for a relatively young audience (I'd say mid-elementary school, definitely a lower reading level than most YA books I read) but manages to be witty in ways that surprised and delighted me throughout the book. I do think Roald Dahl is a good comparison, although without the twisted dark side. I'm very much looking forward to the other two books in the set.
htbaumtree's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
cadiva's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my all time favourite books, both as a young reader, a teenager and as an adult, I think I must have read it at least 50 times over the years. It was a regular check out for me while at school from the library but, bizarrely, I never owned my own copy.
The book focusses on the white witch Belladonna, who is secretly in love with the dark and broodingly handsome Arriman the Awful, the most feared and fierce wizard of the North. He had decided he must marry as he needs an heir to pass on his wizardly crown as he's getting fed up of all the smiting and blighting.
He decides to hold a competition at which the wickedest blackest witches will perform their greatest spell and the one which is the most evil will win. Poor Belladonna wants nothing more than to be bad, but she's such a good witch that even when she tries to be bad the opposite happens.
Without going into details, the plot also involves an orphan named Terrance and his pet worm, a three headed sea lion who Arriman has had looking for his successor for years without any joy (hence the decision to marry and hold a competition to find himself a wife), an elderly witch who randomly turns into a coffee table, the seductive Madame Olympia, and a whole host of other amusing and horrible characters.
With a few nice twists added to the plot, the reader is drawn headlong into an amusing tale which draws to a satisfactory conclusion without ever stinting on the story to get there.
The book focusses on the white witch Belladonna, who is secretly in love with the dark and broodingly handsome Arriman the Awful, the most feared and fierce wizard of the North. He had decided he must marry as he needs an heir to pass on his wizardly crown as he's getting fed up of all the smiting and blighting.
He decides to hold a competition at which the wickedest blackest witches will perform their greatest spell and the one which is the most evil will win. Poor Belladonna wants nothing more than to be bad, but she's such a good witch that even when she tries to be bad the opposite happens.
Without going into details, the plot also involves an orphan named Terrance and his pet worm, a three headed sea lion who Arriman has had looking for his successor for years without any joy (hence the decision to marry and hold a competition to find himself a wife), an elderly witch who randomly turns into a coffee table, the seductive Madame Olympia, and a whole host of other amusing and horrible characters.
With a few nice twists added to the plot, the reader is drawn headlong into an amusing tale which draws to a satisfactory conclusion without ever stinting on the story to get there.
adi_rocks_socks's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.0
Used to be a fun book to read when I was a child, but now, as an adult, all I can pick on are the racist and xenophobic undertones, particularly reinforced by the audiobook’s narrators.
mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
4.0
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
Despite the fact that I was nearly halfway through the book before I realized someone had ripped out two pages from my secondhand copy (thankfully I was able to read them online), I enjoyed this book. It is a fun and twisted story about a dark wizard looking for the most sinister witch to marry.
As the book was originally published in 1979, there are some things that wouldn't quite fly in modern children's literature. There is a large emphasis on physical appearance, which is often portrayed in a humorous way, but perhaps does not provide the best message. As with other books I've read by Ibbotson ([b:Island of the Aunts|99716|Island of the Aunts|Eva Ibbotson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1418771178l/99716._SY75_.jpg|1023758]), the premise is a bit creepy in seeking out a dark witch in order to produce a dark wizard. There is also a good bit of violence, both described and implied (stories about murdering wives, The Symphony of Death). Still, it was overall an enjoyable read.
I did like the story on the whole. Good description. There are certainly very dark moments (as any search for the darkest witch should), many in a rather Roald Dahl-ish way. Interesting read. I enjoyed the characters. The ending was fairly predictable but in no way took away from the fun reading experience for me.
Despite the fact that I was nearly halfway through the book before I realized someone had ripped out two pages from my secondhand copy (thankfully I was able to read them online), I enjoyed this book. It is a fun and twisted story about a dark wizard looking for the most sinister witch to marry.
As the book was originally published in 1979, there are some things that wouldn't quite fly in modern children's literature. There is a large emphasis on physical appearance, which is often portrayed in a humorous way, but perhaps does not provide the best message. As with other books I've read by Ibbotson ([b:Island of the Aunts|99716|Island of the Aunts|Eva Ibbotson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1418771178l/99716._SY75_.jpg|1023758]), the premise is a bit creepy in seeking out a dark witch in order to produce a dark wizard. There is also a good bit of violence, both described and implied (stories about murdering wives, The Symphony of Death). Still, it was overall an enjoyable read.
I did like the story on the whole. Good description. There are certainly very dark moments (as any search for the darkest witch should), many in a rather Roald Dahl-ish way. Interesting read. I enjoyed the characters. The ending was fairly predictable but in no way took away from the fun reading experience for me.