littlemiao 's review for:

The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones

4.0

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I enjoyed seeing Chrestomanci’s early days. I remembered the vague outlines of the story, but the first time around I wasn’t picking up on all the details connecting Christopher Chant with his adult self. I wish there were more stories featuring him and Millie. I could have done without the primitivizing and orientalizing vocabulary in alternate world settings. I think Diana Wynne Jones really does best with creating British-like analogues where she can satirize the vapid social dynamics and the dysfunction of elite society. But when it comes to creating alternate worlds beyond that, she seems to be stuck with Anglocentric stereotypes as her building blocks. Still, I find her writing to be addictively readable. Spoiler: Cats do play an important role, and they are compellingly written. Diana Wynne Jones clearly knows cats. There is one kitty who sadly perishes after childbirth.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death