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House of Many Ways | 
 enlarge | Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Publisher: Greenwillow
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy New: $10.37
You Save: $7.62 (42%)
New (29) Used (5) from $10.37
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 9789
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.4
ISBN: 0061477958
EAN: 9780061477959
ASIN: 0061477958
Publication Date: June 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Charmain Baker is in over her head. Looking after Great-Uncle William's tiny cottage while he's ill should have been easy. But Great-Uncle William is better known as the Royal Wizard Norland, and his house bends space and time. Its single door leads to any number of places—the bedrooms, the kitchen, the caves under the mountains, the past, and the Royal Mansion, to name just a few. By opening that door, Charmain has become responsible for not only the house, but for an extremely magical stray dog, a muddled young apprentice wizard, and a box of the king's most treasured documents. She has encountered a terrifying beast called a lubbock, irritated a clan of small blue creatures, and wound up smack in the middle of an urgent search. The king and his daughter are desperate to find the lost, fabled Elfgift—so desperate that they've even called in an intimidating sorceress named Sophie to help. And where Sophie is, can the Wizard Howl and fire demon Calcifer be far behind? Of course, with that magical family involved, there's bound to be chaos—and unexpected revelations. No one will be more surprised than Charmain by what Howl and Sophie discover.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Very Diana Wynne Jones-ish, but not exactly a sequel August 18, 2008
I always look forward to any new Diana Wynne Jones books, but I have to admit they are a hit or miss. Most of her stories are fun to read, but some are so off the wall and unbelievable, they become too awkward to read. "House of Many Ways" fell completely between hit and miss, leaning more closely toward miss. It definitely was not one of Jones' better reads. For one thing, calling this a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle is a stretch. When I saw this book on the shelf, I liked the description enough to want to read it. But I hadn't read Howl's yet, so I bought that one too. Howl's Moving Castle was very cool. It was so enjoyable, I expected the "sequel" to surpass it. It didn't, not by a long shot. Sophie and Howl showed up about 3/4 of the way through the book, but they were both out of character and seemed forced into the storyline.
The scant roles of Howl and Sophie were a minor annoyance for me and not really enough to drop my five stars to four. The reasons for the lower rating had to do with the extremely weak plot (or lack of one), awkwardness of the story flow, and my dislike for the two main characters. Neither Charmain nor Peter were very likeable. She was irritating beyond belief, and he had very few distinguishable features (not very promising for an apprentice). Charmain's dialect was almost freakish (i.e. "Oh bother!" Was this an English teenager or Winnie the Pooh?). I know she was supposed to represent someone who was raised obsessively respectable, but I winced every time the girl had a thought. Peter, too, was hard to swallow. His character wasn't solidly developed. He showed up as a small boy, but Charmain sees that he has whiskers, so we are left to wonder...is he a teenager? A young man? A 12-year-old with a jump start on puberty? The plot itself was sporadic, confusing, and just as underdeveloped as the characters. When you open a book, the first questions you ask yourself (subconsciously) are, "Why am I here? What's the goal of this book?" House of Many Ways had no apparent goal. First you think the plot is about Great-Uncle William's labyrinth of a house (like Howl's house with all the door destinations). Then you think it might have to do with the Lubbock that chases Charmain. Or it could be that the main plot was about Peter or the dog or the kobold. But then you leave the house and all the action occurs in the castle, where Sophie and Howl appear, acting very strangely through a side-plot that the reader is not immediately let in on. The whole thing was entirely too confusing and more cartoonish than Bugs Bunny.
The reason my rating is a 4 and not lower is because of the author. Diana Wynne Jones has a prime imagination. Normally, she can tell a pretty entertaining story. So she's not an amateur. She knows what she's doing. House of Many Ways, however, seemed like a rushed job, like she had a great idea but didn't take the time to sort out the bugs.
If you are a fan, I would recommend adding House of Many Way to your collection. If you are new at Jones' books, I'd suggest starting with the Merlin Conspiracy or one of the Chrestomanci books.
 house of many ways August 17, 2008
it the third book in howls moving castle and if you read the first two you got to be wondering how much trouble howls getting into and if sophie can handle it
Howl and Sohpie are back! Hurrah! August 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Charmain is sent to take care of her great-uncle's magical house. Although she'd much rather be reading, she finds herself having to deal with elves, mischievous little blue creatures, giant evil purple bugs, an apprentice wizard that keeps forcing her to help clean, and an overly-affectionate dog. Things get even more complicated when she goes to help the King in his library, only to discover the royal family is in danger. The story is just as enchanting, though maybe not quite as clever, as Jones' other fantastic tales, particularly those featuring Howl and Sophie. In fact, it is Sophie, Calcifer, now-toddler Morgan, and, of course, Howl (in the guise of a curly, blond, lisping six year old Twinkle) that steal the show. It is an utter delight to see them as parents and an old married couple. Grade: A
 a pleasant summer read August 2, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I liked the story. I thought the link with Howl's moving castle was thin, and had hoped to read more about those characters. They do not appear as satisfying in this story, but the heroine is sweet and resourseful, able to solve problems on her own and take her destiny into her own hands. I would read it again, but I am not sure I would buy it, I may only get it from the library.
Wonderful July 30, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This cunning sequel to Howl's Moving Castle is everything I wished for. It's as funny and as well thought out as the original one and left me with a smile on my face. Extremely Recommended.
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