Wild Robert...

[fajrdrako]

Let me confess right up front that I am one of those fantasy fans who thinks Diana Wynne Jones is a better writer than J.K. Rowling and who can't help feeling a twinge of protest that it is Rowling who has the fame and riches. Or maybe I'd just like to see a good movie version of Power of Three or Dogsbody or Howl's Moving Castle. Oh, wait a minute - I did see a good movie version of Howl's Moving Castle. How nice to already have what I wished for!

Wild Robert was written in 1989 – how did I ever miss it? It's been re-issued with some very nice illustrations by Mark Zug. Though it's simpler and shorter than mose Diana Wynne Jones stories, its theme is typical. The protagonist, Heather, is a young girl whose parents are running a stately manor for the National Trust is bored, lonely, and trying to escape the hordes of tourists that come to the place every day. Doesn't she have a bedroom of her own to go to? Maybe not. The kids in Diana Wynne Jones novels tend to have odd lives. It's very typical of Jones' books that Heather has to go to the crabby gardener or the lady who runs the snack shop to scrounge something to eat for lunch. Even more typical, that she fails to succeed at this and is left, in the end, to steal strawberries.

On a mysterious mound in the grounds, she evokes – and then meets – Wild Robert, the young sorcerer who was trapped in the mound more than three hundred years ago, who has a habit of putting a spell on anyone who annoys him – turning them into various animals. And Heather does her best to keep him out of trouble.

A fine, light fantasy-adventure for any bored, imaginative kid.

Comments

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

Let me confess right up front that I am one of those fantasy fans who thinks Diana Wynne Jones is a better writer than J.K. Rowling and who can't help feeling a twinge of protest that it is Rowling who has the fame and riches.

I am laughin' cos I recently had this same conversation with a friend. She & I went to see Howl's Moving Castle, and we both liked it, but she wished they'd stuck closer to the book for certain things--they weakened the heroine quite a bit for instance, and they really didn't have to, muddying the waters when they could have had a more direct plotline concerning the heroine and her abilities. So, fun to look at but not as deep or interesting as it could have been, was her take on it. I thought it was fun but the ending was dreadfully cutesy, as if they dumbed it down for the kiddies.

My friend particularly wants to see Hexwood become a movie.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, Hexwood should be a movie! Actually, they all should be.

I loved the movie but I agree it would have been even better if it had been closer to the book. I don't know why they made the particular changes they did.

I loved the music, too.

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Hexwood is perhaps the creepiest, most disturbing "children's" book ever. Good, but god did it leave you depressed and icked out.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, Hexwood was certainly creepy. When Diana Wynne Jones is dark, she's really dark. But that gives her work an edge I generally like - not always, but usually.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I liked Howl's Moving Castle. Ok, rec me a first Jones book!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think my favourite is Power of Three, which is a stand-alone novel. I also really liked The Spellcoats and the rest of the Dalemark trilogy - it starts with Cart and Cwidder. Dogsbody is fun too, about the star Sirius becoming a dog. (Yes, it is as odd as it sounds - and a nice, clever story.)

Looking at amazon to refresh my memory on the titles I see there are a lot of Diana Wynne Jones novels I haven't read. Hooray! I missed some because for a long time they were unavailable in Canada through some strange copyright restriction. It was very frustrating to me.

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Power of Three and Charmed Life. Dogsbody is good too.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Charmed Life - yes, that one too. And Eight Days of Luke.

[myashke.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, another HMC fan!! My sister and I watch that movie endlessly - we even bought a Heen from Singapore that turned out to be like 6 inches long! Hee! I'll have to check out the others you mentioned!

xoxox

Howl's Moving Toys

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, another HMC fan!!

Absolutely.

we even bought a Heen from Singapore

I didn't even know there was Howl merchandising till you mentioned this and I looked online and found this site for "Howl's Movie Castle plush toys" - http://www.jbox.com/SEARCHES/howl_moving/. How wonderful! I want a Calsifur tote bag. And all the rubber stamps. And the playing cards. The plushie of Sophie isn't even plushy but it makes me laugh!

And personally, I have a crush on Howl.

Does your Heen look like this (http://www.jbox.com/IMAGE/3uvv7)? Or like this (http://images.jbox.com/d6/heen_yd81_small.gif)?

Re: Howl's Moving Toys

[myashke.livejournal.com]

Our Heen is the second one - the plushie one, but it's honestly TEENY - you wouldn't believe how small, and FLAT!! It was like $26 and we were so excited, but still, it's fun to have!

We have all the Keychains (http://www.399animeshop.com/anime/howls-moving-castle-merchandise.php), too (they're only $4 each!) Warning though - they're not top-quality so they come apart easily. My Howl fell off and is probably somewhere in Disneyworld's rubbish piles. *sob* The tiny calsifurs on each keychain are adorable, though!

I like that tote bag, too! Lilsis and I are constantly immitating calsifur! *g*

xoxo

Re: Howl's Moving Toys

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Our Heen is the second one - ... it's honestly TEENY

What it lacks in size it makes up for in cuteness.

The Turniphead keychain is my favourite!

they're not top-quality so they come apart easily.

I find that this is often the case with fannish keychains. The only one I've had that stood the test of time is the Lord of the Rings "Elvish" keychain. It's heavy and sturdy.

Clasifur was a wonderful character. I love the concept to start with, but then he had such inventive charm.

[chazzbanner.livejournal.com]

I'm 'one of those' fantasy fans, too! I've been doing a slow reread of DWJ, along with LMB and POB and... (now I'm getting tired just thinking of it!).

I'm fond of The Time of the Ghost though it's not a favorite of a lot of people... The Ogre Downstairs makes me laugh outloud, and I love Charmed Life and the other Chrestomancis.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I've been doing a slow reread of DWJ

I'd like to do that. I started to reread the Dalemark Quartet when I bought them last year - and didn't get past Cart & Cwidder. Time to return to it!

I have been rereading LMB, in a group reading with one of my mailing lists, at the rate of one book per month or sometimes every two months. Currently doing "Cetaganda".

POB - is that Patrick O'Brian? He's on my 'try again' list, but not in the immediate future. I only got as far as ... um... the fourth book, and wasn't having much fun.

There's never enough time for reading.

[jkluge.livejournal.com]

I totally agree re: Diana Wynne Jones vs. JK Rowling. Love the former, like the movies of the latter okay, no interest in the books.

I adore A Tale of Time City, Dogsbody, the Christopher Chant series, The Ogre Downstairs, Howl's Moving Castle & sequel. I don't think I've read Wild Robert, either. Yay -- a "new" one to read! Thank you, hon!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The Ogre Downstairs - I remember enjoying that thoroughly, it was one of the first I read.

So glad I could tip you off re Wild Robert!

[waltzie.livejournal.com]

Have you read Fire and Hemlock? It was out of print by the time I fell in love with it but it's the only DWJ novel I've read. I'd die for someone to talk about it with.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Ho, I haven't read it... yet. I have requested it at the library. Give me a week or two to get it and read it and then we can talk about it!