Tag Archives: Diana Wynne Jones

Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones

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Earwig and the Witch is a short novel by Diana Wynne Jones. This was actually the last novel written by the author, who is well-known for her books of fantasy and science fiction. This book is about a young orphan girl named Earwig who lives at St. Morwald’s Home for Children. Earwig is content living at the orphanage, so she is surprised when a peculiar couple visits one day and decides to adopt her. When she arrives at her new home, Earwig realizes that the couple is not even really human. Earwig is now living with a witch named Bella Yaga and a nine-foot-tall demon called the Mandrake. Bella Yaga immediately makes Earwig her slave, forcing her to do most of the work around the house. However, Earwig fearlessly accepts the challenge and adapts to her new surroundings in unexpected ways.

This book is quite entertaining and filled with many amusing surprises. I enjoyed the cleverness of Earwig and her ability to handle difficult circumstances with courage and resourcefulness. This book also has good illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky. However, I was disappointed that this book did not live up to my expectations. I greatly enjoy most of the books of Diana Wynne Jones, but this one seems unfinished and lacking in details. The ending is quite abrupt. Also, I found the characters to be unlikeable overall, even though I was entertained by the Mandrake’s antics. To be fair, this book was published posthumously, so the author may not have been able to fully complete it. Despite its negative aspects, I find this to be an enjoyable book that just falls a bit short of its potential.

Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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Recently, I have read Howl’s Moving Castle which is a fantasy novel about a young girl named Sophie who is the oldest daughter of three daughters. The story surrounds her adventures and encounters with evil spells, wizards, and witches. She must handle the heartless Howl, a fire demon, and the Witch of the Waste in order to break an aging spell. The novel is a wonderful mix of magic, romance, and humor that anyone can enjoy.

I personally loved the romantic and fantastical aspects of the story. I also love Sophie’s characters, as she is portrayed as a headstrong and independent girl who trusts herself and her own decisions. I love the humorous aspects of the story as well and I believe Jones did a splendid job of combining comical and romantic themes in the novel. The novel always kept me on my toes and is overall an exciting and engaging story I think everyone should give a read.

Unfortunately, I did not like the initial character of Howl in comparison to the Studio Ghibli movie, however I think his character development is an aspect of the story many will find enjoyable.

Overall, the story is filled with lovely imagery and descriptions, beautifully written characters, and an interesting plot. It’s engaging and truly transports you into another world while reading.  Personally, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a short read!

Kaiya T.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Authors We Love: Diana Wynne Jones

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Diana Wynne Jones was a British novelist and children’s fantasy writer born in London on August 16, 1934 as the eldest of three sisters. In her early childhood, she was evacuated to Wales as a result of the bombings taking place during the Second World War. Throughout the war the family moved frequently before settling in 1943, but the result was a very complicated relationship between her and her parents, as she was largely left to care for her younger sisters. However, this only fueled Jones’s passion for reading despite struggling with dyslexia, and later transformed into a passion for writing as she wrote many short stories for her younger sisters.

She went on to study English at St. Anne’s College in Oxford, attending lectures by two very prominent authors, C.S Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. By the time she graduated from college, she married John Burrow and had three sons with him. She read to her children as many mothers do, but this also inspired her to create Children’s books of her own. Jones submitted her works to several publishers but they were ultimately rejected until she published the Changeover, one of her few adult novels.

Overtime, her most popular works included the Chrestomanci series, the Dalemark series, and especially Howl’s Moving Castle from the Moving Castle Series. Howl’s Moving Castle soon inspired the creation of the 2004 film Howl’s Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli and Japanese director Miyazaki Hayao. She would later go on to write dozens of many more works for both children and adults, along with winning multiple writing awards such as the British Fantasy Award, the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the Mythopoetic Award.

-Elia T.

The works of Diane Wynne Jones are available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.