eShop USA > Books > Unexpected Magic : Collected Stories
Unexpected Magic : Collected Stories
List Price: $16.99Price: $8.63 You Save: $8.36 (49%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Binding: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 512
Publication Date: May 01, 2004
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Related Items:
Editorial Review: What if your strangest dreams and wildest imaginings turned out to be . . . well . . . true?
In this riveting collection, master storyteller Diana Wynne Jones presents wildly unpredictable tales in which even the most routine lives are visited by extraordinary events:
- A writer's character infiltrates her computer and makes her an accomplice in his cyber revolt
- A sick girl's drawings come to life -- with a vengeance
- A vet's dream about a wounded werewolf is interrupted by a startling phone call
- A cat tells how the kindhearted wizard she owns is suddenly called upon to defeat a horrific Beast
These fifteen stories and one novella -- including three works never before published in the United States -- will tickle and enchant, startle and surprise.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - An Uneven Collection
Many of these stories are wonderfully wry and clever, a great read for anyone who enjoys Jones' writing. Unfortunately, there are a few that fall short: most of these are stories that are not particularly clever. It is not that Jones tries and falls short, just that the stories where she is not exercising her considerable wit lack the sparkle of the others. It is a shame that the novella in this collection is one of these--it is a straightforward fantasy adventure, with no brilliance at all.
Read More
Rating: - Good Stuff But All Repeats: MAJOR SPOILERS
I was very pleased when Unexpected Magic finally came out into paperbook. Diana Wynne Jones, most have to admit, is quite an inventive author and I was looking forward to her short stories. It's not that I was disappointed with the novel itself, but rather, nothing that was in this book was new. All these short stories have been published at one time or another, but then, perhaps some of them are difficult to find in circulation today, I don't know.
I thought I would give a brief summary ... Read More
Rating:  - Just an Excellent Collection of Fiction of the Type
If you love her other books, this will certainly complete your collection and, if you've never read the author, please give her a try. While this book may not be the best place to start, it does give you an overview of her style, her wit and her sheer entertainment value. This is great bed-side reading!!
Rating: - Filler stuff from a good author
I bought and read this book several months ago but recently realized I didn't remember anything about it, so I picked it up this week and started to leaf through it. The only thing I remember worth rereading was the novella "Everard's Ride," which was quite good in the usual DWJ tradition. All the rest was pretty tame stuff, especially the short story "Dan adn Nad and Quaffy," which particularly irked me. It would have been mildly interesting if Douglas Adams hadn't done the same "Quaffy" thing with ... Read More
Rating:  - Expected "Magic"
Prolific fantasy writer Diana Wynne-Jones is one of the few authors who can write short stories and novels equally well. And in "Unexpected Magic," Jones shows her flair for shorter works, with several previously published stories paired with a wonderful new novella.
Jones presents us with plenty of stories, mostly fantasy but some that border on SF or horror. A kindly wizard falls for a sniping, obnoxious woman -- and his cats discover her horrible identity. Mum's obsession with her latest ... Read More
Related Categories:
|
