• A Charmed Life

  • The Worlds of Chrestomanci, Book 1
  • By: Diana Wynne Jones
  • Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
  • Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (741 ratings)

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A Charmed Life  By  cover art

A Charmed Life

By: Diana Wynne Jones
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
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Publisher's summary

Cat doesn't mind living in the shadow of his sister, Gwendolen, the most promising young witch ever seen on Coven Street. But trouble starts brewing the moment the two orphans are summoned to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjures up a scheme that could throw whole worlds out of whack.
©1992 Diana Wynne Jones

What listeners say about A Charmed Life

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    495
  • 4 Stars
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Performance
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
    37
  • 2 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Truly a masterpiece

I always wonder why there's no adaptation of this great book. It's a shame not many in US are familiar with the wonderful world of chrestonanci.
But then it's a hidden treasure for those who find it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

starts slow

Started slow but got better and had an exciting ending. It was frustrating the way the kids never trusted the adults.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love Chrestomanci!

I love listening to these books while exercising. This is one of the best of them all!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Perfection

This book is a treasure! It has all elements of a great story! I can’t recommend this book enough!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Interested to see what happens next!!

I absolutely love the Howl's Moving Castle Trilogy so I decided to give this series a try. So far, I am absolutely loving it and can't wait to see what happens next!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Txceptional story. great writing and performance.

This is an exceptional story by an inspiring author. Great performance as well. I am recommending this story to friends.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Oh Gwendolyn...

I loved this book, I love the characters and the magic of the world but Gwendolyn is another story I haven't hated a character this much since Dolores Jane umbridge from Harry Potter! uh she gets my blood boiling. which should tell you this is a good book and well writen. 👍

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I loved this book as a teen

And I still listened all the way through to the end of the book, but I spent a lot of time yelling at the characters. As an adult, I find Chrestomanci to be a terrible parent. His choices really bother me, and his choices directly impact the main characters in really sad, predictable ways. This is a book that should have stayed a memory for me. It's very much a product of 1970s attitudes, in a bad way.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Another delightful tale by Diana Wynne Jones

Where does A Charmed Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Although I didn't enjoy this audiobook as much as other Diana Wynne Jones' books, I still enjoyed her wit, and how she brings out the truth in human personalities.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Charmed Life?

Gerard Doyle yelling out in a "female" voice, "Hunt for pussy everyone!"

Did Gerard Doyle do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Gerard Doyle differentiates as well as his distinct male voice can, however, he speaks quite slowly with long pauses after each comma and period. I increased the speed, or else it would have taken forever to get through it! I did enjoy his voice of Chrestomanci, and wished Chrestomanci spoke more often!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Spoiled and nasty sister steals brother's magic...and almost all of his nine lives.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

We LOVED the book and the reading!

We listened to this as a family over the course of a road trip and a few family meals. We. Loved. It!

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