Right before Witch Week, I squeezed in a reread of The Game. It's one of Diana's shorter novels and is a standalone. It follows Hayley, an orphan who has grown up with her kind but busy grandfather and her bossy and strict grandmother. She has a feeling that their family might be a bit different but doesn't learn exactly how different until she gets in trouble and is sent away. This is when she meets her aunts and her cousins and they invite her to play "The Game".
I didn't love this book when I read it in 2009 because it felt a bit too bare bones. Because it covers such a wide territory of gods, goddesses, myths and astrology, I just felt like there wasn't enough explanation to make it feel like a successful story -- especially for a kid/teen who would have even less background knowledge of these subjects than I do. I stand by that evaluation but I will also say that my reread was a success in that I do appreciate it more now and have a better opinion of it overall. It's a clever story and a fun read. It just also makes me want to take some sort of mythology course.
I still don't really like the freaky US cover shown above so I may go looking for the UK one below. It's more symbolic of the story and less like a police composite of what Hayley might look like.
Getting schooled in mythology,
K
I remember I enjoyed this one, but it wasn't one that stuck with me the way many of Diana Wynne Jones' other books have. It may be similar to what you said--too sweeping in scope for such a brief book. I enjoyed the concepts, but there wasn't time for the depth of characters and ideas that we see in others.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it might be a bit bare-bones (I have *almost* finished reading this one), and I think as a child I would have become confused at all the hints towards gods and other myths, but I also know I would have loved that first description of the mythosphere by Hayley's grandfather. As this is only my third DWJ, I still feel that amazing feeling of a mix of reality, myth, and the magical that I'm starting to see is a trademark of DWJ.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree re: the cover. The US one just does not seem to fit the story.
ReplyDeleteMarvelous - Yes. Few of the characters had much depth to them at all. It was a fun read but I missed having a strong character to latch onto.
ReplyDeleteIris - Oh, the mythosphere sounds fantastic, doesn't it? What I wouldn't give to step out onto one of those paths! I think you're getting a good idea of the range of DWJ's books. That's one of the things that makes her such a great author!
I think I would have preferred the US cover as a young reader, but I do like the UK cover now. And the story sounds like a great combination of energies: I think I'd enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI liked this one! I loved the fantasy and mythology mix. But, I must admit that I do prefer the UK cover!!
ReplyDeleteBuried - It's a fun little read!
ReplyDeleteTif - Awesome! I'm glad you liked it. Now I think you need to read Charmed Life or Howl's Moving Castle. :)
Already added these to my list!! I'm hitting some book fairs this week and hoping to get hands on my own copies!!
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