Monday, March 8, 2010

A Tale of Time City

Finished this last week. I was expecting not to like it, because it was a bit more SF-y than her usual stuff, but her characters were, as always, so individual that I couldn't help but get quite engrossed in it. The kids were all enthusiastic, but then, they like everything of hers. The only DWJ book I probably won't read them is Time of the Ghost. It's a bit on the Creepy Weird side and FDPG is a bit young for that, Weeping Angels not withstanding.

The story is this: young girl being evacuated from war-time London, in 1939, is kidnapped by two boys (from a future place called Time City) who think she is a Time Lady. At this point in the story we aren't sure who this Time Lady is, nor are we sure if she's a good person or not. All we do know is that these two boys hold her responsible for manipulating history so that is is reverberating in very bad ways. They take her back to Time City with good intentions of Bergmanesque proportions. Can I say "chaos ensues" without it sounding too clichéed? Or "the kids save the day after many a mishap"? Because that's pretty much what happens. There's even an android. And a revolt in Canada, of all places (Canadians? revolting? surely she jests). Time ghosts. Butter pie. Pajamas instead of street clothes. It only gets curiouser and curiouser from there.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Totally my favorite Diana Wynne Jones. Oh, wait, no, my second favorite.

sheila said...

Wait a second - and your first is....

Come on Phoenix32. Dish!

By the way, have you seen Ponyo? Does the father remind you of Howl at all?