Diana Wynne Jones RIP

[jacey]

I just caught up with about three days of LJ and with great sadness heard about the death of Diana Wynne Jones after a long illness. I first came across her writing with the publication of Dogsbody back in the mid seventies when I was a children's librarian. More recently came Hexwood and Fire and Hemlock. My all time favourite - so far - is Deep Secrets. I admit I haven't read every DWJ book, which means I can still look forward to a leisurely  stroll through her back catalogue. Coincidentally Power of Three, The Game and Enchanted Glass all dropped through my letterbox last week. Though well respected in professional circles, I don't think DWJ ever received the wider accolades (and mega-sales) that she deserved from the public at large. The reason for that is obscure, but may have something to do with the wide variety and non-formulaic nature of her work. Though she wrote some series (Chrestomanci, Dalemark etc.) so many of her books were one-offs, unique, and for some children, challenging. Hopefully her books will stay in print for many years to come and she can continue to challenge new readers in the best of ways.

She will be missed.

Comments

[hairmonger.livejournal.com]

And to all my other favorite writers, I say (as always) Write Faster!
Getting published faster is also good.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

[ferlonda.livejournal.com]

Darn. I love her writing. :(

Hey, if you do "book reports" for her stuff could you please use a cut tag so I don't get the spoilers???????? Your other books I'm not likely to read any time soon but I love her stuff and don't want to know anything about it before I read it. Thanks.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

I'm not very good at doing cuts. I've tried but sometimes they just don't take. I try to warn of major spoilers, but in any case the author and title is always upfront so you don't have to read the entry if all else fails. Sorry.

[ferlonda.livejournal.com]

Cuts are not exactly user-friendly or intuitive. Oh, well- I thought I'd ask. I'll just close my eyes...

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's about it. Sometimes they work for me and sometimes not.

[caper-est.livejournal.com]

To me she was one of the unsung greats, especially with her children's stuff, and I shall miss her a lot. I think it is the challenge and variety that works against her popularity: she was very good at making her readers uncomfortable, in a thoroughly good way. Wasn't a great one for repeating herself, either. Not even in series - the Dalemark Quartet, for instance, is really four very different books indeed, even though it's also one story.

I'm glad I managed to introduce a few people to her over the last handful of years. Eh well; hwyl fawr strikes again!