Over the last few months I have been rereading the complete works of Diana Wynne Jones in publication order. I started doing this because I was in a reading slump and Jones is one of those authors who is slump-proof for me (like Terry Pratchett, or Georgette Heyer.) And then I kept going because I was riveted.
Jones’ books are simply brilliant. Some are undeniably better than others, but even a dud DWJ is a decent read, and at her best she is extraordinary. In fact I would argue that she is one of the greatest fantasy writers of the last fifty years. So the value of my reread (still ongoing!) has turned out to be considerably more than the nostalgia of returning to beloved children’s books that you first read decades ago. Speaking as an adult reader, and an adult writer of fantasy: there’s a real joy in watching a master at work.
