The Lives of Christopher Chant (1988) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters/People edit see section history

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• Christopher Chant: Christopher Chant is a young lonely boy who just wants to have friends and play cricket. Unfortunately, this doesn't work out for him, as he discovers he is destined for something much greater.
• Tacroy: The spirit traveler that accompanies Christopher on his adventures for Uncle Ralph. He likes cricket and can never quite firm up enough to taste anything in the other worlds.
• Gabriel De Witt: The Current Chrestomanci, he is a nine lived enchanter. The most powerful enchanter in the world. He is an old man.
• Miranda Chant: The wife of Cosimo Chant, sister of Ralph Argent and mother of Christopher Chant. She has "huge lustrous eyes, a perfect figure and piles of glossy black curls." She is a shameless social climber and a sorceress. She was very wealthy.
• Miss Rosalie: Gabriel De Witt's assistant. A plump young woman.
• Flavian Temple: Add a description of this character.
• Dr. Simonson: He is Christopher's tutor at the Castle. He is also a medical wizard.
• Dright: From series 11
• Cosimo Chant: The father of Christopher Chant. He is married to Miranda Chant. He is an enchanter. He is tall with smooth, black hair and "black whiskers". He is handsome and looks much like his son. He has two brothers who are also enchanters.
• Throgmorten: He is an Asheth Temple cat from series ten. He looks much like an ordinary ginger cat but when he is angry he has seven legs, three heads and razor sharp teeth and claws. He can understand human speech and has a nasty temper. He bullies other cats.
• Mother Proudfoot: A priestess in the Ashteth temple who takes care of the living Asheth.
• Oneir: Christopher's friend from boarding school. He has an older sister.
• Ralph Wetherby Argent: He is Christopher's Uncle, his mother's brother. He is an enchanter. " He was wearing tweeds, strong and tangy and almost fox-colored, which were a little baggy here and there, but blended beautifully with the darker foxiness of <his> hair and the redder foxiness of his mustache." He is described as charming but also clearly shoddy. He is dishonest and ruthless.
• Millie: Millie is also known as the living Asheth. She has a plain round face and long mousy brown hair. She is very intelligent and as good at magic as Christopher. She loves the Millie books from Christopher's world.
• Fenning: A small thin boy who is Christopher's friend at school.
• Beryl
• Yolande: One of the twins who work at Chrestomanci Castle
• Mordecai Roberts: He has coffee colored skin, hazel eyes and light brown curly hair. He is an excellent cricket player. He lives in London and is one of the world's best spirit travelers.
• Mr. Wilkinson
• Erica: A maid at Chrestomanci Castle
• Frederick Parkinson
• Goddess: The living Asheth.She is a young girl with a round face and long mousy brown hair. She also is known as Millie
• Mr. Mclintock
• Bethi: The living Asheth's favorite cat. She is white.She has many litters of kittens including some with Throgmorten.
• Miss Bell: The last governess, she is a seemingly boring and drab young woman who never looses her temper and is endlessly patient. Although she is very plain , when she is not around Christopher's mother she sometimes has what Christopher calls a "hidden prettiness".
• Charles Chant: Cosimo's brother. He is also an enchanter and lives near Surrey. He is married to Alice Chant and has a daughter Caroline who is three years younger than Christopher.
• Alice Chant: Christopher's aunt who is married to his father's brother Cosimo. She has a daughter named Caroline Chant.
• Caroline Chant: Christopher's cousin. She is three years younger than him. She is fun and likes to ride horses.
• Conrad Chant: Cosimo Chant's other brother. He is an enchanter who lives in Wiltshire. He has a son Christopher's age named Francis.
• Francis Chant: Christopher's cousin, the son of Conrad Chant. He is stuck up and rude.
• Dr. Pawson: The best Diviner in the country. He lives in Cambridge. He is described as seeming to be too fat to move. He often glides around by levitating his arm chair.
• Mrs. Pawson: Dr. Pawson's old mother. She is known for her "visitations". She is a vary nice old woman who knits constantly and is confined to bed.
• Proudfoot: Bethies last kitten. She is a very sweet white kitten with one paw that has seven claws.
• Frederick Parkinson: An astral traveler like Mordecai he works for the Chrestomanci
• Jason Yeldham: The boot boy

Setting & Locations edit see section history

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• London
• Temple of Asheth: A temple devoted to the goddess Asheth. Inside is where the living Asheth lives along with mother proudfoot and all of the Asheth temple cats.
• Kensington
• Cambridge
• Penge School: Christopher's boarding school in Surrey.
• Wiltshire: Where Conrad Chant and his son Francis Chant live.
• Covent Garden: An area in London
• Series 8
• Series 12: "Chrestomanci’s home world. The French won the Battle of Agincourt and Richard II was on the throne until long after Agincourt. Only rich people have cars but there are trains. Atlantis is what we would call America and is ruled by the Inca’s. Charles the 7th is on the throne. There are no airplanes, no Gandhi, Einstein, Walt Disney, Reggae or Christopher Columbus. "
• Series 11
• Series 1

First Sentence edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Chrestomanci: The word "Chrestomanci" may be derived from the Greek khrestos, meaning "useful," and -mancy, "divination."Chrestomanci is the title of a powerful enchanter with the responsibility of regulating magic usage in a set of parallel universes. The Chrestomancis are unique in that they have nine lives; this is because, while most people in the world of Chrestomanci have spiritual doubles among eight other worlds, a potential Chrestomanci has no doubles. It is a government job, and each Chrestomanci is responsible for locating and training his or her successor. (Wikipedia)

Series & Lists edit see section history

Preceded by Charmed Life, and followed by The Magicians of Caprona.

Preceded by Teodora e as Estátuas Misteriosas, and followed by Chasing Vermeer.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Diana Wynne Jones (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books › Literature › Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror › Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
• Books › Teens › Authors, A-Z › ( W ) › Wynne-Jones, Diana
• Books › Children's Books › Ages 9-12
• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Fantasy

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• The Many Worlds of Diana Wynne Jones: Diana Wynne Jones website by Harper Collins Publishers
• Diana Wynne Jones Fansite: Webpage on the Chrestomanci books