Prepare to step into a magical new world as House of Many Ways is beautifully re-imagined with breath-taking illustrations and a series of colour plates by Marie-Alice Harel.
House of Many Ways is the third and final story in Diana Wynne Jones Moving Castle trilogy published by The Folio Society . Each book in the series has its own delicious flavour, House of Many Ways is an irresistible coming-of-age story, following the adventures of the unworldly Charmain Baker as she becomes embroiled in the magical mysteries surrounding the much-loved characters of Howl, Sophie and the fire-demon Calcifer.
Charmain Baker has led a respectable, and relaxing sheltered life. She has spent her days with her nose in a book, never learning how to do even the smallest household chores. When she suddenly ends up looking after the tiny cottage of her ill Great-Uncle William she seems happy for the adventure, but the easy task of house-sitting is complicated by the fact that Great-Uncle William is also the Royal Wizard Norland and his magical house bends space and time.
Marie-Alice Harel has an ethereal almost other worldly quality to her work, the delicate feathered detailing and dream-like pallets make this trilogy of books truly the perfect read for those seeking the purest of bookish escapes. For this edition, series artist Marie-Alice Harel once again brings the magic of Ingary to the page, with six full-colour illustrations, a set of black-and-white chapter headings, and a pair of illustrated endpapers. The show-stopping binding gives us a glimpse of the majestic mountains of High Norland and the house itself, the only clue to its highly magical nature a flurry of stars escaping from the chimney. Here is a small selection of our favourite pieces from this very special book.
Get a visual taste of these timeless classics on YouTube HERE or re-visit our other recent blog posts. You can order your very own copy of this beautiful heirloom edition alongside companion titles Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Air HERE.
Marie-Alice Harel is a renowned French illustrator based in Scotland. She designs and illustrates books for readers of all ages and she teaches Book Illustration at Schoolism. She started her career as a Geosciences PhD and researcher before taking up illustration full-time in 2016. Her illustrations, predominantly watercolours, can be found in books, picture books, galleries and magazines.
You can view Mare-Alice’s portfolio HERE, for regular artistic updates and sneak previews find Marie-Alice on Instagram and Twitter and for more information regarding working with her in the future please email info@arenaillustration.com
