This was another family read-aloud, and it was generally well-liked by everyone. Not quite as good as Howl’s Moving Castle, but SO MUCH BETTER than Castle in the Air, in my opinion. I rather liked the supposedly spoiled Charmain, even though she seems to have rubbed a lot of other readers the wrong way. Who wouldn't want to yeet Peter out of the house to sit in the library and just read books? ( )

House of Many Ways introduces a new set of characters, much like Castle in the Air did. Charmain Baker is our hapless heroine who gets more than she bargained for when she house sits for her Great-Uncle William, who also happens to be the royal wizard. All she wants to do is read! She doesn't want to be caught up in magic and adventure! (As a joke, Charmain is often mistakenly called Miss Charming, which she is decidedly not.) Charmain’s little get away in her Great-Uncle’s house is interrupted by the arrival of Peter, a wizard apprentice who can’t do magic correctly. He’s there to study under Charmain’s wizard uncle, as arranged by his mother. Too bad Great-Uncle William has been carted off by elves to be treated for his illness. Now there are two hapless people living in a house that is more than it seems.

House of Many Ways is another fun romp in the world DWJ's has created. If you’re looking for a book with great female leads who are more than just a Strong Female Characters trope, read this! ( )

rr and review later ( )

La vida de la joven Charmain Baker es, esencialmente, respetable. Sus días transcurren con una tranquilidad que sólo se ve alterada por las aventuras de los libros de los que apenas saca la nariz. Y entonces, un día, su tía Sempronia le anuncia que ha de ir a cuidar la casa de su tío (un tal William que, por lo visto, es mago) mientras él está fuera.
Charmain, emocionada por hallarse al fin ante «su propia aventura», parte de inmediato. Pero cuando llega a la casa, se topa con un laberinto de habitaciones extrañas a las que se accede según unas instrucciones mágicas muy precisas. Hay elfos, jardineros de color azul, comidas que se sirven solas, libros de hechizos para aprender a volar y, en resumen, todo lo que puede haber en la casa de un mago. Pero también hay pilas y pilas de platos sucios (y lavarlos no es, esencialmente, respetable), encantamientos que salen mal y un joven aprendiz de carácter despistado que afirma venir en busca del mago William.

This book was good. Once again the best moments were when Howl and Sophie appeared, but I also liked the main character this time. I liked the concept of the magical house and I could relate to the protagonist.
In this book Charmain mentions that no book ever taught her to do house chores so this one sure helps you with that because, among other things, it teaches kids that no one should ever mix red and white clothes! So, it had some boring moments.
Besides Charmain, the other characters didn't seem as fleshed out as they were in the first book of the trilogy and Howl, Sophie and Calcifer always steal every scene they are in because they are so much more complex and interesting than all of the other ones. I wish they were the main characters in the entire trilogy. That is my main complaint about these books.
This trilogy was worth reading because of the moments with Calcifer, Howl, Sophie and Morgan and I am sure I will reread those moments in the two last books again, but only those moments. The first book, "Howl's Moving Castle", however, I am sure I will reread many many times. ( )