Fire and Hemlock (Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones)

Member Name: lady_natalie

Product:	Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
Date:	16/09/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: interesting story, easy to read childrens fantasty novel

Disadvantages: nothing very speacial

First published in 1985, Fire and Hemlock is a fantasy novel by childrens author Dianna Wynne Jones, although this book is aimed at a slightly older audience than her other books.

The book starts with the protagonist, Polly, clearing out her room whilst she's home from university. She has a photo that she calls 'Fire and Hemlock' above her bed, and looking at it and sorting through her other things makes her think about the past, and she begins to realise that she has two sets of memories, one set are on the surface, and she can see her life as she expects it to be, the other set don't add up, and she can remember things no one else can.

Polly goes back to the first memory that she can think of that's a double memory. She's playing with her friend Nina when she's 10 and she finds herself going into a big house near where she lives, called Hundsdon House. She arrives during a funeral and is mistaken for one of the guests. As she looks like she's desperate to leave one of the other guests, a man named Tom Lynn, finds a way to take her outside where the two make up stories about their lives, how the two are really heroes in disguise. Before she goes home Tome takes her back into the house to help him pick the photos he's been left in the will, one of which was Fire and Hemlock, which he gave to her. Tom and Polly remain friends after this, they visit each other from time to time and he sends Polly books whilst he's on tour with the orchestra he plays in, and Polly sends Tom letters detailing the Hero business they invented the day they met. But although they have known each other for almost ten years, no one else can now remember Tom, he doesn't exist in their memories, and Polly thinks there is a plot involving Tom set by his ex Wife Laurel, who has been threatening Polly to not see Tom since they first met. She has to realise what's real and what's not quickly, before it's too late for her and Tom.

Although this book is advertised as for older children, I found that it didn't read much differently to the other books by Dianna Wynne Jones, I think it's just perhaps a bit longer than her other books, but I don't think that should make much of a difference to who reads it. I also didn't think it was quite as good as her other books, but it was a good read, and being a children's book it didn't take long to get through, so no time wasted.

The book does focus on the relationship between Polly and Tom, and how they make up stories about their other life when they see and write to each other. When she's not with Tom Polly has to face her ordinary life, including her ever changing friends and a lot of problems at home that she has to deal with as best she can. Her mum and dad split up, and she has to live with her mum who is pretty much always focusing on where to find her next bit of happiness regardless of the existence of Polly. So she's having to back and forth between her mum, dad, and her Nanna, who seems to be the only sane relative that she has. Tom is like a stable influence in her life, and although he's quite a bit older, he is more of a friend to her than like an honorary family member. Polly enjoys playing make believe with him, but then the stories they make up start to come true. She makes up that in their other life Tom is called Tan Coul, and Polly is Hero, his apprentice, and they have to go around doing hero things whenever they come up. They invent a yellow horse that Tan Coul rides about on, and then one day in London a bright yellow horse runs into their path than they two rescue. While they try to figure out what's going on, whilst getting on with their own lives, Laurels family members constantly threaten Polly to not see Tom, but she goes ahead regardless, but has to pay the consequences.

The books like a bit of a mystery, you try to figure out what's really going on when you're reading it, but as they plot moves quite slowly throughout ten years of Polly life it does get a bit frustrating whilst you're wanting it to move a bit faster. But to me that just makes me want to read on more until I know. The book also has a lot of references to other fantasy works, like from all the books that Tom sends Polly. And it is partly based on the Scottish ballads "Tam Lin" and "Thomas the Rhymer", which are actually included in a book that Tom sends Polly.

I think that any fan of Dianna Wynne Jones would like this book, it is a nice fantasy novel, and I like how it ties in to our world a lot. I think that all in all it's an ok book, but nothing amazing, it's nice to read and I have read it a couple of times now. It's also pretty good for any children who are getting a bit older and want to read something more substantial.

Summary: classic Dianna Wynne Jones fantasy book