Product Description

Arriman the awful, the wizard of the North, announces a contest-the witch who performs the darkest piece of magic will be his wife. Belladonna is dying to win . . . but she's too good-hearted. Can she summon up the evil side in time to win the contest?

"If you have read all the Harry Potters and don't know how you'll survive until the next, you must try Eva Ibbotson." (Book Sense)

"A zestsful adventure, perfect for fans of 'Harry Potter'." (School Library Journal)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #290237 in Books
• Published on: 2000-07-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 249 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780141304274
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Arriman the Awful, Loather of Light and Wizard of the North, needs a wife. How else can he have a wizard baby to carry on the family tradition of blighting and smiting, blasting and wuthering? The problem is, wizards can only marry one kind of person--a witch. Arriman dreads the thought. "A great black crone with warts and blisters in unmentionable places from crashing about on her broom! You want me to sit opposite one of those every morning eating my cornflakes?" But a witch it must be, so Arriman holds a contest to decide which witch. The local witches are all atwitter over what spell they'll perform for the contest--all except Belladonna, who is, to her great shame, a white witch. She looks rather like the girl on the Clairol Herbal Essence bottle, with a sweet face and flowing blonde hair. "There was usually something in Belladonna's hair: A fledgling blackbird parked there by its mother while she went to hunt for worms, a baby squirrel wanting somewhere safe to eat its hazel nuts, or a butterfly who thought she was a lily or a rose."

Black spells are cast, enchantments are woven, and even Belladonna manages to do a little damage in this wonderfully clever 1979 book by Eva Ibbotson (of The Secret of Platform 13). Young readers will delight in the way Ibbotson glories in the ghoulish and the gory--and in her engaging characters who are kindly and fiendish all at once. Which Witch (finally reissued in the United States) begs to be read aloud, with before-bed-length chapters and lots of opportunities for funny voices. (Ages 9 and older) --Claire Dederer

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9-Arriman the Awful is weary of championing blackness and trying to raise the wife-murdering ghost of Darkington Hall, Sir Simon. When the predicted new wizard does not arrive, Arriman, who is tall, dark, and handsome, with just a bit of a foolish streak, reluctantly agrees to marry to insure an heir to the throne of darkness. The witches from the coven of Todcaster are invited to a contest to win his hand by performing the blackest trick possible. These witches are a sorry lot, especially beautiful Belladonna, who is good in spite of herself. Just when the dark horse, Madame Olympia, appears to have no equal, Belladonna's black magic is improved by an orphan, Terence Mugg. The contest is a splendor of blackness and evil and is not for the fainthearted, with everything from bottomless pits and krakens to cannibalistic mice. Ibbotson describes perfectly the hierarchy of this fantasy world; every spirit, witch, and ogre is true to form. The threads of the story are woven tightly and tied up neatly at the end. Terence, of course, is the new wizard. Belladonna and Arriman can retire to a cottage where he will write a book, and Madame Olympia and Sir Simon are joined in unholy matrimony. A zestful adventure, perfect for fans of "Harry Potter" (Scholastic) and Ibbotson's The Secret of Platform 13 (Dutton, 1998).
Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
On the heels of J. K. Rowling's successful Harry Potter books comes this story, originally published in Great Britain in 1979, of a wizard having a midlife crisis, a sweet witch with an identity crisis, and a lonely orphan who discovers his destiny for magical greatness. The novel intertwines the stories of Wizard Arriman the Awful, who needs a wife and holds a competition for local witches, with himself as prize; kind-hearted, beautiful Belladonna, a white witch who wants to win his heart and admiration but is more likely to conjure up flowers than snakes; and orphan Terence, who helps Belladonna discover the powerful magic of true love and determination, and finds a home in the process. The story's strength lies in its witty, satirical twists on beauty pageants and the Cinderella story, and its dimensional, generally comedic characters: a murderous ghost with a conscience, whiny and flawed witches, and Arriman, a gifted wizard and altar-phobic worrywart. However, the Roald Dahl-esque humor is overshadowed by a particularly macabre scenario involving rats, and though witch stories always have an audience, this one is not for the faint of heart or stomach. Shelle Rosenfeld

Customer Reviews

Horror and humour, not 'for kiddies only'
Although this book is intended for a bit younger readers than I am, I enjoyed it immensely! I found the characters so charming and the writer has avoided stereotyping them (even Belladonna, the white witch who seems like such a typical, innocent goodie at first, surprises you if you let her. I like the way she so desperately wants to become an evil witch). The humor has wit, pace and an occasional dark turn, just the way I like it. Arriman the Awful is definitely the most wicked and most ENDEARING wizard in all literature. Give this book a try, it won't take long and I bet you won't be disappointed!

Back from the dusty halls of OUT of PRINT
In the spirit of Roald Dahl, Eva Ibbotson knows that children love stories filled with ghosts, ghouls and witches...this is the story of Arriman, the greatest wizard in the world who can do anything.(except raise the dead) After years of "black magic" Arriman has grown weary of his life and wants to find a successor, but of course he can't find one. So he holds a contest to find a witch to help him produce an heir, but of course the lucky lady is sweet Belladonna, a "white witch".

Can Belladonna be the right witch for Arriman, and will you be just as enchanted as I was upon reading _Which Witch?_.

This is the kind of book that leaves you laughing after you put the book down...the book is magical!

If you liked this one, read _Secret of Platform 13_...that book will leave a twinkle in your eye as well.

Which Witch
If you are impatiently waiting for the next Harry Potter book as we were this will definately sustain you. Infact I can't wait for Eva Ibbotson's next book! This book is an intriguing combination of love and evil. Arriman, a black wizard seaches for a wife while the witches in the contest compete the outcome is a total surprise.