Archer's Goon facts for kids
First edition (UK)
|
|
| Author | Diana Wynne Jones |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Dave Eastbury |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Methuen (UK) Greenwillow Books (US) |
|
Publication date
|
1984 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 241 |
| ISBN | 0-416-49260-6 |
Archer's Goon is an exciting fantasy novel written by Diana Wynne Jones in 1984. It's a story that both young people and adults can enjoy. The book was recognized with several awards, including a nomination for the 1985 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. It was also named an ALA Notable Children's Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
The Story of Archer's Goon
A Strange Visitor Arrives
The story begins with thirteen-year-old Howard Sykes, who lives in an English town. His family includes his dad, Quentin, who is a writer and professor, and his mom, Catriona, a music teacher. There's also his little sister, Anthea, often called "Awful" because she screams a lot, and Fifi, their au pair. One afternoon, their normal life is turned upside down. A huge, unnamed person, described by Fifi as "somebody's Goon," walks into their house. He announces that he's there to collect two thousand words that Quentin owes to someone named Archer.
The Mystery of the Words
It turns out that thirteen years ago, Quentin was having trouble writing. A town official named Mountjoy suggested that Quentin write two thousand words of nonsense every three months. In return, Quentin wouldn't have to pay city taxes. The Goon explains that the latest words didn't reach Archer. Quentin quickly writes a new set of words and gives them to the Goon. But the next day, the Goon is back! The words were a copy of old ones, and the agreement said they had to be new.
Meeting the Wizards of the Town
The Goon takes Howard to see Mountjoy. Mountjoy reveals a big secret: the town is actually run by seven wizard siblings! Their names are Archer, Shine, Dillian, Hathaway, Torquil, Erskine, and Venturus. Each wizard "farms" or controls different parts of the town's life, like money, roads, or education. Mountjoy's job is to send Quentin's words, but he doesn't know who the words are really for. This discovery sends the Sykes family on a mission to find out which wizard is using Quentin's words.
The Search for Answers
Fifi tells Howard that she didn't deliver the words herself. She was busy and gave them to one of Quentin's students, Maisie Potter. Howard, Awful, and Fifi go to Maisie's house. She tries to make excuses, but they finally get the truth: she gave the words to Dillian, one of the wizard siblings. The trio makes Maisie take them to Dillian.
Dillian admits she asked Maisie to steal the words. She, like the other wizards, believes Quentin's words have kept them stuck in town for thirteen years. Howard tells her the words have always gone to Archer. This makes Dillian think Archer is the one keeping them trapped. She gives the words back to Howard, but as they walk home, the words magically disappear! When they try to go back to Dillian's house, it has vanished too.
Archer's Plan and Family Troubles
The Goon then takes the family to meet Archer. Archer also believes Quentin's words are stopping him and his siblings from leaving town. He wants to get a sample of the writing to figure out how to break free and take over the world. When Quentin hears Archer's plan, he decides that being stuck in town is a good thing! He stubbornly refuses to write any more words.
The other wizards also want Quentin's words. They start putting pressure on the Sykes family. Their gas and electricity are cut off. Shops won't let them in. Their bank accounts are frozen. All of Catriona's musical instruments start playing loudly by themselves! Torquil, who controls music, threatens Catriona's job if Quentin doesn't write the words. Fifi, who has fallen in love with Archer, tries to get the words for him. Shine sends a gang of boys to follow Howard and Awful. They even kidnap the kids for a short time, but the Goon and Torquil quickly rescue them. Hathaway, who controls roads, makes the street outside the Sykes' house get dug up and repaved over and over as punishment.
A Trip to the Past
When Quentin gets a huge bill for unpaid taxes, Howard and Awful decide to ask Hathaway for help. They discover Hathaway lives 400 years in the past! The children visit Hathaway in his old Elizabethan home by going through a white door marked CURATOR at the back of the museum. Hathaway is very reasonable. He stops the street digging and promises to help with the taxes. Howard suggests Hathaway bury some money for him to dig up in the future, but Hathaway explains that wouldn't work. He also tells Howard that Catriona and Quentin adopted him as a baby, which adds to Howard's worries.
The Goon's Secret and a Journey to the Future
With Hathaway out of the picture, Erskine seems like the next wizard who might be using the words. The Goon takes Quentin and the two children through the sewers to Erskine's sewage plant outside the city. It would have been a short walk above ground, and when asked why they went through the sewers, the Goon admits he can only leave town through the sewer or by a rubbish truck. Quentin then realizes the Goon is actually Erskine!
Erskine locks them up to pressure Quentin, but they escape with help from Ginger Hind, one of Shine's gang members. Ginger needs Howard's help to be free from Shine. Now Howard must find the seventh brother, Venturus, who lives in the future. Howard guesses Venturus's hiding place is a half-built building, a place that will exist in the future. As he runs from Erskine's men, he wishes for a bus, and one appears! He asks Archer for money, Shine for a distraction, and Dillian for a police car to stop Shine's over-the-top distraction. All these things magically appear. Howard remembers Catriona saying she'd live in "some house that hasn't been built yet" if she lived in the future. He heads for a half-finished building near where Quentin works, guessing it's Venturus's hideout.
The Big Reveal
Howard's guess is correct. As he climbs the stairs of the unfinished building, each step ages him, and the building finishes itself around him as he moves forward in time. On a mirror, he sees a strange message: "THIS IS THE SECOND TIME." Howard finally realizes that he himself is Venturus! Venturus has been building an amazing spaceship in his home in the future. Twice, to solve problems with his spaceship design, Venturus sent the whole town back thirteen years in time. This accidentally turned him into a small child. That child was adopted (twice) by Quentin and Catriona, who named him Howard. The six siblings couldn't leave the town not because of Quentin's words, but because their parents had told them to protect Venturus. As long as Venturus-Howard was too young to use his magic, they had to stay close to protect him.
A Peaceful Ending
Torquil, Hathaway, Erskine, and Venturus (now Howard) understand that if one of the seven wizards gained total control, civilization would likely fall apart. They come up with a plan to send the three oldest siblings (Archer, Shine, and Dillian) far into deep space, never to return. They use Venturus's new spaceship. They trick each of the three into thinking the others are plotting against them and will put their final plan into action that night on the spaceship. All three board the ship, which Howard-Venturus has programmed to let them on but not off. It's a one-way trip to Alpha Centauri, and the ship takes off. The remaining siblings have no plans to rule the world. Howard, now Venturus, still worries about what Erskine and Awful might do in the future. He decides to stay with the Sykes family to help keep Awful in check. Erskine decides to travel the world, making for a happy ending.
The Siblings and Their Domains
Here are the seven wizard siblings and the parts of the town they control:
- Archer: Money; power (like electricity and gas)
- Shine: Crime; industry (though she's not very interested in industry)
- Dillian: Law and order; fire brigade (shared with Erskine)
- Hathaway: Roads and transport; records and archives
- Torquil: Music; sport; shops; religion (not directly stated, but clear from the story)
- Erskine: Water and drains; fire brigade (shared with Dillian); garbage (not directly stated, but clear from the story)
- Venturus: Housing; education
All seven wizards also control the town's taxes.
Television Adaptation
In 1992, Archer's Goon was made into a six-part TV series by the BBC. Diana Wynne Jones was quite involved in making the show. She worked with the producer, Richard Callanan, to make sure the TV series stayed true to her book. She mentioned that the scriptwriter, Jenny McDade, had to be persuaded to keep the story close to the original. While they couldn't include everything from the end of the book, Diana felt they did a good job. She also noted that writing scripts is very different from writing novels.
