Chrestomanci: a Character Type with Layers

Chrestomanci is one of those beloved mentor types that show up in books and television and movies. The handsome, well-dressed, wise and somewhat aloof guy who, like Sherlock, is always a little above and beyond everyone else. 

Chrestomanci, who appears in several books by Diane Wynne Jones, is somewhat more layered. He doesn't know everything. In Charmed, in which Cat--the main character--encounters Chrestomanci as a stranger and then as a rather distant guardian, Chrestomanci is not entirely sure if he trusts Cat and later faults himself for not knowing the right approach with Cat.

The Lives of Christopher Chant gives us Chrestomanci's back story. It details how he met Millie, his eventual wife. It also shows that Chrestomanci understands the pain of betrayal and the difficulty of living with previous mistakes as well as coming to understand one's self. 

And Witch Week presents a lovely final scene in which the main character, not entirely recognizing Chrestomanci, apologizes to the weary man. 

Chrestomanci is a great example of a type being deepened and expanded to become a well-rounded character. 

One of my favorite aspects of Chrestomanci is that he loves to wear elaborately embroidered dressing gowns. I can't help but think of Orson Welles in Jane Eyre. Different build. Similar aura of authority!