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The Invention of Hugo Cabret

3m — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:30:36 +0000

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick

2007, 533 pp.

Rating:

Absolutely wonderful. I cannot recommend this highly enough. I also couldn’t tell you what it’s about better than the official website:

ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together…in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

This 526-page book is told in both words and pictures. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things. Each picture (there are nearly three hundred pages of pictures!) takes up an entire double page spread, and the story moves forward because you turn the pages to see the next moment unfold in front of you.

This is being made into a movie by Johnny Depp’s production company. I can’t wait to see it.

Visit the official website!

Independent People

3m — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:20:56 +0000

Bjartur of Summerhouses has one goal: total independence. After being a servant for 18 years, he finally obtains his own land, and while ever seeking the land’s improvements, Bjartur and his extreme self-reliance costs his family dearly. He mistreats his own wife and children, not overtly, but through his unwillingness to accept help of any kind from neighbors. His independence, his dog, and his sheep are of primary and utmost importance. But is it possible to be too independent? What happens to Bjartur when his own children demand independence from him?

Reading a book set in Iceland in January really set the mood for this story. The cold, the coffee, the sheep, and the stubbornness of one man against the world are what I will remember about this book. With themes of materialism, socialism, war, and politics, Independent People by Nobel laureate Halldor Laxness is more than relevant for today.

1934-35 , 482 pp.
Nobel prize-winning author
Rating: 4

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

3m — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 10:52:36 +0000

It all begins when a man answers this ad:

TEACHER SEEKS PUPIL
Must have an earnest desire to
save the world. Apply in person.

Who (or what) he finds there and the conversation they have about how to save the world follows. This book is written in a conversational style that reminded me of The Alchemist. It’s an easy read about Daniel Quinn’s real-life philosophies having to do with population control and food production. Although I didn’t agree with most of his ideas, he had a few valid points worth considering. Overall, though, I don’t think the world will be accepting his solution.

1992, 263 pp.
Rating: 3.5

The Invisible Man

3m — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:57:19 +0000

I have never read anything by H.G. Wells before, and I found this book very intriguing. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. He set up the mood and atmosphere perfectly; it was very suspenseful. The middle of the story bogged down a bit, but by the ending I was enjoying it again. It was interesting to note that in my edition they noted four alternative endings to the one I read. They were very minor changes, and my favorite ending was not the one published in this edition.

One of my favorite authors is C.S. Lewis, and though Lewis admired Wells’ writing, he disagreed with him philosophically on many points. I just read that Lewis based one of the characters in That Hideous Strength on Wells himself. I’m planning on reading that book and the first two in the Space Trilogy by Lewis in 2008, so I’m really looking forward to seeing Lewis’ take on Wells’ character and ideology.

1897, 154 pp.
Rating: 4

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

3m — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:15:00 +0000

The Inheritance of Loss
by
Kiran Desai

2005, 318 pp.

Winner: Booker Prize, NBCC

Rating: ~~3.5~~ 3

While this book has garnered much critical acclaim, I found it very difficult to complete. It took me over two months to get through it. Once I put it down, I just wasn’t compelled to pick it up again. It sort of felt like a school assignment. Luckily, the last 1/3 of the book went by much faster than the first 2/3. Before reading, I would highly recommend doing a little research if you are ignorant (like I was) of Indian culture or history. One link that shed a little light on the subject for me was here.

There are two settings for the book–America and Kalimpong. Sai lives with her grandfather, a former judge, at the foothills of the Himalayas. She falls in love with Gyan, her tutor, who is sympathetic to the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF). The clash of ideals between the Indians who want change and those who wish to retain aspects of British colonialism is one of the two main conflicts in the novel.

The other conflict is that of the Indians who emigrate to the United States and the conditions of their lives once they live there. Biju, who is the son of the Judge’s cook, is one of the lucky few who get a visa to go to America. But once he is there, is he really better off? The novel asks the question — how much does each person care about their individual culture, nationality, and family. What does our “inheritance” mean to us?

While I appreciate these themes and do think the writing was brilliant at times, I wouldn’t recommend this book for most readers.

Carl V. – April 26, 2007: Beautiful title, beautiful cover art, but just not something that sounds appealing to me for some reason. Maybe because it looks like too much work. That doesn’t sound very literary of me, but most of the times I don’t want to have to slog through a book.Lisa – April 26, 2007I am really really struggling to finish this. I can’t make myself pick it up again. When I’m actually reading it I enjoy it, but it does not inspire me to return to it. Some recent discussion has made me curious about what happens with the Judge, but not so much as to keep reading.; I do think it’s a beautiful book, and I even like the writing.
3M – April 26, 2007: Carl–I almost always finish books I don’t like all the way to the end. I wouldn’t have finished this one, though, if it wasnn’t our April read for BookAwards.Lisa–I really struggled, too. I felt exactly the same way. I’m glad I finished it, but it took me about 2 months! The last 1/3 goes by a lot faster if you’re that far. I think it is about page 200 or so.
Framed – April 29, 2007: I have read similar comments about this book. It’s always nice to find a book I simply don’t “have to” read. There’s so many that I do.
Stephanie – May 3, 2007: I had the same problem as you – just had such a hard time getting through it!
Stephanie
www.thewrittenword.wordpress.com

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

3m — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:37:00 +0000

Inkheart
by
Cornelia Funke

2003, 544 pp

Rating: 4

Meggie is a 12 year old girl whose father never reads aloud to her. He gives her books, he tells her stories, but he never actually reads from a book to her. One night a mysterious man comes to visit them–his name is Dustfinger. Dustfinger warns Mo (Meggie’s father) that a man named Capricorn is after a book in Mo’s possession called Inkheart.

It is then that Meggie find out why her father never reads to her. He has the ability to bring characters “alive” out of the book he is reading. The catch is, though, that someone else from the real world disappears into the book at the same time.

The adventure that follows includes Meggie’s missing mother, her great-aunt Elinor, Inkheart’s author Fenoglio, and several characters that have come out of their books.

I enjoyed this story very much and listened to it on CD with my entire family on a road trip this past week. The movie is being filmed now and will star Brendan Fraser, Eliza Bennett, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Andy Serkis, among others. I can’t wait to see it!

Amanda – March 29, 2007: I just started this book and though only on chapter 3, I love it already. I was so glad to see your review! Much more to look forward to as I continue reading!
Suey – March 30, 2007: This is one of my favorite books of all time, the sequel too, Inkspell. Do you plan on going on to read that one? Wow, it ended in quite a cliffhanger and so I’m anxiously awaiting the third book, which I think will be next year sometime. Long wait!