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Brian Selznick
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Book
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Publisher | Scholastic | ||
ISBN | 978-140710504 | ||
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Reviewer
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Vicky
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Synopsis
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 her grandfather, 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 from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
Review
This is a wonderful book told in words and pictures but not just any sort of pictures - these are fine charcoal drawings done by Brian Selznick himself plus several photos from a 1923 George Miele film that push forward the story at a very rapid rate of knots - but do take a breath and look at the fine detail in the pictures and how well they show what is going on.
Brian has managed to weave together the story of an orphan boy (Hugo) a mechanical man and a 1920s film producer (George Miele) to make a page turner of a story. I read this book pretty much in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down wanting to know what happened next. What did Hugo have to do with Etienne the grandaughter of the clock repairer and what did he have to do with the mechanical man which were the drawings that Hugo had - a mystery no less and what were the author's influences for this writing story.
In this edition of the book there is a video of Brian Selznick talking about the book and why he wrote it. The cover has changed to a slightly richer look with gold page ends - there is much to recommend and I urge you to read it. A book for both children and adults.
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