Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Summary: One night when she is very small, Meggie's father Mo reads aloud from a book called Inkheart and their lives are never the same. Years later, Meggie and Mo find themselves in the middle of an adventure straight out of a storybook - literally. Villains escaped that night and Meggie's mother disappeared. Now only Meggie can change the course of the story and bring about a happy ending.
My thoughts: I really, really liked the premise of this book - reading characters out of a story. Who hasn't wanted to see their favourites in the flesh? I liked Meggie and the other characters, I wanted to know what would happen, I enjoyed the quotes at the start of each chapter and liked that Meggie enjoyed classic books. The only thing was that at 560 pages, it seemed realllly long to me for a kids' book (yeah, I know, enormous Harry Potters, etc...). I found myself wishing it would end and feeling that it could've been condensed. There seemed to be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing that I could've done without. But it was a big hit with young readers, so I have to say that the kids are better readers than I am to not feel tired partway through. Still, it's a very imaginative and intelligent book - perhaps my brain just wasn't up for it this month.
(There were quite a few quotes from non-children's book The Princess Bride and a few times I found myself wishing I was reading it instead. Apparently I need to dig my copy out of storage and immerse myself in Westley and Buttercup.)
4 comments:
You are spot on with your review. This is exactly how I felt! I am glad I am no longer the only one who didn't absolutely love this book. :-) Like you, I did like it, but it left something to be desired.
Whew! Thanks, I was really thinking it was just me! What a relief! :)
I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter too. I found the setting of the present rather confusing. It felt old, but then they were using cell phones. I think early 1900s would have had a better feel to go with the old characters.
Love the Princess Bride! the Dread Pirate Roberts made an appearance on my grade 11 physics test this week, out sailing on his boat, listening for echoes.:)
Now that you mention, it, I felt that, too! An older setting would have been much better. At the beginning I thought it was olden timey, but then they got in their camper van.
That's a hoot about the DPR on the test. I think it's definitely time for me to read/watch it again, it's been too long.
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