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The book was a page-turner that I devoured quickly and immediately recommended to my kids. For example, why read a chase scene when, by turning pages, you can watch it instead. The story combines archetypal elements of adolescent fiction (a lonely orphan with prodigious gifts solving a mystery involving a reclusive old man) with ideas and images that struck me as fresh and new (the setting in a Paris train station, a curious automaton, and films from the dawn of their creation). An avid reader since childhood, I now use the fact that I have kids as a convenient excuse to read children's books. Pick up this book for a refreshingly different and very enjoyable read. I found the book to be a delightfully different experience. I saw this one at my boys' school library, was intrigued, and went out and bought a copy. The combination of prose with pictures was a nice change and caused the pacing of the book to be more breathless and exciting.
All three of us enjoyed it immensely. I was really impressed.
I really enjoyed the bit of historical fiction included about Georges Melies and it helped me appreciate the story that much more. The book is quite long (although the majority of it is told in pictures) and I was sure he would lose interest along the way but he didn't.
I've spent the past couple of weeks reading this book to my 6- and 7-year-old boys at bedtime. This was the very first book that captivated him and had him begging me to read to him.
I highly recommend this as a wonderful family book. What a magical story.
Of special note: My 6-year-old has never enjoyed read-aloud time much at all (though my 7-year-old has enjoyed it since birth).
VERY INTERESTING STORY AND GREAT ILLUSTRATIONS. THIS IS ONE OF THE BOOKS MY SON HAS TO READ FOR THE SUMMER.
Let me say this; I will never give this book away, the art is to magnificant and adds so much to this book. I fell in love with this book after the first page. This is a book for any visionary or child at heart. Now, I am not a person who finishes books of this length in a super short time but, I just couldn't put it down.
I bought this book after reading the suggestions of the previous book I finished. One of the reviews I read for this book said something like this,that I think is so very ture "It combins elements of a picture book, part graphic novel and part slient film" I hope that you choose to go on a reading experience of a lifetime. You will not be able to put it down and you will be captivated by the artwork. I thought it seemed magical and that it would be a good read.
This book tugs at your heartstrings, showers you with excitement , action, adventure and a lot of heart. Please give this unique gem a chance. I was so right. I read it from cover to cover in a day.
So what happened - perhaps he planned so much that it killed the story. I became eager to find and see this piece for myself. When they did so, the original writing instrument was found. Mr. Fine, if so, but there are far better, less intrusive ways to write one in. However, the story is better suited to putting children of about 6 or 7 to sleep - and likely to nightmares, given that the only life in the book was relegated to dead parents, a drunk and missing uncle, homelessness, hunger, etc. I have ordered that book and hope it delivers what this did not.
I watched the bonus DVD that came with the cds in hopes Mr. I hesitated to buy the cd for this reason but ended up glad I didn't have to be put off by the distractingly amateurish drawings. My 17 yo son dropped out 1/4 of the way through. Nope. Actually, here is where he somewhat redeems himself. Selznick says he got his original inspiration from Edison's Eve by Gaby Woods. The three stars I give this book are not for the writing, but for introducing the world to the story of Melies and this automata.
When we came home, I found videos about the automata AND Mr. Selznick has no children, or is not very connected with them if he does. The best tidbits of the book - including many avenues Mr. I don't like them". What was particularly disappointing to me was that I researched George Melies after we finished the book, and discovered he as a real person, who really made automata, and also that the automata described in the book is not only real, it is the most advanced example ever discovered. Although this DVD is dry, it contains some valuable tips for young writers on how to research and plan a book.
Selznick thought he might have a mental illness, but wasn't sure which one, so he merely hinted at a number of them. This automata is not made by George Melies (he destroyed his) but by a Swiss man named Maillardet. Apparently the museum allowed him to thoroughly examine the automata. I am familiar with Brian Selznick's illustrations, and love them. Perhaps he even would include swoon) video of it. but he supposedly was able to restore the world's most complicated automata with parts stolen from a toy shop. Even with this flaw, the story was both meaty and juicy. What serendipity.
One sentence in, we all had a visceral reaction that prompted this conversation: "Ewwww, who is reading this. I'm a collector of children's books and the parent of avid readers, one of whom will read anything with science in it and the other who will read anything historical. Selznick for actually ruining a potentially first class book. Why on earth were shaded pencil sketches chosen to drive such a (potentially) exciting story.
And if they were, why weren't they done in sketchbook style, as if done by Melies.I suspect Mr. He also gets marks for describing his process in a useful, albeit boring, way. His character never reads like a 12 year old. I gasped.
Mr. George Melies in particular was portrayed in a way that was both vague and disturbing, as if Mr. I'm also a doll carver, and am fascinated with joints and mechanics; especially automata. They, BTW, were 13 and 17, but have always enjoyed books for all ages. He reads as much more childish - perhaps 9.
Indeed, when I watched the bonus DVD I found myself fixated on how the children's noses changed in every picture. Seznick would show it, and tell where it can be found now. When I read a review of this book it sounded wonderful, so I bought it on CD and we listened together. Selznick on YouTube, and after that on Selznick's own website http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_hugo_auto.htm.
I myself kind of liked them but my kids did not. My daughter and I finished the book for the sole reason that we wanted to know how it ended. Was he uncomfortable with telling the true story, so he made up one that was very much a lesser version. Selznick never explored, turn out to be real parts of the story.
The cover of the book is a good example of his inventive style. What age is it written for.""9-12""He makes him sound a lot younger"A short while later it was:"The sound affects are distracting and affected. Did he feel the story required a boy. The effect the illustrations had on me was to make the story even drier and dustier. So how did the final product end up being a pile of dry bones. That disrespect for the *team* of *highly skilled* individuals who actually DID restore this machine, but took *4 years* to do so, really irked me. Along with the piece itself, there was a video that showed it in operation and examples of all 7 of it's poems and drawings. I blame the editor of this piece as much as I blame Mr.
It is clear he did research and plan the book, quite well, in fact. Selznick wrote a long book with a potentially complex story, and the publisher set an age range ( 9-12) to fit that. Their voice is SO patronizing.""The author okayed this." "The author is the one reading this." "Huh. The basic story isn't terrible, even with the cheap trick of killing off the boy's parents - a pet peeve I have with children's books. One month after reading the book my family went on vacation to Philadelphia, and while visiting the Franklin Institute, we turned a corner and came face to face with THE automata from the book. It seemed to go on forever, and although the author suggested tantalizing possibilities of so many places it might go, it never followed any of these leads - instead it merely fizzled. Just a dry description of how he came to write the book.
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