Twenty-six thousand one hundred and fifty-nine words. One hundred and eighty-five pictures. Five hundred twenty-five pages. One amazing book. Selznick combines art and literature in a wonderful way. The transition from page to page of pictures was smooth, the pictures linked together telling half of the story by themselves. It is surprising to realize how much more one understands about the character's worry or astonishment by looking at them, and not just reading about them.
Twelve year-old Hugo has a secret. He lives in the train station and keeps the clock working, just like his Uncle taught him. He is afraid to tell anyone about his secret, lest it be taken from him. He has to fix this object, and being good with tools it is not as hard as it seems. The only way to get the parts for the mending is to steal them, so Hugo thinks. So he steels from an old man with a tool booth. One day, the man catches him and ends up taking the 'blueprints' for the boys secret. Hugo is persistent. This secret and the notebook are the only things he has left of his father; and he wants the book back so he can fix the secret. Things prove harder than they seem.
3 comments:
I've been wanting to read this book. It looks like a great time! Thanks for your review of it. It only makes me want it more.
It is actually one of my sister's books. She has had it for a while, and I have been meaning to read it- but it just looked SO LONG...
I finally picked it up the other day and loved it!
It is unlike any other book I have read- mixing that many pictures and words...
The plot is unique too, I did not feel as if I was rereading someone else story over again.
Yes, it is very long, but you could finish it in a day. And I am NOT just saying that. :)
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