The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
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Book Reviews of The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Book Review: Innovative and original
Summary: 5 Stars
It's books like these that I'm excited about sharing with my daughter. I've found that children's literature is often far more elegantly written, more compelling, and instills more of a sense of wonder and the pleasures of reading in me than many an adult novel does. This novel fits the bill not only because it creates such a tantalizing mystery that is doled out in perfectly timed amounts but because it is also chock full of astonishingly beautiful sketches and some intriguing photos and stills from some of the first films ever made.
Selznick's book begins with a familiar device in children's literature: our hero is an orphan boy who is forced to fend for himself and who longs to connect to the spirit of his father. His dearest possession is a book full of sketches of the complex inner workings of an automaton that Hugo is convinced holds the key to his future. Hugo is a character for whom the reader can really fall. He is resourceful, smart, and truly pitiable. The book also contains a vivid cast of characters from the mysterious man who operates the train station's toy booth; to Etienne, the kind-hearted film lover; to Isabelle, the first person with whom Hugo forms any sort of connection since the death of his parents.
Perhaps the most predominate theme in the book is that of magic, although it's not magic of the wand-waving sort. Instead, the book explores the themes of the magic of new technologies as well as the magic of family, friendship, and love. Throughout the story there is a underlying theme about following one's passion.
The aforementioned sketches serve to enhance and enrich the story. There is a great deal of emotion and movement in the sketches and the book works not only as a form of literature but also as a form of art. Selznick is prodigiously talented and I spent a good deal of time just gazing admiringly at the way he managed to use black and white pencil sketches to capture the gleam in Hugo's eye during one of his happier moments. I felt I could take the sketches from the book, frame them, and hang them on my wall. This is a simply gorgeous work that adults and children alike are sure to enjoy.
Book Review: Different!
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up this book because it was recommended by Amazon.com, and after reading the reviews, I figured I'd give it a try.
Well I wasn't disappointed. At first, I thought this would be a good read while I wait for the final Harry Potter book to be released. Because THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET is over 500 pages long, it seemed like a nice long read.
Going to a book store with friends, I looked at the book and was surprised to see that more than 80% of it comprised of drawings. So I was thinking to myself that a book with so many illustrations must be lacking in a strong story...I was wrong.
The story, which would equal about 70 or so pages (maybe less!) if printed in regular book form, centers around a small boy named Hugo Cabret. He loses his father in a freak accident and is sent to live with his drunken uncle in a Paris subway station. Soon after, his uncle disappears and Hugo is left to fend for himself. Everyday is a struggle for survival as he steals bread and milk from stores in the station, and continues to fix the clocks there--which was supposed to be his uncle's job. But as bleak as it may sound, Hugo manages to hold onto hope by becoming obsessed with an automaton that he believes will save his life, once he is able to fix it.
I won't give anything away but I will say that this story is about hope, compassion, and dreams. No wonder so many people enjoyed it.
As far as the format of the book, the many illustrations never compete with the story only compliment it. It really is like watching a movie. And the placement of text--some in regular format from top to bottom, while other pages contain only one paragraph--also contribute to the unusual form of this book, but never detract from the story.
Will THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET book change or create a new form/genre in children's literature? Who knows, but I'm sure it will become a classic.
Book Review: Beautiful Storytelling
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" takes place in Paris, in the early 20th century. It tells the tale of an orphan named Hugo who secretely lives in a train station and fixes the clocks, unbeknownst to the stationmaster. Hugo is not just an ordinary boy however. In addition to his deftness with clocks, he also has a gift with all mechanical objects and spends much of his time stealing odds and ends from the toymaker's booth in order to fix up his personal pieces of clockwork. One such piece is a large mechanical man left to him by his father that has the capability of relating a mysterious message to him. Hugo is convinced that the message will be from his father beyond the grave and so he is obssessed with fixing the mechanical man any way that he can.
What makes this tale unique and proves Selznick's mastery at storytelling is the way in which he chooses to tell it. At first glance, the book is thick and daunting, especially to a child who is fearful of too many words on a page. This story however, is told half through words and half through pictures. Selznick's lively and touching drawings prove his talent as an artist and much of the story is gleaned through study of these pictures. While one could zip through the story in an hour, you wouldn't want to because so much can and should be absorbed through a careful study of his artwork.
I recommend this book highly to those who are interested in unique methods of storytelling as well as to those children who are simply not all that interested in books. While it might seem a cop out to give a child a book that is told largely through pictures I believe that it can be quite useful in helping children to feel confident in reading something that might at first glance appear too daunting to pick up. Studying such pictures can help to improve their attention to detail in a story as well as help them to feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Ages 9 and up.
Book Review: Unexpectedly Educational
Summary: 5 Stars
Although it doesn't come across as a historical fiction piece, that's exactly what this book is. Much like the film Amadeus, The Invention of Hugo Cabret uses real life historical people to create an exaggerated (if not downright false) interpretive biography.
Works of this particular genre contain a strange mixture of true and false elements, and are actually good tools for teaching. True, they may lead to some initial misconceptions, but adequate research after the reading can clear these misconceptions up in a hurry. I wouldn't make a big deal out of a minor conception though, if in turn you get a wondrous discovery to go along with it.
From this book I learned that intricate machines were being invented long before computers and television. Robots that could draw and write as far back as perhaps the 18th century. Amazing. Why aren't we taught things like this in school? Probably because the textbooks that are issued make people of the past look like complete dimwits when that really isn't the case.
The revelation of the existence of ancient robots alone is enough for me to give this book a high amount of praise. But the artistry in the book brings it to another level. So much work went into the dozens and dozens of beautiful pencil illustrations that you'd have to be a complete jerk to not give Selznick at least a little respect for his efforts.
Often I have to read five or six unexciting books before I get to one that really makes me say, "Wow!" This is a "Wow!" book, and makes a fitting addition to any library. The risk of constructing it in such an unusual style has greatly paid off. Books like this are the reason I read.
I know I'm not the first one to say this, but this might be the book of the future we're looking at here.
Book Review: Enchanting, Intricate, Tender, Spellbinding
Summary: 5 Stars
Pretend that you are an orphan living in an abandoned apartment. You keep fixing the clocks in the railroad station to keep up your "duty", trying to stay out of jail and stealing food and metal toys. Also, you have a mechanical man that your deceased father was working so hard to fix so you thought it your job to finish it in his honor. Crazy, right? Not for Hugo Cabret as this was the everyday life for him in Paris. Hugo had gotten used to this daily ritual until the shopkeeper of the toy booth had caught him stealing a toy mouse. Hugo learns that the old man and his godchild, Isabelle, the mechanical man, and a picture all are pieces of a puzzle. Brian Selznick is the brilliant author of this book The Invention of Hugo Cabret an enchanting, intricate, tender, spellbinding mystery graphic-novel.
An unexplained picture drawn by a mechanical man makes the life of Hugo Cabret a complete jumble. He just wants to know what his father left him, and instead, gets into more and more unexpected adventures. But with the writing and drawing from Brian Selznick, everything comes to a good conclusion. Like Isabelle said, "You can make up your own story when you look at a photo." With half of the book being pictures about what was to happen next, we must take Isabelle's comment into consideration. This is a unique way of storytelling using illustration as much as writing to explain what happens. Brian Selznick has drawn for other authors. For example, Andrew Clements's Frindle and School Story were both illustrated by Selznick. Along with a great author and illustrator, the book was a National Book Award Finalist in November 2007. I recommend this book to whoever loves mysterious and moving stories, and great pictures.
Nellie C.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi