translated from the German by Anthea Bellsoon to be a major motion picture
This is a book I've been meaning to read for quite a while, and when I saw it on the reading list of Becky in the Something About Me Challenge, I was ready. I borrowed it for the summer from my school library and was just waiting for August so I could read it. I am also going to give it to my son to read; I think he'll like it.
Genre: fantasy/fairy tale, young adult
Basic Plot: Meggie and her father are both book lovers; her father is a book binder. They are suddenly on the run as a sketchy character comes looking for a book they own. The character was actually a character in the book that Meggie's father 'read out' of the story. See, Meggie's father has a talent for this and he has accidentally unleashed some unsavory characters into our world, from the book Inkheart.
Quote from the book: The world was a terrible place, cruel, pitiless, dark as a bad dream. Not a good place to live. Only in books could you find pity, comfort, happiness - and love. Books loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship adn didn't ask anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly.
Favorite part: I liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, taken from some rollicking adventure books like Treasure Island, Peter Pan, The Princess Bride, and Lord of the Rings.
Favorite character: I liked Dustfinger, a lost character, and fire-eater. He was selfish, but he tried to do the right thing. I also liked Elinor, Meggie's grand aunt, a book lover and collector who gets caught up in the adventure, and finds reserves of strength she didn't know she had.
Anything Else? I found the time element on the book confusing. It takes place in modern day Europe, but it felt more like that 'unknown time and location' that can happen in some books. Like the wizard world in Harry Potter, but it was supposed to be now, with cell phones and banks. I was often unsure, and kept reminding myself that it was now this was happening. But overall a great adventure read; I read the over 500 page book in a few days.
My kids and I listened to this on an audio trip and loved it. They've since both read Inkspell also.
ReplyDeleteMy son read two Funke books, last year, but I'm not sure which titles - the two inks confuse me. I assume Inkheart is the first and then Dragon-something, then Inkspell? Sigh. I'm getting too old.
ReplyDelete3m - it was really good. It's a trilogy, but the first book stood alone nicely as well.
ReplyDeletebookfool - Inkheart, Inkspell, and then Inkdeath, which hasn't been released yet. Inkheart is about to be a movie, starring Brendan Fraser.
Hello there! I remember really enjoying Inkheart. The premise is fabulous and I think did a good job in telling the story. I was surprised at some of the violence. It will make a great movie, won't it?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read this for the challenge too!My library doesn't have it in,so I hope I'll be lucky and find it in a second-hand store:D
ReplyDeletebooklogged - movie should be great, and for the kids too
ReplyDeletevalentina - good luck finding it. It's a book I'd buy, so my kids could read it too
I've been meaning to read this for ages too. One of these days..
ReplyDeleteThere's a sequel which I never got to called Inkspell. The book is brilliant though.
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