The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
There are really no words to describe how much I loved this book. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a perfect blend of a short story, illustrations and film pictures.
Hugo Cabret is a 12 year old boy who takes care of clocks. He comes from a family skilled in the upkeep of clocks. And he has a story to tell.
What makes this book so brilliant is the old adage a picture is worth a thousand words. Instead of describing with written word the movement of the characters and the setting of each scene we get to see it all and follow Hugo through his story. The illustrations are beautiful. As much as I wanted to find out more of the story I found myself wanting to just linger over each picture – and now that I know the story I plan on going back to just do that.
Beware though! With all those illustrations comes a price. This is a very thick novel. It’s hard on the hands – I ended up having to read it with it lying on a table in front of me. Don’t be scared by the size though, for all its bulk it really is a short story, but a very satisfying one.
