In this magnificent reimagining of the form he originated, two stand-alone stories--the first in nearly 400 pages of continuous pictures, the second in prose--create a beguiling narrative puzzle.
The journey begins at sea in 1766, with a boy named Billy Marvel. After surviving a shipwreck, he finds work in a London theatre. There, his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage.
Nearly a century later, runaway Joseph Jervis seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightingale's strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past.
A gripping adventure and an intriguing mystery The Marvels is a loving tribute to the power of story.
The journey begins at sea in 1766, with a boy named Billy Marvel. After surviving a shipwreck, he finds work in a London theatre. There, his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage.
Nearly a century later, runaway Joseph Jervis seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightingale's strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past.
A gripping adventure and an intriguing mystery The Marvels is a loving tribute to the power of story.
Book Review:
This, according to my best friend, is the second Brian Selznick book that I have read. She is very adamant that I read The Adventures of Hugo Cabret when we were in middle school and she is probably right because if anyone would know what I have read, it's her. Selznick's novels are middle grade with a slew of black and white illustrations that make up the first part of the story. You can't just skip over the pictures and you wouldn't want to because they are wonderfully done.
Once the written part of the story begins you just really want to know what is happening. You want to know what is up with our main character's uncle, the theatre, and you want to see how Joseph is going to figure it all out. It was a very quick read and something that I would probably read again.
Be prepared for quite a bit of confusion because throughout this novel, you can't help but feel what Joseph feels. Also be prepared to cry at the end because I most certainly did. The book deals with some harsher issues than what you would think would be in a middle grade novel but it does it in such a way that you would really have to understand those elements to realize that they are there. I find those types of insertions to be the most important when they are in middle grade novels because though they aren't fully developed or explained, they subconsciously tell the that these types of things happen in life and that though they are painful, you will pull through them.
Pages: 665 (including illustrations which make up the first 400+) Rate: 4/5
Book Discussion: SPOILERS:
The story behind the house!? I was not expecting that. I was not expecting that this house didn't have a full real history. I was not expecting that it was just created by a band of three men, ranging in age and skill. That was the most shocking part of the entire story but at the same time it made me realize why Albert was so protective of the house, and why he was so specific about how things were handled.
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