Today, after work, I decided to break down and purchase the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik. I was really surprised with Hugo Cabret being a penultimate book that there is not a digital copy available for my brand new Kindle Fire. I recently saw the film version of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film version shortened to Hugo directed by Martin Scorsese. I actually saw the film first and was inspired at how well Martin Scorsese brought the book with all the vivid drawings come to life. The book was a wonderful tale in the likes of James and the Giant Peach and Harry Potter and gave a tragic story of a boy with no parents to allow him through pain and suffering to once again achieve happiness. Here is the breakdown of the book:
Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
ISBN: : 0439813786
Published Year: 2007
Summary: The Invention of Hugo Cabret focuses
on an unhappy orphan boy who lives in the Paris train station. Hugo is the
"keeper of the clocks." However, Hugo Cabret was not always an orphan.
He had a clockmaker father who loved and cherished Hugo and taught him
everything he knew. One late night, Hugo's father stumbled upon a wonderful
invention left abandoned at the museum in which he worked: An automaton.
Together, Hugo and his father swore they would fix it. Then, tragedy struck. A
fire occurred in the museum, and Hugo’s father perished. With no family left,
Hugo was forced be his drunkard uncle’s apprentice. Without any way to survive,
Hugo became a thief to eat and to fix his beloved automaton in which he was
convinced held a message from his father. Through one blunder to another, Hugo
transforms from a thief to realizing what his role in life actually is.
Personal Review: My summary although short, left out a lot of key elements to keep the reader guessing. The book is really a great way to introduce a child to reading through illustrations to allow the reader to know exactly what the protagonist is thinking. The book was a great tribute to my love of films as well and also was almost like a love letter to George Melies and his contribution to make film what it is today. I feel that there really is nothing similar to Hugo and Brian Selznik has achieved a great "tween" novel that would inspire tons of children to allow their imagination to flow with them and enter a world that is unfamiliar yet exciting.
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: 9+/Some complicated words
Interest level: Films, Magic, Coming of Age Story,
Similar items: What makes The Invention of Hugo Cabret so unique is that there really is nothing quite like it. It blends almost nonfiction historical aspects with references to the War and it blends a great coming of age story with mystery blended into it. I can see why it has achieved so much recognition.
Themes: Finding Oneself, Coming of Age, Intrigue, Historical Fiction, Importance of Family, Remember who you are, finding your place in the world
Awards:
2008 Caldecott Medal
National Book Award Finalist
#1 New York TimesBestseller
An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
USATodayBestseller
#1 BookSense Bestseller
A New York TimesBest Illustrated Book of 2007
A Publishers WeeklyBest Book of 2007
A KirkusBest Book of 2007
A New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
A 2007 Quill Award Winner (Children’s Chapter/Middle Grade category)
Characters:
Hugo Cabret- the young orphan boy that steals to keep himself alive and to fix his beloved automaton. Hugo also is a clock keeper, who ensures that all the clocks continue running in the Paris train station. However, Hugo accidentally steals from the wrong man, a toymaker who has all the parts that Hugo needs to fix his automaton that his dad swore he would fix together. Through his thefts, the boy's punishment is for the old man to take away his precious notebook, his only reminder of his deceased father. However, Hugo the thief uncovers a way to fix the bitter old man and allow him to find joy in life once more.
Papa George- George Melies, a real famous filmmaker, was forced to sell all his great works with the outbreak of the war because the audiences no longer wanted to embrace his lovingly thought out fantasy films. Papa George, embittered by the war, sold his studio and destroyed all the evidence, declaring that his wife never speak of movies ever again.
Isabelle- Papa George's goddaughter who sneaks away from the strict regiment of her Godparents and through logic and a very Hermione-esque logic, looks at the world as a puzzle and all the pieces have to fit. Isabelle is a girl who does not let anyone push her around and agrees to help Hugo in a wonderful adventure.
Rene Tabard- the author of historical films by George Miles, the book is the clue that allows Hugo to remind George Melies about all the good he did in the world
Title: Hugo
Director: Martin Scorsese
Actors: Jude Law, Helen McCroy, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sasha Baron Cohen
Summary: I actually saw the Movie first before I read this great book. The movie is a beautiful film and I personally feel that the film gave Hugo much more heart. It allowed the viewer to embrace what it feels like to see the magic of the movies for the first time, and humanizing Chloe Grace Moretz's version of Isabelle, gave her a much more likable feel. Also, with the cutting of some characters, I think the film version did a great job of really focusing the center of attention to Hugo, Papa George, and Isabelle. The film version also allowed Helen McCroy (Narcissa Malfoy for you Harry Potter fanatics) to really shine and give heart to a women who was overlooked and was obviously a secondary character. The movie changes the tone of the book just slightly to allow the viewers to embrace a tale about finding love and acceptance and a place in life. Martin Scorsese did also an amazing job of bring the visuals of such a vivid novel, the inside of the Clock Towers, the details of the automaton, the drawings that the automaton made in semblance to it's inventor, it's a great story of a transformation of a young, lost boy into a wonderful magician who is loved and accepted for who he is.
Awards: AFI Film Award of 2011, Golden Globe Winner of Best Picture, Tons of More Awards that can be found at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/awards
No comments:
Post a Comment