Chapter Books,  Picture Books

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The girls and I finished The Invention of Hugo Cabret early last week. Now three years old, this story — which I’m going to call an experimental novel — won a Caldecott in 2008 and has been made into a movie coming out this Thanksgiving. (You can see the trailer at Amazon.)

On the up side, it’s a really neat concept. As the image shows, it’s a very thick book, but hundreds of pages are illustrations that tell the story every bit as much as the text. The illustrations are all in black and white and really enhance the book’s mysterious ambience. Pages of actual text are sometimes full-length, and sometimes only an inch or so of text surrounded by lots of white space. You can read the book quickly despite its length. This is something I like in a read-aloud! I can imagine it would also be a real shot in the arm for a young reader who can feel the accomplishment of ingesting a weighty tome without taking six months to get through it. I still remember the pride of reading Roots and Gone with the Wind when I was in 8th grade. This book, recommended for ages 9 and up, would give a similar satisfaction to a slightly younger reader, I would think.

As far as the plot, well… somehow, it just didn’t work for me. I say this with trepidation, since this is a book Amy recommended very highly, and usually my reactions are very similar to hers. So read her review for a different perspective! The girls really liked the story; it had definite magnetism. But when it came time to put the plot into words, they had a hard time unifying the collection of elements in a way that seemed coherent or sensible.

Here’s how Amazon describes the plot:

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

That’s a good teaser, but if you try to fill in some of the details it ends up sounding a little odd. I conclude that Hugo Cabret seems to be more a novel with a very unique and absorbing reading experience, less about plot than about imaginative involvement with an unfolding situation. It’s not a book to return to again and again (but then, what mystery is?), but as a one-time read it gave the girls and me an exciting ride.

4 Comments

  • Polly

    I have a, just turned, 12yo niece who messages me about books she’s reading, she likes mysteries. I wonder if she would like this? I’ve been wanting to send her a book but mysteries are not my ordinary genre and I don’t know much. If not, do you have any other recommendations?

  • Janet

    I’m not sure. She might. I didn’t think it was overly strong on storyline though. Is there a way you can get hold of a library copy and see if it seems like her style?

    We don’t read many mysteries either beyond Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown. But I’ll let you know if I can think of any good titles!

  • Tippie

    After seeing the movie trailers to this a few times in the last two days, I was sort of intrigued at what the book held. The cinematography and story looked fun from the trailers. Thanks for a great, honest review! It sounds like a unique book to look through, even if the plot isn’t incredibly developed and captivating. :)