I know many reviewers LOVE this story, so I think I'm just an anomaly in the crowd.
For it's artistic form, this book is amazing. The drawings and photI know many reviewers LOVE this story, so I think I'm just an anomaly in the crowd.
For it's artistic form, this book is amazing. The drawings and photographs inserted within the narrative really show how many dimensions there are to storytelling. As I was flipping through each scene, I felt as if I was an bystander watching little details unfold right before my eyes. It definitely deserved a Caldecott Medal for best picture book of 2008.
The MC, Hugo, lives in the train station keeping the clocks running when his thievery causes him to confront the toy-maker. The toy-maker keeps Hugo's notebook--filled with pictures of an automaton. With the toy-maker's goddaughter, Hugo must discover the mystery behind the automaton.
The story is simple enough and broken into 2 parts: The first part is Hugo putting back together the automaton; the second part is discovering the purpose of the automaton.
Unfortunately, the characters drove me CRAZY: too many secrets, no one seems to be able to trust each other, accusations, lying, thievery....There's the grouchy toy-maker who tricks and lies to Hugo about his notebook. There's Hugo, who has lost his father and lives in the train station--lying and stealing to get by--stealing, even after given a chance by the toy-maker. I felt no sympathy for Hugo; his obsession with the automaton and lack of integrity and constant thievery just didn't appeal to me. He seemed almost psychotic in his need to finish the automaton.
By the time the second half came along, I literally had to force myself to finish. I was so disinterested in Hugo's adventure; I just wanted it to be over. The second half begins with a series of drawings which to tell you the truth sort of freaked me out. They were b&w drawings of dragons, and fires, and exploding heads and quite frankly a bit scary for me, let alone a child (who by the way, got scared by the pictures). When we find out that (view spoiler)[Georges is actually a movie maker, (hide spoiler)] things get even more bizarre. When confronted with this fact, Georges just suddenly "wakes" up; well...more like, flipped a switch...I mean, who does that after 10 or so years of denial? I mean, doesn't he have to deal with any psychological baggage?
So...then we get introduced to these real life movie stills and photographs from the 1900s. Can you say: CREEPY? Here are photographs of a lady with movie reels covering her chest, an underwater scene with sharp toothed fish, an accordion horse, and various other scenes that sort of repulsed me.
It's an interesting attempt to integrate the real life photographs of Georges Melies with the fictional one in the story, but as far as the story goes...I'm just not into it. And the pictures, so disturbing, I wanted to get this book away from me as far as possible.......more
You know when you walk into the middle of a TV show and you have to try and figure out what happened earlier because you missed it? Vespertine was kinYou know when you walk into the middle of a TV show and you have to try and figure out what happened earlier because you missed it? Vespertine was kind of like that...For the entire 42 pages, I kept wondering if I was somehow missing the "punch line." so I've decided to save myself from the torture by ending my misery there.
The story starts out with some foreshadowing of a future event--so of course not everything will be explained; however, there was just TOO much that was hinted or spoken about that I had to read and then re-read the chapter just to understand. Then, it was also weird that Amelia was locked up in the attic one moment and the next, she was being 'welcomed home' by her sister-in-law. I mean, where was her sister-in-law when she was brought to the attic in the first place? Wouldn't she have stopped it right then? I don't know; maybe you will find out later.
Amelia's sarcasm was also just too much for me and the dialogue or phrasing was confusing at times. For example: on p. 18 when Amelia's cousin Mrs. Stewart sits in the driver seat to drive the carriage, she exclaims: We're no relation to the commodore...which mean's what? Why would she compare herself to a military rank? Then there's the comment 'the law's as much a calling as the cloth.' uh...what cloth? What does that mean?
Then there's the dialogue between Zora and Amelia: confusing. For example: on p. 24, after discussing how Zora is at the front of the class, Amelia comments that it must be miserable to which Zora agrees and then Amelia asks: 'Secretly, you're a beast, aren't you?' Zora replies: 'There will be time enough for sainthood once I'm married.' I mean, why would Amelia asks if Zora's a beast for being miserable sitting in the front of the class???!!! Am I just totally missing something here?
The bantering, sarcasm, and humor is too misunderstood by my little brain, and I have little patience with the headache that occurs after every page. But it's not only that, it's also that the time period for their bantering seems so out of place. Maybe this is the after effects of reading 'Timeless' where the time period is described so well and seems so clear in my mind whereas with Vespertine, I'm just sitting in a fog. Good luck for those who end up reading this. Maybe you can explain everything to me later.
Loading...
