Reviews

This a book that initially difficult to start but it definitely begins to pickup a chapters.it has a cool setting and I often myself craving a deeper understanding of the world. The retelling of the fairytales in the book was an enjoyable aspect for me. It made me incredibly nostalgic for the Sisters Grimm series that I read as a child. I enjoyed the character development of David, however found that I personally did not connect to him deeply. It felt like a sweet read navigating complex feelings of grief and real raw emotions.

Content Warnings

softrosemint's review against another edition

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5.0

What a beautiful and touching story about grief and anger and love; it just has so much heart that even at my age I am not immune to its charm. It is perhaps some level of nostalgia - the novel in terms of themes and tropes and execution is so firmly grounded in the 2000's and the films and stories I grew up with it. It is "The 10th Kingdom", it is "The Neverending Story". But I think that, much like the aforementioned works, it also manages to speak to much more universal understanding of loss and growing up.

Nick Rawlinson's narration was also absolutely spellbinding. I found it hard to stop listening - there was an absolute urge to find out how the book ends without missing a second of it. A truly fulfilling experience.

gizadaemon's review against another edition

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4.0

A lot darker than I was expecting. Still managed to be sweet and emotionally satisfying though. I read this because I was told it might have inspired Over the Garden Wall, and I can see the resemblance. They certainly are not straight rip-offs of each other though as the recommender claimed.

This serves as an excellent coming of age story. Our protagonist, angry to find the effortless whimsy of his childhood being replaced by death, war, and loneliness, attempts to escape through his favorite books. But this gives him no sanctuary, as he finds the light-hearted fairy tales of his childhood are being turned dark and marred by the realities of life as well. Eventually he learns that despite the pain and loss that often accompanies adult life, there is love and happiness to be found, and he must appreciate the good despite the bad.

alle_kat97's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

crowsandprose's review against another edition

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5.0

While some are going to balk at the stories-within-stories and the trampling at some of their preferred myths and legends, I really enjoyed this! I would suggest this to anyone with an interest in the affects of grief on a family or the affects of myth on how we view life.

Very well written, though sometimes the prose is very-- weighty, shall we say? It left me very thoughtful in the end, and I like that about it.

guppyur's review against another edition

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4.0

The Book of Lost Things looks like a lot of things it isn't, but it is about those things.

I know that's a strange statement. The Book of Lost Things reads a lot like a children's book, and it reads a lot like a fairy tale, but it isn't really either. It concerns itself with the story of David, a young boy whose mother passes away before the story has begun. Struggling to come to terms with the loss and life as it continues on without her, he finds himself in a fairytale world -- not a Disney fairytale world, but a darker, Grimm-esque one.

Without wanting to spoil anything for a new reader, the Book of Lost Things borrows liberally from traditional fairy tales, and assembles a new story using them as ingredients. Readable purely on a narrative level, there is a more complex layer underneath, one that -- at least in the Kindle edition that I read -- is explored in a lengthy afterword, including an interview with the author, as well as a rundown of the stories and themes from which Connolly borrows, written mostly by Connolly himself.

A smart book, smarter than I think it might get credit for. The afterword is worth reading in full.

calebmatthews's review against another edition

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5.0

One of my favorite books of all time. It hit differently this time whenever David’s father dies while David is 32 years old. I remember reading this book at 16 and thinking that was so far away. Reading this at 32 definitely hits different and still has so many useful messages.

The book of lost things

But I fear more the death of others. Sometimes I think that I concern myself so much with the possibility of their loss that I never truly took pleasure in the fact of their existence.

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