Scan barcode
A review by versmonesprit
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
The Book of Lost Things is a dark fairytale in and of itself, with darkly interpreted fairytales interwoven in its fabric.
The book’s initial magic lies in its gothic quality, which for me was not drawn out enough. Unlike what the blurb claims, David is not tormented by visions of the Crooked Man enough. And to my disappointment, that gothic quality fizzled out as soon as David found himself within the fairytale realm.
Instead, the story turns into an adventure, which might be great for those who like that, but for me it eventually became a bit boring. The horror classification is not misplaced: there is a lot of explicit violence here. But neither is the ‘young adult’ tag: the horror is never extended to achieve its full height and terror. I know I would have deeply enjoyed this in middle school when I first discovered Poe. I’m sure all young readers will relish in it too. And I’m equally sure most adults will have a vastly enjoyable time reading this truly, fully autumnal book, especially in October! It is a bit formulaic and as such easy to figure out before David even makes it to the fairytale land, but I don’t think that will prove to be a drawback for the right reader, as all fairytales are ultimately formulaic, dark retelling or moralising original alike.
I don’t like describing one book through others, but this felt like such a blend of Narnia, Inkheart, and Neil Gaiman’s works that failing to provide the comparison could potentially miss the perfect target audience.
I have the 10th anniversary illustrated copy, which provides additional content beyond just the illustrations (which for me weren’t that great tbh) such as two short stories (a retelling of Cinderella I did not much care for, and a retelling of the pied piper within the ”context” of the Crooked Man), a short interview with the author, and explanations and historical details of the fairytales that went into the book… including the fairytales themselves. I see how this might appeal to many readers, especially the target audience, but for me this part became a bit gruelling. Turns out I don’t actually enjoy fairytales at all as an adult. Oops.
With a new book set in the same universe coming out on September 19, I have to add that I’m absolutely not at all opposed to reading that! The Book of Lost Things might not have been as perfect and full of emotion as it was at first, but it was enjoyable enough for me to pick up a copy for myself when I was reading it for work.
(Couldn’t help ranting: the adults in this book, save for David’s mother, suck ass. Imagine hooking up with a woman that short after your wife’s death; imagine hooking up with a man whose wife was hospitalised in your workplace that short after her death. Now imagine getting violent with that dead woman’s child; and imagine getting violent with your own child because the woman you hooked up with got violent with your own child. David’s anger was never misplaced, and I hated that the book treated him as if he was in fault for his anger and dislike of the woman who was all too happy to giggle around and have sex with a widower in his house with his grieving child there. I also hated the eventual outcome of “he became a writer and wrote this very book you’re reading” which I think cheapened the book a bit.)
The book’s initial magic lies in its gothic quality, which for me was not drawn out enough. Unlike what the blurb claims, David is not tormented by visions of the Crooked Man enough. And to my disappointment, that gothic quality fizzled out as soon as David found himself within the fairytale realm.
Instead, the story turns into an adventure, which might be great for those who like that, but for me it eventually became a bit boring. The horror classification is not misplaced: there is a lot of explicit violence here. But neither is the ‘young adult’ tag: the horror is never extended to achieve its full height and terror. I know I would have deeply enjoyed this in middle school when I first discovered Poe. I’m sure all young readers will relish in it too. And I’m equally sure most adults will have a vastly enjoyable time reading this truly, fully autumnal book, especially in October! It is a bit formulaic and as such easy to figure out before David even makes it to the fairytale land, but I don’t think that will prove to be a drawback for the right reader, as all fairytales are ultimately formulaic, dark retelling or moralising original alike.
I don’t like describing one book through others, but this felt like such a blend of Narnia, Inkheart, and Neil Gaiman’s works that failing to provide the comparison could potentially miss the perfect target audience.
I have the 10th anniversary illustrated copy, which provides additional content beyond just the illustrations (which for me weren’t that great tbh) such as two short stories (a retelling of Cinderella I did not much care for, and a retelling of the pied piper within the ”context” of the Crooked Man), a short interview with the author, and explanations and historical details of the fairytales that went into the book… including the fairytales themselves. I see how this might appeal to many readers, especially the target audience, but for me this part became a bit gruelling. Turns out I don’t actually enjoy fairytales at all as an adult. Oops.
With a new book set in the same universe coming out on September 19, I have to add that I’m absolutely not at all opposed to reading that! The Book of Lost Things might not have been as perfect and full of emotion as it was at first, but it was enjoyable enough for me to pick up a copy for myself when I was reading it for work.
(Couldn’t help ranting: the adults in this book, save for David’s mother, suck ass. Imagine hooking up with a woman that short after your wife’s death; imagine hooking up with a man whose wife was hospitalised in your workplace that short after her death. Now imagine getting violent with that dead woman’s child; and imagine getting violent with your own child because the woman you hooked up with got violent with your own child. David’s anger was never misplaced, and I hated that the book treated him as if he was in fault for his anger and dislike of the woman who was all too happy to giggle around and have sex with a widower in his house with his grieving child there. I also hated the eventual outcome of “he became a writer and wrote this very book you’re reading” which I think cheapened the book a bit.)