Chain Reading

This is a strange book, in that is is a conglomeration of graphic novel, picture book, movie story board, and the traditional novel. The book jacket describes the author Brain Selznick as a booksmith. I couldn't agree more. Like the invention of Hugo Cabret itself, Selznick cobbles together a complex reading experience out of several genres.

It was an entertaining experience, in that the book is geared toward young readers, but uses the backdrop of the early French cinema. This juxtaposition, adds quality and depth to what on the surface seems like a rather plebian attempt at juvenile fiction. Set in the 1930's, this book is actually a work of historical fiction becoming more detailed and complex as the pages turn, and Selznick seamlessly folds his characters in to the factual world of the once living. He deftly brings to life the experience and lives of early filmmakers and the magical feelings of the cinema in its infancy. Fact and fiction blur in Selznick's tale of a clockmaker's young boy as he goes on a traditional quest for answers; from the death of his father, to the riddle of a strange machine, and eventually, discovering his place in the universe.

Based around the life of cinematic pioneer Georges Meiles, Selznick combines a personal fascination with early film, and the automata that were created by clockmakers at the height of the industrial age. An educational, enlightening, and entertaining read, Selznick's, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is a book that everyone can enjoy.