Friday, April 27, 2007

enchanting...


I finally finished Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. (Forgive the photo of Annie's beat-up well-loved copy, but I don't know how to post those cute little pictures of books like everyone else.) I don't know why it took me so long to finish this book...probably just that whole proverbial chicken thing, trying to do too many things at once and finishing none of them. Anyway, it certainly wasn't because I didn't enjoy the book. Quite the opposite, in fact...I loved every single page of it. And now, I guess, it's time to write a short book review. Something I hate to do. It's not so much the actual writing that I mind. It's more that I don't feel worthy. I think I need to come up with a little warning thing to post with my book reviews. Maybe something like this...

WARNING: The book review you are about to read was NOT written by a professional. The author has no literary training, and I'm sure in the opinion of many, no taste. She in no way wishes to influence your decision on whether or not to read the following book.

I don't know...I suppose I could perfect the wording a bit, but hopefully you get the idea.

So, anyway...Inkheart.

This book was a pure delight! Every page was magical. And it wasn't simply because the story was so enchanting, but also because Funke has magic in her pen. There were times when I simply had to re-read passages, not because I didn't understand something, but just to enjoy the beauty of the words again.

But don't get me wrong, this book was not all sunshines and roses. The story had its fair share of evil. Capricorn, the head honcho of evilness, was truly a frightful character. And, personally, I found some of the other characters even more terrifying in some down-to-earth manner. Basta and his knife scared me right to the end, and I found the Magpie equally unsettling.

Other characters were marvelously endearing. Meggie, the brave heroine at age 12, and her father, Mo, devoted father and book doctor extraordinaire. Dustfinger, tragic soul. Elinor, mother to an enormous collection of books, grew on me with each passing page. Yes, a simply delightful mix of characters.

And at the heart of the entire story is books. Books, books, beloved books...and all the magic in the words and worlds they hold.

The story was enchanting, and clever, and suspenseful, and engrossing! I enjoyed every minute of this book...but remember, that's just my opinion.

I really want to say a big thank you to Carl for hosting the Once Upon a Time Challenge. Though Inkheart has been on my "to read" list since my daughter read it a couple years ago, I doubt I would have gotten around to it for quite some had it not been for his challenge.

11 comments:

gail@more than a song said...

I think you did a good job and wrote a good review!

Ana S. said...

To post book covers, first I use Google Image Search to find the cover I want. Then I save it and use Imageshack, a free picture hosting site, to upload it, I copy the resulting code, et voilá!

I like pictures of well-loved copies like the one you used, though. They're more personal.

And your review was just fine. Most book bloggers aren't professionals, and when I read book blogs, a personal opinion is exactly what I seek. I don't want generalities, I want to know what that person's experience with the book was like. You conveyed your experience just perfectly, and you made me want to read this book. I love stories about stories, so I think I'll enjoy it. Thank you for your review.

Court said...

That was quite a good review, and as Nymeth said, most book bloggers aren't professionals - we just do this for fun.

I quite enjoyed this book when I read it a few months ago, and it was good to read your review because it reminded me of some of the things I loved about it!

Jupiter said...

Oh, professional or not, that was a great review :)

I LOVE that book. After I read it, I talked about it for days, like, "in Inkheart, there was this blah blah blah and it blah blah blah..." LOL! My husband was like, "Ok,shush...I'll read it so you'll quit telling me about it". :P

DesLily said...

I read the book and you did an excellent job reviewing it! her second book: Inkspell gets even more exciting!! I think Cornelia is a fantastic writer. So much so that I "backtracked" and read her books, The Dragon Rider and Lord Thief... she is soooo good! I'm 63 and enjoyed every minute of her books!! (now go read Inkspell! You won't be disappointed!)

Quixotical said...

Great review, and I love the photo too.

Anyone that reads and has an opinion is worthy of writing about it and sharing that opinion/thoughts/feelings with everyone.

I have yet to read Inkheart - it's one of those books that I keep seeing and meaning to get to, but somehow keep passing over. I think I need to bump it up The List a bit!

Dawn said...

You have a very well written review! I don't think I'd be very good at writing reviews. I'd probably write I liked it and that would be it!

take care,
Dawn

Petunia said...

I'm 10 chapters into Inkheart now and it's everything you have said so far. I too love stories about books and the magic they hold. I'm reading this aloud to my kiddos and they are always disappointed when I stop for the day.

Carl V. Anderson said...

You're welcome. Good job on the review. Glad you enjoyed the book...it looks to be a much loved copy! ;)

Booklogged said...

Hey, you can just leave that warning off your reviews - You don't need it. (but could I borrow it?) I feel the same way about writing reviews. I just remind myself that I'm recording the books mostly for my own records. If others don't like it tough!

It's been a couple years since I read Inkheart. Really a neat book. I may have to reread it before going on to Inkspell.

Framed said...

Your review brought back some great memories of a great book. I like the next one even better.