Inkheart (Inkworld, #1) in I Write, Therefore, I Live

Aug 04, 2008 Lela rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2015-reading-goals, my-library

My original rating from when my teacher read it to me in 5th or 6th grade was 4 stars. However, reading this book as an adult changed my perspective on it for the worse. I cannot remember the last time I felt so much like I was crawling through a book of molasses (which is not a flavor I enjoy). The beginning was nostalgic and magical. There's so much beautiful exposition at the start and Cornelia Funke uses beautiful images such as this one, "the sun hung in the sky like a pale coin lost by som My original rating from when my teacher read it to me in 5th or 6th grade was 4 stars. However, reading this book as an adult changed my perspective on it for the worse. I cannot remember the last time I felt so much like I was crawling through a book of molasses (which is not a flavor I enjoy). The beginning was nostalgic and magical. There's so much beautiful exposition at the start and Cornelia Funke uses beautiful images such as this one, "the sun hung in the sky like a pale coin lost by someone high up in the clouds." But the pace never picks up. In fact, it gets slower. The things that I loved at the start, such as all the references to the history of books, drop out as the plot takes over. But the plot is a lot of hiding and waiting and wondering. Because the main character is a child, it seems that everyone keeps secrets from her. And I thought that was what bothered me: She's not in charge of anything. She doesn't know anything. And so I don't know anything. But I have another theory now that I have finished it. Even the perspectives taken from the adults bothered me, and it's because none of the characters developed. They had emotions, but they didn't change significantly at all. At best they emotionally responded to situations around them. They didn't feel alive to me.

This flaw was aggrandized by the fact that Funke tells every bit of the story from what came to be at least 4 points of view. Every chapter began with something similar to the beginning of a sequel where the author recaps where everyone's at for you. Where the book should have been moving the fastest to hold the tension together, it just falls apart. And while reading all the mundane recapitulation, I had time to think over such things as, "If these characters died, who would I miss?" And with that I realized that I wouldn't really feel sorry for any of them. The character I connected to the most was Elinor, but even that wouldn't have made me cry. Maybe I'm heartless, but I'd like to think a book should have at least one character you'd be really sorry to see go. I believe there was supposed to be a feeling of pity for Dustfinger that I did not have. He doesn't connect to people, and he's a selfish grouch. I don't understand why Farid likes him so much (not to mention Gwin, who's about the least lovable animal I've heard of鈥攁lways biting people and running off when there's danger), but Dustfinger doesn't even redeem himself by liking Farid back. All these people feel horrible that Dustfinger might die, and he doesn't care one iota for any of them. I have a bit of a grudge against him.

Anyhow, to sum up, I think the language and the descriptions of books and libraries are lovely. They speak to my desires. And the idea of people being read out of books is such a splendid one. However, there was very little else that I enjoyed about this book. I suppose at one point I understood the appeal (when I was younger), and so I must concede that my age is not the target audience. However, I also remember starting Inkdeath on my own not long after Inkheart was read to me, and I couldn't get through it much at all. One of the characters was about to die or just had died, and I didn't even care. So, perhaps this series just isn't a good match for me at any age. ...more

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Apr 06, 2009 Tia Todd StJohn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Oh gosh, I loved this book. Definitely a book-lover's book. Great literature, awesome detail, awesome imagination...Best ever. Dustfinger is my favorite story character in the world. ...more

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