Review by Paola
by Brian Selznick
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 15, 2015)
Goodreads | Amazon
Two seemingly unrelated stories--one in words, the other in pictures--come together. The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries.
Sometimes you look at a book and think "I'm going to love this book." I had a good feeling about The Marvels
and I'm happy to report that I was right. This book is gorgeous inside
and out. It just oozes magic and wonder from the very first page.
I
think the best way to read this book is to go into it without knowing
anything about it. I read the blurb after I finished it and I think it
might give away a little much of the story, the illustration bit in
particular. This is a personal preference but I hope you go on a blind
date with this book. Just trust me, okay?
Even though The Marvels
is gigantic (and super heavy), it shouldn't take you more than an
afternoon to read since the illustrations take up the majority of the
pages. We're talking about 400 pages of stunning illustrations that add a
whimsical touch to the book. Once you get over the beautiful art, you
can focus on the text part of the story. I was concerned that the
illustrations and the text wouldn't complement each other but that's not
the case at all. They are both equally magnificent and surprisingly
cohesive. I loved the way the stories merged to create a beautiful
book. The text is touching and beautifully written while the drawings
tell a sad yet hopeful story. Both depict rich and relatable characters
that I fell in love with. My eyes even got a little misty at the end and
that's the universal sign for "I WANT TO MARRY THIS BOOK." I don't know
if you can tell but I'm a fan.
The Marvels is
a gorgeous, innovative, and magical literary journey. My biggest regret
is that I didn't take my time with it. So, the only way to fix this is
to read it again, right?
Paola
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