The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly

***

Genre : Fiction

American publisher : Washington Square Press : 16$

English publisher : Hodder Paperback : 7,99£

12-year-old David has lost his mom. His dad remarried, and now he has a brother. He takes refuge in books to forget all this.

One night, David hears his mother calling him, and finds a secret passage behind the bushes in the garden. He then finds himself in a parallel universe, a world inhabited by trolls, Loups and frightening creatures...

With the help of the Woodsman and of a knight, David - after a lot of hardships : riddles to resolve, traps to avoid, fights to win - will meet an old king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, called The Book of Lost Things. The Book of Lost Things is the key which would enable David to return in the real world.

But the evil Crooked Man keeps an eye on David since he came, and doesn't take the same view. He has for David other plans...

What I think

I don't know where to begin to talk about this book. There are so many things to say. I've seen ir on the French blogs, and everyone seemed to absolutely love it. So I was afraid, because when I hear many good things about a book, I tend to be disappointed because my hopes are too high. Well, it wasn't the case with The Book of Lost Things.

First, I began reading, and I cried. The begining with David and his dying mom. I cried, because I lived the same thing recently, so it talked to my heart. Even David's obsessive compulsive disorder, I had them. Well not exactly the same ones, mine are not rituals, but I wash my hands about a thousand times a day and they're all cracked.

Then come Rose and Georgie. Personnally, I found it a bit fast for David's dad to remarry and I understood David's reaction.

Finally, I found myself immersed in this universe where tales come alive, but not really as we know them.

I must admit that while I was reading, I asked myself how this book could have such a reception among the readers. Now I can see that it's when we touch to the end that we say "Waouh, this is A book!".

I laughed many times with this book too, especially with Snow White's story and the Dwarves. I'm sure you didn't know they were the ones who tried to kill her with the poisoned apple.

But the question I'm asking is am I the only one to not see a book for children here? I found it ultra-violent under this false impression of fairy tale. David kills people, there are terrible things which would frightened many people I know if it was a film. There also a lot of weird stories which I found too much for children. For example, the story of the Loups and the Red Riding Hood lies near the wolf and from there the Loups were born, hmmm hmmm!

And this story with Roland and his friend, Raphael The Crooked Man puts ideas in David's head that Roland likes him...a lot, if you see what I mean...

Well maybe that's just me... I know the Grimm brothers were a lot worse than that...

And there is one thing that made me think a lot. I haven't understood the riddle of the trolls about choosing the right bridge. I'm sorry, my brain doesn't want to work correctly on this one. Well I'm ashamed if children can understand and not me! I read the passage 4 times, without understanding, in the end I let it go.

Sometimes, I thought that it was kind of corny. No offense! I'll explain myself. I laughed at the passages like "David you're 12, you're a man now!"

Well as you can see, I liked this book, but it's not a favourite either. What I liked most is the end, that I find absolutely wonderful. There wasn't another end possible at all. It's beautiful. And I cried a lot, again. And a book that makes me cry is always a good book.

John Connolly has conquered me, I want to read his other books.