The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Ratings22
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings22
Average rating3.8
Lewis had always wanted to live in a house like Uncle Jonathan's--full of marble fireplaces and secret passageways and dozens of unused, unexplored rooms. And living with Uncle Jonathan, a real wizard, was full of fun and surprises.
But while Uncle Jonathan practiced funny and comfortable white magic, the original owner of the old house, Isaac Izard, had been an evil sorcerer. He had devised a plan for bringing about the end of the world. Somewhere in the walls of the house he had hidden a clock. Every night Lewis and Uncle Jonathan could hear it ticking--sometimes loud, sometimes soft--marking off the minutes until doomsday.
Lewis knew they had to find the clock before it was too late. Then he decided to dabble in a little magic of his own, and their time almost ran out.
Cozy fireplaces, wacky magic, chocolate chip cookies, and terror are the ingredients John Bellairs has used to concoct this absorbing and original book. The suspense is heightened by Edward Gorey's delightfully spine-tingling illustrations.
--front flap
Reviews with the most likes.
Chilling gothic for the young
Well worth the decision to re read. Bellairs has some nice touches as an author. His portrait of Lewis runs true as it should with his uncle and Florence shadowy as befits their warlock and witch status and yet leaves Lewis room to move and grow. So even if Lewis is up against the dead and blackest of necromancy the two adults provide reassurance. Lean nothing wasted in the story telling, no more complicated than it need be but always hinting at greater depths.
Clever story, but oddly paced. The hidden ticking clock is meant to portend some imminent evil, and as the story builds, it seems that young Lewis is going to be in the thick of it. But then suddenly it's all over. What? Also, unfortunately, there's a lot of outdated name-calling–too many “fatso” and “fatty, fatty two-by-four” taunts.
I imagine these shortcomings will be corrected in the upcoming movie, and I definitely can see Jack Black as Uncle Jonathan. So, despite the two stars, not a waste of my reading time.
I remember having this book as a kid - this may have been the book that sparked my love of weird fiction and horror. But somehow I retained no memories of the plot; I only remembered that I had read it and that it had great illustrations by Edward Gorey.
So it was delightful to revisit this with a fresh mind - experiencing the story all over again. And I was not disappointed! Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman are awesome, fun grownups and Lewis is a believable, sympathetic character, even when he's making some bone-headed decisions.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie with Jack Black and Cate Blanchett! I guess a lot of people will assume the movie is just an imitation of Harry Potter - isolated orphan child goes to live with quirky, loving guardians who show him that magic is real. But of course, this was written 24 years earlier than Rowling's first volume. It stands up surprisingly well, and was enchanting and amusing.
Series
11 primary booksLewis Barnavelt is a 11-book series with 11 primary works first released in 1973 with contributions by John Bellairs, Brad Strickland, and 2 others.
