The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Ratings99
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings99
Average rating4.3
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life and his most precious secret are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
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Reviews with the most likes.
Pero qué libro más hermoso!! Me encanta la forma de narrar de Brian Selznick. Sus dibujos son espectaculares y me gustó la forma en que combinó el texto con las imágenes. Definitivamente tengo que leer más libros de él.
An excellent children's book that focuses on the importance of history, film, possibilities, self preservation and more. It captures the imagination and succeeds where so many children's stories fail.
Pros: told through images and text, some tense moments, fun characters, fast read
Cons: most of the conflict is due to Hugo keeping secrets
Hugo Cabret lives in the Timekeeper's room inside a Parisian train station. When an elderly toy maker catches him stealing a toy mouse, the man takes a notebook Hugo received from his deceased father. The notebook contains images of an automaton Hugo's trying to fix, images that cause a startling reaction from the old man.
The book follows Hugo as he tries to get the notebook back and interacts with the man and his goddaughter, Isabelle. There are old movies, magic, clocks, thefts, and lies. The best part of the book is that the movies and automata discussed are all real.
This is a fun - and fast - read. Some sections are told through full page illustrations rather than text, giving the book the feeling of a movie. The immediacy of the action and Hugo's point of view narrative enhance that feeling.
There are some tense moments, especially towards the end of the book.
While I can understand Hugo's fear of being taken from his current home and his fear of what would happen to him, it has to be said that most of the problems he encounters throughout the book are due to his inability to trust others, even after they've been proved trustworthy and his compulsive need to keep secrets. Things would have resolved much faster had he told Georges why the notebook was so important to him.
Though it's a thick book (due to the images) it really is an easy read, perfect for readers of all ages.
