Inkheart

Author: Cornelia Funke

I bought it almost a year ago, just after the movie came out. I really wanted to watch the movie, but wanted to read the book before catching the celluloid version. Anyhow, the book took much longer than expected - I stopped reading it halfway several months ago and only picked it up again several weeks later. By then movie was no more, and I had lost interest in it anyway.

It is, after all, a children's book. The beginning was eventful enough, almost like 'Lord of the Rings' with an apparent stranger suddenly showing up, and seemed to set the pace quickly enough. Halfway through, however, I realised that while it would have been terrifying enough for a 12-year-old, it did not have enough suspense to keep me hooked. The 'diabolical celebrations' seemed pretty tame for this mother of three.

What I like about the book, though, is the way it is structured.

This book was written by a book-lover, about book-lovers, for book-lovers.

'Inkheart' precedes each chapter with an excerpt from another book. The excerpt sets the tone for the story, such as the following before Meggie and her father start their journey 'Going South' with apprehension:

"Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wild World," said the Rat. "And that's something that doesn't matter, either to you or to me. I've never been there, and I'm never going, nor you either, if you've got any sense at all."

Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

And so, while the story itself may not make it one of your all-time favourites, you may be introduced to several that may.