Something that really interested me about the book is the way the author mixes fantastical characters and occurrences in a "real world" setting. The story takes place in New Zebedee, Michigan. This town obviously is not a real place but, John Bellairs was inspired by a place named Marshall, which is an actual town in Michigan. Bellairs does a wonderful job of seamlessly combining two genres as he makes the setting outside of Jonathan's house a fictional yet realistic town and environment, but once you enter the house you immediately enter a world of wonder and magic.
Lewis Barnavelt really transforms throughout the story. In the beginning, he is a fat, shy boy who is skeptical of his uncle and his uncle'ss peculiar neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman. As time goes on Lewis becomes accustomed to his uncle's antics and behavior. Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman are both wizards and have mastered the art of "laidback magic." Lewis becomes eager to learn his uncle's trade. When Lewis finds out about the clock that is set to destroy the world, a desire to find the clock and be a hero strikes Lewis. Overall, throughout the book, Lewis' transformation from an unpopular, unable to swim, bad at sports, and obsessed with the dustiest history imaginable kid to a hero really makes this book all the more interesting.
All in all, The House with a Clock in its Walls is a wonderful and whimsical story for readers of all ages. The plot, the characters, and the setting will have you wanting to keep reading for hours on end. It provides the perfect balance and mixture between fantasy and historical fiction. Jonathan's magic and attitude, Lewis' antics, and Mrs. Zimmerman's peculiar behavior certainly make The House with a Clock in its Walls a true literary masterpiece and I hope you will enjoy reading it.
both the characters and plot of this story sound very interesting. I think that Lewis's journey will be really fun to read about. Ill definitely have to check out The House with a Clock in its Walls!
ReplyDeleteI've seen the movie based on this book before, and although it may or may not be more in depth I think if the story's the same then this book would be really good. The idea of "laidback wizardry" is very interesting to me. It seems to be an oxymoron where, in most books, wizardry is this really complex almost impossible to achieve ability.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in this book sound fun to read about. I think it's interesting how the author combined fictional events in a realistic setting. This definitely sounds like unique and exciting book.
ReplyDeleteThe unique blend of fantasy and realistic elements sounds like something that would be really interesting to read. The character growth also sounds like something really interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe setting of the book seems really fascinating. The mix of real and fantasy sounds very interesting. I've seen the movie of the book, but I'd love to read the book too, as most of the time movies of books leave out many details and/or have different plots.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really enjoyable! The way you described the author blending the real and fantasy world seems intriguing. I've seen the movie so maybe I'll have to read the book!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun book to read! Especially with everything going on now, it is important to read books simply for enjoyment. It is cool that the author does a good job of combining fantasy with realistic aspects. I have started getting into fiction, so I think this may be my next one!
ReplyDelete