"The Book Of Lost Things" by John Connolly

[chelbel]

I for one loved the references.  It made me comfortable or maybe increased my discomfort..  You know, like Roahl Dahl with Red Riding hood.  That was a classic, however i don't remember anyone saying it was a bad thing!  For me all these references enhanced a world made of books and book lovers.  Which was, i think the theme in general.  Wasn't it?  What we learn is what we are made of after all.
 

[Jo K]

I'm still struggling to finish this book as yet, not because it's difficult to get into but because I've already read 13 books this month I ran out of time to finish it before the discussion started. (note to self - read next months suggestion first!)

I've read keenly all of the comments posted so far and would agree that (from as far as I've managed to read) it does start off a little too slowly for me, so I wasn't hooked in immediately but I'm getting there.  Since I loved fairy tales as a child I'm sure from what's been said I'll love it.

[Verbal]

Even though I already owned the first edition paperback of TBOLT, I bought the pocket edition today as well, just for the notes (and to keep my row of JC pockets complete of course) :)

V.

[JC]

This has been really interesting to read, and I'm grateful to all of you for taking the time to read, and consider, my odd little book.  Thanks also to Mark for giving me this opportunity. I'm grateful to you all . . .

[Jayne]

Thanks ever so much, John, for taking time out of your hectic schedule to be with us. It's been great having you on board!

[Jo K]

Hi John,

I know I haven't managed to finish the book yet, but I wanted to say thanks for taking the time to join us.  It's nice to think that our favourite authors truly take the time to listen to the thoughts/opinions of readers.

Regards

Jo

[tzara]

Hi John,

Thanks for finding time to join us, you refer to your book as 'odd little book' I prefer to call it a unique little gem.

Maria

[moneill]

Really loved the book and have bought copies for two friends who I thought would really enjoy it.

The loneliness throughout the book is pretty incredible and left me for wide swaths of the text feeling like I was in the middle of a bad dream. That aching feeling of having had something and knowing that you're never, ever going to be able to get it back. This reminded me of a book I read as a child called "Walter the Lazy Mouse" about a mouse who really doesn't do anything and is so slow about getting anything done that he gets home one day to find his family has moved out and simply forgotten him since he never really did anything around the house. The book is all about him trying to find his way "home." Probably because I read this as such a little kid, it always spooked me that my family would do this to me and reading "The Book of Lost Things" I felt that the main character was in the same position.

It was like he was being punished for being such a selfish little brat that he was chucked into this world. While there he learns how to help others, let others help him, and really, how much he misses his family.

At first I wasn't a huge fan of the hyper-accelerated ending of the book and especially the feeling of "it was all just a dream" but now that it's been a few weeks, I kind of like it. I suppose with things like this either it's all supernatural or it's all in someone's head. I was perfect willing and ready to accept all of what happened in the book as literal and allow that world to exist. In the end, having it play out in a similar way to "The Wizard of Oz" (you were there, and you, and you...) was a bit of let down. Yes, there was some wiggle room there with was it or wasn't it all a dream but still, I would have been happier one way or the other.

The retellings of the fairy tales were great, especially the Little Red Riding Slut stuff. That was pure genius.

Sorry I couldn't jump in with the comments earlier but have been running around a bit.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not sure I would have read this if I hadn't been prodded but I'm really glad I did.

M

p.s. How about "Gun with Occasional Music" by Jonathan Lethem for next month

[Verbal]

Keep those 'odd little books' coming, John...

V.

[Sonia]

Calabash is certainly worth a read if you enjoyed TBOLT. The narrator is a fully paralysed man in a hospital bed, who's mind goes to a much, much better place.......

Sounds definitely like something I would like to read. Thanks for the tip.

[heavyd]

This is the first book that I have read by Mr Connolly and I really enjoyed his prose and style.  The subject matter was not something that I would normally read but it did hold my interest for the entire journey.  I think that was testimony to the way John tells a story.

The Crooked Man is one hell of a villain!  That moment when David sees him in his bedroom window grasping at the air at the sound of Georgie's voice was quite vivid and eerie.  It reminded me of Willem Dafoe's turn at Nosferatu - very chilling.

The fairy tales were very entertaining, although at one point I did wonder where the plot was going as the story seemed to play out in a more episodic nature, playing homage to the fairy tales of old.  However, once David reached the castle and the Loups arrived, it got quite exciting indeed!

I was wondering whether anyone had views as to who the dark haired woman with the baby was at the very end?  Maybe I missed a clue.  Was it David's mother with a baby version of himself, reminding him of happier times?  Or maybe Rose and Georgie?  I couldn't quite decide, but liked the idea of the former.  I, too, had tears threatening to fall after finishing the book - the ending was not a major surprise to me, but the emotional impact was - again, testimony to John's writing.

All in all, a very enjoyable fairy tale with enough dark undertones for me to get excited about reading John's other stuff.   "Every Dead Thing" awaits eagerly on my bookshelf to be read, whispering to me in the dead of night, "Reeeeed meeeee, reeeed meeeee."

P.S. I enjoyed the stories by The Brothers Grim in the extra section at the back of the pb!  Nice addition!

[Sonia]

I was wondering whether anyone had views as to who the dark haired woman with the baby was at the very end?  Maybe I missed a clue.  Was it David's mother with a baby version of himself, reminding him of happier times?  Or maybe Rose and Georgie?  I couldn't quite decide, but liked the idea of the former.

As far as I understood it, this dark-haired woman was David's own wife with their kid. As was explained in the last chapter, they both died in childbirth. The woman was said to have dark hair.

I took it that after death, everybody imagines his own "paradise". And for David it would be populated with his childhood dreams and his loved ones of course. Hence the woodman and the wife and kid.

Actually a very reassuring idea, in my opinion. A beautiful ending.

[heavyd]

Thanks Sonia!  I do recall that now! 

[Linda L]

Johns books have such a feeling of loss through them, even the Charlie Parker books refer to what happened in the first book in each subsequent book.  I hope John isn't writing from experience....not a nice thought at all