Has anyone else read this book? I finished it today. It was a quick read. I couldn’t help thinking that it was like witnessing the beginning of a sea change. Kind of like what the Blues, and later, Rock and Roll, and still later, Hip Hop, did to music. Created a genre that had never quite existed before–one that will now be with us forever.
For me, apparently unlike all the other readers on Amazon, Hugo Cabret wasn’t an earth-moving read. But it did succeed in making me read and turn the page. I wanted to know where it was going. And, really, as an author, if your reader does more than that—for instance, if he or she is deeply moved as a result of your work—that’s just so much frosting. Wonderfully delicious frosting, maybe. But frosting nonetheless.
I recommend this one. You’ll be glad you read it. It’s a feel good book. With hidden messages, intrigue, and detailed, artistic illustrations. It’s also the first novel to win the Caldecott—An American Library Association (ALA) honor for illustrations. Caldecott’s have, until now, been awarded only to picture books.
