|
The Book of Lost Things: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: John Connolly
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $5.65
You Save: $9.35 (62%)
New (46) Used (42) Collectible (1) from $4.92
Rating:  121 reviews
Sales Rank: 19108
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 480
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.4
ISBN: 074329890X
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780743298902
ASIN: 074329890X
Publication Date: October 16, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Hardcover. Brand new - Most copies have a publishers overstock mark (Publisher close-outs usually have a small ink mark or stamp at the base of the book, but are otherwise brand new.)
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mournsthe death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf forcompany. But those books have begun to whisper to him in thedarkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imaginationand soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. Whilehis family falls apart around him, David is violently propelledinto a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populatedby heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps hissecrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.Taking readers on a vivid journey through the lossof innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Timesbestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling talethat reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 116 more reviews...
 Dark, magical, scary...recommended January 3, 2009
I bought the book, left it at home, went shopping. I came home to find my 13-year- old buried in it, and she would not part with it for love or money. She converted her friends to The Book, and she now has a bunch of girls on a waiting list for this novel. It's crazy.
I had to give up on that copy, and got a second one for myself, and I am very impressed. This is a beautifully written, nightmarish coming of age tale with a strong spiritual center which makes the blood and the horror bearable. I was up till four am finishing it; it's addictive. I can now see why kids are lining up to read this in Madison, Wisconsin, of all places.
Btw, my dear, cynical daughter told me that she cried her eyes out when she read the ending, the first time in her life that she had ever done such a thing with a book or a film. I asked her if she were crying with joy or misery, and she couldn't decide...
Thank you, Mr. Connolly. Can we have more like this, please?
One of my favorites of all time! December 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Never judge a book by its cover." Sound advice, but not in the case of this book. While straightening the shelves at work, I was drawn to the book initially by the cover, and became even more intrigued when I read the back panel. I loved it! It's heavily steeped in dark fairy tales. They'll remind you of the ones you heard as a child, but with a Grimm brothers-like twist. I couldn't put this down. I've recommended it to all my friends, and anyone that comes in looking for something dark, but good.
 Misogynist and disturbing December 7, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I had to quit this book halfway through because I found it so disturbing. It is violent and it is explicit and it is gory. What finally made me say enough was when I got to the part about a woman hunter's experiments cutting heads off of people and merging them with animal bodies. We get to watch her drag herself out of her cottage using her hands after the protagonist tricks her and cuts her in half. I couldn't help but ask myself WHO IS THIS STORY FOR? It certainly isn't for the age group of the protagonist, who is a pre-teen. Neil Gaiman writes dark stuff for this age group that I love. This is darker than dark, and without any of the magic. The few moments that were interesting or held together as a story soon went by the wayside.
I must say that the main thing that alarmed me about the novel is it's misogyny. The evil characters so far as I read, except for the Crooked man, are all women, and we are frequently given very grisly accounts of the children exacting their revenge -- for example Gretal burning the witch alive in the oven, and the protagonist cutting the hunter (who I had assumed, before she took off her hood or whatever she was wearing, was a man) in half and her hand and leaving her to be torn apart by her creations. Sure she's got a salve to heal up the wounds, but she's naked and she's cut in two! And what's up with the nudity? The harpies' unattractive nudity is mentioned as is that of the hunter, who for some inexplicable reason goes to bed nude in addition to stripping down before having the protagonist cut her in half to make her into a centaur.
Oh, and did I forget to mention that the wolf in little red riding hood was just minding his own business in the forest until the perverted young woman made his sleep with her, thus creating dangerous abominations that threaten the forest? Or the Snow White who is repulsively and morbidly obese, vain and stupid whose relationship to the seven dwarves is one of petulant petty dictator?
I have never read any of Connolly's adult novels, and now I guess I never will. I cannot overstate how distasteful (not to mention pointless, as far as I got in it) that I found this novel to be.
 Fills the time November 26, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's an alright book to read, but I will add that I probably won't recommend it to anyone.
It didn't really pull me in though I did want to find out what was happening, so I continued to read it. Not a bad story. I did like a few of the main characters.
There was just something missing.
Recommending to everyone I know November 24, 2008
This book engrossed me from page 1. I wanted to devour the book but instead took my time enjoying every morsel of the story. It is beautifully written - I especially enjoyed the way the books "spoke" to the boy. If you are looking for sci-fi or mystery look elsewhere. But if you are looking for well-written literature, this is it.
|
|
|
Domain Registration and Web Hosting provided by SurfZen.
| |
