The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Have you ever noticed how page turning is a laborious and often strenuous task? I’m not even talking metaphorically here, I mean physically. Your fingers have to grasp the page, make sure it’s not stuck to any others, (no hop-ons), and then the muscles in your hand and arm have to work to flip that sucker entirely upside down. It’s a workout, man! That shit burns calories!

Probably less calories than this.

Now I know you, reader. I can read you like the back of a box of Berry Berry Kix. Right now you’re sitting at your computer, iPad, iPod, Nook, or digital watch with a data plan and thinking “What is she talking about? Page turning is easy! If page turning is a workout than why am I not reading James Joyce in my jazzercise class?”

Joycercise.

I don’t know why you’re not reading Joyce. You need to take that up with your jazzercise instructor. All I’m saying is that you don’t notice the strains of page turning until you have to do it over and over again at a fairly quick pace.

And that’s what happens when you read The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Most of it is pictures, with the occasional page or two of printed word, and usually those pages of words are only half –full. Or half-empty. It really depends on what your attitude towards words are.

So, because of the intense amount of pictures in this book, you’re fippin’ pages like they’re veggie burgers! (in case you didn’t know, veggie burgers need to be flipped fairly rapidly). I mean, sure, I guess you could take your time and enjoy the artwork and really let it sink in, but that would totally mess with the pace of the story. There are multiple chase scenes that are depicted entirely through full page drawings. At that point the pages should be flowing at a pace that would rival a flipbook.

IT’S ON

But despite the fact that my right arm is now rippled and muscular and my left arm still looks like one of those resistance yoga bands that you found in a thrift store dollar bin, the artwork was actually a really cool addition to the book. Bravo, Brian Selznick, for successfully fusing two forms of art together to tell a story!

The problem is, the story that the art forms were telling was kind of bad. The basic plot is sound enough, I guess. There’s an orphan boy who’s living alone in a Paris train station. He’s taken over as timekeeper after his uncle disappeared, so he sets all the clocks in the train station in secret. He steals food and mechanical toys that he can take apart and use the pieces to make his automaton, which is this weird-ass mechanical man that Hugo is devoting his life to.

Ah, youth.

This is a fine set-up, and could very well lead to an interesting, perhaps even heartwarming story. But it didn’t. The story was full of characters whose emotions would do a complete one-eighty out of nowhere, the “big twist” at the end was really not that big a deal, and the book had way way way too many chase scenes.

All right. I guess I’m on board with this.

Oh no. She fell. What a creative new development.

Ok these need to STOP.

Ahh the chase scene. A surefire way to provide suspense in your novel. Chase scenes are fail-safe, they are effective, but like gutter guards in a bowling competition, they should be used spare-ingly. (yeah. I’ve been sitting on that gem for a while). It is a mark of true creativity to be able to make your reader’s heart race without quickening your character’s pace. (yep. That one too). I respect authors who can have me clutching my heart in fear and anticipation without providing a good old-fashioned run for you life. Chase scenes are a cliché. They are a last resort. And they should certainly never be used as many times as they are used in this book.

So, on the whole, I was pretty unimpressed. I had been really excited for a fascinating story told through the cooperative effort of well placed words and outstanding artwork (see Leviathan) but what I got was decidedly less-than. Not a gem.

I heard the movie kicks ass, though.

Photo-Cred

http://blog.itechtalk.com/2010/improving-cardio-workouts/

http://biblioklept.org/2008/09/22/james-joyce-reads-you-listen/

http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=2228

http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2012/jan/06/exploring-grand-centrals-secret-author-hugo/

http://trustmovies.blogspot.com/2011/11/scorseses-hugo-intelligent-personal.html

http://dornob.com/rainbow-flip-book-brilliant-diy-3d-illusion-you-can-hold/

http://www.filmonair.com/magazine/article/hugo-it-all-started-with-a-trip-to-the-moon