The Book of Lost Things
A Novel
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4.5 • 219 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
New York Times bestselling author John Connolly's unique imagination takes readers through the end of innocence into adulthood and beyond in this dark and triumphantly creative novel of grief and loss, loyalty and love, and the redemptive power of stories.
High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own—populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.
Taking readers on a vivid journey through the loss of innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Times bestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Thriller writer Connolly (Every Dead Thing) turns from criminal fears to primal fears in this enchanting novel about a 12-year-old English boy, David, who is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality. Books are the magic that speak to David, whose mother has died at the start of WWII after a long debilitating illness. His father remarries, and soon his stepmother is pregnant with yet another interloper who will threaten David's place in his father's life. When a portal to another world opens in time-honored fashion, David enters a land of beasts and monsters where he must undertake a quest if he is to earn his way back out. Connolly echoes many great fairy tales and legends (Little Red Riding Hood, Roland, Hansel and Gretel), but cleverly twists them to his own purposes. Despite horrific elements, this tale is never truly frightening, but is consistently entertaining as David learns lessons of bravery, loyalty and honor that all of us should learn.
Customer Reviews
Moving & Thoughtful
A wonderful book, particularly for a young adult who has experienced great loss. Not only a beautifully crafted story but also a thoughtful commentary on the power of stories in our lives - the inescapable nature of the stories we listen to, we give our attention to, that we give weight to - to shape our whole lives. In the face of great loss the book asks us to which narrative will we cling to see us through our grief? Will we be people of hope, love, honour? Or will we buy the empty promises of the trickster?
Resonated with me..
Like David, I’ve lost my mom to a slow and painful illness. I picked up this book to see how such a young boy overcomes his grief. Hoping what he finds would help me in my grieving for my own mother. This book embodies what life is: full of challenges, struggle, fear, sadness, madness, love, hope, and happiness. It’s a terrifying but beautiful read. Engaging until the very end.
Thank you author for helping me with my own grief.
The Book of Many Mixed Thoughts
There’s a lot to love in this book. It’s a nice nostalgic blend of Pan’s Labyrinth, Narnia, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and a lot of Neil Gaiman (exactly what asked ChatGPT to recommend). The prose is good if slightly inconsistent, and the references to actual fairy tales is quite impressive. At the same time all the characters sound very similar, one dimensional and the plot is quite contrived. The magic is never ending with no rules or restrictions and becomes the crutch to explain nearly everything in this story. So in all, this book lacks the realism and discipline of its obvious inspirations that make this world and story feel like a dream than an actual place which lessens the stakes and tension dramatically.