An apprentice clockmaker facing failure…a writer with a story he can’t control…a girl whose courage will need to match her kindness…a prince whose mechanical heart is winding down…a clockwork knight with murderous tendencies…and a doctor who just may be the Devil.
Their stories come together piece by piece in this chilling tale where nothing is as it seems, but like the gears of a strange and wonderful clock, everything fits together.
And so reads the summary on the back of the multiple award winning 1996 children’s tale, Clockwork, or All Wound Up. Written by Philip Pullman (of His Dark Trilogy fame) and wonderfully illustrated by Leonid Gore, Clockwork tells a story within a story of adventure, deceit, clockmaking, storytelling, the high cost of failure and the triumph of love. Clockmakers, a writer, a royal family, clockwork beings, a mysterious doctor, a courageous heroine, a dying prince…all are contained within a scant 107 pages. It is actually quite amazing how much storytelling is done in such a small book.
Pullman sets his tale in “old” Germany and writes under the inspiration of the tales of the Brothers Grimm, Frankenstein, and Dr. Faustus. The story opens on a cold snowy night in a tavern on the eve of two special occurrences-Fritz’s latest tale of suspense and the revelation of Karl’s apprenticeship-ending edition to the town clock. The element of suspense is set immediately due in part to Pullman’s excellent storytelling ability coupled with the lush, gothic imagery of Gore’s illustrations. In the tradition of the fairytales of old, Clockwork has its share of dark, macabre moments that will appeal to children and to those adults who remember the childlike thrill of a good ghost story.
I sat and read this book cover to cover in about an hour and have to admit that I was disappointed when it all came to an end. While on the surface Clockwork has a deceptively simple, straightforward story there are hidden depths and meanings put forth in the tale that make it an intriguing read for an adult. I picked up this book in a used bookstore on our vacation earlier this summer and am thrilled to realize now just what a bargain I received. This book is wonderful. A perfect balance of suspense, creepiness, heriosm, and romance make it a great book to read yourself or to read aloud to your children. For some inexplicable reason Pullman includes one instant of cursing in the book which is my only real complaint as its wholly unnecessary and takes away from rather than adds to the book.
Clockwork is a great tale to read in the fall/winter when darkness descends early and the nights turn cool. Enjoy.
Sounds cool. I should probably read this first myself but do think my 5 and 8 year olds handle the suspense or is it better for slightly older children? I love to read aloud to the kids and this sounds like an excellent tale. It sounds like the story has multiple story elements they would like.
I don’t think they’d be too frightened by it. You might want to read it first. I can bring it your way if you want. It is a very quick read!
very cool.. is it still in production?
Yes, I think its probably easy to find. I noticed it in the kids section at my local library last night.
It sounds like a book I would like to read. Unlike you and Jeff, I don’t like to have multiple books going at the same time. Perhaps I could make an exception for this quick read.