A Review of THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Selznick, Brian. 2007. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Ill. by author. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439813786.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Orphaned after his father’s death, Hugo is taken in by his drunken uncle and together they live in tiny room inside the walls of the Paris train station. When his uncle disappears, Hugo fears life in an orphanage. He assumes his uncle’s duties as clock-keeper of the station, maintaining his secret residence within the walls, where his story begins in 1931. Adept at the family business of clock-making and dreaming of becoming a magician, Hugo begins stealing small toys from a shop in the station. He uses the toys’ parts and a notebook from his father to reconstruct an automaton – father and son’s final connection. When the shopkeeper, Georges, catches Hugo in the act of stealing a mechanical mouse, Hugo believes his secret life is over, but when the man recognizes the drawings in Hugo’s notebook, the mystery begins. The shopkeeper’s God-daughter, Isabelle, befriends Hugo and the two embark on a search for the connection between Georges and Hugo’s automaton and the secret message the machine is poised to write. Their search takes them through the annals of French cinema and ultimately determines the future of Hugo’s dreams.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

At 533 pages, this story hardly seems to be a picture book; yet with 284 pages of original drawings crucial to the plot, it isn’t quite a novel either. It is a combination of picture book, graphic novel and even film, according to the publisher, and it cries out to be read from the moment one skims its pages. The stark black-framed pages of text interspersed with richly textured pencil drawings imply a dark secret and invite one to discover the mystery. The story opens with a brief invitation to follow Hugo Cabret as he rushes through the crowded train station, then gives way to pages of illustrations through which the reader chases Hugo to his hiding place behind a clock face. Readers in a hurry may be tempted to speed through the pictures, but will soon realize that Selznick is showing rather than telling the story. As the story alternates between text and illustration, the reader is drawn in to Hugo’s world and gains sympathy for the young boy’s plight.

While some may question the plausibility of a 12-year-old boy living alone in a train station, Selznick’s matter-of-fact writing style lend credibility to the tale. Hugo is clearly a boy determined to make his own way in the world and achieve his goals. When his father’s notebook, his most valuable possession, is taken from him, he refuses to accept the loss and continues working to retrieve it. Without seeming to do so, the story illustrates the value of determination and working toward one’s goals, regardless of the circumstances.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it cover to cover in one sitting. It is one of those books that you just don’t want to end. The characters come alive and call out to be watched as they move through the story, leaving the reader wanting to hear the rest of their story. To quote one 12-year-old reader, “That book is just cool!”

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Caldecott Medal, 2008

from Cooperative Children’s Book Center: “Readers will be captivated by the fictional Hugo, whose quest encompasses the real-life French filmmaker Georges Méliès, as well as a sweetly satisfying search for friendship and family.”

Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “Here is a true masterpiece—an artful blending of narrative, illustration and cinematic technique, for a story as tantalizing as it is touching.”

5. CONNECTIONS:

Ezra, Elizabeth. Georges Melies. ISBN 071905396X.
Peppe, Rodney. Automata and Mechanical Toys. ISBN 1861265107.
Selznick, Brian. The Houdini Box. ISBN 1416968784.