Scholastic Wonderstruck

Ben lives alone at Gunflint Lake, Minnesota, and has dreams of wolves, running with him, chasing him, but somehow he’s not terrified by them. He doesn’t really live alone, but he’s had to move in with his Aunt, Uncle and cousins since his mother died, and he never had a father. They try to be kind, but Ben really wants to go back to his own home, even though it’s empty. One night he does, and discovers some of his mother’s treasures, including a letter and a bookmark from a store in New York City, with a message that intrigues him. He tries to call the store, but is caught in a lightning storm, and his eardrum is blasted – and he could only hear out of that ear in the first place. It doesn’t take long for him to escape from the hospital and set off on a quest to find his father, for he’s convinced that is who wrote that note to meet his mother at the bookstore. Meanwhile, in pictures (I don’t just mean pictures, I mean the most wonderful pencil illustrations I can admire and treasure ) we find Rose, a deaf girl hidden away by her parents, one of whom is a famous silent screen actress – yes we have shifted back a few years. Rose also rebels against captivity and escapes, only for her it is across Hoboken Sound rather than across half the country. How their stories develop and eventually mingle is part of Wonderstruck, but it is so much more. In many ways the stories are very simple. The way they are told and the presentation that mixes words and pictures, makes it deliciously complex. I love the detail, not only of the illustrations (ah! the museum exhibition, the skeletons, the cityscapes, the dioramas!) but of the small items that link one person’s life with another’s. If there really is such a model of the city in Queens Art Museum, I want to visit it. These descriptions gave me a tingle such as I haven’t felt from a book for years. So much to discover about the art of curating, it opened a whole new world to me. The theme of Deaf Culture runs deeply through this book. In this book most of those we meet have had hearing at some stage, and I would argue that there is a difference, but the fact that deafness still puts up unseen barriers between people is something worth bringing forward for open discussion, and I think this book does an excellent job of raising awareness of many issues. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s delightful and compelling, and I feel richer for the experience of reading it, as will children of all ages, deaf or hearing.

Lectura agradable,aunque no la mejor del autor. Sin embargo lo consegui a muy buen precio ($90.00) Quede muy satisfecha

スコセッシ監督の映画『ヒューゴの不思議な発明』の原作者であるブライアン・セルズニックの新作である。原作の『ユーゴの不思議な発明』（原作では、主人公の名前は「ユーゴ」と表記されている）と同じように、この作品も、絵と文章が織りなす物語である。＜wonderstruck＞とは驚異にうたれてというような意味であるが、『ベンのほんとに不思議な物語』とでも訳したい気がする。 1977年のミネソタに住む少年ベンの物語が言葉で、1927年のニュージャージィに暮らす聾の少女ローズの物語が絵で語られる。この二人の物語がどう結びつくかというのがメインの物語であるが、その謎も含めて重層的な物語である。母を亡くしたベンの孤独。なぜベンはニュー・ヨークにゆくのか？ ベンのコレクションの亀のオブジェは何だろう？ ベンとローズの関係は？ などなど、読むすすめるうちにますます謎は深まってゆく。 言葉も絵も構造的にはまったく別の登場人物を扱っているが、それも、不思議に連動していて、違和感なくページをめくらせる。構文も語彙もやさしく、初学者でも充分楽しめる秀作である。二人の物語にさらに絡みつく様々な問題も深く想像力をよびさます。重たいのが難点ではあるが（1.3キロ）、読後の達成感は一入である。

Great book, keep you wondering how it was going to turn out great for any age.

Detailed ratings have already provided by many others before me. Yes it is very fascinating and very beautiful. But having purchased it with all excitement, I felt that this book was more appropriate for the younger / teen folks. Parental guideline: Parents will have to make a judgement call about whether its appropriate for smaller children - children running away from home, having an adventure, etc.