O Mistério da Casa do Relógio

Clever story, but oddly paced. The hidden ticking clock is meant to portend some imminent evil, and as the story builds, it seems that young Lewis is going to be in the thick of it. But then suddenly it's all over. What? Also, unfortunately, there's a lot of outdated name-calling–too many “fatso” and “fatty, fatty two-by-four” taunts.

I imagine these shortcomings will be corrected in the upcoming movie, and I definitely can see Jack Black as Uncle Jonathan. So, despite the two stars, not a waste of my reading time.

Will review at Fantasy Literature.

I remember having this book as a kid - this may have been the book that sparked my love of weird fiction and horror. But somehow I retained no memories of the plot; I only remembered that I had read it and that it had great illustrations by Edward Gorey.

So it was delightful to revisit this with a fresh mind - experiencing the story all over again. And I was not disappointed! Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman are awesome, fun grownups and Lewis is a believable, sympathetic character, even when he's making some bone-headed decisions.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie with Jack Black and Cate Blanchett! I guess a lot of people will assume the movie is just an imitation of Harry Potter - isolated orphan child goes to live with quirky, loving guardians who show him that magic is real. But of course, this was written 24 years earlier than Rowling's first volume. It stands up surprisingly well, and was enchanting and amusing.