The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
On This Page
Description
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.Tags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Unoriginality It is the same author with many beautiful illustrations. Hugo is superior in my opinion, but Wonderstruck is still a very good read.
60
bookmomo If you like books with (meaningful) illustrations for older readers, you might like this one, too.
20
missmaddie Great illustrations tell the story as well as any words!
10
Silent Movie by Avi
raizel The medium reflecting the message.
Member Reviews
A simply gorgeous book using illustrations and text to tell the story. Unlike a traditional illustrated story in which the illustrations picture what has already been said in the text or a graphic novel where the pictures and text work together simultaneously to tell the story, The Invention of Hugo Cabret sometimes tells the story through words and sometimes through pictures. Selznick's black and white illustrations are breathtaking and his imagined history for an early 20th-century fillmmaker is captivating. The design of the book is lovely as well--I'm especially delighted (I'm not sure why, exactly) by the black paper the book is printed on.
Hugo is a boy who lives in a train station. He used to live there with his uncle, but his uncle disappeared and hasn't returned; fortunately, he taught Hugo how to wind the clocks, and Hugo has continued to do so, so the stationmaster hasn't realized that Hugo's uncle is missing. In his free time, Hugo works on repairing an automaton that his father found in the museum where he worked; the automaton has a pen in his hand, and Hugo hopes that if he repairs it, it will write him a message from his father.
But Hugo's work is jeopardized when the cranky toy shop owner catches him stealing toys (for parts) and takes his precious sketchbook from him. He claims to have burned it, but his granddaughter Isabelle tells Hugo that he didn't, and he show more enlists her help to get it back. He does not trust or confide in her at first, but eventually they become friends, and it becomes clear that the toy shop owner and the automaton are closely connected.
Part of the story is told in text, part in illustration. Selznick's art is beautiful and evocative, as easy to read as his text, whether it's depicting people, clockwork, hands, keys, or books.
"Did you ever notice that all machines are made for some reason?" he asked Isabelle. "They are built to make you laugh....or to tell the time...or to fill you with wonder....Maybe that's why a broken machine always makes me sad, because it isn't able to do what it was meant to do...
Maybe it's the same with people," Hugo continued. "If you lose your purpose...it's like you're broken." (374)
Hugo and Isabelle were quiet for a moment, and then Isabelle said, "So is that your purpose? Fixing things?"
Hugo thought about it. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe."
"Then what's my purpose?" wondered Isabelle.
"I don't know," said Hugo. (375)
"I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too." (378) show less
But Hugo's work is jeopardized when the cranky toy shop owner catches him stealing toys (for parts) and takes his precious sketchbook from him. He claims to have burned it, but his granddaughter Isabelle tells Hugo that he didn't, and he show more enlists her help to get it back. He does not trust or confide in her at first, but eventually they become friends, and it becomes clear that the toy shop owner and the automaton are closely connected.
Part of the story is told in text, part in illustration. Selznick's art is beautiful and evocative, as easy to read as his text, whether it's depicting people, clockwork, hands, keys, or books.
"Did you ever notice that all machines are made for some reason?" he asked Isabelle. "They are built to make you laugh....or to tell the time...or to fill you with wonder....Maybe that's why a broken machine always makes me sad, because it isn't able to do what it was meant to do...
Maybe it's the same with people," Hugo continued. "If you lose your purpose...it's like you're broken." (374)
Hugo and Isabelle were quiet for a moment, and then Isabelle said, "So is that your purpose? Fixing things?"
Hugo thought about it. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe."
"Then what's my purpose?" wondered Isabelle.
"I don't know," said Hugo. (375)
"I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too." (378) show less
I love well-written books about spunky, intelligent kids who have interesting, reflective lives, and that's part of the reason I loved this book. The other reason is that Brian Selznick creates something unique and beautiful in this Caldecott Medal winner. Not a graphic novel in the typical sense, it's a "novel in words and pictures", to use the book's subtitle. To me, the difference is that whereas a graphic novel integrates words and pictures, Selznick tells a continuous story sometimes in all pictures and sometimes in text. The alternating style is fresh and effective, and the author's art is sumptuous. Using only charcoal and much hatching, Selznick creates lifelike and yet dreamy drawings that evoke sympathy, fear, and wonder by show more turns. Frequently, he will use a series of telescoping pictures to increase tension until all we see on the page is a grasping hand or a frightened eye. Beautifully done.
The plot line is that of Hugo Cabret and his efforts to rebuild an automatan his father was working on when he died. Living alone inside the walls of a train station, Hugo tends to all the clocks in the building daily in an effort to keep the stationmaster from noticing that he is now living alone. Since he cannot cash paychecks, Hugo must resort to snatching food where and when he can. But his most pressing concern is to find the parts to finish the automatan: a mechanical man seated at a desk with a pen in his hand. Fixing the mechanical toy is not only an outlet for Hugo's creative energy and talent as a horologist, but keeps alive a connection with his dead father.
Hugo finds most of his parts at the station's toymaker's booth run by an old man and a girl about Hugo's age. One day the toymaker catches him and takes away the precious notebook in which Hugo's father kept all his notes about the automatan. Without it Hugo fears that he will never be able to finish, but with the help of the girl, Isabelle, Hugo is able to reclaim much more than a notebook. As he slowly learns to trust both Isabelle and her friend Etienne, the three embark on a mission to solve a mystery involving magicians, filmmakers, and secrets. The fascinating information about early filmmaking is well-researched and brilliantly woven into the story, both in words and visually.
For readers of young adult literature and art lovers alike, this book is delightful. I hope you will give it a try. show less
The plot line is that of Hugo Cabret and his efforts to rebuild an automatan his father was working on when he died. Living alone inside the walls of a train station, Hugo tends to all the clocks in the building daily in an effort to keep the stationmaster from noticing that he is now living alone. Since he cannot cash paychecks, Hugo must resort to snatching food where and when he can. But his most pressing concern is to find the parts to finish the automatan: a mechanical man seated at a desk with a pen in his hand. Fixing the mechanical toy is not only an outlet for Hugo's creative energy and talent as a horologist, but keeps alive a connection with his dead father.
Hugo finds most of his parts at the station's toymaker's booth run by an old man and a girl about Hugo's age. One day the toymaker catches him and takes away the precious notebook in which Hugo's father kept all his notes about the automatan. Without it Hugo fears that he will never be able to finish, but with the help of the girl, Isabelle, Hugo is able to reclaim much more than a notebook. As he slowly learns to trust both Isabelle and her friend Etienne, the three embark on a mission to solve a mystery involving magicians, filmmakers, and secrets. The fascinating information about early filmmaking is well-researched and brilliantly woven into the story, both in words and visually.
For readers of young adult literature and art lovers alike, this book is delightful. I hope you will give it a try. show less
Ahhh this book was SO GOOD. I liked it so much it's a new favorite. It includes a lot of my favorite things to read about: secretly sneaking around inside of city walls and buildings, mysteries that might change people's destinies, people who are geniuses at something awesome (in this case, putting together mechanical things), lock-picking (I really want to learn how to do that), dreams, gorgeous black and white illustrations, etc. Hugo is a mechanically talented boy with many secrets. What happens when he runs into an old man with similar mechanical talent and just as many secrets? Literary dynamite, that's what. Also, the man's goddaughter Louise is awesome and has just as many skills (the lock-picking with a bobby pin among them) and show more she's a bookworm so I love her. The story is told with tons of gorgeous black and white pencil drawings as well as photographs from old movies. TIOHC won the Caldecott Award that year, which caused an uproar since that award is for picture books and this book is a novel. However, the pictures are just as important to the story as the words are, so I'd say it counts. This book was fantastic and everyone should read it immediately, especially old movie buffs. 5/5 stars
"I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too." show less
"I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too." show less
This was surprisingly well done. I’m not sure what I was initially expecting, but the story far exceeded my expectations. The characters are interesting, and the graphic-novel style way of presenting the story is perfect for how it unfolds and the subject matter being used to move along the plot. Typically, I steer clear of saying things like, “this is the first of its kind” because that gets thrown around a lot as a marketing term. However, this is something of a first, especially as an award winner, and Selznick does a wonderful job of interlacing the pictures with the words in order to tell a complete story. Even beyond that though, the story itself is wonderful, despite the method through which it’s told. The characters are show more all fascinating and mysterious in their own way, and everyone has secrets. Not to mention that each character’s personality and foibles adds to the depth of the narrative. I recommend this to all readers, but it will come alive especially well for readers 8-12.Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com show less
The surprise winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal - unlike most books chosen to receive this coveted illustrator's award, it is a work of children's fiction, rather than the more typical picture-book - Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret is the story of a young orphan, Hugo, who carries on in the tradition of his clockmaker father, and of his missing uncle, the Timekeeper of a busy Paris train station, in keeping all the station clocks in order. On his own time, Hugo works on restoring a broken-down automata - a mechanical, wind-up figure which (in this case) can write a message, when in working order - using his dead father's notebook instructions, and stealing parts from a local toy-maker. But when Hugo is caught in the act, show more he finds himself getting involved with the toy-maker, Georges Melies, and his god-daughter Isabelle, who - in one of many surprise twists - end up having a connection to the automata...
Visually stunning, with an incredible 284 pages of illustrations, and an innovative storytelling method - Selznick alternates between image and text, often setting the scene, and homing in on a character or circumstance with his black and white artwork, before launching into words - this book is engrossing, and quite memorable. I loved the artwork, which really accentuated the atmosphere of mystery, and of shifting perspectives, and I appreciated the way in which it was woven together with the written narrative, so that neither could stand on their own, but were integral parts of the whole.
Unfortunately, although the story itself was initially quite fascinating, I felt that the climax was somehow... unsatisfactory. I don't know if I was expecting a more fantastical story than this turned out to be, or if the more mundane explanation for Papa Georges' withdrawal from film-making just wasn't enough, after all the tragic(!) foreshadowing, but something just didn't click for me, at the end, and I felt a little let down. Almost as if someone, after putting on a magic show, then pulled back the curtain and shattered the illusion. I don't want to overstate the case, of course! This is an interesting and beautiful work - and a format that I understand Selznick intends to explore again! - but The Invention of Hugo Cabret simply doesn't have enough strength, as a story, to be the classic that everyone else seems to think it is. I could be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but I think it more likely to be the springboard for even better work. I certainly hope it is, and that I can give Selznick's next big project my unqualified praise! show less
Visually stunning, with an incredible 284 pages of illustrations, and an innovative storytelling method - Selznick alternates between image and text, often setting the scene, and homing in on a character or circumstance with his black and white artwork, before launching into words - this book is engrossing, and quite memorable. I loved the artwork, which really accentuated the atmosphere of mystery, and of shifting perspectives, and I appreciated the way in which it was woven together with the written narrative, so that neither could stand on their own, but were integral parts of the whole.
Unfortunately, although the story itself was initially quite fascinating, I felt that the climax was somehow... unsatisfactory. I don't know if I was expecting a more fantastical story than this turned out to be, or if the more mundane explanation for Papa Georges' withdrawal from film-making just wasn't enough, after all the tragic(!) foreshadowing, but something just didn't click for me, at the end, and I felt a little let down. Almost as if someone, after putting on a magic show, then pulled back the curtain and shattered the illusion. I don't want to overstate the case, of course! This is an interesting and beautiful work - and a format that I understand Selznick intends to explore again! - but The Invention of Hugo Cabret simply doesn't have enough strength, as a story, to be the classic that everyone else seems to think it is. I could be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but I think it more likely to be the springboard for even better work. I certainly hope it is, and that I can give Selznick's next big project my unqualified praise! show less
This is a truly wonderous book. By turns, it literally made me cry, gasp, and sit dumbstruck in slack-jawed amazement. Seeds subtly planted on early pages bear fruit later on, and I kept finding myself turning back to retrace their development. The concept behind the book is breathtakingly audacious; the execution is astounding.
Members
- Recently Added By
Published Reviews
ThingScore 95
The story is an engaging meditation on fantasy, inventiveness, and a thrilling mystery in its own right. No knowledge of early cinema is necessary to enjoy it, but for those who do know just a little, the rewards are even greater.
added by stephmo
The carefully selected details make Hugo Cabret feel like, well, a machine, full of tiny interlocking parts, built to fuel a curious child’s lifelong infatuation with wonder.
added by stephmo
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is full of magic ... for the child reader, for the adult reader, the film lover, the art lover, for anyone willing to give it a go. If you’re scared of the size or the concept, don’t be. Open your mind, pour Selznick’s creation in, and be reminded of the dream of childhood.
added by stephmo
Lists
Recommended Comics / Graphic Novels
595 works; 122 members
Club Read's Graphic Stories Recommendations
127 works; 2 members
SYES Library Wishlist
1,080 works; 4 members
Books with a Character's Name as the Title
129 works; 9 members
KayStJ's to-read list
1,616 works; 11 members
4th Grade Books
312 works; 5 members
Books Read in 2010
631 works; 11 members
ELED 460 Book List
61 works; 1 member
Books Read in 2023
5,547 works; 145 members
Allie's Wishlist
217 works; 2 members
Torchlight Level 4
38 works; 1 member
Favorite Picture Books
479 works; 160 members
Written and Illustrated By
805 works; 1 member
Vlogbrothers Book Recommendations
307 works; 4 members
Books We Discovered On LibraryThing
530 works; 130 members
Favorite Kids Books (chapter, middle grade)
168 works; 4 members
Fiction with Men's Given Names in the Title
302 works; 11 members
Top Five Books of 2014
1,064 works; 398 members
Books discovered on LibraryThing
256 works; 36 members
1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up
774 works; 100 members
Best middle grade books
130 works; 24 members
Worst books read in 2011
36 works; 20 members
Best Young Adult
399 works; 101 members
Top-Rated Books on LibraryThing
272 works; 117 members
Top-Rated Children's Books
87 works; 16 members
School Library Journal - 2012 Top 100 Children's Novels
68 works; 8 members
Novels featuring Orphans
76 works; 10 members
Caldecott Medal Books
91 works; 15 members
NPRs Ultimate Backseat Bookshelf: 100 Must-Reads for kids 9-14
222 works; 30 members
Geek Dad Read to Your Kids List
79 works; 4 members
Recommend the 20 best books you've read in the last five years
2,168 works; 606 members
Books Read in 2014
2,343 works; 89 members
Historical fiction -- children's/young adult fiction
39 works; 3 members
Historical Fiction
889 works; 89 members
Paris, City of Lights
103 works; 17 members
Books Read in 2026
1,895 works; 66 members
Talk Discussions
Past Discussions
July Fantasy Thread - SPOILERS - The Invention of Hugo Cabret in The Green Dragon (July 2012)
Author Information
21+ Works 17,920 Members
Brian Selznick is a Caldecott-winning author and illustrator of children's books born July 14, 1966 in East Brunswick Township, New Jersey. He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and then worked for three years at Eeyore's Books for Children in Manhattan while working on his first book, The Houdini Box. Selznick received the 2008 show more Caldecott Medal for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. He also won the Caldecott Honor for The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins in 2002. Additional awards include the Texas Bluebonnet Award, the Rhode Island Children's Book Award, and the Christopher Award. The Invention of Hugo Cabret will be made into a film by director Martin Scorsese to be released in 2011. Other titles by illustrated by Selznick include: Frindle, The Landry News, Lunch Money, Wingwalker, and Baby Monkey, Private Eye. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Notable Lists
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Has the adaptation
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- La straordinaria invenzione di Hugo Cabret
- Original title
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
- Original publication date
- 2007-01-30
- People/Characters
- Hugo Cabret; Georges Méliès; Isabelle; Etienne Pruchon; René Tabard; Hugo's Uncle (show all 9); Hugo's Dad; Jeanne d'Alcy; The Station Inspector
- Important places
- Paris, France
- Important events
- Making of the film A Trip to the Moon (1902)
- Related movies
- Hugo (2011 | IMDb)
- Dedication
- For Remy Charlip and for David Serlin
- First words
- From his perch behind the clock, Hugo could see everything.
- Quotations
- Hugo felt sure that the note was going to answer all of his questions and tell him what to do now that he was alone. The note was going to save his life.
The coffee was hot, and as Hugo let it cool, he looked around the cavernous station at all the people rushing by with a thousand different places to go. When he saw them from above he always thought the travelers looked like ... (show all)cogs in an intricate, swirling machine. But up close, amid the bustle and the stampede, everything just seemed noisy and disconnected.
Hugo though about his father’s description of the automaton. “Did you ever notice that all machines are made for some reason?” he asked Isabelle. “They are built to make you laugh, like the mouse here, or to te... (show all)ll the time, like clocks, or to fill you with wonder, like the automaton. Maybe that’s why a broken machine always makes me a little sad, because it isn’t able to do what it was meant to do.”
“I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be ... (show all)here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.”
When you wind it up, it can do something I'm sure no other automaton in the world can do. It can tell you the incredible story of Georges Méliès, his wife, their goddaughter, and a beloved clock maker whose son grew up to b... (show all)e a magician. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)These words.
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Tween, Fiction and Literature, Kids, Graphic Novels & Comics
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PZ7 .S4654 .I — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 11,013
- Popularity
- 838
- Reviews
- 685
- Rating
- (4.29)
- Languages
- 23 — Catalan, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian (Bokmål), Farsi/Persian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 59
- ASINs
- 21