Book Review: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

InkHeart had me enthralled from the very beginning, but upon reflection, it has also taught me a thing or two about my own writing.

I knew that this was a fantasy adventure (my favorite), and it came highly recommended by my nine-year-old nephew, so I had no trepidation going into it, but the first specific thing that grabbed me once I had started reading was the fact that author Cornelia Funke does an admirable job of connecting her readers with the main character, a twelve-year-old girl named Meggie. It's important that we identify with Meggie because she suffers plight after plight at the hands of the story's worthy villains. Interestingly enough, however, the first wrongdoing that comes her way is not perpetrated by the evil Capricorn, but by Meggie's own father, Mortimer. Meggie never knew her mother, so they are alone and have traveled quite a bit. "Mo," as she calls him, is consequently Meggie's only friend. When dark characters begin to show up at their door in the middle of the night, it becomes clear that there is a deep, dark, part of their history that Mo has been hiding from her. He refuses to explain, and her disillusionment is almost palpable. It's impossible not to feel for her and route for her, especially when she sticks her neck out in an attempt to discover the truth for herself. Throughout the story, Meggie's bravery is unmatched.

Second was the love of books that runs throughout the story. Each chapter even starts with a relevant quote from a literary classic, and I had fun trying to guess the piece without looking! In any story, its important to convey a passion, because even if the reader doesn't share the particular passion (although in this particular case, this particular reader does), everyone understands what it means to feel strongly about something, and that's enough to get the point across. Funke conveys her characters' (plural) passion for books by describing how they are cared for, how Mortimer makes his living as a bookbinder, lovingly giving them "new clothes," and how the villains cannot carry out their evil plans without them. The fact that some of the evildoers can read and some cannot figures very prominently in the plot. Mo and Meggie have many wonderful book-related memories together, and they use their favorite stories to communicate. They write secret notes to each other in the Elvish language from The Lord of The Rings so that their captors who can read won't discover their plans. From his hiding spot, Mo let's Meggie know that he is nearby by making the crocodile's "tick tock" sound from Peter Pan. Meggie has a personalized, decorative book box to keep her favorites in. She struggles with choosing which books to bring each time they travel, and she is heartbroken when she can't take any at all. When Meggie meets her great aunt or the first time, she doesn't like the woman much, but is astounded to find the huge country house filled floor to ceiling with perfectly organized books, some of which cannot be found anywhere else. Elinor even controls the light and temperature appropriately to take care of them. It is Funke's gift for conveying this passion that brings InkHeart to life.

In my own story that I publish on my blog, I was concerned at first that my heroine was too passive and that my readers would lose interest as a result, but now Funke has provided me with a formula to balance the personality of an effective main character. Readers will never fall in love with a character that simply lets things happen to them without ever taking part, yet it is impossible to have an engaging story unless adversity presents itself. For instance, many of my readers are aware that I enjoy Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries. Does Kinsey Milhone get caught snooping, beaten up, or sidetracked? Of course. But is she willing to lie, cheat, and steal to solve her case? That's why we love her. Does my own Maggie O'Mulligan get henpecked mercilessly by controlling parents who insist on inappropriately running her life? Yes. But is she willing to sneak her forbidden best friend through her bedroom window? Well, stay tuned. That's coming!

The plot of InkHeart is very basic in many ways. Evil characters chase good characters, and one main character hovers somewhere in between. Situations seem hopeless, leaving the reader in suspense and wondering how each chapter could possibly be resolved. It is as well designed as any, but what sets InkHeart apart is an ingenious premise; the ability to read people and things in and out of books. Sometimes it happens intentionally, and sometimes unintentionally, but it always has consequences, and to Cornelia Funke's credit, the device is not overused or underused. It's employed impeccably and happens just often enough.

I was delighted to find that InkHeart is the first in a trilogy. Not only does it give me Christmas ideas for my nephew, but Funke has masterfully left just enough loose ends dangling to leave the reader satisfied yet looking forward to more. It is also my understanding that Hollywood is currently shooting a feature film, and I am thrilled. Lots of book lovers have a certain disdain for the movie versions of their favorites, but while some are certainly better than others, I don't personally have a problem with it. I always have pictures in my mind, and I find it fascinating to compare notes with other fans. I also enjoy mentally "casting" my favorite stories with my favorite movie stars to see if I'm right when the film finally does surface. I had erroneously chosen Dakota Fanning to play Meggie, but with Mortimer I was dead on. Brendan Fraiser!