The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

[anonymosity]

Has anyone else read this?
I loved it - but after read some reviews saying it was hackneyed stuff, that he should stick to crime novels (I don't read those) etc.
Wondering what others thought, and if there are other books that you might recommend (like Angela Carter, maybe..?)

I read this a couple of years ago and at the time had no idea that Connolly usually wrote nasty crime novels until I thought I would look for some of his other stuff. I enjoyed the book - the fairytale/alternate reality within the tragic situation of the child's real life. It was different and I remember the first chapters about the boy losing his mother and his dad moving on with a new wife and no one really caring for the boys needs were stunning.

If you liked the fairytale element then Angela Carter edited a volume of Fairytales for Virago which have a wide mix from Cap o'Rushes to very strange and sexual Innuit tales and some that are only a few paragraphs long - it's an interesting mix a bit hit and miss. Strangely, I never enjoyed the couple of novels by Carter that I tried. Recently quite a few writers have been adapting fairytales, my oldest DD read books by an American writer called Shannon Hale who has reworked the Goose Girl (over 2 books) and also Maid Maleen (Grimm's). The books are for teens but I enjoyed them.
I recently read a book by MIchelle Lovric called The Book of Human Skin that had the suspense and creepy feeling of impending doom and some thoroughly strange happenings (but set in the late 1700's) that the Connolly book captured.

Glad to have been reminded of this book - may search it out of our groaning bookcases and read again.

I think this is one of my favourite books I've ever read. I LOVED it.

But I've never read any of his other books.

I loved this (and weeped buckets too), but I thought it was a teenage book.

I haven't read anything else by him, but sounds like I should avoid...

I enjoyed Carter's nights at the circus, haven't read anything else by her though.

Will think about what to recommend...

LOVED this book (and am now the proud owner of a signed copy). Also love his other stuff but it is pretty graphic crime with a paranormal bent. I didn't read TBOLT as a teen book at all.

I really, really enjoyed this book, and passed it on to a couple of others to read too, I enjoyed it so much. I have not read any of his other stuff though, as not that keen on crime novels.

I really loved this book...up until the bit with the dwarves. It seemed like a bizarre little chunk of almost pratchett like humour and to me it felt completely out of place. Anyone else think this ?

The trouble is, after that one part, I just couldn't get back into it as much. I think I was just disappointed it didn't maintain the same haunting tone throughout, IYKWIM ?

As far as Angela Carter is concerned, I absolutely love The Bloody Chamber and highly rate Wise Children, too - although the two books are very different indeed. Also read Black Venus, but didn't love it.

Have you ever read White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi or The limits of enchantment by Graham Joyce ? Not really fairytale like, either of them I'm afraid, but very good none the less !( and Graham Joyces book Facts of life is fantastic) Both have magical/perception of reality themes and plots and White is for witching especially has a great eerie atmosphere.

Haggis01 Thanks for the other recommendations and also from you Stanton Lucy.

SL - I think It did get very dark and haunting again. The dwarves were just a brief respite really. I would go back and take another look maybe?

I also wept buckets. I did think it could be a teen book when I started it, partly because of the simplicity with which emotional things were described at the outset - or even that it could be one of those "bridging" novels between young adult and adult fiction maybe?

Thanks for answers.