Inkheart

Inkheart
By Cornelia Funke
Reviewed by Ms. Fournier


Funke, Cornelia. Inkheart . Frome: The Chicken House, 2003.

Inkheart is available in the Library Media Center in the fiction section with the call number “F Fun”.

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Inkheart is a cleverly woven tale of a man (Mo) who can read characters out of fictional texts, his daughter (Meggie) who has a love of reading and a perhaps unhealthy level of curiosity, and a number of both humorous and terrifying characters (Capricorn, the frightening villain; Elinor the bookish and sassy great aunt; and Dustfinger, the elusive and cunning fire-eater). Together with their Arabian friend Farid and a cast of fictional beings (fairies, trolls, and a horned marten), they must find a way to save their lives and the sanctity of their stories.

The storytelling is elaborate, with settings and characters described in great detail, appealing to the reader's senses and sensibility. The plot is complex, twisting and turning in unexpected (and a few expected) ways. In the end, the lines between reality and the fictional world are blurred, with our main characters battling both in personal and existential ways.

Inkheart is fairly easy to read, due in part to the compelling story and to the skillful storytelling. Lovers of fantasy and those who long to meet the characters they have read so much about should read Inkheart. For those who love series, Inkheart is also ideal; it is followed by Inkspell and Inkdeath, sequels also composed by Cornelia Funke.