“Her father looked at her. ‘They came out,’ he said. ‘There they were, all of a sudden, standing in the doorway to the corridor outside the room, as if they’d just come in from outdoors. There was a crackling noise when they turned to us – like someone slowly unfolding a piece of paper”
This excerpt is from the book entitled “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke. It describes one of the main characters, Mo, and the experience that brought on his fear of reading books out loud.
Mo brings stories to life when he reads any type of book out loud. When he does, people and objects in the real world are exchanged with a character or creature from the book he’s reading.
A bookbinder by profession, Mo holds the last copy of the fairy tale “Inkheart.” He is tracked down by three of the villainous characters: Capricorn, Basta and Dustfinger. The three are trying to return to their magical home. However, the only way they can accomplish this is if Mo reads them back home to Inkworld.
Also a major player in the story is Mo’s daughter, Meggie. She lost her mother, Resa, when she was very young because Mo was reading. Resa and her two cats were exchanged for Capricorn, Basta and Dustfinger out of “Inkheart.”
When Mo tried to explain it to Meggie he said:
“I searched the whole house for your mother,’ he went on. ‘I read the whole book until I was hoarse and the sun was rising, but nothing came out of it. I tried again and again during the days and nights that followed, until my eyes were burning and the letters danced drunkenly on the page. I read until I couldn’t hear my own voice anymore, but your mother didn’t come back Meggie.”
Led by Capricorn, Basta and Dustfinger are on the search to find Mo because they don’t like the world they entered, Mo’s world. They torture, kill and manipulate until Mo, Meggie and their friends are all captured.
In search of sanctuary, Mo and Meggie journey to see Elinor, Mo’s cousin. Mo needs to re-bind “Inkheart” and make it unrecognizable from Capricorn.
The reader is left with a feeling of anticipation for Mo, Meggie and Elinor as they attempt to keep “Inkheart” out of Capricorn’s hands. Will Capricorn get his wish and attain the book? Will Resa return to her family?
“Inkheart” (2003) is the first of three books. The others in the series are called “Inkspell” (2005) and “Inkdeath” (2008).
These books are good for study breaks when you want to enter in a fantasy world. “Inkheart” is wholly a well written story in every sense.
“Ink Heart” paints the pictures of the characters and their surroundings with such detail that you feel as if you’re experiencing the story with the characters. It is a great book to read because you’ll leave the story with a thirst for the story to continue. It’s one of those books that you start to read and then you become so consumed in it that you don’t realize time passing.
