Minunata familie Marvel

by Brian Selznick, Alina Simuț (Translator)

Editura Corint le oferă tuturor cititorilor săi, în colecția Leda Edge, un fascinant roman în cuvinte și imagini creat de inegalabilul Brian Selznick: Minunata familie Marvel (The Marvels), o carte care a devenit bestseller The New York Times, fiind nominalizată drept cea mai bună carte pentru copii de publicații prestigioase precum Publishers Weekly și The Guardian.

Autorul este câștigătorul celui mai prestigios premiu american pentru carte ilustrată, Caldecott Medal, și a devenit popular în întreaga lume cu romanul său Invenția lui Hugo Cabret (The Invention of Hugo Cabret), romanul publicat de Editura Corint în 2007 și a cărui ecranizare, Hugo (2013), în regia lui Martin Scorsese, avea să obțină, între alte numeroase premii și distincții, nu mai puțin de cinci premii Oscar. Brian Selznick a mai scris, de asemenea: The Houdini Box (1991), The Robot King (1995), Boy of a Thousand Faces (2000) și Wonderstruck (2011).

Minunata familie Marvel este un roman incredibil de frumos, care combină o poveste în imagini (care acoperă aproape 400 de pagini) și o poveste în cuvinte care, la început, pare să nu aibă nicio legătură cu povestea transmisă cu ajutorul desenelor alb-negru. Povestea în imagini începe în 1766 și redă istoria unei familii de actori. Povestea în cuvinte începe în 1990 și vorbește despre iubire și familia cea adevărată care s-ar putea să nu fie, nicidecum, formată din rudele de sânge. Cele două se întrepătrund, se contopesc, devenind hronicul unei case unice, într-o carte ca o bijuterie care poartă marca inconfundabilului Brian Selznick și pe care Editura Corint are deosebita plăcere să le-o ofere cititorilor săi, adolescenți, tineri și mai puțin tineri, deopotrivă, în colecția LEDA EDGE coordonată de Shauki Al-Ghareeb.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens

672 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

Hello there. My name is Brian Selznick and I’m the author and illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I was born in 1966 in New Jersey. I have a sister who is a teacher, a brother who is a brain surgeon, and five nephews and one niece. I studied at The Rhode Island School of Design and after I graduated from college I worked at Eeyore’s Books for Children in New York City. I learned all about children’s books from my boss Steve Geck who is now an editor of children’s books at Greenwillow. While I was at Eeyore’s I also painted the windows for holidays and book events.

My first book, The Houdini Box, which I both wrote and illustrated, was published in 1991 while I was still working at the bookstore. Since then, I have illustrated many books for children, including Frindle by Andrew Clements, The Doll People by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin, Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan and The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley, which received a 2001 Caldecott Honor.

I have also written a few other books myself, including The Boy of a Thousand Faces, but The Invention of Hugo Cabret is by far the longest and most involved book I’ve ever worked on.

I live in Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting illustrations and a striking story. A true masterpiece.

*reread: even better the second time! i feel like brian selznick books hit different when you give them a second go!

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Time is supposed to move forwards."
"What if I don't like what happens?"

Told only in pictures, we see Billy Marvel's story began with a tragedy. A shipwreck and the loss of his brother shaped him in horrible ways, carving deep scars.

Eventually he was rescued and began working in a theater. First behind the scenes but eventually creating a family of sorts and stepping out. As he grew older, his family grew as well. Each new generation contributing in a stunning or amazing way to the theater.

Then the story switches to being told in words for Joseph's half, set nearly a hundred years after Billy Marvel's.

Joseph escapes a cruel boarding school and benignly neglectful parents in search of his missing friend and potentially a place to call home. He ventures into his uncle's place - full of mystery and intrigue.

"You either see it or you don't."

Secrets abound in this home - and with his uncle threatening to send him back, Joseph becomes desperate to find a way to stay. But there are consequences to knowing too much...

"It's too late to be scared, Joseph. Don't you want to understand what's going on?"

Stunning. Though, I have really enjoyed all of the recommendations from Ivonne, so that wasn't a surprise!

I will say that like many of Selznick's stories, it's really best to jump in it completely blind. There's so much going into the book that it's most enjoyable when you have no expectations on where it is going.

Though...since you are so far into this review, I will refrain from spoiling too much and say - it was really, really freaking good.

The characters had amazing arcs, the mystery element was fantastic, and I loved the overall message was perfect.

I also really enjoyed how Selznick connected his story to real live people and events - it made me curious and I learned so much from researching this after finishing the book!

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

very very good

[Mohammed Arabey · Rating 4 out of 5]

ربما المسرحية ليست عن المعجزات. لا،ربما هي عن مرور الزمن وضرورة الصبر والقدرة علي التسامح"
"ربما شكسبير اراد ان يقول لنا ان حتي في عالم تحدث به معجزات سيظل هناك ..وجع، وفقدان، وندم

وهذه الرواية من فصلين؛ الأول من القرن 18، عن المسرح والبحارة..مسرحيات شكسبير وهمس الجنون..عن توالي الأجيال وملامح البشر المتعادة في المواليد
والفصل الثاني بشخصيات اخري معاصرة، فتي يبحث عن مغامرة وكشف غموض عائلته، وخال غريب الأطوار يعيش كأنه بالقرن التاسع عشر

"فأحيانا يموت البعض ولا نستطيع إعادتهم للحياة..فهذه هي الحياة، تفكر جوزيف، المعجزات والحزن جنبا إلى جنب"

مسرحية يرسمها بريان سيلزنيك مؤلف "هوجو كابريت" لتعيش من خلال مزيج بين لوحاته الفنية والسرد مرة أخري مشاعر الوفاء والحنين والذكريات، نوستاليجا طيف جميل من زمن أجمل طمسته اضواء ال"ال اي دي" وأصوات الديجيتال من خلال رواية ساحرة كعادته وكتاب أنيق يليق بالزمن الجميل


ولكن دعونا نترك القاعة ونتجه للكواليس، فلربما رأيت في جولتي الإرشادية بها ما يدفعك لحجز مقعدك لمشاهدة "مسرحية ؛ آل مارفيل" ..هي ليست مسرحية ولكنها قصص حيوات، وما الحياة إلا مسرح كبير
لن اتحدث كثيرا عن القصة فكتب كهذه المتعة هي اكتشافها صفحة بصفحة

القصة

الفصل الأول

1766

من خلال الرسوم تتعرف علي قصة بيللي مارفل ، الناج الوحيد من غرق سفينة كاراكان الأمريكية والذي وصل إلى لندن في عمر الثانية عشر وقت بناء أحد مسارحها الكبري الأولي..ولتتابع من خلال اللوحات فحسب -وبعض قصاصات الجرائد والكروت- كيف بدأت عائلة "مارفيل" بدءا من بيللي الناجي الوحيد أربعة أجيال من نجوم ساطعة في عالم المسرح وخامسهم في أول القرن العشرين، عام 1900
ولمحات من شكل مسارح لندن البديعة بالقرن الثامن عشر، وتأثر واضح بمسرح شكسبير وشخصياته


بعكس "هوجو"، الرواية الأشهر للمؤلف، هذا الفصل يعتبر الأطول والأكثر صفحات مرسومة -حوالي 390 صفحة، 195 لوحة فنية - دون ان يتخللها صفحة سردية واحدة
لذلك يمكنك أن تخمن ان الحكاية والحبكة بسيطة جدا بالمقارنة بالرواية سابقة الذكر

ومع ذلك بالرسوم الساحرة لبراين وذلك الشجن الجميل، الميلودراما والرومانسية ممزوجة بجنون المسرح، واختصار السنين بطريقة سينمائية بديعة بالصور المرسومة بالفحم او القلم الرصاص...ستقضي 133 سنة في ساعتي تأمل في تلك اللوحات البديعة ،بأقل القليل من الكلمات، فلا شك ان هناك عبقرية فنية هنا
وستشعر إنك تريد معرفة المزيد عما حدث بعد ذلك لآل مارفيل والذين ستألفهم فقط من خلال الرسوم
ولكن تنتهي حكايتنا بعد اللوحة 245...ليبدأ فصل ثاني مختلف تماما

الفصل الثاني

1990
جوزيف فتي في الثالثة عشر من عمره، ابيه رجل أعمال يرتحل وأمه من بلد لآخر ومن قارة لأخرى..يودعانه مدرسة داخلية ولكنه يهرب منها للبحث عن خاله في لندن الذي طالما تجنبت أمه الحديث عنه
يلتقي فتاة تدله علي بيت خاله، تعطيه فكرة مسبقة عن غرابة أطواره...فهو كأنه يعيش في القرن التاسع عشر، حتي بيته وديكوره. .وعشقه للمسرح الكلاسيكي

هو في الثلاثينات من عمره

لسبب ما لم تشر الرواية لذلك صراحة سوي بعد فترة من الأحداث لكن صدقني هذا افسد لي التخيل تماما، لذلك رأيت ان أخبرك-عاما عندما راجعت وجدتها تصف رجلا ليس كبيرا جدا بالسن علي كل حال

يقابل جوزيف خاله ليحاول ان يتعرف اكثر عن اصول عائلته...ولكنه يكتشف ان خاله يريد إخفاء كل شئ يخص عائلته بالأخص لقب عائلة ما وجده جوزيف ببيت خاله...عائلة مارفيل
ماذا يعرف خاله عن آل مارفيل، وما يربط بينه وبينهم؟ ولماذا يرفض الفصح عن اي شئ لجوزيف؟
انه كتاب واحد...بالتأكيد هناك رابط بين العائلتين..ولكن ماهو؟
عائلة واحدة؟ صداقة مفقودة؟ أشباح؟ تناسخ؟ تشابه أقدار؟
ربما كل ماسبق، ربما لا شئ مما سبق

هناك غموض...صدقني كما حدث معي ستجد نفسك تفكر في كل السيناريوهات السابقة وانت مدرك تماما انها حبكة مفقوسة متوقعة اتهرست في 100 فيلم
ولكني لا ينبغي ان اقول لك شيئا سوي انني تفاجئت. .. ادمعت عيني كثيرا-رغما عني- في ربعه الاخير رغم ابتسامة الحنين والجمال والأمل

هذا الفصل الثاني والاخير حوالي 220 صفحة سرد روائي فقط دون اي لوحة فنية تتخلل كل تلك الصفحات ...هذا ازعجني لانه أيضا عكس طريقة السرد ب"هوجو" ، ولا انكر ان بنصف هذا الفصل شعرت بشيء من الملل، فبنصف الفصل ستجد نفسك متوقعا كيف ستنتهي ، لتجد نفسك مخطئا جدا

طوال ربعه الاخير شعرت بذلك الشعور البشع،مرور الزمن...الوجع، الفقدان
ولكن شعرت بان هناك وفاء، اخلاص، امل قد يصنع المعجزات بحق

ولكن قبل ان نصل للنهاية وجب الحديث عن

الشخصيات

ونشوف ملامح البشر..متعادة في المواليد

من بيللي مارفل..الناجي من حادث 1766 وكلبه تار..إلي الكسندر مارفيل النجم المسرحي المصاب بهمس الجنون والذي يقوم بدور ملك الجنيات الخرافية اوبرين في مسرحية "حلم ليلة منتصف صيف"

إلي اوبرين مارفيل ملك "قصة الشتاء" لشكسبير والتي ستجد حتي ملامح المسرحيات معادة في حكايات أجيال مارفيل... إلي ليو مارفيل الصغير العاشق للرسم

وحتي العائلات بالجزء الثاني والذين لا يشاركون دماء مارفيل ستجد كلبا كتار كلب مارفيل تبحث عنه جارة جوزيف..وصداقات مختلفة وعلاقات متشابهة
واقدار متشابكة

أنت أما تراه وأما لا تراه
"Aut Visum Aut Non"
"You either see it or you don't."

ولكن حرص بريان علي أن تراه
شخصيات مرسومة بقوة وان اختلفت علي احد النهايات فأني لا انكر انها مشابهة للماضي ايضا...وبالتأكيد استمتعت جدا بالحكاية والشجن ومتابعة كل تلك التشابهات
لتاتي النهاية

النهاية

يخفت السرد رويدا ليظهر بضع اللوحات الفنية لتلخص لك النهاية كما فعلت اللوحات بالبداية لتختصر بضعة سنين

لتنتهي مسرحية اخري ابتدعها براين، متأثرا بجو المسرح الإنجليزي وشكسبير، روايات ديكينز بل وحكاية بيتربان ربما، لندن وزمن الجمال الذي خفت وطمسه اضواء الفائقة السطوع وضوضاء الديجيتال

ربما تقسيم الحكاية لجزء سردي منفصل عن الجزء اللوحات، وعدم تداخلهما كما في الرواية السابقة جنبا الي جنب اضعف قليلا من توقعاتي، ولكني عندما انظر له الآن اري انه لا بأس. .. بالعكس هذا ملائم جدا وموظفا بشكل ممتاز كما اثبت الربع الاخير من الرواية

في هوجو كان تكريم لاحد رواد فن السينما...شخصية حقيقية وافلام بجد وتكريم حدث بالفعل
هل آل مارفيل حقيقيون؟ لما لم نسمع عنهم؟
حسنا هو تكريم من نوع اخر...تكريم لزمن جميل، قراءة اجمل لشكسبير
وايضا تكريم لأحد اصحاب البيوت بلندن الذي حافظ علي جمال وعراقة القرن التاسع عشر وحفظه في رواية ثلاثية الابعاد، مجسمة حقيقية ملموسة
وجعله برايان رواية تعيشها بريشته وسرده السلس البسيط الممتع


ربما تضايقت قليلا من جزء بالنهاية عن المثلية كرره المؤلف وأري انه كان من الأفضل الاكتفاء به مرة واحدة بالأحداث، فشخصية صديق البطل لم يكن لها اي لزوم يذكر إلا ان كان لها ايضا اصول في الحقيقة

هل القصة حقيقية. .. ام هي خيال
هل كل هذا يحدث في رأسي فحسب كما سأل هاري بوتر دمبلدور يوماً ما؟
حسنا، كما يقول شعار الرواية... انت إما تراه أو لا



مسرحية تستحق وقتك...والان الخيار لك، هل ستحجز مقعداً؟

محمد العربي
من 14 يوليو 2016
الي 16 يوليو 2016

[jv poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that, right before blowing out every single candle on the cake, a young reader somewhere made a spectacular wish for a book filled with gorgeous illustrations and a fabulous, fanciful story rich with quirky characters, adventure and mystery. Mr. Selznick fulfilled this wish in grand fashion.

To open The Marvels is to be immediately immersed in a harrowing adventure at sea. In the blink of an eye….or to be precise, the turn of several pages, invested in the story of a shipwreck with spunky survivors. Illustrations that seem to float above the pages “tell” a compelling, heart-tugging tale. Delightful drawings seem to reach out and wrap around the reader, securing you in the story well before Mr. Selznick weaves his word magic.

When Mr. Selznick does put his pen to paper to write rather than draw, the result is no less stunning. His young, out-of-place-and-underfoot main character, Joseph, embodies awkward instances we’ve all endured. In his earnest desire to genuinely bond, to actually belong…he easily elicits empathy.

When the sweet, stubborn boy tracks down his eclectic, enigmatic uncle in London, Joseph is sure he’s off to a terrible start. Genuine curiosity, compassionate neighbors and most importantly, time, make the reunion more palatable and the untold story of Joseph’s past is slowly revealed.

In a sly, subtle shift, Mr. Selznick spins two separate, yet supporting stories in one brilliant book. Both with breathtaking backdrops: The Marvel family in the theatre and Joseph’s in his uncle’s frozen-in-time home. In the end, it seemed that I was moved by two different families. I was close, but not correct.

My very favorite parts of the book occurred to me days after I’d finished the story. Mr. Selznick managed to encompass serious social issues such as loss, suddenly and inexplicably; alongside of loss that is excruciating slow, as two men deeply in love are both infected with AIDS. Intrigued and impressed, I finished the book by reading the Afterword, where Mr. Selznick sprung one more surprise. A large part of this fantasy is based loosely on the lives of two very real people.

This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! Pretty atmosphere and symbolic, which made the book so meaningful and beautiful to read. I loved how the illustrations were woven into the story and the intricacies that went along with it, and this was definitely a well-done book that I'd recommend! Selznick is just a genius.

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just...I can't even...It's so hard to find the perfect words to describe how I felt about this book.


I read both Wonderstruck and The Invention of Hugo Cabret and I loved both of them so much. Ever since those books, I couldn't stop thinking about how powerful they were. Brian Selznick is one of the most unique authors that I have read from. He uses pictures and words in a beautiful way and the stories connect and everything slides into place.

All of his books have a powerful meaning to them and sometimes, it hurts so much to read this book because of the feels! But it is all worth it because it's hard to find a book like his. I experienced something so magical and beautiful, and when I finished the book, I was in tears. It was too good to be true and I was so shocked that I had finished the book.


This book is told both in both pictures and words, where the two stories collide and connect in some sort of way. The pictures are the story of the Marvels family, a family filled with actors and actresses and how their family became that famous. It shows the background of the Marvel family and how everyone is important. The words story is about a boy named Joseph who decides to run away with his friend Blink to his Uncle's house. But when Joseph was going to run away, Blink disappeared and Joseph has to run away all by himself.

While I was reading this book, I kept making crazy theories and I was thinking the same things Joseph was thinking. It messed with my brain so much and I loved that, it was so interesting to follow the different stories. All the stories made sense and everything seemed to fit in place in the end.

The characters were unique and I loved all of them, Florent, Albert, Joseph, Frankie, I could go on forever. They all were lovable in some sort of way and it felt like I had a connection with all of them. It was either because I felt they were easy to relate to or because they were so unique. So many characters were funny and made up for the depressing moments of the book.

Out of all of the books I read by Brian Selznick, I feel like this one was the most saddest one but awesome one at the same time. I can't pick a favorite out of all of his books because they are all beautiful and unique in their own way. I loved how this was kinda based off of a true story and how there was a huge note from Brian Selznick in the end.

Me and my friend were reading the first 40 pages together and we both loved it. The book is beautiful inside and out, I love how the edges of the pages are gold, it adds a look to the book. If I even wanted to be noticed by anyone, I could just carry this book around. (This book is so heavy, I felt like it was heavier than 3 of my textbooks combined, BUT THAT'S A GOOD THING!)

I highly, highly highly recommend that you read books by Brian Selznick, he is so unique and it is hard to find authors like him. I loved this book and hope to own it soon on my bookshelf, I don't want to return it. :( After reading this book, my hands were itching to reread it and I wanted to grab all of Brian Selznick's other books to read but I don't own them yet. I can't wait until the next book that Mr.Selznick will write, I am so excited! Anyway, I really hope you read this book, you will not regret it and this book will stay in your heart forever.

[Nikola]

DNF
W porównaniu do pozostałych dwóch książek autora, które czytałam, ta obchodzi mnie tyle co zeszłoroczny śnieg. Wielka szkoda.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Obviously Selznick does amazing things. His art is fantastic and I love that he basically writes highly sophisticated picture books. I’d love to see more books follow his example actually. That said, I didn’t find the story contained in The Marvels particularly compelling.

There’s actually not really a plot here at all. I mean, there’s the pseudo-mystery of Joseph’s uncle’s house, but really not much happens in this book at all. There’s something aged about this book, and I don’t mean the historical setting. It seems more almost to be about Albert than about his nephew.

It didn’t help that the start, the illustrated tale of the Marvels was so much more interesting than the text part. It might have been a more even tale for me had Joseph learned bits of the story as he searched the house, so the illustrations were mixed in.

Worth a read because it’s short and Selznick is worth checking out, but not one I’ll be revisiting.

[Carolyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think any amount of stars, on Goodreads or in the night sky, will convey just how much this book and it’s creator mean to me!!! Brian Selznick became my inspiration when I discovered his book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” at age 9. Now, at age 23, Brian Selznick is still my inspiration after reading all of the breathtaking books he’s created since then!
It sounds incredibly over dramatic, but it couldn’t be more true…He is the reason I am the reader, illustrator, and writer I am today!
While I being completely honest, I must admit that this book made me cry more than any other book I’ve ever read! Not only did the story have a great affect on me, but the book, as a creation, is more inspiring to me than I’ll ever be able to articulate!
One of the best feelings to have as a reader, is when you read a book and it feels like it was written just for you, as if the author had exactly YOU in mind! This book gave me that feeling, so I must say…
Thank you so much Brian Selznick for writing this book for me ;)

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking.

I've seen some people who don't love this book, and their reasons seem to mostly be because it's different from his others. Instead of the pictures being intermingled with the text, there is one complete story told in pictures for the first 2/3rds of the pages, then a story entirely in text for the rest of the book. But there's a reason why, and the reason is a very startling twist, and I loved it.

His prose is very straightforward, simple really, and almost as quick to read as the pictures, yet when you're done you're left with this amazing mental image of all these people and their lives. It's absolutely gorgeous. I also think I was ready to fall in love with the book, too, because I got it at an event where he first talked and showed pictures for over an hour. He covered his process in creating his books (the pictures, in real life, are TINY and it would be like designing a dollar bill over and over again!), and he also talked about the inspiration for this book, and the real life places that he explored and used for models. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's wonderful, and there's an afterword in the book discussing some of that. I also think it interesting that the format of the book is a form that he's exploring. In HUGO he told one story with pictures and words. In WONDERSTRUCK he wanted to tell two linked stories, one with pictures and one with words, going back and forth, but with this book he purposely decided to tell one entire story with pictures, and one entire story with words, but not mix them together.

This worked for me, I think also because the book itself is so beautiful. The colors, the cover, the gilded edges, the beautiful paper quality, all just made my little bookworm heart swoon. I'd pick this as a hot contender for whatever awards they can give it, and I hope it wins. It's my favorite of the three, which he considers an unofficial trilogy (THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, WONDERSTRUCK, THE MARVELS).

[Monica Edinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

my blog review.

Brian Selznick is one of the great artists of our time. In what is now a trilogy (The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck, and now The Marvels ) he has created a unique storytelling style, one that blends illustration and text in an engrossingly original way. It is an aesthetic and emotive experience not like that of a graphic novel, but one closer to a cinematic viewing experience or a theatrical one; the three books are rich with scenes of powerful beauty created with paper, page turns, close-ups, and more. Upon completing The Marvels, I sat still, feeling as I did after a remarkable theatrical experience, say a dramatic opera, a visually stunning film, or a striking play, in awe of what I'd just experienced. Hours later it lingers with me, a gorgeous work of art.

The Marvels begins in the 18th century with images, hundreds of pages of them relating a mysterious story of a theatrical family over several generations. Ships and theaters, riggings and scenery, weather and atmosphere, adventure and drama, light and dark, youth and age, convention and strangeness  --- it is all there. Midway the images end and it is 1990 with a story now told exclusively in words. We meet Joseph who has run away from boarding school and is now in London desperately seeking out the one address he knows: 18 Folgate Street where his uncle lives, someone he knows nothing about and has never met. A fortunate encounter with a child his own age finally brings him to his relative who is not at all happy that he has come. There are mysteries galore --- that of Joseph's uncle's remarkable house, of Joseph's friend from school who has disappeared, of his and his uncle's family, and of another one called the Marvels. By the end, the first two parts of the book are made whole in a brief, but powerful and brave conclusion, told again in drawings, set in the present day.

The book was inspired by a remarkable man, Dennis Severs, his house in London at 18 Folgate Street, and his friend David Milne. My own familiarity with their story, visit to the house a few years ago, and experiences during the period of the second part of the novel made my reading of The Marvels both aesthetically powerful and personally significant. As Joseph's story and that of his uncle's and his house began to unfold I started to recognize aspects of it and had a premonition as to where the story was going, causing me to remember others, artists I knew and cared for so much and whose lives were all too brief. And so I know that my reading was quite likely different from that of someone without my background, especially child readers.

Thank you, Brian, for The Marvels, for creating this work of art that remembers, looks behind and ahead, that celebrates the power of love, of art, of books, and the future with extraordinary art, grace, and elegance.

[Mayra Sigwalt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mais um livro lindo do Brian Selznick! Tanto esteticamente quanto a história que está sendo contada. Uma coisa que gosto muito nos livros dele, é o entrelaçar de histórias e como há sempre uma criança tentando se encontrar no meio de tudo isso. Gosto também que em cada livro ele trabalhou uma temática cultural. Em A Invenção de Hugo Cabret foi o cinema, em Sem Fôlego foram os museus, e agora o teatro. A historia dessa família é muito instigante, mas a história dentro da história é a que toca o coração.
Achei só que no final as conclusões foram um pouco corridas, mas gostei muito da leitura!!

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful, unique book with wonderful storylines and beautiful illustrations. After around half the book being a story of illustrations and no text, we meet Joseph, a run away, equally unhappy at school as at home, he has uninterested parents who are not present in his life and he doesn't fit in at school. Running away he reaches his uncle Andrew, whose artistic, museum like house gives Joseph a safe haven, a place to fit in and a mystery to solve. A book about discovering who you are and coping with the loss of loved ones. I appreciated the acknowledgement that a happy family doesn't always involve the parents you were born to and I enjoyed the end pages of factual information about the story.

[Xandra (StarrySkyBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why have I never put this on my "Read" shelf? I've read it like twice!

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was magnificent and is solidly tied with Wonderstruck (also by Selznick) for my favourite of his three books. This one is formatted slightly differently from the previous two becuase it's half told in pictures and half told in text, but unlike his previous works the pictures do not dissect the text, rather there is one section of solid imagery and one section of solid text.

This is the story of the Marvels, a family of actors with great notoriety and a wonderful past on the stage. This story is then woven together with Joseph, a young boy who just wants to get away from his boarding school and so he goes to visit his uncle (who he's never before met) in London. As these two stories compare the image-based one took me far less time to get into, but the text story really drew everything together and I do have to admit I did shed some tears because it really was a beautiful and sad tale.
Some of the elements Selznick weaves into this story felt more modern with same sex couples and other interesting family dynamics playing a role. I really liked seeing this as I felt it worked incredibly well and felt totally natural within the story.

Finally, as always with Selznick, I have to say the artwork is stunning and the pencil images always draw you in and make you anxious to see what will happen next because they are like little stop-frames of what's actually going on.

For me, this was excellent, and although the format was a little more of an adjustment for me, it paid off hugely as it hit me hard and was a wonderful tale. 5*s really recommended... My only problem now is that I have run out of Selznick books and I know I will be buying whatever he brings out in the future!!

[Simona Stoica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recenzia completă: http://bit.ly/2oKJaIJ

„- Chiar şi un ceas defect arată ora corectă de două ori pe zi.”

În spatele cortinei, costumele îi așteaptă pe artiști. Replicile sunt rostite în şoaptă, cuvintele sunt absorbite de hârtie și de suflet. Cerneala se usucă pe anunțurile de la casa de bilete. Titluri imense sunt imprimate pe afișe, cronici și critici, promisiunile unei noi capodopere. Actorii se ascund în cabinele de probă sau îşi întâlnesc fanii în culise, entuziasmaţi şi înfricoşaţi în egală măsură. Scena le pregătește capcane, însă ei nu se tem. Minunata familie Marvel niciodată nu se teme.

Nu am citit cel mai cunoscut roman al lui Brian Selznick, Invenția lui Hugo Cabret, prilej cu care mi-am atras câteva semne de întrebare din partea mai multor bloggeri de carte. În 2007, eu devoram serii cu vampiri, vârcolaci şi îngeri, şi mă feream de romanele destinate copiilor, singura mea slăbiciune fiind Cronicile din Wardstone, una dintre seriile mele de suflet. Trebuie să îţi mărturisesc că am citit-o şi la „maturitate” şi mi-a plăcut mai mult. Atmosfera întunecată şi înfricoşătoare, înfruntările dintre Bine şi Rău, lecţiile despre vrăjitoare, Grimalkin şi magia… rece, periculoasă şi nelimitată.

În Minunata familie Marvel, magia este diferită. Nu se rezumă la vrăji, ritualuri şi incantaţii, la un grimoar blestemat, ce ajunge (aproape întotdeauna) în mâinile greşite. Magia lui Selznick îmbină cuvintele şi imaginile într-o poveste fermecătoare şi nostalgică, un dar nesperat pentru cititorii de toate vârstele, atât de ocupaţi cu dezlegarea enigmelor şi căutarea indiciilor, încât vor ignora răspunsul, dureros de realist.

Cheia misterului este un puzzle, însă piesele lipsă au fost răspândite de Brian Selznick pe durata a trei secole. Unele nu se potrivesc şi te îndrumă greşit, prelungindu-ţi călătoria. Altele sunt înşelătoare şi refuză să îţi spună secretul lor, de ce au fost alese şi modelate sub forma unor întrebări, şi nu a unor răspunsuri. Eu am citit greşit indiciile şi, deşi am acceptat cu mare entuziasm provocarea autorului, la finalul romanului m-am simţit sedusă şi abandonată, uimită de ingeniozitatea lui Selznick. Mi-a oferit mult prea repede adevărul, iar eu nu am observat că e înconjurat de minciuni şi de iluzii.

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pentru mine a fost o lectură uluitoare și inedită. Nu am mai citit niciodată un roman care să aibă o poveste în imagini și alta în cuvinte. Iar modul în care s-au contopit... Minunat! Să încerc să descriu această trecere e ca și cum aș încerca să exprim respirația dintre cuvinte sau să povestesc arcul de aer pe care l-a trasat autorul după fiecare detaliu finisat. Deși structura romanului este mai potrivită pentru cititorii adolescenți, eu i-aș pune mai ales pe adulți să îl citească, pentru că este o carte despre cum copiii sunt afectați de indiferența părinților și se închid în lumea lor, despre cum, uneori, suntem doar rătăciți, nu pierduți, despre cum aparențele sunt deseori reflexii ale noastre, nu ale celor care le poartă. O carte complexă în care fiecare se va regăsi, într-o ilustrație sau într-un cuvânt. Minunata familie Marvel ar putea fi familia voastră. Trebuie doar... să vă scrieți singuri povestea! Recenzia completă aici: https://sandradeaconu.blogspot.ro/201...

[Valerie Book Valkyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Fantabulous Stars!
To say this Gem of a book is a Graphic Novel is akin to saying a French Lace Collar is a Ball of Twine!
Intended for “middle graders”, this brief book trailer with the author says, and shows, it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIenA...

The book was inspired by a remarkable man, Dennis Severs, his house in London at 18 Folgate Street: https://dennissevershouse.co.uk/, and his friend David Milne: https://www.davidmilne.info/.

This truly is a case where what goes on between the pages, visually and prosaically, is as beautiful as the cover art! A physical, as well as a children's literature, work of wonder, I just had to possess my own copy! Highly recommend.

[Suad Shamma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed by this book. Perhaps I should have read more into it before blindly buying it, but I bought it spontaneously because of the beautiful cover and the mysteriously magical synopsis. Also Brian Selznick is known for his fantastical stories, such as Hugo, and I expected no less from this one.

I was all set to read about this family's eccentric life of theatre and peculiar characters and the mysteries behind the house and so on. Instead, all I got was this strangely boring story of a boy who ran away from school to his uncle's place in London, hoping to find his best friend who had run away before him. He finds all these strange occurrences at his uncle's house and with the help of the neighbor's daughter tries to find out more about his family's history. And when he thinks he has it all figured out, his uncle confesses that it is all a lie and that their history is actually quite ordinary and not very interesting.

I was let down, and I felt like I had wasted so much of my time on this book. Not to mention that the entire first half of this really big book is filled with haphazard drawings that really weren't to my taste. Obviously, that is a personal preference. It seems a lot of the other readers found the artwork to be magnificent, but it wasn't for me. It's not my style, and it was difficult to keep up with what was going on just by the illustrations. I found myself quickly skipping through the drawings to get to the actual story and try to understand what was happening and what I had missed. The thing is, that in itself seemed like a waste of time and paper as well, because Selznick repeats everything he had conveyed in his drawings in the written part of the book, having us go through it twice.

Only to find out it was all made up of course.

A story within a story so to speak. And not the most exciting one.

In addition to that, I did not like the characters, and so I was not invested in what happened to them. In fact, my least favorite character was the girl - dressed as a boy - who was extremely irritating to me. I think the fact that I can't actually remember any of the characters' names speaks volumes of how I feel about the book. So I'll just leave it at that.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing his unique theme of storytelling, Selznick takes his readers on a dual adventure told in pictures and then words. The first adventure is experienced solely in pictures and begins in 1776 on a ship named the Kraken. After a massive storm, there is only a single survivor: Billy Marvel. The pictures tell of his story, how he came to be connected to the Royal Theatre in London, and how subsequent generations became well-known actors with their own story to tell. The visually impressive illustrated story continues for over 400 pages and ends with an air of mystery.



Flashing forward to the 1990s, we’re introduced to Joseph Jervis who has just ran away from boarding school to go in search of his Uncle Albert. Joseph’s parents are the absent sort and he’s hoping to find a family, a place to call home. Finding his Uncle ends up being a letdown seeing as he wants to immediately send Joseph back to where he belongs and doesn’t show any interest in getting to know each other. Joseph takes comfort in his Uncle’s old house that’s filled with history and a certain story that Joseph desperately wants to uncover. While the story of Joseph is an intriguing one, what’s more intriguing is how his story and that of Billy Marvel’s, two seemingly isolated stories, could possibly be connected. The connection slowly begins to piece together, flowering into a beautifully simplistic story about love and family.



I really adored this story; it even managed to elicit some teary-eyed feels. I loved the combination of pictures/words and was most impressed that Selznick managed to make his words-only storytelling just as mentally visual as his illustrations-only story. This charmingly simplistic story won me over completely and I definitely intend on picking up all of Selznick’s other works.

Many thanks to Wendy for gifting me this lovely story.

[Kayla Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the length of time I spent on this book fool you, we were right in the middle of end-of-the-year school madness so I was forced to put it (and everything else) down for a while. This book was incredible. I loved everything about it - hands down my favorite from Selznick yet. I had no idea where this was going, none at all. I thought I had it figured out but I was so very far from close. When I had to put it down halfway through due to work, I thought I knew where it was going so imagine my surprise when I picked it up again and went hurdling in an entirely new direction! I stayed up long into the night to finish after that. I want to badly to say more, but I couldn't spoil it for you like that. It is beyond marvelous and I highly recommend it.

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian Selznick has made a 3rd masterpiece in a row. This book is about good stories, Shakespeare, Ships, and hard life experiences. I like how straight forward the gay uncle is presented. This book is about layers and creating your own life. The art is beautiful in the book and the outside is gorgeous also. I will miss having this story to read. It was incredible. It is so well told - really. If you are going to read any middle grade, try Brian Selznick after Harry Potter. Also, if you like graphic novels, this is a great gateway into part novel part graphic novel of sorts. I was moved by this book. It looks long and it's only about 250 pages of words really. It should be on anyone's reading list.

[Spens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO GOOD!!! It was also very emotional 😭😭😭. Brian Selznick never fails to capture me with his storytelling both in words and in pictures. And the fact that his books draw from real-life people and experiences which he properly gives homage to at the end of the story just makes everything all the more meaningful. This story is bound to be one of my all-time favorites. Easily one of my favorite books of 2021. I hope he keeps writing and making these books!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about reading this book since I am one of the few people who wasn't bowled over by another of the author's books, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I enjoyed the illustrations in that book, but I thought the characters and the story lacked depth. Not so in the case of this book which had not one but two stories to tell, each of them amazing in their own right, and doubly so as they intertwined. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about them without spoiling things. But what I will say is this: this book is unique in its design with the first 387 pages containing a story told strictly through illustrations. These aren't colorful illustrations. Rather, they were created by the author using pencil and charcoal to form highly expressive scenes brimming with emotions conveyed through shadow and light.

This first story begins in 1766, when young Billy Marvel becomes the only survivor of a shipwreck, and without family and money, and against all odds, goes on to found five generations of actors at a famous London theater. This generational story was fascinating, made even more so by the fact that pictures alone conveyed it, in all its intricacies. And when it finally came to an end, I quickly flipped to the page where the next story began, one told only in words.

This second story begins in 1990, ninety years after the end of the previous story. This story focuses on another young boy named Joseph Jervis who, neglected by his rich parents and misunderstood, runs away from his boarding school to find an uncle in London he's never met and knows little about. What he finds along with his uncle is his uncle's strange and mysterious house that proves a puzzle to Joseph as much as his uncle and his own family history. Joseph sets off with the help of a friend to solve a mystery that leads to others he must solve if he is ever to learn the truth about his family and himself.

By the end of this book, these two seemingly separate stories collided in a most unusual and creative way to form yet a third story that was rich and deep, and filled with characters that were three dimensional, imperfect and highly sympathetic to the reader as their stories unfolded, layer upon layer. And as if this weren't enough, yet another story is revealed in the afterword when the author and illustrator, Mr. Selznick, tells of his inspiration for this book. Don't miss reading this section which is incredible.

This book is both satisfying and suitable for adults and children ten years of age and older. As a note, there are some mature elements in the second story concerning Joseph's uncle which are dealt with sensitively and are a credit to the author who bravely included them in a children's book.

This is a wonderful and imaginative book for people who enjoy mysteries. It's also beautiful in its design with a striking cover and gold edged pages that form a reflective surface along three sides of the book. Don't be put off by its hefty size of 665 pages since more than half are filled with illustrations, the rest with an intriguing and emotionally satisfying story I'm glad I read.

[Roberta Frontini (Blogue FLAMES) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posso dizer que este livro é MARAVILHOSO e que foi dos melhores livros da VIDA? POSSO??? POSSO??? <3

[Rita Araújo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Em estado de ENCANTAMENTO total <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

“That’s what life is, Joseph realized, miracles and sadness, side by side.”

I fell in love with Brian Selznick's artwork in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which I think is the reason I keep coming back to read his new books. I love the way his sketchbook-style, beautiful charcoal drawings resemble movie scenes, with the pages zooming in on characters' expressions.



There are pages and pages of these wonderful drawings.



The thing is, although I've always found Selznick's artwork stunning, his stories seem much weaker in comparison. Plot wise, The Invention of Hugo Cabret was my favorite because I enjoyed the mysterious story of a boy living in a clock tower in a train station, stealing food to survive.



Selznick's later works, Wonderstruck and now The Marvels, both have very simplistic story lines that I never found too intriguing. They usually have some nice themes about family or friendship, but the characters just aren't complex enough, the plots not quite as exciting as I'd like them to be.

In The Marvels, the story follows a line of theater actors (in pictures) and years later, Joseph, who runs away to his uncle's strange house in London (in words).



The way The Marvels ended was a bit strange for me, or else I probably would have rated it four stars because I really loved the four hundred pages of gorgeous artwork. I'm sure I'll fall prey to whatever Selznick publishes next just to get another taste of his mesmerizing drawings.

[Roya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is one of those books I'll enjoy more with the passing of time. It gives you something to think about without being predictable. Out of all the books by Selznick I've read, this is probably the most dialogue focused. I don't think it's his strongest work, but it's worth reading all the same. Discovering how much research really went into making this book was also fascinating. I'd love to pay a visit to the house one day.

[Filipa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este é um daqueles livros que não tenho palavras para descrever. Acabei-o durante a semana e aguardei até hoje para tentar escrever algo sobre ele e, mesmo assim, não consigo.... muito bem.

Não há nada que eu posso dizer sobre ele, só expressar através das CINCO estrelinhas que lhe atribuí, as minhas primeiras do ano corrente.

Acrescento ainda que o próprio livro enquanto objecto é de uma construção brilhante.
Com margens douradas e com desenhos a carvão levam a experiência de leitura a um outro nível... levam a Londres em 1766 e a Londres em 1990...

São duas histórias num livro. A primeira contada através de desenho, conta a história de um menino que sobrevive a um naufrágio, apenas ele e o seu patudo fiel: Tar.

Quando é salvo desse naufrágio, um dia, a passear por Londres encontra um teatro a ser construído de raíz e é aí que vai passar-se o seu futuro.
Vai pertencer à família de actores do teatro por muitas e muitas gerações...

A segunda parte do livro, é contada através de texto e, aqui, é contada uma história de um rapaz de 13 anos, Joseph, que foge do colégio onde estuda, e foge para Londres, indo ter com o tio que é conhecido na vizinhança como sendo algo... bizarro.
Foge do colégio e dos pais pois estes são muito ausentes...

Aqui o tio vive numa casa que parece... do século passado... e Joseph encanta-se com os quadros de um barco chamado "Kraken"... e com os nomes e pinturas de pessoas que já viu em qualquer lado...

Estas histórias que aparentemente nada têm em comum, interligam-se e formam uma SÓ história que me enterneceu o coração.
(You either see it or you don't.)

É uma história triste mas... muito... muito bonita.

Termino com citações e referências a Shakespeare (que por si só é uma personagem neste livro):

"Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild, With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand".

"Standing on the roof at night, beside the
golden ship
I look across the city and i dream a wild trip.
The waves are high, the wind is strong, the
moon is white and full.
I smell the salt upon the sea, a strong
magnetic pull.
I shout into the endless dark, awaiting the reply:
"Away! Away" It says:"Away! Now spread
your wings and fly."