Inkheart - Cornelia Funke

Published by The Chicken House: Somerset, UK, 2004.
Originally published in Germany as Tintenherz, 2003.
Translated from German by Anthea Bell.

I read this book in the background of English classes during silent reading time, and honestly, if I had been more organised and found another book, I probably wouldn't have finished it.

It's very slow.

Having some awareness of the book - mostly by knowing there was a movie based on it some years ago - I knew that Mo, the father figure in the book, has the ability to "read characters out of books." That is a hugely important part of the book, and not really a spoiler; its important to the set up. And yet, we don't learn about that ability - we're not even absolutely sure that the book is a fantasy - until chapter 16, which begins on page 143 out of 543. There are hints, but only hints.

And yes, books can work well when they drop hints about things without outright telling you, but there needs to be other interesting things going on in order to hold the audience's attention. In Inkheart, there is plot... but its not all that gripping.

I feel bad saying this, because there are some people that love this book, but its so slow.

Even the way people talk is long-winded, and seems a bit artificial. It does make me wonder if this is the result of the book being translated from German? 

Anyway, there are eventually some interesting elements to the story, and the fantasy aspect grows a little, but for me, it was too little, too late.

Not one I'll read again.

Completed 19 September 2025.

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