Author: Brian Selznick
Illustrator: Brian Selznick
© Date: 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 667
Chapters: Yes
Illustrations: Yes
Publisher Recommended Age: 10 years and up
Bonus Activities at End of Book: No
Summary from Book: In this magnificent reimagining of the form he originated, two stand-alone stories—the first in nearly 400 pages of continuous pictures, the second in prose—together create a beguiling narrative puzzle.
The journey begins on a ship at sea in 1766, with a boy names Billy Marvel. After surviving a shipwreck, he finds work in a London theatre. There, his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage.
Nearly a century later, Joseph Jervis runs away from school and seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightingale’s strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past.
A gripping adventure and an intriguing invitation to decipher how the two narratives connect, The Marvels is a loving tribute to the power of story from an artist at the vanguard of creative innovation.
Page Pig Thoughts: This one was an amazing story, but is intense/heavy at times. I read through this one rather quickly and was particularly intrigued that I was over 500 pages into a story and had no idea what was really going on. I loved how the pictures were used to differentiate two different parts of the story, but both the pictures and the prose were able to carry a mystery on their own.
I particularly loved that Joseph was able to find a family member that he related to, and in that process, Joseph was able to help Albert remember that time does not stop and life can still be lived. Thanks to his time with Albert, Joseph is able to find an understanding with himself and move more confidently through life.
In the end, I suppose the question is what stories do we tell ourselves so much that we believe they are true? Are they really true?
Use caution with younger or sensitive readers, the fires and death may be unsettling.
Family Unit: Joseph was at boarding school, but runs away to his Uncle Albert’s house
Conflict/Social Issues:
- Joseph feels left out of life, his best friend left school and his parents are busy traveling and don’t visit him on school holidays
- Albert has been in mourning and staying secluded in his home
Positive Items:
- The house motto of “you either see it or you don’t” seems applicable to lots of things in life.
- Sometimes the person that will help you find yourself is the person that you haven’t even met yet. If you are brave enough, you can move on to a new journey for yourself. But maybe don’t run away from life in a snowstorm.
- Joseph is able to find a loving family in Albert, Frankie, and Frankie’s parents.
Items of Interest:
- The picture portion of the story has a few fires that kill people. A shipwreck kills an older brother. Two babies are left in baskets on doorsteps.
- Joseph lived around the world with his parents, but had been sent away after an incident with fire. Joseph was remembering his grandfather and created a fireplace in his room with an actual fire. His parents did not realize why he set the fire, but sent Joseph away to boarding school.
- Joseph runs away from boarding school after an incident with a fire from a candle. Joseph runs away to his Uncle Albert’s house, but Joseph has never met his uncle and knows nothing about him.
- Turns out Albert has been in mourning for his life partner, Billy, that died of AIDS. Albert was also feeling guilt and sadness over the death of a boy that he had taken on and loved as his own He was not really leaving the house or doing anything.
- Albert had taken in a troubled boy, Marcus, years before. They had started the process of fixing up a house to its nineteenth century glory. When Albert met Billy, the three of them worked on fixing up the house together.
- Albert and Billy were proud when Marcus left the house to go out and start his life’s work on ships. Unfortunately, Marcus died traveling to his job.
- Joseph and Albert find an understanding and love for each other. Joseph starts a boarding school near London so that he can visit Albert on his school breaks.
- Albert dies of AIDS.
- When Joseph says that he wishes that he could stop time, Frankie says that time is supposed to move forward. Joseph asks, “But what if you don’t like what happens?” Frankie says, “Then…you change it.”
- Joseph’s mother says that they sent him away to boarding school so that he could receive guidance. Joseph asks, “But what if that guidance isn’t the right guidance for me?”
- At the end of the story, Joseph is an adult and lives with George. They have a baby named Albert.