A review by nglofile
The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu
2.0
An odd little book, and I can't quite determine if I liked it or not. It begins well, and I initially liked the writing, but the longer the book goes on, the more a sense of disillusionment manifests itself.
This is a tale of both fancy and creepiness, yes, but the erotic dreams the boy has as a pre-teen and the relationship he has as a teen were just disturbing. Is this a European convention? If the characters were older, the tone and story would still be mind-bending. Why insist on dealing with youths? The last chapters seem like something out of a Twilight Zone episode, and in this context that's not a compliment.
audiobook note: Jim Dale is amazingly talented, and I can't help but jump in line for anything he records. However, the Scottish brogue given to the title character (and therefore used prodigiously throughout the book) was not wholly effective.
This is a tale of both fancy and creepiness, yes, but the erotic dreams the boy has as a pre-teen and the relationship he has as a teen were just disturbing. Is this a European convention? If the characters were older, the tone and story would still be mind-bending. Why insist on dealing with youths? The last chapters seem like something out of a Twilight Zone episode, and in this context that's not a compliment.
audiobook note: Jim Dale is amazingly talented, and I can't help but jump in line for anything he records. However, the Scottish brogue given to the title character (and therefore used prodigiously throughout the book) was not wholly effective.