The House With a Clock in its Walls

The House With a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs           AudioBook:  4 hrs, 33mins       Paperback Book:  179 pages             

I enjoyed this book and I am definetly looking forward to seeing the film version.     Ten year old Lewis Barnavelt is orphaned when his parents are killed in a car crash.   He is forced to move from his home in Wisconsin to live with his Uncle Jonathan in his home in Zeebeedee, Michigan.   Lewis is not familiar with his Uncle who makes visually picture the actor/comedian Billy Connoly in my mind, though I think Jack Black plays him in the film version.   Lewis is happy because his Uncle Jonathan lives in a 3 story mansion.   There is weird ticking heard in the walls from time to time and Lewis witnesses his Uncle up in the wee hours taking an axe to the walls.   Lots of fun and freaky things afoot in this house and the reader later learns that there is magic afoot.    Turns out there are witches and wizards and an evil witch and wizard who formerly lived in the house before his Uncle did.    It is a story of coming of age and learning the hard way that you really can’t buy friendship, and you can’t win friendship by mis truths and trying to impress.   While Uncle Jonathan turns out to be a really great guy Lewis presses Uncle Jonathan into doing magical things to try to keep Lewis’ “friend” Tarby (a lot of story involved here) amused.   Talking too much often leads to trouble and so it does for Lewis.    Denying wrong doings or perhaps better said, doing wrong and not saying anything about it causes grave circumstances for everyone.    Good thing Uncle is a Wizard and his best friend is a witch.     Sometimes trying to be something we are not leads to dire events and so does this.    Good book, good characters, great story.   Yes, I do recommend this one, but, read the book before you see the film in case some things are left out or changed.  

- Shirley J.