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Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: When Lewis's parents die, Lewis is sent off to live with his uncle in Michigan. Lewis heard that he was a drunk. When Lewis finds out that Jonathon, his uncle, is a wizard, he also finds out that there is a clock in the walls of the house somewhere and it has to be stopped. ****I have reviewed several of his books so check them out!!
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Summary: My childhood favorite has become my adult favorite
Review: "The House With A Clock In It's Walls" was my favorite book when I discovered it at age ten. Now that I'm almost thirty, it's still my favorite book. I feel transported into the exciting worlds that Mr. Bellairs created for his characters, and I think I will always enjoy this escape. What could be more fun than coming home from work, snuggling up in bed and sneaking around a graveyard with Lewis? And Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan are witty, amusing and alot of fun. The kind of relatives I never had!! Read this book-you and your kids will love it!
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Summary: Great spooky book--and a great 'Net site.
Review: John Bellairs' THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS is his first book for young readers. It's the story of newly orphaned Lewis Barnavelt, who moves to the town of New Zebedee, Michigan, to live with his uncle Jonathan. To Lewis' surprise, Uncle Jonathan turns out to be a wizard, and his next-door neighbor, the folksy, friendly Mrs. Zimmermann, is a witch--but both are on the side of good magic. Not so was Isaac Izard, the former tenant of Uncle Jonathan's house. In fact, Isaac and his repulsive wife have left a sort of time bomb hidden somewhere in the walls--a Doomsday Clock that could cause the end of the world. Lewis' adventures are exciting, blending the comfortable and the familiar with the terrifying and the bizarre, and as always with John Bellairs, there's a hefty dose of good humor.
For those who are interested, there's a nifty 'Net site dedicated to John Bellairs and his work at http://www.pitt.edu/~jjast2/bellairs/cb.html
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Summary: This Book was great and Bellairs fans should read this one.
Review: THIS WAS BELLAIRS FIRST CHILDREN'S BOOK AND HIS BEST.
BELLAIRS FANS SHOULD WELCOME THIS ONE.
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Summary: Bellairs' Best
Review: It was his first Gothic chiller for the younguns, and was his best.Orphan Lewis Barnavelt moves to the town of New Zebedee, MI, to live with his uncle Jonathan, only to find himself in the middle of eerie goings on. Why does his uncle behave so oddly? Why do things change around the house? Why does the front hall mirror show images of faraway places? And...what is the reason for the ticking sound heard in the walls of the old Victorian mansion they live in? All this is contrasted with some of the everyday problems that Lewis faces. He's a fat, bookish kid who's no good at sports and also fairly depressed, so of course he worries about bullies and about making friends. Supernatural chills abound as Lewis discovers that his uncle is a wizard (although not a very powerful one) and that another, evil wizard is using the clock for a nefarious purpose. The story ends happily and has a good message about courage. Bellairs maintains just the right balance between scares and whimsy in this terrific little book, great for middle readers and for adults looking for an afternoon's amusement. I would like to see the return of the original Edward Gorey cover, but his illustrations are still there and are sublime.
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Summary: For All you Harry Hordes...
Review: I read this book because it was on the "If you liked Harry then read this" list. The story line is great, and the last several chapters are compelling and scary. Bellairs does a great job of blending suspense and fantasy, just as Rowling has done with the Harry Potter series. This is a must read for all harry potter fans (I recommend to read it while waiting for number 5) This is a great book because of its storyline and setting. The story is typical for a boy Lewis's age- trying to fit in,but failing. The setting is the greatest creation of the author. A house filled with fireplaces, a clock(or clocks?), and secret passageways. Another 5 star classic for anyone
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Summary: The House With a Clock in Its Walls review by Meghan Feely
Review: Looking for a great read? That is what readers are sure to find when they step into the wild adventures of The House With a Clock in It's Walls by John Belliars. From the very get go readers will be sucked into the mysterious and incredibly thought out plot in this classic adventure tale. Bellairs does a wonderful job of incorporating magic and adventure and the everyday troubles of childhood in this exciting story about a orphan boy by the name of Lewis Barnavelt. When Lewis's parents die, he ends up living with his Uncle Jonathon. Now Uncle Jonathon isn't the most normal uncle in the world. He is very strange person, He walks the halls at night and Lewis even gets the impression that he is afraid of the dark. But his huge house is probably just as much as strange as he is. First of all there are stained glass windows all over the house that change images all by themselves! Also, there is a magical coat rack that has a magical mirror on it. But the most mysterious thing about the house is all of the clocks in it and one night when Lewis decides to ask his Uncle Jonathon about these mysterious clocks, he finds out that the clocks are there to drown out another clock, an evil clock hidden in the walls of the house. He also finds out that they were put there by Isaac Izard, an evil wizard who lived in Uncle Jonathon's house until he died many years ago in an attempt to destroy the world. Now Lewis, his wizard uncle, and his witch friend, Mrs. Zimmerman, are out to find this clock and save the world. But when Lewis accidently lets Mrs. Izard, Isaac's wife, out of her grave things get tricky. Can Lewis and his friends destroy the secret clock and an evil spirit too? Find out by reading The House With a Clock in It's Walls and make sure to put your seat belts on because your about to go on a wild ride!
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Summary: Mixed feelings
Review: My feelings are divided on this book. In some ways, it is enjoyable reading, but it suffers from many flaws. There is a real sweetness in the writing and in the way Bellairs describes Lewis' inner life, but I could also call the book's tone cutesy or pathetic. Although I felt very sorry for Lewis at many points in the story, and I enjoyed reminiscing about some of the aspects of childhood Bellairs mentions (like Lewis' Viewmaster), evoking the reader's pity and nostalgia isn't the same as developing a character.
Another problem is that it takes a long time for anything exciting to happen in the narrative, and when something exciting does occur (Lewis & Tarby's Halloween ritual), I think Bellairs spends one paragraph describing the "scary" part. Throughout the book, I kept feeling like I was missing out on the action. Even while reading the confrontations towards the end, which should have been gripping, I just wasn't enthralled. The reader is not with Mrs. Zimmermann when she fights the evil witch, because Lewis & his uncle are *across the street* from the main action!
It's like Bellairs constantly cheats the reader out of the juicy parts of the story, and it is very frustrating. Despite the things I enjoyed about the book, I don't think I will be reading any more of Bellairs' work.
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Summary: TIME FLIES BOOK: THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS
Review: Some of the best children's books out there today deal with the mysterious nature of walls. Walls are an essential element to any house, and therefore they're privy to all kinds of secrets. In "The Woman In the Walls" by Patrice Kindl a girl lives within the walls of her own house to escape from prying eyes. In "The Wolves in the Walls" by Neal Gaiman, walls turn out to contain fearsome violent snaggle toothed beasties. But I think that the book that best captures the fear that something horrible is lurking inside your otherwise safe and cozy home is the delightfully gothic, "The House With a Clock In Its Walls" by John Bellairs.
Lewis is perhaps the most unlikely hero you could hope for. He's pudgy and shy. He likes to study old battles and he can't swing a baseball bat to save his life. Unfortunately for Lewis his parents have recently died in a car crash and he has been sent to live with his hitherto unknown Uncle Jonathan. To Lewis's relief, however, Uncle Jonathan is a wonderful fellow, as is his neighbor Mrs. Zimmermann. Before you know it, Lewis has discovered that the two old friends are wizards as well and that the house in which Jonathan and Lewis live once belonged to warlock of evil leanings. Lewis isn't particularly upset by all this until a Halloween spell he casts goes horribly awry and it appears that Lewis has released a particularly nasty power. And then there's that clock in Lewis's house that can be heard ticking in every room. But what's it ticking for? Lewis learns soon enough that the clock in the walls not the kind of thing you'd want to hear chime. It could easily be the last thing you ever heard.
The brilliant hiring of Edward Gorey as the illustrator of this book is to be commended. Bravo! Well done! With its dark undercurrents and creepy goings ons, Gorey adds just the right touch to this already spooky affair. This isn't to say that the book isn't amusing as well. Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann have a delightful patter of insults between one another that's as natural and cheery as can be. He calls her "Frumpy" and she calls him "Weird Beard". Characters in this story (the good ones anyway) are apt to eat a lot of delicious chocolate-chip cookies while proclaiming loudly, "Poop, it would!" when denying something. You can't help but love the two wizards, and Lewis grows on the reader as well. He isn't particularly brave or attractive as a hero. He doesn't have Harry Potter's driving sensibilities or the jauntiness of a Peter Pan. He's just your average joe, trying not to draw too much attention to himself while hoping desperately for a friend. Fortunately author John Bellairs never makes Lewis too pitiful, so you end up rooting for him at the end rather than feeling sorry for the little cuss. I was also amused at how different this type of boy-messes-with-powers-over-which-he-has-no-control-and-things-go-horribly-wrong book this was. If you look at "The Wizard of Earthsea" or "The Amulet of Samarkand" both these books contain cocky boys who think they can handle the dark forces they unleash. As for Lewis, he hasn't got a clue, poor ducky. He's just doing it to hold onto his only pal. At least his intentions are pure.
Gothic children's books like this one are all the rage these days. I am thinking, of course, of "The Series of Unfortunate Events" and all that that entails. If you happen to have a kid that likes the creepy dark nature of antiques and wild spells, "The House With the Clock in Its Walls" is definitely for them. I wouldn't recommend giving this book to any kid with parents that find books like "Harry Potter" to be evil, though. I mean, this book actually has a bit of necromancy in it. So keep that in mind. Otherwise, it's great for all those children who enjoy magic, mystery, and Victorian style mansions. A fabulous spooky tale for everyone you know.
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Summary: One of my childhood favorites
Review: Lots of reviews here recount the plot, so I'll skip that. This book is great fun for younguns who enjoy a good eerie tale. I first read this about 1978 and enjoy revisiting it every so often. Lewis is a great character, smart but also emotional and prone to making bad decisions. He's also fat, bookish and not good at sports although he keeps trying and trying. His Uncle Jonathan is a great parental figure, loving, nonjudgemental but also seemingly baffled sometimes by dealing with his nephew, someone who's a lot like him. The plot is full of chills and thrills. It does amble somewhat and there are lots of scenes that have nothing or little to do with the main storyline, but this book is also a primer for Bellair's world of wizards and supernatural chills. The book has a good message about courage that lots of kids like Lewis would benefit from hearing. It helped me as a bookish kid who was no good at sports (although I wasn't fat...that waited until I was an adult!). The writing is brisk and Bellairs is a master of atmosphere. He creates a great feel for the old house and the town of New Zebedee. As an adult, I enjoy this book immensely, and highly recommend it to kids. Parents whose kids enjoy a good chill may enjoy sharing it with them. Kids who enjoy Harry Potter are likely to enjoy this as well. Bellairs' books are basically gothic horror for the younger set, and this was his first in that genre and his best. P.S. Hollywood, if you're reading...these books would make great movies, or maybe a TV series!
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