(Rerated to 5* after consideration. One of those books that stick in your brain until you relent to the sequel). The rain drummed; my brain thrummed. I couldn't sleep. I began to read about Meggie, similarly afflicted. Warning: Scary. Very.
"Inkheart" is a tale with fairies, trolls, magic, vicious men who torture. Read aloud by Mo, villains and a victim appear in place of his wife and cats. Years later, evil Capricorn's gang kidnaps Meg, now 12, to blackmail the magician they call Silvertongue, for his power. The solution was obvious, but ends incomplete. Smells like sequels, yes ... Inkspell, Inkdeath. I don't know enough German to read the original by Cornelia Funke, so I am unsure of translation problems to English. Lavatory and only a few hours drive to abandoned villages in Italy transport us colonials to the magic world called Britain.
Late, on p427/524 is a possible moral theme, from great-aunt Elinor:
"She had been right. The world was a terrible place, cruel, pitiless, dark as a bad dream. Not a good place to live in. Only in books could you find pity, comfort, happiness - and love. Books loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship and didn't ask anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly. Love, truth, beauty, wisdom, and consolation against death. Who had said that? ... Words are immortal"
(Anatole Broyard said that in his dislike of "Lending Books" from editor Rabinowitz's collection "A Passion for Books").
Trailers for the '08 movie look smashing, entrancing. Helen Mirren makes Elinor slim, elegant, worldly, not fat, dowdy, reclusive. Can she still steal her precious books? Her 'pebbly' eyes glint like sapphires.
[Spoiler:
Is the moral not to read or write scary books? The grandpa author is banished to his creation, left trapped in the book. The mother remains mute. Elinor's secluded estate is a retreat for dozens of magical creatures who stray out. The literally cut-throat henchman is still here with others.
Daring young thief Farid from Aladdin is more a role model than Meg. She acts like a rebellious antagonistic toddler who rudely endangers others. She suspects Dustfinger, yet naively follows him. Adult parent who keeps secrets and endangers others is normal to me, but not an angry child who selfishly stops everyone's flight for safety to await answers. She mouths off beyond my standard of stalwart to stupid stubborn. She is the fourth generation (at least) to hide in books. How can she suddenly perform publicly, especially pressured by threat of violence? In the '08 movie trailer music video "I cont (sic) keep hiding ... gonna be stronger" she looks 15-17; sudden maturation plausible.]