Beloved by fans across the world, and an inspiration for the film The Boy and the Heron, THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS is a beautiful coming of age story, a stunningly imagined fantasy and a global bestseller – prepare for a reading experience unlike any other.
‘Once upon a time, there was a boy who lost his mother . . .’
As twelve-year-old David takes refuge from his grief in the myths and fairytales so beloved of his dead mother, he finds the real world and the fantasy world begin to blend. That is when bad things start to happen. That is when the Crooked Man comes. And David is violently propelled into a land populated by heroes, wolves and monsters, his quest to find the legendary Book of Lost Things.
‘The one author that never ceases to amaze me and goes to the top of my list this year is John Connolly. His THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS is fascinating, claustrophobic, sinister: a definite page-turner’ GUARDIAN
‘Brilliantly creepy coming of age novel’ MIRROR
‘A powerful, powerful writer … an amazing book’ JEFFERY DEAVER
‘Incredible’ IRISH TIMES
THE LAND OF LOST THINGS, the highly anticipated sequel to THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS and called ‘A feat of imagination’ by Kirkus, is also available now.
‘Once upon a time, there was a boy who lost his mother . . .’
As twelve-year-old David takes refuge from his grief in the myths and fairytales so beloved of his dead mother, he finds the real world and the fantasy world begin to blend. That is when bad things start to happen. That is when the Crooked Man comes. And David is violently propelled into a land populated by heroes, wolves and monsters, his quest to find the legendary Book of Lost Things.
‘The one author that never ceases to amaze me and goes to the top of my list this year is John Connolly. His THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS is fascinating, claustrophobic, sinister: a definite page-turner’ GUARDIAN
‘Brilliantly creepy coming of age novel’ MIRROR
‘A powerful, powerful writer … an amazing book’ JEFFERY DEAVER
‘Incredible’ IRISH TIMES
THE LAND OF LOST THINGS, the highly anticipated sequel to THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS and called ‘A feat of imagination’ by Kirkus, is also available now.
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Reviews
'Charming, disturbing and outrageously imaginative. A tremendously exciting change of pace.'
'Brilliantly creepy coming of age novel'
Brilliantly creepy coming of age novel.
A powerful, powerful writer. I got a very real chill down my spine. This is an amazing book.
'The book's epic villainy, mournful tone and tested morality is the essence of Connolly. Worst of all is the Crooked Man, who ranks with the Travelling Man, the Collector and even Mr Pudd among Connolly's most memorable villains. 'THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS is peculiar and perverse and humane, with an incredibly lyrical finale . . . The novel should earn the author new readers.'
'Something very special indeed'
'A powerful, powerful writer. I got a very real chill down my spine. This is an amazing book.'
John Connolly has a cult following for his crime novel and can clearly plot twists and turns. He has applied that talent to his own life by producing a very different book . . . a highly original novel using stories that we all know. But think twice before reading his version of Hansel and Gretel to your kids.
It's imaginative, funny, sad and profound - fairy tales within a fairy tale, a child's adventure, a fantasy journey; it's about growing old and has the last word on dying . . . Each re-reading still brings a sigh and a moment of reflection.
Here Connolly steps directly into the enchanted forest, and the journey along its twisting path is as sinister and unsettling as anything invented by the Brothers Grimm . . . Connolly's control of this material is superb; tension, terror and gallows humour make the book a gripping read. But this allegorical coming-of-age story also cleverly shows the way that traditional stories have been used to reflect the sometimes harsh concerns of our world.
Connolly imagines the emotional cave-in of puberty intelligently, even perceptively
A moving fable, brilliantly imagined, about the agony of loss and the pain of young adulthood.
Engaging, magical, thoughtful read
A new interpretation of old fairy tales, it is imaginative and beautifully written.
This is no saccharine fairytale, but an eerie fable that's perfect for long winter nights