The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
★★★★☆

Hugo is the orphaned son of a clockmaker. He lives in a small room in a train station in Paris in the 1930s. His father was in the midst of trying to fix an automaton when he dies unexpected, leaving his son alone in the world. Hugo attempts to continue his father’s work, while trying to survive on his own.


This graphic novel is fanciful and sweet and just the right blend of drawings and text. The story sweeps you along and you find yourself running through the streets of Paris with Hugo, evading police and stealing milk. Hugo is caught stealing by a man who runs a toy shop and soon their lives become intertwined.

Selznick works bits of fact and historical trivia into the book. I love it when authors do that, because adds a richness to the story. He makes it clear, in an endnote, what is fact and what is fiction.


The book looks huge, but I read it all in one sitting. The drawing and photos supplement the text and so it flies by. It was just delightful. I heard Martin Scorsese is making a film version and I can’t wait to see it come to life on the big screen. I think this is the kind of book that would actually work well as a movie.

*All images from the book