The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart - (Vintage Contemporaries) by Mathias Malzieu (Paperback)

About the Book

Edinburgh, 1874. Born with a frozen heart, Jack is near death when his mother abandons him to the care of Dr. Madeleine--witch doctor, midwife, protector of orphans--who saves Jack by placing a cuckoo clock in his chest. Jack grows up among tear-filled flasks, eggs containing memories, and a man with a musical spine.

Book Synopsis

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - A wildly original, fantastical adventure of love and heartbreak--and an animated movie, Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart--that takes us from Edinburgh to Paris to Andalusia to tell the story of a boy who discovers the great joys and ultimately the greater costs, of owning a fully formed heart.

Edinburgh, 1874. Born with a frozen heart, Jack is near death when his mother abandons him to the care of Dr. Madeleine--witch doctor, midwife, protector of orphans--who saves Jack by placing a cuckoo clock in his chest. And it is in her orphanage that Jack grows up among tear-filled flasks, eggs containing memories, and a man with a musical spine.

As Jack gets older, Dr. Madeleine warns him that his heart is too fragile for strong emotions: he must never, ever fall in love. And, of course, this is exactly what he does: on his tenth birthday and with head-over-heels abandon. The object of his ardor is Miss Acacia--a bespectacled young street performer with a soul-stirring voice. But now Jack's life is doubly at risk--his heart is in danger and so is his safety after he injures the school bully in a fight for the affections of the beautiful singer.

Review Quotes

"A fantastic voyage . . . A whimsical fairy-tale of a book--for adults . . . It's like a dark version of Alice in Wonderland or Pinocchio . . . A quick and entertaining read that people who like fantasy-fiction and folk tales will appreciate." --Houston Chronicle

"The brilliance of this gothic-punk novella, sparkling with imagery filtered through the prism of French film-makers Jeunet and Caro, is in the telling: Malzieu's prose is distinctly original, spitting and fizzing with unique similes and striking metaphors, wonderfully translated by Sarah Ardizzone." --The Guardian

"A little literary miracle." --Glamour (Paris)

"[A] fantastical European journey of love and discovery." --Billy Heller, New York Post "Required Reading"

"Malzieu has a gift for unexpected and strong images." --Elle (Paris)

"Malzieu sketches European landscapes and crafts figurative language with irresistible relish . . . Calling to mind a host of cultural touchstones, from Pinocchio to The Wizard of Oz, this kaleidoscopic picaresque will enchant many adults and young people alike." --Publishers Weekly

"A dreamlike and spellbinding novel." --Le Figaro Littéraire (Paris)

"Malzieu uses vivid metaphors and fantastical inventions to craft a beautifully written tale of love, both maternal and romantic . . . The prose style is simple and fluid, and the setting is not unlike a Tim Burton film--dreamy, dark, and magical--so it's no surprise that this novel is being adapted into an animated film. For fans of magical realism and fairy tales." --Library Journal

"A fairy tale jeu d'esprit, but charming all the same." --Metro (UK)

About the Author

MATHIAS MALZIEU is the lead singer of the French band Dionysos. The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart is the basis for an album that Malzieu wrote, and he is codirector of an animated feature-film adaptation produced by Luc Besson. This is his third novel and the first to be translated into English. Born in 1974 near Montpelier, Malzieu now lives in Paris.