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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Haunting and Atmospheric Masterpiece, 5 Jul 2004
'The Speed of the Dark' is a strangely haunting little book. Atmospheric ... sinister even. The style of writing is not unlike Roald Dhal's short stories; imagine one of his 'Tales of the Unexpected' expanded to a full novel, and you'll get the picture. For the most part, the narrative takes the form of a letter/manuscript found after Christopher, a mysterious young scientist, goes missing - leaving nothing behind but a snowglobe screwed down to his desk. A snowglobe without snow. His manuscript tells the story of his childhood, and the three adults his life revolves around: Robert, his father, a surly bohemian street artist; Poppea, a street performer who pretends to be a mechanical ballerina; and Mr Eckmann, the deformed owner of The Gallery of the Art of the Impossible - and sculptor extraordinaire. His sculptures are truly beyond belief: a polar bear carved from a single grain of salt, a camel tiny enough to be displayed in the eye of a needle, the Empire State Building carved on the tip of a pencil lead, and many more. But Eckmann has a strange ambition: he wants to include in his Gallery microscopic figures that actually move. One day he invites Christopher to view his latest masterpiece: a fully articulated mechanical ballerina small enough to dance on the point of a needle. His new attraction coincides with the mysterious disappearance of Christopher's friend Poppea. Is this a coincidence ... or something far, far more sinister? This book is charmingly written, and grips to the very end. It has been short-listed for the Guardian Children's Fiction Award - however, the style of story-telling may well suit early teens to young adults best. A true gem!
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