Hugo cabernet

            Hugo is perhaps a monumental piece of literature. While in our day and age we only see a new perspective to reading followed by a critically acclaimed feature film, Hugo shows promise of becoming one of the great literary works of our lifetime. Only time will tell if the idea of a graphic novel catches on, if it does Hugo will be remembered as an iconic work. On a personal note it is probably on of the most engaging books I have ever read. As a photographer I take pride in analyzing images, so each page was not just a picture, but another story. Upon diving into the novel, I had no idea what I would find inside, I had only heard of the movie. The daunting volume of the book was soon to be misleading.  Once I understood the story would be told only in part by words and mostly by pictures.  It was if we were looking at a movie slide by slide. Similar to the artist that played the movie Psycho a frame a second, Selznick breaks down a story frame by frame. Because of this we have a different and refreshing perspective into the novel.

             The entirety of the first half of the book is an establishing sequence that leaves the reader bound by curiosity. The automaton and the emotional mystery behind it were enthralling. As the story progressed the pieces of the puzzle were revealed, it began to seem as if the automaton was the linchpin of the story.  In many ways the story of reflects elements of Frankenstein and the monsters creation in the midst of adversity. Aside from being innovation Hugo also challenges different generations and draws them to board the Hugo Cabret train. While on a simple level this book appeals to the younger crowed with basic literature and a plethora of pictures. Just as Frankenstein was a somewhat simple story on the surface, Hugo is as well. However in both stories alike, if you take the core values portrayed and run with them, they can become fascinating and complex stories that are perplexing to adults and scholars.

            With Hugo making an enormous splash as a new type of reading, it would not be a surprise that this new literary style catches on. With a dynamic experience that can be interpreted by numerous different groups of readers, Hugo appeals to the masses. Just as Shelly birthed an extraordinary and revolutionary  novel, I believe that Selznick has done the same.