Search - James Horner :: The Spiderwick Chronicles

The Forth Installment Can't Come Quickly Enough

R. M. Fisher | New Zealand = Middle Earth! | 11/01/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The mysterious tale of the Spiderwick legacy continues in the third installment of the Chronicles, as the twins Jared and Simon Grace and their elder sister Mallory run into more members of the faery world in their ongoing study of great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Faery World. After moving into the Spiderwick Estate with their divorced mother, the three siblings found the secret library of Arthur, who vanished several years ago, leaving only his comprehensive guide to the faery world that surrounds his home. It is this world that the Grace children are gradually getting to know, and already they have a couple of brownie/boggart and hobgoblin friends and an injured griffin in the barn. But it just so happens that after centuries of abuse and destruction, the faeries aren't so keen on humans learning about their world once more, and so are out to stop them by any means possible. Mallory and Simon are rather keen on ridding themselves of the Guidebook and thereby getting themselves out of trouble, but Jared, who feels the study of faeries is the only thing he's been really good at refuses, and instead suggest visiting great-aunt Lucinda, the daughter of Arthur Spiderwick, who might have some answers to their questions.From the visit at the old person's home to the discovery of an old map in Arthur's libary, the three children decide to set out and discover what actually happened to Arthur. This leads them to the riddle-speaking Phooka (one of the book's best characters yet!) and the court of the noble, beautiful, but extremely suspicious elves, who are the guardians of the realm of faery, and not at all pleased that humans have breached their domain...I am loving the Spiderwick Chronicles, and personally can't wait until the next installment "The Ironwood Tree" is published, as it promises even more faeries, including dwarfs! As the poem at the back of "Lucinda's Secret" says: "And beneath the old quarry, just outside of town, lives a king with a kingdom, but who wears the crown?" It is almost cruel that publishers make us wait so long. To a point, "Lucinda's Secret" was not quite up to the success of the two previous books, as the story was quite clearly split into two: the visit to the nursing home, and the trek into the faery realms. Perhaps if they had found the map earlier, and shown it to Lucinda, the book would have felt more fluid. As such, I'm getting a tad concerned at the outcome of this series - its been established that there's only five books in the series, but so far more and more characters and situations are being introduced, with nothing really getting resolved. On top of the theme of the children inflicting on the secret world of the faeries (a theme I thought was more than enough to carry the series along) there were hints here that a good and evil plot strand is arriving soon, with mention of one Mulgarath the ogre gathering malevolent forces to him. Of course, its rather useless worrying about it yet, but I'd hate to be disappointed in this great series, and the sheer shortness of the books (I read "Lucinda's Secret in half an hour) means that there's a lot of ground to cover in the remaining two books, and I'd hate to see Thimbletack, Hogsqueal, Byron or the Phooka shortchanged in wrapping up the story.Likewise, the promised "Lucinda's Secret" wasn't so much of a startling revelation than simply a little background to the Spiderwick family and reassurting what the children already know - not much of a secret! However, the faery lore that Holly Black places within the context of the story is truly wonderful - any long time scholars of faeries will delight in seeing the dangers of faery food, the technique of wearing one's clothes worn inside out, the faery use of stray sods and the power imbued in a name put to good use. And Tony DiTerlizzi's illustrations are an absolute delight. The beautifully clear and intricate pictures perfectly capture what the text describes, and creates what I consider the *real* nature of faery - not a silly, pretty little world, but quirky, intricate, and a little dangerous. Any fans of Brian Froud will adore Tony DiTerlizzi's drawings, and I myself almost wept with delight at his depiction of the unicorn - no sweet little pony, but small and stunted, with lion's paws and tail and a goat's beard: exactly how the original unicorns were depicted.Finally, the presentation of the book is stunning, especially in regard to the way the author creates it as a 'real story', with the children of the story actually writing to the authors with their story (and their letter is included!) The Spiderwick Chronicles are perfect for bringing lore of faery to a new generation, and I can't wait for the next book!"

Another great installment

Jennifer Lichtenfeld | Silver Spring, Maryland USA | 08/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In Lucinda's Secret we find the Grace children nursing a griffen back to health in the barn, Jared still suffering from the pranks of the house Brownie, and continued questions and secrets surrounding Uncle Arthur and the faerie world. They decide to visit their Aunt Lucinda in the sanitarium to see if she can provide any answers to these questions. She is able to give them a glimpse into the disappearance of her father, their Uncle Arthur. This leads them on another magical adventure in the area surrounding the Spiderwick Estate as they follow a map that could only have been made by Arthur himself.



This is anoher fun installment in the Spiderwick series. The Grace children continue to rely on each other and use their clever wits to get them out of problem situations as they encounter magical creatures. Some of the other fantasy series out there have a bit more depth to them, but this is a charming series with a lot of fun."

For my sake the fruit forbidden

E. R. Bird | Manhattan, NY | 07/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know I say this with every review of a "Spiderwick Chronicle", but it's remarkable how clever, how intelligent, and how downright well-written these books really are. And now I have a new praise to add, with the reading of the delightful "Lucinda's Secret". I can say that author Holly Black not only knows her fairies but also knows her fairy lore. In this latest installment in the popular series, Black incorporates Christina Rossetti's "Goblin Market" alongside a fast-paced story of three children battling the fairy world. At the heart of these tales, however, is the story of Jared's struggle against his own violent tendencies and the ways in which he cares for his siblings.



Jared still refuses to give up Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. This in spite of the fact that he and his siblings were recently attacked by goblins and his twin brother Simon was nearly roasted over a spit. Mallory and Simon are certain that just giving up the book would solve all their problems, but Jared's not so sure. To answer these questions the children (finally) go to visit their Great-Aunt Lucinda, currently living in a home for the mentally ill. Lucinda tells them the dangers of living in their house as well as the fact that the book is a danger. Unfortunately for them, Thimbletack the house brownie/boggart has stolen the book himself and it quickly becomes clear that after an encounter with a phooka and some elves that EVERYBODY wants what the children can no longer find.



The book takes a turn for the darker (though admittedly the eaten pet cat in the last book was a bit bleak) when Lucinda's fate is fully known. Having made the mistake of eating fairy food (a bit of a no-no no matter what book you're reading) she is forced to eat only fairy food for the rest of her life. Moreover, she describes a somewhat gruesome way in which the goblins attempted to find the location of the book through her. Otherwise, the story's the same interesting and fully entrancing tale as its predecessors. More creatures and characters have appeared and we finally learn the name of the villain behind all of this: Mulgrath. Throw in the possibility that Arthur Spiderwick may still be alive somewhere and you've got yourself one heckuva engrossing tale in a mere 108 pages.



In many ways, this is perhaps my favorite installment of the "Spiderwick" series thus far. And with two more books to go, it promises to continue to be riveting until the very end. Well worth the purchase.

"