Orphaned Lewis Barnavelt tries to help his uncle Jonathan and next-door neighbor turn back the hands of time and save the world from the disaster that will begin when the clock stops ticking within the walls of Jonathan's house. Reissue. NYT. PW.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Lewis always dreamed of living in an old house full of secret passageways, hidden rooms, and big marble fireplaces. And suddenly, after the death of his parents, he finds himself in just such a mansion--his Uncle Jonathan's. When he discovers that his big friendly uncle is also a wizard, Lewis has a hard time keeping himself from jumping up and down in his seat. Unfortunately, what Lewis doesn't bank on is the fact that the previous owner of the mansion was also a wizard--but an evil one who has placed a tick-tocking clock somewhere in the bowels of the house, marking off the minutes until the end of the world. And when Lewis accidentally awakens the dead on Halloween night, the clock only ticks louder and faster. Doomsday draws near--unless Lewis can stop the clock!
This is a deliciously chilling tale, with healthy doses of humor and compassion thrown in for good measure. Edward Gorey's unmistakable pen and ink style (as seen in many picture books, including The Shrinking of Treehorn and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats) perfectly complements John Bellairs's wry, touching story of a lonely boy, his quirky uncle, and the ghost of mansions past. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
Review
Is there no end to the suspense John Bellairs can create? (School Library Journal, starred review)
ThereÆs suspense and action aplenty. . . . Perfect for the pre-Stephen King set. (Booklist)
Brace yourself for a wild ride. (Kirkus Reviews)
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
ThereÆs suspense and action aplenty. . . . Perfect for the pre-Stephen King set. (Booklist)
Brace yourself for a wild ride. (Kirkus Reviews)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first read "The House with a Clock in it's Walls" when I was ten years old. I immediately fell in love with it; reading and re-reading constantly. Now I'm thirty years old, and it is still my favorite. Last year I decided to collect all of his books and re-read them-it's been the most fun I've had in ages. Out of all of the John Bellairs books, this one, in my opinion, is the very best. It's scary and funny, the characters are warm, lovable and due to their magical history, fascinating. I fell in love all over again as I re-read this last week. God bless you, Mr. Bellairs. And thank-you for showing this "little girl" just what great writing is all about.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Louis Barnavelt, recently orphaned, goes to live with his UncleJonathan, whom he's never met. When his arrives in New Zebedee, UncleJonathan picks him up at the airport and takes him to his home--a huge, spooky mansion with secret passages and mysterious rooms.
Uncle Jonathan's best friend, Mrs. Zimmerman, is in the house, and as Louis walks in, he finds her listening to the walls. To his astonishment and delight, Louis discovers that Uncle Jonathan is a wizard, Mrs. Zimmerman is a witch, and they both love poker and chocolate chip cookies.
Louis also discovers that Uncle Jonathan's house was once owned by an evil wizard--a Mr. Izzard who has hidden a magic clock somewhere in the walls of the house--a clock that will bring about the end of the world if it's not found and silenced.
To make matters worse, Louis tries to impress his new friend Tarby by stealing a spell from one of Uncle Jonathan's magic books. They perform the ceremony in the graveyard Halloween night, and succeed in resurrecting the truly evil Mrs. Izzard from the dead.
Can they stop the clock in time, or will Mrs. Izzard succeed in resurrecting her husband and bringing about the end of the world?
I was afraid to read this book as a child--the cover looks really scary, and I was a nightmare-prone child who avoided scary books like the plague. Most kids like scary books though, and this one is perfect for your 5th grade fright fan. Louis is a wonderful character, who goes from being a timid outcast, worried about impressing the kids at school, to a brave young man who summons up courage when he needs to act to save the people he loves. The friendship between Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman is funny, and they are both eccentric enough to be interesting, but not so eccentric as to become annoying.
Bellairs wrote other books about these characters, and they are worth reading, but are not as good as this book. ( )
In reading the tributes to Bellairs by his fans, I thought it was interesting that several people mentioned that they hated reading, and were not good readers until they discovered one of Bellairs' books, and that experience turned them into avid readers. END
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I first became acquainted with "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" around the age of eight. It was made into a kids' TV show (an "After School Special", perhaps? I don't remember), and I immediately checked the book out from the library. Over the years I read several other of Bellairs' books, but my favorites were always the books linked with (and continuing the story of) "The House With A Clock In Its Walls". The stories were especially fascinating for me, as they all took place in Michigan, my home state (in fact, "The Letter, The Witch, and The Ring" - book three of the series - takes place in no small part near Petoskey, Michigan, which is only 25 miles from my hometown). When I was in college, I found that the college bookstore had some copies of T.H.W.A.C.I.I.W. for sale, so I bought one. I found the story was just as enjoyable then as it had been 16 years before. I'm now 27, and I STILL enjoy these books! These are truly stories for young and old alike.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Timeless: Where children and adults meet
There is something uncanny about this book. Yes, it is a children's story. Yes, it relies on certain worn plot devices. Read more
Published 1 month ago by John Butler
Terrific for its intended age group
It probably won't hold up perfectly if reread as an adult, but at younger ages this particular book is a very rewarding read.
Published 4 months ago by Lincoln Rodman
Superficial Friendship--Deep Dark Magic
Dark Arts author for young adults John Bellaris creates a chiilling world for his teenage readers. In this story orphaned ten-year-old Lewis, a chubby boy with little prospect of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Gale Finlayson
Worth a try - classic but mild
O.K., lots of people remember the Bellairs books from their childhood and still hold them dear, (I'm that way about Enid Blyton's adventure books. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Pop Bop
A Pre-Harry Potter Attempt at a Children's Witchcraft Series
Written by John Bellairs and illustrated by Edward Gorey, the 1973 children's novel THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS was the first in the "Lewis Barnavelt Series. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Gary F. Taylor
Great classic book!
I read this book first when I was in middle school and I am now an adult. This book led to me reading the rest of John Bellairs's books that followed. Read more
Published 8 months ago by carebeargal27
My grandson loves this book
It is hard to get kids to read but once my 10 year old gandson started reading this book he couldn't put it down.
Published 16 months ago by KJ
dark and creepy, yet fun and absorbing
The story is about Lewis, who goes to live with his uncle in a little town in Michigan. His uncle is best friends with an older lady who lives next door, and the pair of them are... Read more
Published 16 months ago by snazzmo
Tick...Tick...Tick
Wouldn't it be spooky to live in a house where you could constantly hear the ticking of an invisible clock in the walls? Lewis Barnavelt certainly thinks so. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Kira Golden
My FAVORITE book EVER!
I remember reading this book as a kid and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT! I even remember an "after school movie special" of this book. It is my all-time favorite book EVER!!! Read more
Published on September 29, 2009 by Chloe Valentine
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Lewis Barnavelt fidgeted and wiped his sweaty palms on the seat of the bus that was roaring toward New Zebedee. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
parlor organ Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Uncle Jonathan, New Zebedee, Isaac Izard, High Street, Capharnaum County, Ace of Nitwits, Detention Home, Aunt Mattie, Cemetery Hill, Lewis Barnavelt, Mansion Street, Wilder Creek Park New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Lewis Barnavelt fidgeted and wiped his sweaty palms on the seat of the bus that was roaring toward New Zebedee. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
parlor organ Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Uncle Jonathan, New Zebedee, Isaac Izard, High Street, Capharnaum County, Ace of Nitwits, Detention Home, Aunt Mattie, Cemetery Hill, Lewis Barnavelt, Mansion Street, Wilder Creek Park New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 18
books:
See all 18 books this book cites
37
books
cite this book:
See all 37 books citing this book
- Main Street (Signet Classics) by Sinclair Lewis on 4 pages
- The House With a Clock In Its Walls (Lewis Barnavelt) by John Bellairs in Front Matter (1), Front Matter (2), and Back Matter
- The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt (Johnny Dixon) by John Bellairs in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Ghost in the Mirror (Lewis Barnavelt) by John Bellairs in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Figure In the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt) by John Bellairs in Front Matter, and Back Matter
See all 18 books this book cites
- The Figure in the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt) by John Bellairs in Front Matter (1), Front Matter (2), and Back Matter
- Mystery in its Passions: Literary Explorations (Analecta Husserliana) by Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka on page 210, page 211, and page 212
- Reading Olympics: A Competition to Build Reading Comprehension by Randee Blair on page 27, page 35, and page 54
- The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn: An Anthony Monday Mystery by John Bellairs in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost: A Johnny Dixon Mystery by John Bellairs in Front Matter, and Back Matter
See all 37 books citing this book
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