I admit it. I read this book because I saw Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart on Netflix, fell madly in love with that movie, and then bounced up in down with joy when I realized it was also a book. After realizing this I immediately bought the book and waited with all the patience of a Jack Russel for it to arrive knowing full well it could either make me obscenely happy or disappoint me worse than any other book before.
So how was it? Well…. it was very very very very very French. Obviously, it’s a French book translated into English but since I have poor grasp of French culture I don’t know exactly how to view this book. I know the English translation is described as, “A fairy tale for adults” but I am left to wonder if this isn’t just to appease an American audience. Still, I’m an adult, it is a lovely steampunk fairy tale, and I must say it really tugged at my heart strings!
Though this book has many similarities with the movie (the characters and settings) the entire plot line plays out very differently so I almost don’t even link them in my head. In this story Jack and Acacia have a very on again off again love affair that gets a bit steamy at points, far more so than I’d think was appropriate for a normal fairy tale but I actually kind of enjoyed that. Other adult humor is scattered throughout including Jack’s pet hamster named Cunnilingus. I’m not sure if this was to highlight his innocence or make adults falter when reading this in mixed company. No idea. But I did nervously laugh.
I read this book quickly and really loved learning more about the back stories to the secondary characters. Madeleine had the most in depth back story that made her character so much more profound in the book. All the people around her also showed their humanity with an intense vulnerability whether it was the prostitutes who named the hamster or the old drunk cop who’d lost everything and just lingers about. If you’re familiar with French cinema you’ll know it’s got a reputation for being raw and tragic. As I suspected this was no different and by the end I was sobbing piteously having gotten so invested in these characters and their story. This is only the second book that has ever made me cry. Funny enough the other one was also a French fairy tale. SIGH. With that being said sometimes a good hard cry is super healthy for you so I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fairy tales, steam punk sagas, whimsy, or just intense character connection. I’m currently attempting to learn French and I hope someday I can read this in its original language. If this piques your interest, you can buy a copy on Amazon where I have it set up to give me a small commission if you do.