"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick is the perfect union of art and literature. It represents an entirely new way of reading, and therefore an entirely new way of understanding a story. This is something I've never seen before - and something I'll never see again. 
 I'm not quite sure of what I love most about this book. I can't really decide whether it's the form that keeps fascinating me, or perhaps the beautifully intertwined storylines that left me breathless. Maybe it is both. It probably is. 
 The form of the book, the use of illustrations as a replacement for words, is truly brilliant. It's what makes this books so special and groundbreaking for me. That the author is actually capable of stopping in the middle of a sentence and replace the letters with drawings, without slowing or ruining the plot, and keep moving the story forward, is really something worth a little admiration. 
 However the plot itself is also worthy of some admiring words. The story has so many layers and angles, and so many possibilities for interpretation. On one side it is a story of a lonely boy, who finds consolation, friendship and love. On the other hand it is a story which praises art and inspiration in its many and various forms. But it is also a way of looking at life, a beautiful idea of life itself as a mechanic system - a clockwork waiting for the time to run out, like minutes and seconds ticking away with every heartbeat. 
 I wish I could turn back my clock, and read this book again for the very first time. However that is not possible - which is the lesson we all have to learn.