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If ever
there were a story made especially for bibliophiles, it is
Cornelia Funke's Ink series. Like its predecessor,
Inkheart, Inkspell revels in the author's, the
characters', and even the readers' love of books and the stories
contained therein. This time, however, Funke sets most of
the story in the Inkworld: a place of fairies and nymphs,
where fire dances for the humans who tame it. Thus, fantasy
fans are given a better opportunity to do what they love:
to immerse themselves in the magic of an imagined land.
Outside
of the Inkworld, a year has passed since Mo Folchart—a
bookbinder with the ability to read (or bring to life) characters
out of books—and his daughter Meggie defeated Capricorn,
the sinister medieval overlord whom Mo accidentally read out
of Inkheart (the eponymous book within Funke's book).
Despite Mo's disapproval, Meggie spends each day fantasizing
about the fictional world from which Capricorn sprang. She
expresses the same thought many readers have undoubtedly wondered
after discovering a wonderful novel: Why can't she experience
this fantasy world first-hand?
Thus,
no reader should be surprised when Meggie finds her way into
the Inkworld. Once there, she reunites with Fenoglio, the
author of the fictionalized Inkheart who was read into
his own book. Fenoglio is delighted to see the products of
his imagination breathe life, but he is also bothered by the
unscripted turns the story has taken since some characters
were read out of it. The good princes die, while the evil
ones rule with iron fists, and characters Fenoglio can't recall
even writing become major players. It is no longer his book;
instead, it is, as Fenoglio grumbles, as if someone has rewritten
his story.
Of course,
readers are aware of who that someone is: Cornelia Funke.
In highlighting this awareness, Funke tells her readers that
once a book is published, it is no longer the author's property
alone; it is also owned by the hearts and imaginations of
all who read it. But beyond the pages of the book, readers
are made to realize anyone can alter the lives of fictional
characters, regardless of what the original author has written.
As Mo
once told Meggie, "Stories never really end…even if the books
like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't
end on the last page any more than they begin on the first
page." Anyone who has ever read an unauthorized sequel to
Pride and Prejudice or written a fanfic can attest
to the power of a reader's imagination…even if the idea of
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy as lovers is still totally creepy.
In Inkspell, Funke writes about alternative storylines
as if she is giving readers her blessing to write their own
fanfics so that her characters' stories can go on long after
she finishes with them.
High
in action and rich in description, Inkspell may very
well surpass its predecessor in terms of quality and enjoyment,
though it is not without faults. Though the budding romance
between Meggie and Farid—a boy read out of a different
story—is sweet, their moments together lack passion in
even its most innocent form. This and the lackluster build-up
to the third book shouldn't be too much of a surprise to Funke
fans, as she has a mild reputation for underwhelming climaxes.
However, as a fantasy novel about the dangers and beauties
of literature, Inkspell delivers and leaves its readers
ready for more.
(March, 2007)
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