Review: The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

John Bellairs’ tale of magic and identity is like a secret passage behind a bookcase. I can’t believe I didn’t know it was there all this time and there’s no chance I return unchanged – if I return at all.

Somehow, I missed this one as a child. I know I would have loved it. For all the pomp of ceremonial magic, Bellairs’ story is small and personal, less concerned with creating and commanding a fantasy world than it is with exploring its main character. It’s something I feel like most tales of magic quickly get away from, if they go there at all. Lewis’ struggles aren’t with his destiny as the chosen one but with issues familiar to childhood like identity, gender norms, loneliness. The existential threat posed by the antagonist is never allowed to overshadow these more ordinary obstacles. As Uncle Jonathan alludes to ahead of the final battle, what’s the point of saving the world if the world doesn’t care about the individual?

An atmospheric gothic tale that uses the extraordinary to do what it does best – explore the ordinary.