7.2 /10 1 Votes
Language French Media type Paperback ISBN 978-2-0812-0816-2 Originally published October 2007 Publisher Groupe Flammarion Page count 178 | 3.6/5 Goodreads Publication date October 2007 Pages 178 OCLC 421701245 Cover artist Joann Sfar Genres Romance novel, Fantasy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fantasy books Silverwing, Feet of Clay, The Amazing Maurice a, Marked, The Graveyard Book | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
La Mécanique du cœur (English version: The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart) is a book written by Mathias Malzieu, lead singer of the French rock band Dionysos (who have recorded a concept album based upon the story). The book has sold well in Malzieu's native France.
Contents
Synopsis
The book opens in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1874. Little Jack is born on the coldest day ever, which causes his heart to be frozen solid, requiring a replacement: the midwife, Docteur Madeleine, grafts a cuckoo clock to his heart of flesh and blood. He must obey three golden rules: Never touch the hands of the clock, control your anger and Never ever fall in love. But he does fall in love with a street performer named Acacia who took a liking to him. However Jack has a rival who also fell in love with Acacia named Joe who bullies him relentlessly until Jack accidentally struck Joe in the eye causing him to escape the authorities by train where he meets a film maker named Georges Melies who repairs his clock heart while traveling to Andalusia for another attempt to reunite with Acacia.
Life at a circus in Andalusia is amazing at first when Jack reunites with Acacia who is now a circus performer after she and her mother were betrayed by a trusted friend who later gave them away to the authorities because of their illegal rights to remain in Scotland as told in a flashback. Unfortunately Joe from Jack's younger days comes to the circus to take Acacia and humiliate Jack once more by taunting and tormenting the three rules causing the clock heart to explode. Thinking the frustrating torment had too much strain on him, Jack returns home to Edinburgh to face the consequences of this. Realizing what she had done to reject Jack, Acacia follows him to the house where he was born and raised by Madeleine and the other misfits including the aunts and grandfather. Jack was given the sad news: Madeleine had died in prison from the grief of losing Jack after his escape.
Jack finally gains a real heart by kissing Acacia after bravely confessing his love to her at the end of the book.
Translations
Differences between the film and book
In the novel version, Jack appears to be a grown adult. In the film version, he appears to be 14 years old after his three gloomy birthdays and bullying at school in an attempt to get a better P.O.V of the three rules in the near future and see Acacia again.
In the novel version, Acacia never wears glasses or grow roses and thorns around her arms. In the film version, she does both sometimes.
In the film version, Jack dies from kissing Acacia. In the novel version, Jack gains a fully formed real heart after a kiss for Acacia.
Film adaptation
Luc Besson has optioned the story to be made into an animated feature film that Malzieu would co-direct.